Chapter 16: Pass
While Seimei was still thinking, Furukawa had already begun putting distance between them. "You all take your time to strategize. I'll go on ahead."
With that, he turned to leave.
But just as the words left his mouth, Seimei suddenly launched forward. Mid-sprint, he pulled several shuriken from his ninja pouch.
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—
The shuriken flew through the air.
Most were aimed at cutting off Furukawa's possible escape routes, while two were directed straight at his throat and chest—swift and precise.
Seimei's assault was both fast and ruthless.
If it were any other genin, they might have been seriously wounded by such a sudden strike.
But Furukawa wasn't just any genin.
As Seimei expected, though Furukawa had suppressed his strength to genin level, his combat experience was leagues beyond.
The instant Seimei attacked, Furukawa reacted.
Clang! Clang!
The two shuriken aimed at vital spots were precisely deflected by his kunai.
But that brief moment gave Seimei an opening.
Seeing Furukawa's centerline exposed, Seimei, already up close, didn't hesitate. He slashed with his kunai, aiming directly at the chest and abdomen.
Sensing the chill of steel nearing his torso, Furukawa smiled slightly. With a nimble step back, he effortlessly avoided the strike.
The difference in body size between adult and child was now starkly evident—what should've been a perfect attack was neutralized solely due to a reach disadvantage.
Seimei held no resentment.
After all, on the battlefield, no one cared if you were underage.
If your physique was inferior, find a way to overcome it—not whine about it.
With that thought, Seimei's body shifted slightly. Like a nimble monkey, he slipped to Furukawa's flank, dodging the incoming counterattack.
Then, he kicked out with his right leg, aiming at Furukawa's back.
Why not aim for the back of the head?
Seimei wanted to—but he simply wasn't tall enough. His leg could only reach the back.
Yet even that opening, Furukawa wasn't willing to give.
With a low drop of his stance, he dodged the kick and responded immediately—an elbow strike aimed squarely at Seimei's face.
"Not good!"
Seimei's eyes narrowed. He quickly raised his arms to block.
Thud—
A dull impact echoed. Seimei felt a sharp numbness in his arm and was sent flying backward.
In midair, he adjusted his posture and landed with relative grace.
"Seimei!"
"Seimei-kun!"
Only now did Ryoji and Mizutani Shizuko react. They quickly drew their kunai and ran to Seimei's side.
"Seimei, are you alright?"
Ryoji kept his eyes locked on Furukawa while asking the question without turning his head.
"I'm fine,"
Seimei replied as he slowly stood up.
Not far away, Furukawa put away his kunai and said calmly, "Seimei, your skills are decent. But you alone won't be able to take the scroll from me."
With that, he leapt several times and disappeared into the depths of the forest.
Whew—
As Furukawa vanished, both Ryoji and Mizutani Shizuko let out deep sighs of relief.
Even though they had stepped forward earlier, facing a jōnin had still filled them with instinctive fear.
Seimei didn't mind.
The reason he attacked just now was simply to test the waters. If it worked—great. If not, it would still give him a chance to gauge Furukawa's "strength."
Now he had a rough idea of what they were dealing with.
"Seimei, what do we do now?"
Ryoji withdrew his gaze from the woods and looked at Seimei.
Mizutani Shizuko did the same.
It was clear—they now regarded him as their anchor.
Which was exactly what Seimei had intended.
Only by demonstrating strength would others listen to you. Otherwise, why would they follow your lead?
Now things were set. After what just happened, his teammates would likely follow his decisions.
Seimei didn't care about being team leader, but anything that reduced unnecessary trouble was always welcome.
With that thought in mind, Seimei turned to the other two. "Since Furukawa-sensei said this is a test, it won't be life-threatening. From here on, we just give it our all."
"Right! Why didn't I think of that?"
Ryoji slapped his palm excitedly. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
If only it were that simple…
Seimei was certain the road ahead wouldn't be easy. But he didn't say more—better to let his teammates keep their morale up.
Other things could be addressed later.
