Chapter 15: The Exercise

"Oh!" Seimei was brought back to reality by Mizutani Shizuko's voice and shook his head, saying, "It's nothing." After a brief pause, Seimei continued his previous topic, "My dream is to awaken the Sharingan and become a powerful ninja." Although he said this, Seimei didn't really consider it his dream. As the 'Heart Reflection Technique' continued to level up, it was only a matter of time before he awakened the Sharingan. With the help of the proficiency panel, becoming a powerful ninja was almost a certainty. Naturally, it couldn't be considered a dream. If he had to establish a true dream, then Seimei had only one: to transcend this world and see a broader landscape. No matter how vast the ninja world was, it was just a tiny star in the boundless universe. The reason for the existence of chakra, this extraordinary power, was merely because the Otsutsuki clan planted a tree. Since there was the Otsutsuki clan in the universe, there was no reason for them to be the only one. To witness more scenery and master even greater power, that was the only way to make his journey to this world worthwhile. However, this kind of thought could only be kept in his heart for now and couldn't be shared with anyone. So, Seimei just casually made up an excuse as his dream. "Sharingan? What Sharingan?" Hearing Seimei's words, Ryosuke asked in confusion, and Mizutani Shizuko also looked at him curiously. After all, they were just two kids. Although mature for their age, they still maintained a strong curiosity about things beyond their understanding. Before Seimei could answer, Furukawa spoke first, "The Sharingan is the bloodline limit of the Uchiha clan. Ninjas who awaken the Sharingan are at least Chunin level in strength, and the strongest..." He paused, his gaze turning towards the direction of the Valley of the End outside the village. After a long while, he slowly said, "The strongest can rival the God of Shinobi!" The existence of Uchiha Madara wasn't a secret to some veteran Jonin, but few of the new generation knew about it. However, the title of God of Shinobi was familiar to everyone. This was thanks to the Hokage Rock. Anyone aspiring to become Hokage would unconsciously learn about the deeds of those people, and the First Hokage was naturally no exception. When they learned about the First Hokage's achievements in ending the chaotic era and founding Konoha, they naturally developed admiration for him. In this way, it was hard for Hashirama Senju not to be famous. But now, suddenly hearing that someone could rival him, they couldn't help but be surprised. However, Furukawa didn't delve deeper into this topic. Although Uchiha Madara wasn't an absolute taboo in Konoha, talking too much about him wasn't good. It might attract unnecessary trouble one day. He had just spoken out of emotion after hearing Seimei's dream. Although he didn't know much about the Uchiha clan, Furukawa knew that being assigned to him meant Seimei didn't have much chance of awakening the Sharingan. Otherwise, an Uchiha Jonin would personally teach him. Therefore, awakening the Sharingan would only be a distant dream for Seimei. But Furukawa wouldn't say this out loud. It was good to have a goal; it prevented complacency. After resting for about half an hour, Furukawa clapped his hands and said, "Have you rested enough? If so, let's start the next test." "Ah, there's another test?" Hearing this, Ryosuke immediately sat up straight, his face full of shock. Beside him, Mizutani Shizuko also had a troubled expression on her face. Seimei, on the other hand, didn't react much. Or rather, he had already guessed it. Although the exercises before officially forming a team varied depending on the Jonin leader's experiences, they wouldn't be as simple as the previous one. So, Seimei had already anticipated this. 'I just don't know what the test will be. Teamwork? Or mental fortitude?' While pondering, Seimei wasn't too worried. Unless it was a situation like Kakashi's severe psychological trauma, the test wouldn't be too difficult. Moreover, Konoha was in urgent need of personnel. If everyone was sent back to the Ninja Academy, what was the point of graduating early? Even if he were sent back to the Ninja Academy, Seimei wouldn't mind. Or rather, that would be even better. If he could stay in school for another year, his strength would surely increase significantly. By then, when he went to the battlefield, his survival rate would undoubtedly be much higher. But Seimei knew this was impossible. As for deliberately failing to stay back? Did they think the Konoha higher-ups were fools? They could easily send someone with a Byakugan to see through the trick - having so much chakra but mediocre strength was definitely suspicious. By then, being treated as a deserter would be the least of his worries. If he were mistaken for a spy, the trouble would be much greater. So, it was better to let nature take its course. "The previous one was just a basic test for you. The real test comes next." Speaking of this, Furukawa paused slightly and revealed a mischievous smile, "Also, let me tell you some news." Gulp~ Looking at Furukawa's 'sinister' smile, Ryosuke swallowed and carefully asked, "What news?" "If you don't pass the next test, you'll be sent back to the Ninja Academy and repeat a year~" "What?" Hearing this, Ryosuke jumped up. Clearly, for him, returning to school to repeat a year was unacceptable. "Furukawa-sensei, you're not joking, are you?" Ryosuke asked awkwardly. "Hehe~" Furukawa chuckled twice but didn't answer his question. Instead, he took out a scroll from his pocket and said, "Next, your goal is to take this scroll from me. As for the time..." Furukawa looked at the rising sun and said, "Let's say before noon!" "Sensei, you're a Jonin, and we're just three Genin. How could we possibly take the scroll from you in two hours?" Ryosuke wasn't as naive as Naruto. He had some concept of the gap between ninjas. Let alone just the three of them, even if there were thirty more, they might not be able to take anything from a Jonin. Furukawa glanced at the somewhat dejected Ryosuke and said, "Don't worry, I haven't finished yet." "I won't actively attack, and the methods I use won't exceed the Genin level. See that mountain in the distance?" Seimei and the others followed the direction he pointed and saw a mountain peak in the distance, about an hour's journey from here. "I'll be heading there later. Whether you ambush me or launch a surprise attack, as long as you can take the scroll from me before noon, you'll pass." "Is that so? Then there's a chance..." Ryosuke touched his chin, seemingly lost in thought. Hearing his words, Seimei rolled his eyes inwardly, thinking, 'Where does your confidence come from? We're just three rookie Genin. Even if he suppresses his strength to the Genin level, his combat experience is real.' However, he kept these thoughts to himself. Seimei knew that Furukawa wouldn't deliberately make things difficult for them. Judging from the test he had set up, it was clearly more realistic and likely aimed at testing their abilities in that aspect. Then, during the process, he would observe their actions and identify their strengths and weaknesses, laying the foundation for future tailored guidance. (End of Chapter)