I, Konoha’s Sage of Life

Who charges in headfirst without a plan?

That would be Obito and Might Guy!

Yamashiro Aoba was stunned.

According to his plan, they should first gather resources and then locate the goal.

Besides…

With the current exam rules, the best strategy was obviously not direct combat but preventing others from advancing.

Because…

As long as they could stall their opponents and keep them away from the center, the jōnin proctors would eventually intervene and eliminate them.

Unfortunately…

His words were useless.

Obito and Guy had already bolted ahead of him.

"Kyoichi-sensei, what do I do with these two…?"

Yamashiro Aoba muttered to himself, thinking for a long time.

In the end, he had no choice but to follow.

"Everyone, we're lucky to be in the second round together. Let's first establish a leader and then confirm our abilities and needs."

Asuma didn't rush in recklessly.

He turned to his two teammates.

They seemed familiar.

Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki.

They were in the same class at the Academy, but Asuma wasn’t exactly sure about their skills.

"We've been teammates before and work well together. We specialize in taijutsu and kenjutsu."

"I can use Water Release to assist with control," they added.

Their attitude was clear—they would follow his lead.

Asuma sighed in relief.

His teammates were cooperative!

Perfect…

He nodded. "Since you're following me, we'll proceed according to my plan. First, we'll scout for resources. If we encounter Shisui or Kurenai's squads, we'll team up and eliminate other competitors."

"Got it!"

Shisui and Kurenai were placed in different teams.

The teams had been assigned by Minato.

He understood all too well that Kyoichi's squad excelled at teamwork. If his students were grouped together, it would be a nightmare for the other participants.

Besides…

Kurenai herself wasn’t weak.

So…

Kyoichi's students were at a disadvantage in this assignment, especially Shisui, whose teammates were both civilian genin without strong jutsu. Their only advantage was that they were obedient.

Otherwise…

Given that Shisui was only five years old, he might not have been able to command them effectively.

Kurenai’s team, on the other hand, was slightly better—Raido and Ebisu.

Not the strongest, but definitely not weak.

Hiruzen quickly noticed and commented, "Minato has a lot of faith in your students, especially Shisui."

A five-year-old leading two civilian genin?

That meant…

In Minato’s assessment, Shisui's capabilities were already beyond an elite genin’s level.

"We’ve trained together a lot, and Minato knows my students' strengths well. If Shisui manages to obtain a weapon, his abilities will indeed surpass most of the others."

Kyoichi nodded, then chuckled. "Being split up might not be a bad thing. If they all survive the initial culling, they’ll have a huge advantage later."@@novelbin@@

"That’s true."

Hiruzen nodded.

A disadvantage now didn’t mean they’d be at a disadvantage later.

From a broader perspective, Shisui and the others actually had an edge. Because Asuma, Shisui, and Kurenai had all naturally taken command of their respective teams.

Soon…

The squads began moving.

The most reckless? Guy and Obito.

With Aoba scouting, they quickly found a target and immediately charged in, wiping out an opposing team. The medical unit swiftly intervened to extract the injured.

The brutality of the exam was evident from the very first skirmish.

Soon…

Battles erupted all over the forest.

Including Asuma’s squad—

They engaged Iruka’s team in a fight over a resource point.

Iruka’s team included Genma Shiranui, but they failed to detect Asuma’s squad in time. Izumo trapped two of them with Water Release: Starch Syrup Capturing Field.

Asuma followed up with a Vacuum Wave, taking one opponent out instantly.

Genma barely managed to save his other teammate.

Meanwhile, Shisui's squad was fleeing.

Shisui excelled in genjutsu and also had strong sensory abilities, though he usually didn't need to use them since Kyoichi and Kurenai handled that in their team.

Now, however…

His sensory skills were invaluable.

So…

Shisui stuck to his plan—find his teammates first.

Using his senses, he began searching for Asuma and Kurenai's teams, aiming to regroup and dominate together.

Hiruzen's Telescope Jutsu struggled to keep up.

There were too many fights happening at once!

However…

Without the jutsu, it would have been even more chaotic. At best, they’d only be able to observe a small portion of the forest.

Kakashi was frustrated.

This exam looked fun—it tested tactics, leadership, and large-scale strategy.

Unfortunately, he had already been promoted to chūnin. Even though he was the same age as the participants, he couldn't take the test.

Just then…

Kyoichi turned to Hiruzen and said, "Lord Third, could you lock onto Obito’s team?"

"Uh…"

Fine.

Today, you call the shots.

Hiruzen sighed internally and switched the view to Obito’s squad.

Obito and Guy had sprinted ahead, leaving Aoba behind.

Ahead of them—another team.

"Nara clan… and Akimichi."

Chōza recognized them immediately.

The opposing squad included a Nara clan member—Nara Enji.

Alongside him was Akimichi Shito.

Their third teammate wasn’t from the Yamanaka clan, but…

Even with just two members from the Ino-Shika-Chō trio, they were formidable.

Obito and Guy attempted to avoid the shadows while countering with Great Fireball Jutsu.

However, the combination of Shadow Imitation and Partial Multi-Size Jutsu was nearly impossible to counter. Obito was immediately caught.

Boom!

A massive palm slammed him into the dirt and dragged him back.

"You’re already dead," their third teammate declared.

A kunai grazed Obito’s throat—a clean kill if this had been real combat.

Guy saw this…

And instantly sped up.

Then…

Bail, retreat, vanish!

Aoba had just arrived when Guy grabbed him and fled at top speed.

"You idiot!"

Kakashi facepalmed, speechless.

Who charges in like that?

In a real battle, they’d have been dead a hundred times over.

The fighting continued.

Teams suffered losses, but…

It soon became clear—Kyoichi’s students weren’t among them.

Shisui and Kurenai had successfully regrouped and were now sweeping through resource points together.

"Kyoichi… you didn’t give them insider information, did you?"

Hiruzen squinted at him.

A six-man squad?

The others stood no chance.

And now, they were clearly moving toward Asuma’s location.

"I didn’t. I didn’t even teach Kurenai sensory jutsu, just to prevent them from linking up immediately."

Kyoichi was their teacher and the exam proctor.

Without clarification, his impartiality could be questioned.

Hiruzen’s question gave him the chance to explain.

The other jōnin, who had been skeptical, nodded.

They knew about the Second Hokage’s advanced sensory techniques.

If Kurenai had mastered that, the other squads wouldn’t be facing a six-man team right now.

They’d be dealing with a full nine-man unit.

At that moment…

Kyoichi formed a seal.

Summoning Jutsu!

A Katsuyu clone appeared.

"Begin the first wave of elimination—centered on Point A."

Immediately…

Signal flares lit up the sky over the Forest of Death.

The purge had begun.

The entire forest descended into chaos.

Everyone rushed toward the center.

But…

Collisions were inevitable.