“Asuma?”

  “It should be him. Looks like they’ve been surrounded.”

  “Is he still alive?”

  “He’s still moving for now,” Kurenai Yuhi responded swiftly.

  Her sense was broader and clearer than Shisui’s, so at this moment, both squads relied on her intel fuidance.

  “I’ll speed ahead first. You guys catch up quickly. Kurenai, serve your chakra,” Shisui instructed.

  “Got it…”

  Receiving firmation, Shisui nodded and then accelerated forward.

  His speed was astonishing.

  Previously, he had been holding back to support his teammates, but now…

  Whoosh!

  In a few flickers, Shisui had already disappeared from their sight.

  Raido Namiashi was momentarily stunned.

  Then, he finally uood—while they were moving as fast as they could, Shisui’s Body Flicker Teique was on a pletely different level.

  They weren’t even in the same league.

  Shisui dashed through the inner region of the Forest of Death in no time and located Asuma. By now, Asuma’s spaaneuver had bee critically limited.

  Just as Shisui arrived, a group of enemies was closing in, and in the shadows, two other squads lurked, watg the battle unfold.

  As Asuma’s stamina neared depletion—

  A massive fireball shot out.

  Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!

  Asuma’s eyes lit up.

  However…

  He was already pletely exhausted, with no ce of esg. Mustering the st bit of chakra he could gather, he immediately formed hand seals.

  The instant—

  Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!

  Boom!

  A thunderous explosioed.

  Shisui had inally intended his fireball as a diversion to cover Asuma’s retreat, not as a direct attack. But Asuma’s jutsu redirected the fireball’s trajectory.

  Fmes raged, ing a rge swath of enemies.

  Hyūga Hibiki and Akimichi Shito were engulfed in the inferno.

  The jōnin were left in awe.

  Asuma…

  That was ruthless!

  Even at his st moment, instead of esg, he chose to coordih his teammate to eliminate enemies.

  “His reasoning was that even if he mao escape, he would only bee a burden to his team. Instead, he chose to assist his allies in taking down their foes,” Nara Shikaku observed, gng at the Third Hokage.

  Though this was just an exam—a simution—it still demonstrated Asuma’s keen battlefield awareness and tactical a.

  “What a shame…”

  Hagaetsu sighed but nodded in appreciation.

  It was a baween logid emotion.

  And Asuma chose his teammates.

  “That’s endable. Each experiend lesson is valuable.”

  The Third Hokage wasn’t disappointed.

  In fact…

  He felt a deep sense of gratitude toward Kyoichi.

  As Asuma’s father, he had always sensed his son’s struggles.

  But now…

  It seemed Asuma had found crity in his beliefs.

  And that was invaluable.

  “Why?”

  Kakashi was fused.

  There had clearly been a better choice—why make such a decision?

  Surely Asuma uood this.

  “Normally, those who fail a mission are called trash. But those who abandon their rades… are worse than trash.”

  Cough, cough!

  The Third Hokage coughed repeatedly, feeling a little awkward.

  Kyoichi’s words…

  They were a direct stab to the heart.

  Not just for Kakashi.

  Everyone khat Kakashi’s mantra was "Mission First," a belief shaped by his father’s disgrace—Sakumo Hatake had abandoned a mission to save his rades.

  Kyoichi’s statement essentially validated Sakumo’s decision.

  “You don’t uand anything!”

  Kakashi’s gaze turned icy.

  With his face hidden behind a mask, his expression was unreadable.

  “This is just an exam. If someone is willing to abandoeammates here just to win, then they’re too blinded by self-i. I know you want t up Guy, but even he, in his first instinct, chose to carry Aoba rather than leave him behind.”

  Kyoichi’s expression was serious.

  Kakashi turned away, unwilling to tihe versation.

  Kyoichi didn’t bother pushing further.

  He wasn’t Kakashi’s father. A passing ent was ohing, but he wasn’t ied iuring him.

  Besides…

  There were more pressing matters at hand.

  Otlefield, Kurenai and the others had arrived, using their o intimidate the tw squads. However, they couldn’t stop Nara Enji and his remaining teammate.

  Now, it was time for the jōnin to up the battlefield.

  Akimichi Shito and Hyūga Hibiki were seriously injured.

  This robably the most devastating use of the Great Fireball Jutsu in in Exam history.

  Minato was the first to arrive.

  The medical team would take a bit longer.

  Kyoichi formed hand seals, eling medical chakra and using Katsuyu’s division to transport healing chakra to Minato’s summoned slug. Gradually, Hyūga Enji and Akimichi Shito’s wounds stabilized.

  Katsuyu's Healing Teique!

  The Third Hokage watched, filled with emotion and nostalgia.

  Ba the day, Tsunade had used this teique to save tless lives otlefield. Since her departure, no other mediinja in Konoha had been capable of replig it.

  But now, Kyoichi had succeeded!

  The issue was…

  Kyoichi wasn’t even a dedicated mediinja.

  His mediinjutsu was merely a sedary skill—his true expertise y isu and general ninjutsu.

  This was ridiculous!

  parisons were just infuriating.

  “Thank you. These two are stable now—you all tinue your exam,” Minato announced.

  He had noticed the healing provided by Katsuyu a reassured.

  No wonder Kyoichi dared to push so hard.

  Katsuyu's Healing Teique!

  With this, bined with his Flying Thunder God and Body Flicker teiques, he could ehat no partit in the Forest of Death would be in mortal danger—uheir injuries were beyond saving.

  “Yes, sir!”

  Kurenai stared at the healing slug with envy, then slowly shifted to determination.

  She had to master genjutsu.

  But she couldn’t mediinjutsu either!

  She followed the others as they headed deeper into the inner circle.

  “Minato, they’re out of immediate danger. Prepare for the final zone.”

  “Yes!”

  The final zone…

  This was the sed phase of the battle royale.

  However…

  Even before the first phase had ended, numerous skirmishes had already erupted, signifitly altering the trajectory of the exam.

  Take Asuma, for example.

  He had been ered.

  But his resistance was fierce.

  His squad had wiped out oeam and crippled another—a remarkable feat. And with only two remaining, Nara Enji’s team wouldn’t st much longer.

  The final tenders were clear—

  Elite lone wolves, like Might Guy.

  And cohesive powerhouse squads, like Shisui and Kurenai’s team.

  Kyoichi halted his healing efforts.

  He o serve chakra—there were likely more injuries ahead.

  Meanwhile…

  As the jōnin further tighteheir encirclement, the battlefield shrank once again. In the process, Shisui’s squad eliminated aeam.

  Now, only a small zone remained for the final showdown.

  Shisui and Kurenai’s squad remained intact.

  Nara Enji’s squad had two members left.

  The st team was an unusual mix—

  Might Guy, Rin, and Genma Shiranui.

  A temporary alliance of lone survivors.

  The top five teams would advao the third round.

  However…

  There were still six teams remaining.

  Nara Enji was nervous.

  “You guys…”

  “Let’s join forces. If we don’t, we won’t stand a ce against them,” Genma said, his face pale.

  His chakra and stamina were nearly drained.

  Meanwhile, Shisui’s team…

  They were fresh and in peak dition.

  Not w together meaai.

  “…Alright.”

  Nara Enji sighed in relief.

  His real fear was that Might Guy’s team would go full berserker and attack them first.

  That would be a disaster.

  But now…

  Genma still believed they had a fighting ce, which meant there was room fotiation.

  Time tize… and survive.

  Gcell