However, Raj nimbly extended a paw, lowered its body, and pressed forward against the gale.
In mere seconds, it was right in front of Asuma.
Eager to impress the beautiful woman, the young man brandished his Flying Swallow blades and shouted heroically, "Come on! I'll show you..."
"Meow~"
Raj had initially planned to simply make Asuma lose, but seeing his arrogant pose and hearing his melodramatic lines, he immediately changed his mind.
"Wild Lion's Mane Technique!"
Cat fur shot out, gathering into three strands.
Two strands coiled around Asuma's hands, while the remaining strand, guided by Chakra, struck his neck.
Then...
Using the momentum, Raj leaped onto Asuma's head, raining blows down on his face with both paws.
"Ah, my face!"
"Stop hitting me! Stop! You're ruining my face!"
Asuma had been quite handsome as a child, before he grew his beard.
His status as the Third Hokage's son added to his natural charisma, making him appear dashing and refined.
But now, being slapped repeatedly in the face by a cat, he looked anything but refined.
Obito and Kurenai froze in shock, abandoning their fight to stare.
"Raj, stop! Don't hit him anymore!"
Rin's face flushed crimson.
'This cat has no sense of propriety! Slapping his face like that... isn't this just settling a personal grudge?!'
"Stop now," Minato called out immediately, hoping to prevent Asuma from losing his temper in humiliation.
Though Asuma's anger would be futile, he was still the Third Hokage's son, and some semblance of dignity had to be preserved.
"Meow~ Surrendering already?" Raj asked deliberately, refusing to release his grip, to avoid giving the impression that he had intentionally targeted Asuma's face.
Besides, he hadn't even used his claws.
Otherwise, Asuma's humiliation would have been far worse.
With the current sharpness of his claws, Raj could have easily torn a chunk of flesh from Asuma's face.
"Surrender, surrender!" Asuma said, his voice thick with humiliation.
He realized that the cat fur, tangled together like hemp rope, was impossible to break free from without using Ninjutsu or the Flying Swallow technique.
Further struggle would only deepen his disgrace.
The six fighters separated into their respective teams.
Hana Inuzuka and Asuma both looked deeply embarrassed, having been utterly defeated by Raj, leaving them with no shred of honor.
Logically, the third member of their team should also have felt ashamed, having been immediately trapped by an Illusion Technique and only freed by Rin after the battle was already over.
But this arrogant fool showed no self-awareness whatsoever, instead strutting around like a triumphant victor, utterly pleased with himself.
Raj mentally scoffed, then glanced at his Points Panel.
'Whoa~ A massive haul!'
His points had surged by seven or eight hundred in one go.
While he couldn't tell exactly how many came from Asuma, he suspected it was a substantial amount, and he secretly rejoiced.
Just a bit more, and he'd be able to exchange for the Expansion Jutsu.
"Today was just a practice exercise. The actual situation might be..." Minato trailed off, glancing at the group, unsure how to continue.
Saying the real exams would be far more challenging would be disrespectful to the trio.
Except for Kurenai, the other two had been defeated single-handedly by a cat.
Minato had hoped Guy would showcase his taijutsu prowess, but instead, he was controlled by an Illusion Technique from start to finish.
In short, there was no teamwork, no coordination, and their performance was abysmal.
Raj, on the other hand, had given him a pleasant surprise.
His combat strength was already remarkably high within the team, and his overall capabilities rivaled Kakashi's.
"Alright, Asuma. Thank you for your help. I'll request a C-rank mission credit for you from Lord Third. You're free to manage your time now."
Minato expressed his gratitude, but the underlying message was clear: the exercise was over, and they could disperse.
Asuma turned to leave, eager to escape the humiliation of being pinned down and beaten by a cat.
This place had become a complete source of shame for him.
But as he glanced back, he saw Kurenai and Hana Inuzuka still standing there.
"Teacher, I'd like to receive your guidance as well."
'Great, I guess I'm stuck here after all.'
Asuma reluctantly stopped and turned to see Raj glaring at him with undisguised contempt.
He couldn't explain it, but he felt the cat was openly mocking him.
'Damn it!'
Unable to contain his anger, he resumed walking away.
Raj merely met his gaze, so no one noticed what it did.
Even Minato frowned slightly but said nothing.
After Asuma left, Minato said awkwardly, "Actually, you all have your own family traditions, so I can't really offer much guidance. I can only suggest strengthening your taijutsu training..."
"Yes, sir."
Kurenai and Hana Inuzuka were somewhat disappointed, but they knew Minato was speaking the truth.
Next, Minato began to address the others.
This had little to do with Raj.
As the MVP of the battle, Raj had performed exceptionally well and made the greatest contribution.
Minato had no complaints about him.
Guy had been happily anticipating petting the cat, but the moment Minato turned to him, his mood shifted.
"Guy, your performance shouldn't have been this lackluster. Relying solely on taijutsu isn't the problem, but if you can't quickly break free from Illusion Techniques and allow yourself to be controlled by a single illusion ninja, you're as good as dead."
Minato's tone was stern.
"In a one-on-one match, there won't be teammates to save you."
Guy froze for a moment, then lowered his head in shame and nodded.
He did know some basic Ninjutsu and had studied Illusion Technique countermeasures, but when the time came to use them, he had panicked and failed to break free.
Afterward, Guy trained diligently, even seeking out Kurenai to learn specific techniques for dispelling Illusion Techniques.
Thanks to this, Raj narrowly avoided disaster and was able to relax on a nearby tree, enjoying the spectacle like a spectator.
Minato informed them that their team would depart the next day with other ninja participating in the Chunin Exams, heading to Bellflower Mountain Castle.
This training session was essentially a last-minute practice run.
Raj didn't quite understand the purpose of this exercise until the following day, when they saw the other ninja taking the exam...
"Guy, Raj, are they really... Genin?"
Obito pointed at the distant group of ninja, most of whom looked at least fourteen or fifteen years old.
He found it hard to believe.
'These guys must be Chunin at least!'
Raj, who had been perched on the medical kit, quickly leaped onto Rin's shoulder upon witnessing the scene, its expression mirroring Obito's stunned disbelief.