The moment Funeno-sensei declared—
"Fight."
—I moved.
No hesitation, No wasted motion.
With precise footwork, I widened the distance between Asuma and myself, stopping when we were roughly seven meters apart. My hands slipped into my pockets calmly.
From within, I pulled out a small smoke bomb.
A simple tool, Created with the help of Nano, It was something a genin could use, especially those who lacked high-level jutsu. Useful in many situations.
Against a chunin or jonin?Meaningless.
Or so it would seem, I tossed it forward, Smoke burst outward instantly, thick and expanding.
Asuma didn't waste time, With swift hand signs, he exhaled—
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough."
A violent gust of wind tore through the field, shredding the smoke apart in seconds, But seconds were all I needed, Within the smoke, I had already transformed one of my clones into a shuriken, The moment visibility returned, I launched it straight at him, My hands formed rapid seals.
"Ninja Art: Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu."
The single shuriken multiplied mid-air—
Ten, Twenty,Thirty.
A storm of spinning steel surged toward Asuma.
He smirked.
"You're using my father's jutsu against me? It seems I overestimated you."
With fluid movement, he deflected some with his chakra blades and sidestepped the rest effortlessly,To the spectators, it looked one-sided., But not everything is as simple as it appears.
Among those flying shurikens—
Their shadows stretched.
And several of those shadows connected with Asuma's own.
That was all I needed.
For the past two years, I had focused not only on refining the Nara shadow techniques—but also studying Yin release and the Yamanaka mind arts.
This—
Was my creation.
Shadow Splitting Jutsu.
A derivative technique that infused Yin-charged shadows into other shadows, anchoring them into the environment and allowing remote binding and manipulation.
A fusion of Shadow Sewing and clone mechanics.
From the very beginning, My objective wasn't to injure him,It was to touch his shadow, And now, It was done.
I stood calmly, keeping distance. I said,
"I win."
The hall fell silent. Bewilderment spread across every face.
Asuma blinked, then laughed.
"haha… if you can't defeat me, just say so. Don't delude yourself into thinking you won. I'm not even injured."
He exhaled smoke casually.
"From your performance alone, I can tell you're talented. Just remain at the academy for a few years, and I'm sure you'll become an excellent genin."
I stared at him. Unmoved.
Without a word, I pulled out a kunai and aimed it toward him.
"Will you not surrender?"
He frowned.
"hah… are you mad? Why would I surrender?"
I didn't respond, I threw the kunai, At the same time, my fingers completed the activation seal,The Yin shadows surged.
Asuma instinctively tried to veer left, But he couldn't move, His body locked, His limbs froze, Even his jaw refused to open, Every muscle restrained by an invisible force,His pupils widened, The kunai cut through the air, closing in on his throat, One meter.
Old Monkey shouted from the stands—
"Asuma! Don't play around—move! Finish it!"
Asuma couldn't, His breathing grew ragged,Half a meter.
Old Monkey stood up, veins bulging.
"ASUMA MOVE—!"
But he couldn't.
Fear crept into Asuma's eyes. The kunai was inches away from piercing his neck, and in a flicker,I appeared between them, I caught the kunai effortlessly and pressed it lightly against his throat.
"Do you surrender?"
The entire hall was silent.
Old Monkey's forehead was covered in sweat, Minato looked both worried and confused, Itachi's expression was unreadable, but tense, Only gay boy Danzo remained still.
Watching, I released the binding slightly.
Asuma collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air, He had faced death before, on missions, on battlefields, But this, In his own village. In front of his father,Was far more terrifying,After a few seconds, when the air stabilized and everyone refocused,
I asked again, "Do you surrender?"
My voice was calm, Emotionless, Nothing like that of a six-year-old, Asuma avoided my gaze at first.
Then,
"I… I surrender."
With that declaration, I dispersed the Yin shadow from his shadow, The pressure vanished, I stepped back and walked toward Funeno-sensei.
"Sensei, please announce the result.", He seemed to snap out of a daze.
"The winner is… Akira Nara."
He swallowed, and thought, 'In one minute.'
The official match ended in one minute. But everyone present knew, the battle had been decided in thirty seconds,The remaining thirty were simply spent recovering from shock.
---
As the battle concluded and clarity slowly returned to everyone, the first to break the silence was Asuma. He walked toward me with steady steps, as if the brush with death moments ago had already been accepted and set aside.
"Akira… it seems I underestimated you. You are more than ready for the world outside the village. The whole world is going to be shocked at your emergence." For a moment, I was genuinely baffled.
There was no sarcasm in his voice, no bitterness or wounded pride, only sincerity. This was not the arrogant Young Master so often painted in stories. No, he was, first and foremost, a shinobi… and a good one. Even after being defeated by someone far younger, he held no envy or resentment.
Instead, he saw reassurance, that the next generation, the ones who would protect the village after them, were strong… perhaps even stronger than they were. This… was the real Asuma. Not a character, but a person. I nodded lightly and replied, "You too. You are already at the level of an elite chunin. If not for the disparity in information, I might have needed more time to finish you."
