The signal to begin the trial rang out, and Kuro's team immediately dashed deep into the training grounds, disappearing among the dense trees. The foliage swayed behind them, muffling the sounds of the other classmates scattering around the area. The moment the group hid, all eyes turned to Shibi. He silently nodded, releasing a swarm of his insects.
"Give me a minute," he said quietly. "They'll bring us the information we need soon."
The team froze, listening tensely to the forest around them. Minato leaned against a tree, catching his breath, while Kuro absentmindedly spun a kunai around his finger. Atsushi, on the other hand, rubbed his fists impatiently, glaring into the distance.
"So what? Are we going to sit here all day?" he grumbled. "What if someone finds us first? We're not the only ones looking for that damn flag."
"That's exactly why we're using reconnaissance," Nara replied with a faint smirk. "Better to know where to go than wander around blindly."
Minato tilted his head thoughtfully.
"You think someone will find the flag before us?"
"Without a doubt. They have a Hyuga," Kuro answered.
The response came sooner than expected. In barely fifteen minutes, Shibi's insects delivered the first report.
"Nawaki, Hiashi, Inoichi, and Kin found the flag," Aburame announced calmly. "They're already heading toward the sensei."
Kuro narrowed his eyes, considering the information.
"Expected. A Senju always charges forward, and with that lineup, they had enough resources to reach the goal quickly without worrying about anyone. Still, it's foolish. Let's go."
And as if to confirm his words, Shibi added:
"They've run into another team. Hizashi, Choza, Uchiha Suyen, and Shikaku."
Nara's lips curved in an amused smirk.
"Let's watch the brothers fight…"
On the forest clearing where the two teams clashed, tension hung thick in the air.
"Hand over the flag peacefully, and this ends without unnecessary pain," the Uchiha said coldly, taking a fighting stance.
"Sorry to disappoint, but we're the ones passing this exam," Nawaki smirked, gripping the flagpole tighter.
Choza stepped forward, his eyes burning with determination.
"Father promised me a celebratory dinner if I make it into the top five in class — and I will!"
The battle began.
Suyen hurled several shuriken, aiming them precisely at Nawaki. But Kin was already beside him — her blade flashed through the air, knocking the projectiles aside with one fluid motion.
"You'll have to try harder if you want to win, Uchiha," she declared, adjusting her tanto grip.
At the same moment, Choza activated his multi-size technique — his body swelled instantly, taking the shape of a massive sphere. Then he rolled toward the enemy with tremendous force, making the ground tremble. Nawaki barely jumped back in time, but the shockwave scattered leaves and dust around them, obscuring the view.
Shikaku, observing the chaos, analyzed the situation. His strategy should have led them to victory… but something was wrong.
Hizashi and Hiashi. They were fighting — trading fast strikes and blocks — yet it wasn't serious. Hizashi wasn't trying to win at all.
"Damn…" he muttered, realizing his entire plan was falling apart.
He'd counted on an even match between the two Hyuga, allowing him to create an opening for a Shadow Possession attack. But if they insisted on this half-hearted exchange, he had to switch targets — Nawaki!
He quickly formed a hand seal, and his shadow began to stretch toward where the Senju heir had landed. But Inoichi, having anticipated this, threw a kunai directly at him, forcing him to cancel the technique. The Yamanaka knew his friend far too well. Meanwhile, Uchiha and Kin continued their close-quarters fight, each trying to break through the other's guard.
"Choza, hang in there!" Shikaku called out.
But it was useless. Their team was losing momentum. Soon Hiashi seized the opportunity — pushing his brother back with a kick, he broke through and struck Choza with a decisive open-palm blow, knocking the breath out of him.
With a numbers advantage, Nawaki's team overwhelmed the remaining opponents and forced them to surrender.
"Sorry… I think I let you down," the Akimichi gasped, clutching his chest.
"Don't even think about it. You did great — no regrets if you gave it your all," Shikaku said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. They were unusual words for him, and at the end he cast a slightly somber glance toward Hizashi.
Meanwhile, the Senju heir stood there panting, still clutching the flag.
"That wasn't easy…"
Shibi, who had been watching the fight with his team, spoke:
"The other teams are clashing as well. Now is the perfect time to attack."
Kuro smirked.
"Then let's claim our prize. They're exhausted — this is the perfect chance…"
But before they could move, Hiashi hurled a dozen shuriken in their direction. His teammates turned to him in confusion — only to see Minato and Kuro leap out from the bushes, kunai in hand. Their blades flashed, effortlessly deflecting the projectiles.
Without wasting a second, a swarm of insects shot past them toward the flag.
"Inoichi, Kin — defend the flag!" Hiashi commanded and charged forward. He'd been wanting to put that cocky Nara in his place for a long time.
Nawaki followed, rushing straight at Minato.
"So you really planned to steal our flag, huh?" he asked with a grin, pulling a kunai from his pouch.
"Exactly. Think you can stop us?" the blond smirked, stepping forward.
"Of course!"
Senju lunged, his fist flying straight toward the blond's chest, but Namikaze leaned sharply to the side, dodging the strike, and tried to grab his classmate's arm. However, Nawaki was no fool — after a year of sparring with Minato, he'd learned several of his favorite moves. At the last second, he redirected his punch downward, driving it into the ground, then twisted his body and launched a kick toward Minato's side. Namikaze barely got his arms up to block, but the force sent him sliding back.
Meanwhile, Hiashi had already reached Kuro.
"Time to deal with you, Nara," he said coldly, taking a Hyuga stance. The bulging veins around his eyes showed the Byakugan was already active.
Kuro only shrugged calmly and motioned mockingly with his hand. Angered, his opponent darted forward, fingers poised to strike his tenketsu — but Nara knew engaging a Hyuga head-on was a bad idea. He jumped aside sharply, dodging the attack, and immediately threw a kunai at his opponent's face.
Hiashi caught it with a smooth motion — but with his dojutsu he saw Kuro already forming hand seals. His shadow shot forward, aiming for the boy's legs.
"Not this time!" Hiashi leapt into the air, escaping the technique's reach.
"Quick thinker — but not enough," Nara noted with a grin.
Atsushi suddenly jumped out behind Hiashi, channeling all his strength into his fist and sending a concentrated punch flying toward him. The Hyuga saw the attack, but dodging mid-air was nearly impossible. All he could do was cross his arms to block. The impact sent him hurtling downward — right into the range of Shadow Imitation. The fight should have ended there, but Kin reacted instantly, swinging her tanto at Nara.
"Another thorn," Kuro muttered, slipping away from the blade with ease.
Inoichi stayed close to the flag, ready to protect it at any cost.
"And what am I supposed to do about these bugs?" he muttered to himself, eyes fixed on the swarm approaching him.
Shibi simply raised the collar of his coat. The insects split in two formations, attacking the blond from both sides. Aburame didn't rush — he knew his insects formed not only an offensive but also a smokescreen, preventing Yamanaka from using his signature mind technique.
Inoichi pulled out a small paper sphere from his pouch and dropped it at his feet, creating a cloud of smoke. Shibi tried to send insects inside to locate him, but he was already gone.
The clash between the two teams dragged on — everyone was consumed by the competitive spirit and the desire to prove their strength. Yet they weren't the only contenders for the flag.
Kuro and Hiashi exchanged blows — their kunai clashed with metallic ringing — but neither could tell who had the advantage. Then, both noticed flames swelling on a nearby tree. A heartbeat later, a sizable fireball was already flying toward them.