Half a minute later, Kurenai lay sprawled on the ground, a bit of drool hanging from the corner of her mouth as she laughed foolishly.
"So many mustard octopuses… Hehe, so much sake…"
Seeing Kurenai , Yugao who had been sulking just moments ago suddenly felt much better and couldn't help but laugh.
Kurenai's genjutsu had been rebounded!
Though she had lost in the field she excelled in, she had still lasted a full two minutes.
Compared to that, Yugao now felt like her own performance hadn't been that bad.
Hizashi glanced at Kurenai and sighed helplessly.
"Yami, break the illusion. You've already won."
Yami responded casually, placing two fingers on Kurenai's forehead. Soon, her chakra flow returned to normal, and the illusion dissipated.
Kurenai quickly realized what had just happened. Her face flushed red as she glared at Yami with an annoyed expression.
"Little kid, you really had to break my illusion like that?"
Having her genjutsu rebounded was the worst possible way to lose. It meant the opponent was either vastly superior in illusion mastery or had such overwhelming mental strength that the genjutsu didn't even affect them.
Either way, it was humiliating.
It was the shinobi equivalent of losing 7-0 in a soccer match.
Kurenai wished she could dig a hole in the ground and crawl inside. If she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have even tried using genjutsu. She should've just pulled out a kunai and fought him directly.
That was the first time anyone had called him that.
He glanced down at himself and nodded thoughtfully.
Well… she wasn't wrong.
"Alright, I'll keep that in mind next time," Yami said casually. "But who told you to have such weak mental defenses? You walked straight into my illusion with no resistance at all."
She reached out to pinch Yami's cheek, but he effortlessly dodged.
"Sensei, look at him!"
Seeing that she couldn't even vent her frustration, Kurenai decided to complain to Hizashi directly.
Hizashi, however, had no intention of getting involved.
"Alright, Yami is right," he said in a serious tone. "Kurenai, you let your guard down too much. Never underestimate an opponent, understand?"
Inwardly, though, Hizashi was screaming.
You think I'd dare help you bully Yami?
What if I get 'invited' to Root's base for a 'friendly chat' tonight?!
Faced with Hizashi's reprimand, Kurenai didn't dare argue. She simply glared at Yami with her large eyes.
Yami wasn't fazed at all.
He glared right back.
What year is this? Who still plays the role of a simp?
If anyone should be admired, it should be me.
"You dare glare at me?"
Kurenai let out a small laugh instead of getting angrier.
This little guy… he was much more interesting than that stuffy Asuma.
[Host has established a teammate bond with Uzuki Yugao. Reward: 1 Standard Chūnin Chakra Unit.]
[Host has established a teammate bond with Yūhi Kurenai. Reward: 1 Standard Chūnin Chakra Unit.]
As Yami and Hizashi walked to the sidelines, the system's notifications appeared.
Looking at the rewards, Yami wasn't the least bit surprised.
As beautiful as Kurenai and Yugao were, their strength was still lacking.
Neither of them had unique bloodline limits or exceptional abilities.
This system didn't care about identity or looks, it only cared about talent.
"Oh well. Might as well enjoy the show. Watching girls fight is always fun."
Hizashi, overhearing Yami's quiet mumbling, nearly tripped.
Thinking back to the information he had heard about Danzō, he found it hard to believe.
How could someone as rigid and calculating as Shimura Danzō have a grandson ?
The personality gap was far too big.
Back on the field, the battle between Yugao and Kurenai had begun.
There was no hair-pulling.
Both kunoichi were fighting seriously, determined to prove that it wasn't them who were weak—it was Yami who was simply too strong.
Kurenai tried to close in on Yugao, waiting for the right moment to land a genjutsu.
However, illusions were most effective when used as an ambush.
Now that Yugao was aware of Kurenai's specialty, she remained on high alert, making it much harder for genjutsu to take effect.
Unless she had a Sharingan, which allowed illusions to be cast with just a glance, it was difficult to land a decisive hit.
Unfortunately, Kurenai didn't have such an ability.
Yugao let out a sigh of relief.
At least she wasn't last on the team.
Kurenai wasn't too disappointed. She was well aware of genjutsu's limitations in direct combat.
The two kunoichi rejoined Hizashi and Yami.
"Everyone did well," Hizashi said with a smile.
"Taijutsu, genjutsu, ninjutsu—our team is well-balanced. No obvious weaknesses."
A team with three Chūnin and one Jōnin was already considered an elite unit. Even on the battlefield, they would be a force to be reckoned with.
"As a celebration for our team's formation, dinner's on me tonight," Hizashi announced. "Let's go out and have a good meal."
Kurenai and Yugao beamed with excitement.
Hizashi smiled as well.
"Alright, then let's—"
"Let's go to the barbecue restaurant!" Yami suddenly interrupted with the innocence of a child.
"Teacher Hizashi is a Jōnin, after all. A regular meal wouldn't suit his status!"
Hizashi felt cold sweat forming.
Before he could finish, Kurenai and Yugao's eyes lit up.
"Really?! Sensei, I haven't had barbecue in so long!"
"Me too! The last time I had it was… the last time!"
Three pairs of expectant eyes locked onto him.
Hizashi's refusal caught in his throat.
For the sake of his dignity as a team leader, he had no choice but to force a smile.
"…Yes, that was my plan all along. Yami just beat me to it."
"Long live Hizashi-sensei!"
"Sensei, you're the best!"
The laughter and cheers from Training Ground 47 echoed into the distance.
The faint sigh that followed, however, was subconsciously ignored by everyone.
Hizashi trailed at the back of the group, watching Yami bicker playfully with Kurenai.
He couldn't help but shake his head, both amused and exasperated.
"This kid… is ruthless!"