Who would charge in recklessly right from the start?
Obito and Might Guy, that's who!
Yamashiro Aoba was utterly dumbfounded.
According to his plan, they should first gather resources and then locate the endpoint.
Moreover.
Under these rules, the best tactic was obviously not to clash head-on with others but to hinder their progress.
Because...
As long as they could stop others and keep them away from the center, the jōnin would eventually step in and eliminate them.
Unfortunately.
His words fell on deaf ears.
Both Obito and Might Guy were already running ahead, leaving him in the dust.
"Kyōichi-sensei, what do I do in a situation like this...?"
Yamashiro Aoba muttered to himself.
After thinking for a long while.
He had no choice but to follow.
---
"Everyone, we're lucky to be taking the second exam together. Let's first decide on a leader and then confirm each other's abilities and needs."
Asuma didn't charge in recklessly.
He looked at his two teammates.
They seemed familiar.
Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki.
They had been in the same class at the Academy, but Asuma wasn't entirely sure about their abilities.
"We were teammates before and worked well together. We're good at taijutsu and sword techniques."
"I know Water Release and can help with control."
Both of them spoke up.
Their attitude was clear—they would follow Asuma's lead!
Asuma breathed a sigh of relief.
His teammates were willing to listen to him!
Perfect.
He nodded and said, "Since you're willing to follow my lead, let's stick to my plan. We'll search the surrounding area for resources first. If we run into Shisui or Kurenai's team later, we'll join forces with them to eliminate the other enemies."
"Got it!"
---
Shisui and Kurenai weren't on the same team.
The teams had been assigned by Minato.
He knew very well that Kyōichi's team excelled at coordination. If Kyōichi's subordinates were placed together, it would be a fatal blow to the other teams.
Moreover.
Kurenai herself was no slouch.
So.
In terms of team assignments, Kyōichi's subordinates were at a disadvantage. Shisui's two teammates were both civilian genin with no particularly strong ninjutsu. Their only advantage was that they were obedient.
Otherwise.
At just five years old, Shisui might not have been able to command respect.
Kurenai's team was slightly better off, with Raidō Namiashi and Ebisu.
Not strong, but not weak either.
Sandaime naturally noticed this and said, "Minato seems to have a lot of confidence in your subordinates, especially Shisui!"
Pairing him with two civilian genin meant...
In Minato's judgment, Shisui's abilities surpassed those of an elite genin.
"Our two teams have interacted before, so Minato is more familiar with my students' abilities. If Shisui can find a ninja sword, his abilities do surpass the others."
Kyōichi nodded, then smiled. "Being split up isn't necessarily a bad thing. If they all survive, they'll have a huge advantage after the first sweep."
"That's true."
Sandaime agreed.
What seemed like a disadvantage now might not be one in the next round.
From a broader perspective, Shisui and the others actually had the upper hand, as Asuma, Shisui, and Kurenai had all easily taken command of their respective teams.
Soon.
All the teams began to move.
The most reckless were Guy and Obito.
With Aoba's scouting, they quickly found another team and charged straight at them, taking them out in one go. The medical team soon arrived to carry the defeated team away.
The first clash revealed the brutal nature of the exam!
Soon.
Battles broke out in multiple locations.
Including Asuma's team—
They clashed with Iruka's team over a resource point.
Iruka's team failed to detect Asuma's team's position. Izumo Kamizuki used his Water Release: Starch Syrup Capturing Field to trap two of them.
Asuma's Vacuum Wave took out one immediately.
Meanwhile, Shisui's team began to flee.
He was skilled in genjutsu, and his sensing abilities weren't bad either, though they were usually overshadowed by Kyōichi and Kurenai's superior sensing skills.
However.
Now, his sensing abilities proved invaluable.
So.
Shisui decided to stick to the original plan: use his sensing to locate his teammates and regroup with Asuma and Kurenai's teams.
With multiple teams united, they could dominate the battlefield!
The Sandaime's Telescope Technique was struggling to keep up.
There were too many battles happening at once!
But.
Without the Telescope Technique, the situation would have been even more chaotic, with only a small portion of the forest visible.
Kakashi felt a pang of regret.
This exam seemed fun and tested tactics, leadership, and strategic thinking. Unfortunately, as a chūnin, he couldn't participate, even though he was the same age as the others.
At that moment.
Kyōichi suddenly turned to the Sandaime and said, "Sandaime-sama, please focus on Obito's team."
"..."
Fine.
You're in charge today.
The Sandaime mentally grumbled but obediently shifted the view to Obito's team.
Obito and Might Guy were charging ahead, leaving Yamashiro Aoba far behind. Up ahead, they encountered another team.
"Shikaku, it's our clans' juniors."
Chōza recognized them immediately.
The team facing Obito included a member of the Nara clan, Nara Enji.
The other was Akimichi Shitō.
The third wasn't from the Yamanaka clan.
However.
Even with just two clans working together, their combat power was formidable.
Obito and Guy tried to avoid the shadow techniques and countered with Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique, but the combination of the Akimichi's Multi-Size Technique and the Nara's Shadow Imitation Technique was impossible to defend against.
Obito was quickly caught by the shadow.
*Thud!*
A palm strike.
Obito was slammed into the ground and dragged back.
"You're dead."
The third member, using the Body Flicker Technique, appeared on Akimichi Shitō's hand and drew a kunai across Obito's neck.
It wasn't a real strike.
But.
In a real battle, Obito would have been dead.
Seeing this, Might Guy's speed increased dramatically.
And then...
He retreated, pulling Yamashiro Aoba with him, and fled the battlefield.
"Idiots!"
Kakashi facepalmed, speechless.
Who charges in like that?
On a real battlefield, they'd have died a hundred times over.
The battles continued.
Casualties mounted on all sides, but...
It soon became clear that Kyōichi's three subordinates had almost no casualties. Shisui and Kurenai had already regrouped, and their combined teams were sweeping through the resource points.
"Kyōichi, you didn't leak the questions, did you?"
Sandaime narrowed his eyes.
A team of six was nearly unstoppable, and they seemed to be heading toward Asuma's location.
"No, I didn't even teach Kurenai sensing techniques to prevent the three teams from regrouping too easily."
Kyōichi was Shisui, Asuma, and Kurenai's teacher, as well as the proctor for this exam.
If he didn't explain, suspicions would arise.
Sandaime's question gave him the perfect opportunity to clarify.
The other jōnin, who had been skeptical, nodded slightly after hearing Kyōichi's explanation.
They were aware of the Nidaime's sensing techniques.
If Kurenai had mastered that level of sensing, the other teams wouldn't just be facing a team of six—they'd be up against nine.
At that moment.
Kyōichi formed hand seals and used the Summoning Technique.
Soon.
A small Katsuyu appeared beside him.
"Begin the first sweep, centered on Point A."
Instantly.
Signal flares lit up the sky above the Forest of Death.
The sweep had begun!
The entire forest was thrown into chaos.
Everyone began to converge toward the center.
But.
As they moved inward, clashes were inevitable...