So he said, "Alright, let's head out. I'll take the lead, Shizuko in the middle, Ryoji , you watch the rear."
"Huh?"
Ryoji blinked. "Didn't Furukawa-sensei say he won't attack first? Why watch the back?"
"Better safe than sorry."
Seimei answered plainly.
"Alright then…"
Ryoji muttered, clearly reluctant, but nodded anyway.
"And Shizuko?"
Seimei looked at her.
Mizutani Shizuko shook her head timidly. "I'm fine with that."
"Good. Let's move."
With that, Seimei took the lead in the direction Furukawa had gone. Mizutani Shizuko and Ryoji followed close behind.
Unbeknownst to them, beneath their feet, Furukawa had used Earth Style: Hiding Like a Mole Technique to conceal himself underground, secretly observing their every move.
When he heard Seimei say, "Better safe than sorry," a satisfied nod formed on his face.
For a ninja, caution was an essential quality at all times.
That Seimei still chose to be vigilant even after being told there would be no preemptive attacks showed his naturally cautious temperament.
If that were all, it would be impressive enough.
But when combined with his earlier initiative to strike first, it revealed a bold and decisive spirit beneath the caution.
Cautious yet daring—he's a natural-born shinobi.
Seimei, meanwhile, was unaware that simply following some instincts drawn from his past life had left Furukawa with such a high opinion of him.
Even if he had known, he wouldn't have cared.
Other people's opinions were just that—opinions. You're only truly convincing when your own strength is real.
Let's return our focus to Seimei and his team.
The trio darted through the forest, using what they'd learned at the academy to search for clues Furukawa had intentionally left behind.
Along the way, they encountered multiple traps and dangers—but thanks to their efforts, they disarmed them all one by one.
Near noon, they finally reached the mountain—and saw Furukawa already waiting.
Seeing them, Furukawa tossed the scroll lightly in his hand and asked, "Time's running out. What's your move?"
"Our move?"
Seimei and Ryoji exchanged a glance, then dashed forward together, flanking Furukawa from left and right.
At the same time, Mizutani Shizuko gathered her courage and flung several shuriken and kunai to limit Furukawa's movement.
Furukawa's figure blurred as he dodged Shizuko's attack with fluid motion.
Seizing the opening, Seimei closed in on Furukawa's flank and slashed with his kunai, aiming for the waist and abdomen.
Clang—
A sharp metallic sound rang out as Furukawa deflected the blow with his own kunai.
Just then, Ryoji lunged from behind, stabbing straight for Furukawa's back.
It looked like a perfect hit, but—whether due to fear of injuring Furukawa or simple hesitation—Ryoji 's movement faltered just slightly.
That moment of hesitation cost him.
Furukawa twisted and slipped away.
"Kid—when facing an enemy—"
He had just begun to lecture when he noticed Ryoji smiling slightly. In a flash, Ryoji 's left hand darted toward Furukawa's chest—the spot where the scroll was hidden—much faster and sharper than before.
Not good!
Furukawa cursed inwardly. Sneaky brat! He quickly leaned backward to evade.
Due to their difference in height and position, Ryoji 's left hand barely grazed Furukawa's chest—not enough to grab the scroll.
Furukawa let out a breath of relief. Close one!
But just then—Ryoji 's right hand flipped, and the kunai stabbed cleanly into Furukawa's stomach.
"Ah!"
Seimei, who had rushed in first, cried out in alarm. His form shimmered and shifted—from Seimei's face to Ryoji 's.
Furukawa looked down at the "Ryoji " in front of him, eyes showing a flash of admiration.
Then—his body dissolved into a puff of chakra smoke.
A scroll dropped from the mist, landing at their feet.
It was the target of their mission.
[End of Chapter]
Want More Chapters? Get Early Access Now!
Join my Patreon and unlock 20 chapters instantly—plus, you'll gain access to 60+ chapters weekly across 8 fics! Your support helps me continue creating and keeps the stories coming.
📖 Patreon: patreon.com/anish_44 ☕ Support via Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/anish_44