Chapter 35: The Aftermath of a Demonstration
A stunned silence blanketed the training ground. The fight had been so swift, so brutally efficient, that it was over before anyone could truly process it. Shikamaru and Chōji lay in a heap in the freshly made crater, groaning softly. Ino stood frozen, the ghost of the cold shuriken still a palpable sensation against her throat.
This result was beyond anything anyone had anticipated. Kurenai's crimson eyes were wide, her mind racing as she replayed the last thirty seconds. She had believed in Aizen's potential, but she had never imagined he possessed such overwhelming, refined power. He hadn't just won; he had dismantled the legendary Ino-Shika-Chō formation with the casual ease of someone swatting aside a minor annoyance.
"He's too strong," Kiba whispered, his earlier boastfulness replaced by pure awe. "His ninjutsu, his clones, his speed... it was all perfect." The frustration of his own loss was washed away by a wave of pride for his teammate.
Hinata watched, her pale lavender eyes shining. Aizen's calm, dominant strength filled her with a strange, warm confidence. She remembered his words to her at the ramen stand, clear as day: "Smile. If the sun is covered by dark clouds, everyone will be sad." Unconsciously, a small, genuine smile touched her lips, her gaze fixed on his back.
Asuma's face was ashen. He felt a hot flush of humiliation creep up his neck. He had openly mocked Aizen's arrogance, only for his own prized students to be effortlessly crushed. The stark contrast was a direct blow to his pride as a sensei. He had wanted to impress Kurenai, to show the quality of his teaching, and instead, he had been publicly handed a stinging defeat by a genin who had been training for a matter of weeks.
"You lost," Aizen stated, his voice calm and even as he lowered the shuriken and took a step back from Ino.
Being so close to him, under the weight of that composed gaze, sent a different kind of shiver through Ino. She suddenly noticed how handsome his features were, and the absolute, unshakable confidence in his every movement was undeniably captivating. If Sasuke was like a cold, distant iceberg, then Aizen was the deep, calm ocean—just as powerful, but with a magnetic, low-key intensity.
"Student Aizen is... so cool," she breathed, her competitive spirit momentarily forgotten as she stared at him with dazed, admiring eyes.
"Well, now that the outcome is decided," Kurenai said, her voice pulling everyone back to the present. She looked at Aizen with undisguised appreciation. "Aizen, you can stand down."
Her sharp eyes had missed nothing. The Body Flicker he had used was on a level she hadn't thought possible for him. To have barely grasped the technique yesterday and to wield it with such flawless precision today... his rate of comprehension was terrifying, and it made her feel a sense of awe. Without realizing it, Aizen had carved out a significant place in her thoughts, the line between a sensei's pride and a more personal, caring interest beginning to blur.
"I'm taking it. He's just too strong," Chōji mumbled, already pulling out a new bag of chips, his fighting spirit completely extinguished.
"I knew we should have just surrendered. So much trouble for nothing," Shikamaru sighed, brushing the dirt from his clothes as if the entire event were a minor inconvenience he'd rather forget.
Ino remained quiet, her gaze still locked on Aizen.
"So? That's the strength of our Team 8!" Kiba proclaimed, his chest puffing out with pride as he completely forgot his own defeat moments earlier.
"Indeed," Kurenai said, her admiring eyes once again settling on Aizen. From start to finish, her attention had been captivated by him, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Asuma, who felt a sharp pang of envy. "I have just witnessed a shining supernova," she added softly.
She then turned her gaze to all seven genin, her expression turning serious. "Remember this lesson. In the Chunin Exams, you will likely face a survival exercise in the wilderness. When that happens, I expect you to cooperate. You will not only represent yourselves but all of Konoha. You must stand united against the ninja from other villages."
The seven genin nodded, the message sinking in after the powerful demonstration they had just witnessed.
Kurenai and Asuma shared a look of relief. They didn't want infighting between Konoha's genin to create an opening for foreign ninja to exploit. This display, while brutal, had driven the point home.
"Asuma, since the spar is over, please take your team and debrief," Kurenai said, her tone polite but final. "I need to work with Aizen and the others to further refine their techniques before the exams." Her eyes drifted back to Aizen, filled with a clear sense of priority.
"But... I thought we agreed to have afternoon tea together?" Asuma asked, his voice tight, his heart sinking.
"Another time," Kurenai declined gently but firmly. "For now, my focus needs to be on Aizen and his teammates."
As she turned away, Asuma's face fell. He watched as Kurenai's attention remained entirely fixed on the prodigious new genin, and he felt a cold knot of anger form in his stomach. Before Aizen's arrival, Kurenai had always accepted his invitations. Now, not only was she growing distant, but she was also canceling their plans in public for the boy's sake. It felt like a second, more personal slap in the face.
Without another word, Asuma turned and led his dejected team away. Kurenai didn't watch him go. Her beautiful, focused eyes stayed on Aizen Sōsuke, the dazzling genius who had, in a single morning, reshaped the dynamics of two teams and unknowingly stirred a quiet storm of jealousy.