The fireball roared forward, heating the air and lighting up the forest with a red glow. Kuro and Hiashi noticed the threat at the same moment and, forgetting their clash, leapt to opposite sides. The flames swept between them with a deep whoosh, leaving scorched grass and clouds of smoke in their wake.
"More opponents!" Minato shouted, squinting into the dark silhouettes between the trees.
"What a surprise," Nara added sarcastically, adjusting his grip on his kunai.
Four children stepped out from behind the leaves. Mikoto Uchiha moved first, her eyes gleaming with determination, arms crossed over her chest. Next to her stood a snarling Tsume Inuzuka, her loyal ninja pup barking loudly. Slightly behind them was Sarutobi Akabo, a short boy with spiky chestnut hair, and the massive Akimichi Sora, clenching his fists in anticipation.
"Looks like this won't be as easy as with the last team," Tsume remarked with a grin, tilting her head toward Mikoto.
"This fight is dragging on," Hiashi grumbled, taking his stance.
"Move!" the Uchiha commanded, and the battle flared anew.
Inuzuka charged first, her dog synchronizing with her movements, leaping forward and trying to rake Kuro with its claws. But such speed was laughable to Nara — his constant training with the divine dogs had sharpened his instincts far beyond average. Not far from them, Sarutobi threw several smoke bombs, obscuring his team's movements.
"Smoke? Seriously?" Hyuga muttered mockingly, his Byakugan active.
But the moment he stepped forward, Akimichi rushed straight at him. Using his physical strength, he drove a powerful punch toward Hiashi, forcing him to step back slightly.
"Foolish," he said, intercepting the fist and instantly striking the opponent's tenketsu.
Meanwhile, Minato clashed with Mikoto. She preferred swift and precise attacks — shuriken whistled through the air, forcing Namikaze to stay constantly on the move. But he clearly wasn't inferior to her in speed; his reflexes surpassed expectations. Deflecting every projectile skillfully, he didn't forget to survey the battlefield.
"You're good, but I'm much stronger," Mikoto said, forming hand seals.
But behind her appeared Nawaki, who charged at her with a battle cry.
"Idiot," Mikoto muttered as she intercepted the boy's leg and sent him flying.
Meanwhile, Kuro quickly found an opening in Tsume's and her pup's movements. He moved with a smooth, almost lazy rhythm, yet his strikes hit their targets. Her pup, Kurumaru, was already in terrible shape, and Tsume herself was covered in scrapes.
"Surrender," he said with a smirk.
Inuzuka growled in response, but she understood things weren't in her favor. Soon her eyes flashed with predatory cunning: Akabo appeared behind Nara, ready to form seals — but suddenly his body was engulfed by a swarm of insects. Shocked, Tsume glanced at the scene for just a moment and paid for it with a powerful kick to the stomach. Folding in half, she tried to roll aside, but an elbow crashed down on her neck even faster, and darkness swallowed her vision. Her last thought before consciousness faded was:
"Damn it… I lost to him again…"
Kuro turned and gave an approving nod to Aburame Shibi, who had taken down Sarutobi and Kin. Looking around, he spotted Hiashi nearby — with Atsushi and Akimichi already lying unconscious at his feet. Their fight resumed without words — both rushed into a decisive exchange.
Aburame, noticing Inoichi, silently headed toward him, leaving Akabo unconscious on the ground. The battle between Nawaki, Mikoto, and Minato reached its peak — Uchiha skillfully wielded her shuriken, preventing her opponents from closing in. Namikaze tried to match her pace, while Senju charged forward recklessly despite the danger.
Kuro exhaled tiredly. This whole fight was beginning to annoy him — he had spent far too long dealing with Hiashi, and he decided it was time to end things.
In an instant, he accelerated. His movements became sharper, more precise, and his attacks much more aggressive. Hiashi struggled to block — his taijutsu, built on precision and grace, was forced into full defense.
"What's wrong, Hiashi? Retreating? Where's your Hyuga pride now?" Kuro taunted, continuing his assault.