His smile twitched at my words before turning into a tired sigh. "Are all geniuses this… arrogant?" This time, it wasn't just me, Kakashi, and Itachi also twitched slightly, though none of us said anything further.
Soon after, Minato, Gay Boy Danzo, Old Monkey, and Kakashi approached us. Minato stepped forward, his presence calm yet authoritative. "It seems, Akira, you are well ready to step into the life of a ninja. Therefore, from now on, Akira Nara, you are a Genin of Konoha. Be sure to remain as diligent as you are and protect your village and its citizens from harm."
His gaze lingered for a moment before he continued, "As for your team… since you graduated early and at an unusual time, there are no fresh graduates remaining to form a team with you. You will be placed in an existing team where a position has become vacant. Your assignment will be informed to you by this evening."
As his words settled, Funeno-sensei stepped forward and handed me the Konoha headband, a dark cloth band bearing a steel plate engraved with the spiral leaf symbol. I took it quietly, but instead of tying it around my forehead like most shinobi, I wore it around my neck, placing the metal plate behind it, protecting one of the most vulnerable points of the human body. Even something symbolic could be used, refined, turned into an advantage.
After offering my thanks, I did not linger. I flickered away from the training ground and made my way toward the Ino clan compound. The moment I stepped inside, Aunt Inoichi appeared almost instantly, followed by one of my shadow clones.
Her eyes immediately fell on the headband resting, around my neck. For a brief moment, something flickered in her expression, pride… and fear, but she hid it well, far too well. Instead, she simply stepped forward and pulled me into a tight embrace.
And in that moment, despite all the emotions I had buried deep within myself, I found it difficult to suppress them. In front of those I considered family, my control faltered. That warmth… that familiarity… that sense of belonging, it was dangerous, yet comforting in a way I could not deny.
With my graduation complete, Aunt Inoichi decided to hold a small family celebration. It was nothing grand, just me, Uncle Inoichi, Uncle Shikaku, and both aunts, but it was enough.
The evening passed in warmth and quiet joy. Laughter echoed softly through the house, food was shared, and conversations flowed naturally. No one spoke of the dangers that lay ahead, nor did they voice their worries, but I could feel it beneath their smiles. They knew. They understood that my path could not be changed.
And so, instead of dwelling on fear, they chose to cherish the present—to celebrate, to smile, to be together. And for that one evening, I allowed myself to do the same.
---
By the time the small family feast came to an end, the atmosphere in the house had turned warm and lively. Uncle Inoichi and Uncle Shikaku were both thoroughly drunk, their usual sharp and calculating minds dulled into careless laughter, while Aunt Inoichi and Aunt Yoshino sat nearby, half-annoyed and half-amused, complaining about how they had ended up marrying such troublesome men. It was peaceful, But that peace didn't last, A familiar presence flickered at the edge of my senses.
Sharp and Disciplined, Kakashi.
Without disturbing anyone, I quietly stood up and walked toward the front door. As I opened it, there he was, standing in the dim light outside, wearing his usual mask, his unruly white hair spilling in every direction as if it refused to obey gravity itself.
He gave a slight nod. "Akira, your team has been decided. You should be ready tomorrow at 9 AM near Training Ground 12. You will meet your team there. Here is your assignment scroll, it's just a formality, but sign it and hand it to your mentor tomorrow."
I took the scroll from him. "Thanks. By the way, what are you still doing out this late? You should spend some time with Big Sis Rin instead of working like this. Go, shoo—"
Before he could respond, I shut the door.
Outside, Kakashi stood there for a moment, Completely confused.
Inside, I returned to my room. With everything settled, I decided not to overthink things for once. Tomorrow would be important.
So I rested,
I slept peacefully.
--
The next morning followed the same routine I had maintained for the past year.
Early morning training,Meditation,Chakra control exercises,Combat drills.
By the time I finished, my body was warmed up, my mind sharpened, and my chakra flowing steadily,I returned home, took a quick bath, brushed, and prepared breakfast for myself and my aunt and uncle, When Aunt Inoichi woke up, I created a shadow clone and left it behind.
"Aunt, I'm going to meet my team today. I'll leave a shadow clone here to help you."
She nodded sleepily. "Alright."
With that, I finished eating. The clock ticked closer, 8:45.
Without delay, I flickered out of the house.
By 8:50, I arrived at Training Ground 12.
Three figures were already there.
Two males.
One female.
The tallest among them stood with a rugged presence, a man with a patchy beard, short dark brown hair, and a jonin vest draped over his broad frame. Despite the slightly rough appearance, his posture was straight, calm, and authoritative.
Beside him stood a boy, around eleven years old, with lazy eyes and a relaxed posture that screamed Nara. His black hair was tied in the familiar pineapple shape.
Definitely one of us.
And then, There was the girl, Around twelve years old, Dark green hair, Sharp eyes.
A faint, confident smile resting on her lips, And
Two very noticeable—
…features, I paused, I mean… a well-developed physique.
…Yeah. Let's go with that.
If she grew further, she might rival even an adult Hinata.
What the hell am I even thinking…
I cleared my mind and walked forward, stopping in front of them.
"Good morning," I said calmly. "My name is Akira Nara. Please take care of me."
