Hearing that they had passed the Genin Test, Kiba grinned and burst out laughing. "We did it, haha! We passed!"
"Woof, woof!" Akamaru barked joyfully, bouncing beside him.
Hinata smiled warmly. "We're official Genin now."
Ryuku, meanwhile, offered only a faint smile, staying calm and composed rather than celebrating like Kiba. His injuries—bloody knuckles and depleted chakra—had vanished, of course. It had all been an illusion. Physically, he felt fine, though a dull headache still lingered.
After giving them a moment to enjoy the good news, Kurenai spoke, her voice as soothing as ever. "That wraps up the Genin Test. It wasn't just about your individual skills, but also how well you worked together. And seeing how quickly you completed it, it's clear you make a solid team." Resting her hand near her slim waist, her crimson eyes flicked briefly toward Ryuku before she added with a proud smile, "Starting tomorrow, Team Five will begin its Ninja duties. Good job, all of you."
Kiba beamed. "Finally!"
Hinata nodded quietly. Her mind was already set. She wanted to take on as many missions as possible—to prove her worth to her clan, especially her father.
But then Ryuku stepped forward. "Kurenai-sensei," he said calmly, "can we start taking missions today? We've already passed the test, and it's still early in the morning."
Because he had no interest in wracking his mind any further at home studying Fūinjutsu—which still needed a lot more time—and Flying Thunder God Technique, which, although he had begun to grasp its principles, would still take at least a week to fully understand. For today, he simply wanted to spend time outside, pushing his ninja path a step or two ahead of others.
Hearing Ryuku's suggestion, Kiba chimed in excitedly, "Yeah! Let's do it today! We're free, after all!"
Surprisingly, even Hinata spoke up, "I—I want to as well."
Since all three had already made up their minds, Kurenai had little reason to refuse. As freshly appointed Genin, they'd only be assigned D-rank missions—simple and well within the village boundaries. Smiling gently, she said, "Alright, we can get you started early. But before that," her eyes sparkled, "how about a little celebration for passing the test? Dumplings or ramen?"
Kiba and Hinata's eyes lit up immediately. They chose Ichiraku Ramen without hesitation.
"Ryuku-kun… Did you want dumplings instead?" Hinata asked, a bit concerned.
"No, ramen's fine," Ryuku replied calmly.
Hinata smiled softly. "Okay."
Once everything was settled, Kurenai turned to them with a gentle tone. "Let's go, Team Kurenai." Pleased with the team she had, she suddenly recalled something and glanced at Ryuku with a teasing smile. "You've got a lot to explain to us, don't you, Ryuku?"
I was wondering when she'd ask… finally.
Locking eyes with her, Ryuku replied with a faint smile, "Yes."
It was at this moment that Kiba suddenly shouted, "Ahh, you!! You were hiding your strength from the beginning!! Wait—never mind that. What I really want to say is… fight me!"
A worried look appeared on Hinata's face. "Uh, you shouldn't…"
Kurenai, slightly amused, stayed silent. She saw no reason to stop Kiba from getting some reality knocked into his head—especially since she, too, was curious to see a spar between them.
Noticing that Kurenai had no intention of reining in Kiba's antics, Ryuku decided to play along with his teammate. Though, he made sure to ease Hinata's concern first. "Relax, Hinata… it'll be over very quickly."
Calming down a bit, Hinata weakly nodded, though her kind heart still brimmed with worry.
Meanwhile, Ryuku's quiet confidence seemed to tick Kiba off. His eyes flared. "Let's do this!"
In the next instant, he created some distance from the group, moving into the open field to begin the spar.
"Woof!" Akamaru barked as he followed, though this time, there was something in his voice—something more cautious.
Kiba blinked, catching the message. "Huh? Your intuition's telling you we should be careful?" he murmured in surprise.
Casting a glance back at Ryuku, who now stood calmly across the field, Kiba clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Tch. Alright, Akamaru—if that's the case, we'll go full offense from the start!"
"Woof!"
Seeing that both sides were ready, Kurenai finally spoke up. "Remember, this is just a spar to test your skills—don't go overboard, either of you." She raised her voice slightly. "Begin!"
The moment she said that, Kiba and Akamaru dashed straight toward Ryuku at high speed. Kiba grinned and laughed before shouting, "Behold our strongest technique! Akamaru! Fang over Fang!"
Spinning rapidly as they charged, both Kiba and Akamaru turned into whirling blurs, creating a powerful, tunnel-like attack. The two whirlwinds gained momentum and raced toward Ryuku.
"O-Oh no..." Hinata blinked nervously.
But before she could panic further, Kurenai's hand gently rested on her shoulder, accompanied by her calm voice. "You worry too much, Hinata. Just watch and observe."
Encouraged by her sensei's words, Hinata looked up and watched. Kiba and Akamaru's attack closed in on Ryuku, who stood still and unbothered. Then, in an instant, he vanished.
Ryuku reappeared dozens of meters away from his original position, completely unharmed.
"See?" Kurenai patted Hinata's head with a soft smile.
"H-He's fast..." Hinata whispered. She had seen the move during the Genjutsu test, but seeing it with her own eyes in the real world left her stunned.
"Sensei... what's that Jutsu?" she asked curiously.
"Oh, that? That's the Body Flicker Jutsu. It's a high-level movement technique that's incredibly hard to master. Only elite Chūnin and above are usually taught how to use it."
"But... Ryuku-kun is using it..." Hinata said in disbelief.
Kurenai nodded slightly, equally surprised. A Genin with no shinobi background using not just Body Flicker but also Shadow Clone? It was hard to wrap her head around. But considering his natural skill in Genjutsu and Medical Ninjutsu—both of which required outstanding chakra control—she could just barely accept it.
"He's special," she said softly, deciding to explain more later at Ichiraku when they were all together.
"I see..." Hinata's eyes followed Ryuku closely now, her earlier worry replaced by quiet focus.
Meanwhile, Ryuku calmly watched as Kiba and Akamaru, unshaken, adjusted their trajectory and came for him again.
Alright, let's put one down first...
He formed a snake hand seal and cast a powerful Genjutsu at the left whirlwind. Akamaru's movement stopped, and the small dog collapsed onto the ground, fast asleep.
Five percent of my chakra gone. Hmm...
Kiba, however, didn't stop. He kept charging forward, determination blazing in his eyes.
Persistent, aren't you?
As soon as Kiba entered within five meters, Ryuku suddenly slammed his fist into the ground. The impact shattered the earth beneath him and sent a shockwave outward, disrupting Kiba's momentum. Off balance, Kiba was launched backward, his body twisting in mid-air.
"Ah, it's not over!" he yelled, forcing himself to land despite hurting his ankle.
But then, a voice echoed from behind him.
"No, it's over."
Kiba froze. A blade of blue chakra—a Chakra Scalpel—hovered near his neck.
"Ugh... shit!" Kiba growled, realizing his loss. With a grunt, he dropped to the ground, finally surrendering.
At a distance, Kurenai looked at the gray-haired boy with quiet admiration.
His flawless technique... His precise execution... He's already beyond Kiba and Hinata. No, perhaps he's already...