But the pale-eyed boy remained silent, focusing on blocking strike after strike. He knew that one mistake would cost him the match. But the difference in strength was clear. Nara was too fast — his fist pierced Hiashi's guard and landed cleanly, a powerful blow striking his right cheek and sending him flying several meters.
Where did he get this speed? Was he holding back all this time, bastard…
Hyuga gasped heavily, hands on the ground, but as he tried to stand he felt cold metal at his throat.
"You lost," a calm voice said above him.
Hiashi clenched his fists but arguing was pointless. Meanwhile, another fight was unfolding nearby.
Inoichi, hiding among the trees, tried to find a way to escape Shibi's pursuit. The Aburame trailed behind at a steady pace, sending his insects after him.
Damn it, if only I had a couple of explosive tags… Yamanaka thought irritably, realizing he had no chance in a prolonged chase.
Finally, the swarm caught up to him, forcing Inoichi to leap backward. He tried to widen the distance, but Shibi had already cut off every escape route.
"You're surrounded," he stated calmly.
"All right, all right, I admit it…" Inoichi raised his hands, exhaling heavily. "You win."
Shibi nodded silently, taking the flag as his insects withdrew, releasing the defeated opponent.
Namikaze moved swiftly between the trees, dodging blades hurled with impressive precision by Uchiha. Their fight resembled a dance — fast, deadly, mesmerizing.
Nawaki, furious at being ignored, threw himself back into the fray without waiting for an opportunity. His attacks were strong but crude — and insufficient.
"Too predictable," Uchiha smirked, dodging his strike and countering instantly.
Senju barely managed to block, but a knee to his stomach forced him to stumble back. Mikoto immediately switched focus to Minato, who was preparing a counterattack.
Taking advantage of her distraction, Minato lunged forward, closing the distance. A kunai flashed in his hand, aimed at her side. Mikoto caught the movement with her peripheral vision and flipped backward, irritation flaring in her eyes as she glared at the two boys who had wordlessly teamed up against her.
She was growing tired from the pace of the fight, yet even that wasn't enough for victory. A kunai's blade gleamed coldly in her hand, but as she moved her body suddenly froze, as if paralyzed. A mocking voice sounded behind her.
"You got too caught up," Nara said.
Mikoto gritted her teeth. She hadn't noticed when Kuro had finished his fight, but now he stood behind her, restraining her with his shadow.
"I lost…" she muttered through her teeth, struggling in vain.
"It happens," Kuro said lazily, stepping closer.
Minato and Nawaki both stopped, realizing the battle was over. Only then did Senju look around in disbelief — every one of his teammates was down.
"How…?" he murmured gloomily.
Soon Shibi approached calmly with the flag, and although Nawaki tried to resist, it was pointless. And so the teams of Senju and Uchiha were eliminated from the test. Kuro, Minato, and Shibi, lifting the unconscious Atsushi, made their way toward their sensei.
Sarutobi Kajiro turned slowly when he heard approaching footsteps. One by one, his students walked onto the small clearing, their expressions revealing clearly who had won and who had been defeated.
Nara led the group. He didn't look tired or pleased — his face wore its usual slightly lazy expression, as if everything that happened had been nothing more than a routine exercise. Behind him walked Shibi, composed as always, but with a faint smile on his lips. The boy had clear trouble interacting with his peers, and teamwork had done him good. Beside them was Minato, his face glowing with sincere joy, blue eyes burning with excitement, his breathing still uneven from the intense battle. Last came Atsushi, who needed support to walk, but even he wore a grin — their team had won.
Behind them trailed the defeated. Nawaki, gloomy and withdrawn into his thoughts, seemed to be trying to understand where he had gone wrong. Mikoto walked with characteristic pride in her posture, her face calm, though disappointment flickered in her eyes and her clenched fists betrayed her frustration. Hiashi, in contrast, was far too calm. His pale face showed no joy or resentment, but his gaze was fixed on Kuro's back. Inoichi sighed heavily, running a hand through his messy hair as if trying to brush off unwanted thoughts.
"Congratulations to the winners. You've done well," Kajiro finally said, sweeping his gaze across all of them. "I hope each of you learned something from today. The flag test is now over. Rest for a bit, and then we'll return to the Academy."