Chapter 35 – Practical Assessment
"Assessment!"
"We've already had one, haven't we?" Uchiha Yōhei asked, face full of doubt.
"That was the Ninja Academy's assessment," Yamaguchi Masasuke replied coldly, his tone all business. "This one is mine. If you can't pass my test, I'll have no choice but to send you back to the Academy."
"What? That's not fair!" Yōhei protested, looking exasperated.
Taichi, however, understood. Every year, fresh genin squads were tested by their assigned jōnin leaders. The methods varied wildly, often reflecting the teacher's own preferences. The purpose also differed—sometimes it was to gauge strength, other times to test teamwork. For example, the future Team 7's bell test was designed to measure the bond between comrades.
"Here are the rules," Yamaguchi continued. "From now until sunset, no matter what means you use—ninjutsu, taijutsu, or even shuriken—if any one of you lands a single hit on me, you pass." He tilted his head toward the west, gauging the sun's descent. "You've got about two hours. Make the most of it."
The three genin exchanged glances. A silent understanding passed between them.
"Captain Yamaguchi, this isn't fair," Yōhei spoke up again, stepping forward with a guileless look. "You're a jōnin, and we're only genin. How are we supposed to win?"
"Do you think enemies on the battlefield will ever fight fair?" Yamaguchi retorted sharply. "As shinobi, you—"
Before he could finish, Taichi suddenly lunged forward like a drawn blade, charging straight at him. His short sword gleamed with a cold light as he slashed for Yamaguchi's neck, as if seeking vengeance for some deep blood feud.
But Yamaguchi was no ordinary jōnin. His reflexes were razor-sharp. His hand shot into his pouch, pulling out a kunai just in time to deflect the strike. Steel clashed, sparks flying.
Taichi didn't let up. His blade moved in a relentless storm, each strike flowing into the next, leaving Yamaguchi no room to breathe. With the advantage of surprise, he even managed to push the veteran jōnin onto the defensive.
At that moment—
"Lightning Release: Lightning Ball!"
It was Saori. Using Yōhei's earlier approach as cover, she had weaved her signs in secret. A crackling sphere of lightning shot from her hand, streaking toward Yamaguchi with blinding speed.
Taichi immediately leapt aside, clearing the line of fire.
The thunderball raced forward. Without forming any hand seals, Yamaguchi slammed a palm against the earth. A massive earthen wall surged up from the ground—Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall—blocking the lightning attack in a heartbeat.
But the genin had no intention of stopping there.
On the right, Yōhei had already finished his own hand seals. He inhaled deeply and exhaled a roaring torrent of flames.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A massive fireball engulfed the battlefield, consuming both the earth wall and everything behind it.
Forced to dodge, Yamaguchi burst from behind the collapsing wall, leaping left to escape the blazing inferno.
But that was exactly what Taichi had been waiting for. Standing ready with blade poised, he swung with all his might the moment Yamaguchi entered his range—like a hunter who had patiently lain in wait for his prey.
One strike. All or nothing.
Just as steel clashed, Yamaguchi's kunai met Taichi's short blade—
Clang!
The sound rang sharp, but in the very next instant, the supposedly sturdy kunai snapped cleanly in two, as if sliced through like tofu. The blade continued downward without pause, cleaving "Captain Yamaguchi" from shoulder to waist in one merciless stroke.
The battlefield froze. Even Taichi stood stunned.
Then—poof! White smoke erupted, and the bisected figure vanished into nothing.
A Shadow Clone.
The three genin snapped back to their senses, quickly regrouping into a triangular formation, eyes scanning the surroundings with full alertness.
Not far away, hidden behind the trunk of a tall tree, the real Yamaguchi Masasuke observed silently. From the very start, it had been only his clone fighting them. He had seen everything—their seamless teamwork, the way they coordinated with nothing more than exchanged glances. No wonder these three were considered among the most promising of their class.
With a flicker of movement, Yamaguchi's form blurred, and in the next heartbeat, he appeared in the open field.
The trio immediately shifted stance, formation tightening as they faced him with weapons raised.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
"Well done," Yamaguchi said with a smile, clapping his hands together. "No need to stay on guard. You've passed this assessment."
The three blinked in surprise before gradually lowering their weapons.
"Your coordination was impressive. Hard to believe you've only just met. Strength, determination, teamwork—you've shown qualities worth recognizing."
"Thank you, Captain Yamaguchi!" the three said in unison.
"Good. Then from this moment, I officially declare the formation of Team Eight." Yamaguchi's smile widened as he looked at their shining, excited faces—especially Yōhei, who actually jumped for joy.
"To celebrate, dinner's on me tonight. Let's go for some yakiniku!"
"Yeah!!" the three cheered together.
Even the usually composed Taichi and Saori couldn't hold back their excitement.
As the sun dipped low, its rays stretched their shadows—one tall, three small—until they merged in the distance, intertwining as though fate itself had bound them together.
---
Later, at the barbecue restaurant…
The table was buried under skewers. Yamaguchi sat with dark lines on his forehead, inwardly regretting his bold promise. He hadn't expected these three to eat like bottomless pits. The two boys he could understand, but Saori? Her appetite was every bit as fearsome as Taichi's and Yōhei's combined.
By the end, their meal had cost him nearly the entire reward of a B-rank mission. Thank goodness he'd brought enough cash—otherwise the embarrassment would have been unbearable.
"Alright, that's enough for today," Yamaguchi finally said, half weary and half amused. "Go home, get some rest. Tomorrow at nine sharp, meet me at the Hokage's office. We'll start taking missions officially."
Groaning, the three genin stood, holding their stomachs. They had eaten so much that even walking felt like a chore.
---
Back at home, Taichi followed his usual routine. He ran through his Advanced Taijutsu drills, then sat down for Advanced Meditation. Both skills were on the verge of breaking into Level 1, and the steady progress filled him with energy. Once his training was done, he lay in bed, ready to rest.
Staring at the ceiling, Taichi replayed the day's events in his mind.
Captain Yamaguchi was strict and serious, yet fair and reliable. From today's test, it was clear—his strength stood at the top even among jōnin. Beneath his stern exterior, though, he showed care for his subordinates. He would make a good leader.
As for his teammates, Taichi felt deeply satisfied. Beyond raw ability, they were sharp, quick-thinking, able to understand one another with just a glance. With comrades like these, even on the battlefield, his odds of survival would rise.
Tomorrow, his shinobi life would truly begin. The thought thrilled him—though the reality of genin work meant endless D-rank missions like chasing cats, finding dogs, and cleaning rubbish. Hardly the glorious life of a ninja.
Still… Taichi's mind turned to Yamaguchi's Shadow Clone. If he could learn that technique, he could make his clones handle the chores while he trained or rested. Perhaps he could persuade his captain to teach him—it was the duty of a jōnin leader to pass down useful skills to his squad.
Smiling faintly at the thought, Taichi drifted into sleep.
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