"Asuma?"
"That should be her. She may be surrounded," Kurenai Yuhi said quickly.
Her sensory abilities were broader and sharper than Shisui's. At this point, both teams relied heavily on her for navigation and battlefield awareness.
"I'll speed ahead. Everyone, follow close behind. Kurenai, conserve your chakra," Shisui ordered.
"Understood."
With her affirmation, Shisui gave a nod and surged forward.
He was incredibly fast.
Earlier, he'd been holding back to match pace with the team, but now—
Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, Shisui had vanished from sight.
They were momentarily stunned.
It hit them then he'd only been moving slowly before for their sake. His true speed, amplified by the Body Flicker Technique, was on a completely different level.
Not even close.
Shisui darted through the dense terrain of the Forest of Death, covering ground at a staggering pace. Soon, he reached Asuma's position. The area Asuma could maneuver in had grown dangerously small.
When Shisui arrived, a skirmish was already underway. Asuma was being harried by multiple opponents, with two other teams lurking in the shadows, observing.
Asuma was nearing his limit.
Suddenly, a massive fireball roared through the trees
Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!
Asuma's eyes lit up.
But
Her physical energy was nearly spent. She couldn't retreat, though she had just enough chakra to release one more jutsu.
Forming seals rapidly, Asuma inhaled
Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!
Boom!
The explosive gust collided with Shisui's fireball, amplifying the flames and redirecting them into a sweeping inferno.
The blaze surged forward, engulfing the enemy formation.
Hyuga Hiromon and Akimichi Sidō were caught in the flames and knocked out.
The rest froze in shock.
Asuma...
That was ruthless.
Even at her limit, she hadn't chosen to run. She'd chosen to strike.
"her thinking is clear," Nara Shikaku commented, glancing at the Third Hokage. "Retreating would've just made him a burden. Instead, he helped eliminate the threat."
Though this was only an exam, Asuma had made a battlefield-caliber decision one that revealed true tactical instinct.
"A shame," Inoichi Yamanaka sighed, "but impressive. Cool-headed, yet loyal to her team."
"Exactly. She's learning through experience."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded approvingly.
Privately, he felt a twinge of gratitude toward Jingyi.
He knew what kind of condition Asuma had been in and how hard it was for a father to watch his daughter struggle.
But now...
Asuma was maturing.
That was priceless.
"Why, though?" Kakashi asked, confused. "There were better options. He could've escaped."
"Normally, failing a mission makes you trash," Jingyi replied, voice sharp, "but abandoning comrades makes you worse than trash."
Cough, cough!
The Third Hokage coughed awkwardly.
Jingyi's blunt declaration hit harder than expected.
It cut deep especially for Kakashi, whose philosophy of "mission first" came from his father, Hatake Sakumo, who was scorned for prioritizing comrades over duty.
Jingyi had just sided with Sakumo's ideals.
"You don't understand anything," Kakashi muttered, voice cold. His mask hid his expression.
"This is just an exam. If even here you'd abandon your teammates, then what kind of shinobi are you?" Jingyi said. "Even Guy, reckless as he is, tried to save Aoba. He didn't run."
Kakashi didn't answer.
Jingyi didn't press the point.
He wasn't Kakashi's father. He'd said his piece. That was enough.
Besides, there was still work to do.
Kurenai and the others arrived on the scene. Their combined numbers were enough to intimidate the remaining hidden teams into retreating.
Hiromon and Sidō had been injured.
Arguably, that fireball-wind combo was the most effective attack of the entire Chūnin Exam so far.
Minato Namikaze arrived next.
The medical corps would take time, so Jingyi stepped forward.
Forming seals, he gathered chakra and summoned a Slug Clone to distribute medical chakra.
Medical Ninjutsu: Slug Healing Technique!
Hiruzen watched silently.
Years ago, Tsunade had used that very technique to save lives on the battlefield. After she left Konoha, no one else had managed to replicate it.
But now... Jingyi could.
And the irony?
He wasn't even a full-time medic.
Medical ninjutsu was just a minor specialty for him. His main strengths were kenjutsu and ninjutsu.
It was infuriatingly impressive.
---
"Thanks. They'll be fine. Continue with the exam," Minato said, relieved after seeing the slug's healing effects.
No wonder Jingyi was so confident.
With the Slug Technique and Flying Thunder God for fast transport, there was little risk of fatal injury in the Forest of Death unless someone was reckless.
"Yes!"
Kurenai gazed at the slug, eyes gleaming.
Admiration turned into determination.
She couldn't fall behind.
She would master illusions and she would not neglect medical ninjutsu either.
The group turned and headed deeper into the forest.
---
"Minato," Jingyi said, "they're safe. Let's prepare for the finals."
"Right."
The second contraction phase of the exam had begun.
Though this was just the first stage, many fights and accidents had already shaped the competition.
Like Asuma's battle.
He'd annihilated one team and defeated another.
A proud showing.
Nara Enzan's team down to just two members wouldn't last much longer.
The remaining finalists fell into two camps:
Lone wolves, like Might Guy.
Full squads, like Shisui and Kurenai's team.
Jingyi paused his healing.
He needed to conserve chakra more injuries were coming.
The battlefield was shrinking again.
In the process, Shisui's team eliminated yet another group.
By the time the last circle formed, only a few teams remained:
Shisui, Kurenai, and their full team.
Two survivors from Nara Enzan's team.
A mixed group of lone wolves: Might Guy, Rin, and Genma Shiranui.
Only the top five teams would move to the final round.
But there were six groups left.
Nara Enzan tensed.
"You"
"Let's form an alliance," Genma suggested, pale-faced. "Without cooperation, we'll never beat them."
He was running on fumes.
Meanwhile, Shisui and Kurenai were at full strength, waiting in formation.
A head-on fight meant death.
"Alright," Enzan agreed, relieved.
He'd feared Might Guy would charge in and get them wiped out. But with Genma's logic holding sway, there was still a chance.
He started strategizing in his mind
How do we get through this?