Reply was not instant at first no one spoke but the tall man Stepped forward his once folded now resting by his side as he replied,"Good Morning, My name Amaraki Ito, I am jonin and your team captain." He did not delve much further huh.. A man of few words it seems. The next to introduce was the girl, she stepped forward and said "My name Naori Hiteshi, I like sweet things and I hate Men who do not shower a day at least 2 times." Hearing her response I was confident that she was going to remain single for a very long time in this world. Any way I gave her a brief nod, then I looked at the boy mostly a Naara form how he is looking, and how he is acting and with the signature droopy eyes of naara, he opened his droopy eyes as he glanced at me and said "I am Sitoshi Naara,... Just don't disturb my sleep and we will be best of friends" he said with a expression which entailed every single word that escaped his was a log of effort from him. He nodded as I was not one to question the genes of naara.
With the introduction brief and ..very short the team leader Amaraki Ito said "Normally I would have taken a test to see your capabilities and your strength and weakness but.. Minato-sama told me that there is no need ... But I still doubt weather you are strong or not.. So we are directly engaging in a bandit mission I will choose a mission appropriate for you and you must eliminate them alone .. be ready at 7pm we will move at night." With his speech finsihed he flicked and vanished from our view.. with leader gone the girl Naori was the first to move as she said"Don't be late Amaraki sensei do not like waiting..." She said as she start walking towards sthe exit with each step shaling the confines of her boo---' I need to stop doing that'
As I looked at Sitoshi he just smirked with look that said 'I know ... And I respect it
' with the matter settled I flicked back to my house and started packing.. clothes , ration pills ,medicines especially antidotes... Even though normal bandits are not strong as shinobi but they also posses some threats especially those who use venom.. and posions as there weapon bandits especially use posions and venom very much, but most of the posion an venom they use are normal and commonly used so making or buying the antidotes for such posion were easy. But still better be prepared .. you never know what the world will throw at you. There was still more then 7 hours to go before we depart so to be in the best shape I started training at a decent intensity not too much not too less just enough to keep my body at its peek and ready.
With the sun setting and the cooling wind breezing through air I made my way towards the entrance gate of konoha.. I wa still 10 min early As the minutes passed the first to come was Naori her step sileht and her expression playfully as always. As she greeted me "Akira-kun good evening .. are you ready for your first mission", To which I replied "I am" .
She continued talking about her friend who was promoted to chunin last year and how the next day at his mission he was captured my mistake shinobi and castrated and tortured before being rescued by anbu. I looked at her with no emotij showing but my mind screeming as I said "Who the fuck starts the conversation like this?"
She ignored my question and kept spouting nonsense, clearly a beauty with no brain… Anyway, by the time ten minutes passed, which seemed like an eternity as Naori kept her mouth open wide enough to speak 9000 words in a second, the clock ticked toward 7 PM. Both Team Leader Amaraki and Satoshi flickered back, and once everyone had gathered, we made our way toward the gate. Team Leader showed our assignment to the gatekeepers, and once the procedures were done, we started flickering toward the destination.
As we moved through the trees beneath the dim evening sky, Team Leader Amaraki began giving details about the mission. "Eliminate five bandit groups. No shinobi expected there, simple civilians turned into bandits…" His tone remained calm as he continued, "Each bandit group is stationed on the route toward the Land of Mist… and your mission is to eliminate them alone, as fast as possible, without alerting anyone." With the mission details given, everyone quietly made their way toward their respective targets.
Once I reached my designated bandit stronghold, my mission began.
With a single hand seal, I used Shadow Clone Jutsu to create four clones and sent them to scout the area. Even if intelligence stated there were no shinobi present, sometimes people died brutally by believing solely in intelligence. While the clones scouted for threats, I transformed into a rabbit and moved silently through the undergrowth. Reaching near a drunken bandit who was pissing close to the entrance, away from everyone else, I undid the transformation and flickered a kunai straight into his throat, to not let him scream or make any sound. Once he died, I stored both his body and blood into a scroll so no one would find him while I used his appearance.
Then,
Transformation Jutsu.
With heavy drunken steps, I made my way toward the group gathered near the bonfire. Some were drinking. Some were laughing. And some… were violating women brought from nearby villages. Their victims' eyes were hollow, their bodies still, most already dead inside from the pain and brutality inflicted upon them. Yet the bandits continued like animals.
Seeing this, I was once again reminded,
This world was real, Far more real than the anime.
And perhaps… the only way to survive was to become crueler than others.
Crueler even to oneself, Another woman's scream echoed through the camp.
I settled near the bonfire and, with subtle hand signs hidden beneath drunken movements, activated Shadow Splitting Jutsu, anchoring every bandit's shadow… and every victim's shadow. Once done, I waited quietly for my clones' signals.
When the clones dispersed, their memories flooded back into me instantly.
No threats, No hidden shinobi.
The intelligence was correct.
With a single command,
Every bandit's shadow, and every victim's shadow, emerged.
Then, With one precise motion,
The shadows thrust themselves into the back of their brains.
And with a single calculated strike…
At once, All 30 bandits and all 15 victims were killed.