Chapter 16: Passing the Test

While Seimei was thinking, Furukawa had already moved away and said, "Take your time to discuss. I'll go ahead first." With that, he was about to turn and leave. However, as soon as he finished speaking, Seimei had already lunged forward, taking out several shuriken from his ninja pouch along the way. Whoosh~ Whoosh~ Whoosh~ The shuriken flew out. Most of them were used to block Furukawa's evasion routes, with only two aiming directly at his throat and heart. Seimei's attack was swift and fierce. If it were any other Genin, they might have been severely injured by this sudden attack. But Furukawa was different. Just as Seimei had thought, although Furukawa had suppressed his strength to the Genin level, his combat experience was not something ordinary Genin could match. As soon as Seimei made his move, Furukawa reacted. Two clangs were heard as the two shuriken aimed at him were precisely blocked by his kunai. But this also gave Seimei an opportunity. Seeing Furukawa's opening, Seimei, who had already closed in, didn't hesitate and immediately swung his kunai, thrusting it towards Furukawa's abdomen. Feeling the chilling intent in front of his chest, Furukawa smiled and simply took a light step back, dodging Seimei's attack. The difference in physique between adults and minors was fully revealed at this moment. Seimei's perfect strike was easily neutralized by Furukawa due to his size disadvantage. Seimei didn't complain much about this. After all, on the battlefield, no one cared if you were an adult or not. Since his physique was inferior to his opponent's, he had to find a way to turn this disadvantage into an equal footing or even an advantage, instead of complaining. With this in mind, Seimei swayed slightly, his entire body moving like an ape, nimbly circling to Furukawa's side and dodging his counterattack. Then, he kicked diagonally with his right leg, aiming straight for Furukawa's back. Why not kick the back of the head? Seimei wanted to, but he wasn't tall enough and could only reach the back. However, Furukawa wasn't willing to give him even this opportunity. He ducked, dodging Seimei's kick, and simultaneously thrust his elbow out, aiming directly at Seimei's face. "Not good!" Seimei's heart tightened, and he quickly raised his arm to block. Bam! A muffled impact sounded, and Seimei felt his arm go numb as he was involuntarily sent flying backward. In mid-air, Seimei adjusted his posture and landed on the ground in a somewhat graceful manner. "Seimei!" "Seimei-kun!" Only then did Ryosuke and Mizutani Shizuko react, quickly drawing their kunai and rushing to Seimei's side. "Seimei, are you okay?" Ryosuke asked without turning his head, his eyes fixed on Furukawa. "I'm fine." Seimei slowly got up and replied. Not far away, Furukawa put away his kunai and said in a calm tone, "Seimei, your skills are not bad, but you alone can't take the scroll from me." With that, he leaped a few times and disappeared from their sight into the depths of the forest. "Phew—" After Furukawa left, Ryosuke and Mizutani Shizuko couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Although they had stepped forward earlier, they were still a bit timid in the face of a Jonin. Seimei didn't mind this too much. The reason he had attacked earlier was just to see if he could get lucky. If it worked, great; if not, he could at least probe Furukawa's 'strength'. This way, he would have a better understanding. "Seimei, what should we do now?" Ryosuke retracted his gaze and looked at Seimei. Not only him, but Mizutani Shizuko also turned her gaze towards him. Clearly, these two had already regarded him as the backbone. This was also one of Seimei's goals. Only by displaying his strength would others listen to him. Otherwise, why would they follow his ideas based on just empty words? Now it was good. With his earlier performance, his two teammates would likely act according to his plans. Although Seimei didn't care about the position of leader, it was better to have fewer troubles. Thinking of this, Seimei looked at the two and said, "Since Furukawa-sensei said this is a test, there won't be any fatal danger. Let's just give it our all." "Yeah, why didn't I think of that?" Ryosuke slapped his palm and shouted excitedly, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" 'Sigh, if only it were that simple.' Seimei was certain that the road ahead wouldn't be easy, but