"Asuma?"
"Most likely. They might be surrounded."
"Are they still alive?"
"For now, they're still active."
Kurenai quickly responded.
Her sensing range was broader and more precise than Shisui's, so the two teams relied heavily on her information for guidance.
"I'll speed ahead. You all catch up as quickly as you can. Kurenai, conserve your chakra."
"Got it."
With their acknowledgment, Shisui nodded and accelerated forward.
His speed was exceptional.
He had held back earlier to coordinate with his teammates, but now...
*Whoosh!*
In a few flashes, Shisui vanished from their sight.
Raidō Namiashi was momentarily stunned.
Then he realized that their speed was limited by their own abilities, while Shisui's Body Flicker Technique was on a completely different level.
Not even comparable.
Shisui quickly pushed through, soon crossing the inner circle of the Forest of Death and locating Asuma. By now, Asuma's range of movement was shrinking rapidly.
When Shisui arrived, a group of enemies was darting around, while two other teams lurked in the shadows, observing.
Just as Asuma was about to collapse from exhaustion...
A massive fireball erupted.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!
Asuma's eyes lit up.
But.
He was nearly out of stamina and had no chance of retreating. With the last bit of chakra he could muster...
Asuma quickly formed hand seals.
The next moment.
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
*Boom!*
A deafening explosion.
Shisui's fireball, originally intended to cover Asuma's retreat and not aimed at the enemies, was redirected by the wind.
The flames raged, engulfing a group of enemies.
Hyūga Hibiki and Akimichi Shitō were swallowed by the fire.
The other jōnin were stunned.
Asuma...
He was ruthless!
With his last bit of chakra, instead of trying to escape, he chose to help his teammates eliminate the enemy.
"His judgment was that even if he escaped, he would only become a burden to his teammates. So he chose to help them take out the enemy."
Shikaku glanced at Sandaime.
Even though this was just an exam and a simulation, making such a judgment and choice proved that Asuma possessed considerable tactical intelligence and battlefield awareness.
"What a shame."
Hagane Kotetsu sighed, yet he couldn't help but admire Asuma's decision.
Logic versus emotion.
Asuma chose his teammates.
"It's fine. Multiple experiences, multiple lessons."
Sandaime wasn't disappointed.
Asuma's performance had already far exceeded his expectations.
In fact.
He felt a sense of gratitude toward Kyōichi.
As a father, he had some sense of Asuma's struggles.
But now...
It seemed Asuma had solidified his resolve.
That was truly precious!
"Why?"
Kakashi was puzzled.
There were clearly better choices. Why make such a decision?
He didn't believe Asuma didn't understand.
"Generally speaking, those who can't complete their missions are called failures, but those who don't cherish their comrades are worse than failures!"
*Ahem!*
Sandaime coughed repeatedly, feeling a bit awkward.
Kyōichi's words...
Were a bit too cutting!
Not just for Kakashi.
Everyone knew Kakashi's mantra was "the mission comes first," a belief rooted in his father, Hatake Sakumo, who abandoned a mission to save his teammates.
Kyōichi's statement was an endorsement of Sakumo's actions.
"You don't understand anything!"
Kakashi's eyes turned cold, his face hidden behind his mask, making his expression unreadable.
"This is just an exam. If you're willing to abandon your teammates for victory even in an exam, that's too utilitarian. I know you're going to bring up Guy, but Guy's first instinct was to take Aoba with him, not abandon him."
Kyōichi's expression was serious.
Kakashi turned his head away, refusing to respond.
Kyōichi didn't bother saying more.
He wasn't Kakashi's father. A casual remark was enough; he didn't need to elaborate.
Besides.
There was work to be done.
In the field, Kurenai and the others had arrived, using their numbers to intimidate the two lurking teams. However, Nara Enji and his teammate were now unstoppable. It was time for the jōnin to clean up the battlefield.
Akimichi Shitō and Hyūga Hibiki were injured.
This was probably the most impressive feat the Great Fireball Technique had achieved in the Chūnin Exams.
Minato was the first to arrive.
The medical team would take a bit longer.
Kyōichi formed hand seals, channeling medical ninjutsu chakra, which was then transmitted to the Katsuyu clone near Minato. Gradually, Hyūga Hibiki and Akimichi Shitō's injuries began to heal.
Katsuyu's Healing Technique!
Sandaime watched this scene, feeling both moved and nostalgic.
Back in the day, Tsunade had saved countless lives on the battlefield with this technique. Since her departure, no medical ninja in Konoha had been able to replicate it.
Now, Kyōichi could do it!
The problem was...
Kyōichi wasn't a dedicated medical ninja. In a sense, his medical ninjutsu was just a side skill—his true expertise lay in kenjutsu and ninjutsu.
This guy...
It was infuriating how talented he was.
---
"Thank you. They're stable now. You can continue the exam."
Minato noticed the healing from Katsuyu and breathed a sigh of relief.
No wonder Kyōichi dared to make the exam so intense.
Katsuyu's Healing Technique!
With this, combined with his Flying Thunder God Technique and Body Flicker, as long as the injuries in the Forest of Death weren't too severe, there would be no life-threatening dangers.
"Understood!"
Kurenai stared at Katsuyu, her eyes filled with envy, which gradually turned into determination.
She would master genjutsu.
But she would never neglect medical ninjutsu!
She followed the others, heading toward the inner circle.
"Minato, they're out of danger for now. Prepare for the final circle."
"Understood!"
The final circle.
This referred to the second contraction of the safe zone.
However.
Even during the first contraction, numerous battles had broken out, and many unexpected events had disrupted the flow of the exam.
For example, Asuma being cornered.
But.
Asuma's resistance was fierce.
One team had wiped out another and crippled a third—a truly impressive feat. And with only two members left, Nara Enji's team wouldn't last long.
The final circle would consist of either top-tier lone wolves—
Like Might Guy.
Or teams like Shisui and Kurenai's, who had stuck together.
Kyōichi stopped healing.
There might be more people needing treatment later, so he needed to conserve his chakra.
Meanwhile.
The jōnin continued to tighten the battlefield, shrinking it further. During this process, Shisui and the others took out another team.
The final battle zone was now a small circle, and it was clear who was left.
Shisui and Kurenai's team was at full strength.
Nara Enji's team had two members.
The remaining teams were a bit unusual—
Might Guy, Rin, and Genma Shiranui.
This was a temporary alliance of lone wolves banding together for survival.
The top five would qualify for the third round.
But.
There were still six teams left.
Nara Enji was nervous.
"You all..."
"Let's team up. If we don't, we have no chance of winning."
Genma Shiranui's face was pale.
He had expended a lot of chakra and stamina along the way and was now running on fumes.
In contrast, Shisui and Kurenai's team...
They were well-rested and at the peak of their strength.
Without cooperation, they were doomed.
"Alright."
Nara Enji breathed a sigh of relief.
He had been worried that Might Guy and the others would recklessly team up with the enemy to take them out first.
That would have been disastrous!
But now.
It seemed Genma and the others still had some fight left in them, which meant there was room to maneuver.
He began to strategize...
How to survive!