he didn't say anything more. It was best for his teammates to maintain this positive attitude. As for the rest, he would deal with it later. Thinking this, Seimei said, "Alright, let's go. I'll be in front, Shizuko in the middle, and Ryosuke, you watch our back." "What?" Hearing Seimei's arrangement, Ryosuke asked in confusion, "Didn't Furukawa-sensei say he wouldn't actively attack us? Why do we need to watch our back?" "It's better to be safe than sorry." Seimei replied. "Okay!" Ryosuke nodded reluctantly, seemingly agreeing to Seimei's arrangement. "What about you, Shizuko?" Seimei asked. Mizutani Shizuko shook her head and said timidly, "I have no problem." "Alright, let's go then." With that, Seimei took the lead and chased in the direction Furukawa had left. Mizutani Shizuko and Ryosuke followed closely behind. Unbeknownst to the three of them, Furukawa used the Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique to conceal himself underground, secretly observing their every move. When he heard Seimei say, "It's better to be safe than sorry," he nodded in satisfaction. For ninjas, caution was a quality they must possess at all times. Even after he had told them he wouldn't actively attack, Seimei still acted this way, which showed his cautious nature. If it were just that, it would be fine. But combined with his proactive attack earlier, it was evident that he didn't lack a spirit of adventure. 'Cautious yet bold and decisive, he's a natural-born ninja.' Seimei didn't know that by simply acting according to some memories from his past life, he had left a very high impression on Furukawa. But even if he knew, he wouldn't care. Others' evaluations were just their opinions. One had to rely on their own strength. As long as he improved his own abilities, then whatever he did would be justified. Let's shift our focus back to Seimei and the others. The three of them were moving swiftly through the forest, searching for the traces deliberately left by Furukawa according to the knowledge taught by their school teachers. They encountered many traps and dangers along the way, but with the efforts of Seimei and the others, they were all dealt with. Near noon, the three finally reached the mountain peak and saw Furukawa, who had arrived before them. Seeing them, Furukawa tossed the scroll in his hand and said, "Time is running out. What are you going to do?" "What to do?" Seimei and Ryosuke exchanged glances, then both rushed out, one from the left and one from the right, pouncing on Furukawa. At the same time, Mizutani Shizuko mustered her spirits and quickly threw several shuriken and kunai, restricting Furukawa's movements. Furukawa's figure flickered repeatedly, dodging Mizutani Shizuko's attacks. Seizing this opportunity, Seimei reached Furukawa's side, and the kunai in his hand slashed out, aiming directly at his waist and abdomen. Clang! A crisp metallic clash rang out as Furukawa blocked Seimei's attack with his kunai. Just then, Ryosuke charged over, the kunai in his hand thrusting towards Furukawa's back. It was about to hit, but whether it was out of fear of injuring Furukawa or something else, his movement hesitated for a moment. But it was this hesitation that caused him to miss the opportunity, allowing Furukawa to dodge to the side. "Kid, when facing an enemy..." After dodging the attack, Furukawa was about to say something when he suddenly saw Ryosuke smile faintly. His left hand reached towards his chest where the scroll was hidden at an incredibly fast speed, much faster than before. "Not good!" Furukawa cursed inwardly, "Cunning kid," and quickly leaned back. Due to his position and height, Ryosuke's left hand could only barely reach Furukawa's chest, not enough to retrieve the scroll. Seeing this, Furukawa breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself, "That was close!" However, at that moment, Ryosuke's right hand, holding the kunai, swiftly reversed its grip and cleanly stabbed the kunai into Furukawa's lower abdomen. "Ah!" Witnessing this scene, Seimei, who had charged forward first, cried out in surprise. His figure then transformed, changing from his own appearance to that of Ryosuke. Seeing this, Furukawa looked down at the Ryosuke in front of him, a hint of admiration in his eyes. Then, his figure turned into a cloud of chakra smoke. A scroll fell from the smoke, the very target of Seimei and his teammates' mission. (End of Chapter)