I, Konoha’s Sage of Life

“Asuma?”

“It should be him. Looks like they’ve been surrounded.”

“Is he still alive?”

“He’s still moving for now,” Kurenai Yuhi responded swiftly.

Her sensory range was broader and clearer than Shisui’s, so at this moment, both squads relied on her intel for guidance.

“I’ll speed ahead first. You guys catch up quickly. Kurenai, conserve your chakra,” Shisui instructed.

“Got it…”

Receiving confirmation, Shisui nodded and then accelerated forward.

His speed was astonishing.

Previously, he had been holding back to support his teammates, but now…

Whoosh!

In a few flickers, Shisui had already disappeared from their sight.

Raido Namiashi was momentarily stunned.

Then, he finally understood—while they were moving as fast as they could, Shisui’s Body Flicker Technique was on a completely different level.

They weren’t even in the same league.

Shisui dashed through the inner region of the Forest of Death in no time and located Asuma. By now, Asuma’s space to maneuver had become critically limited.

Just as Shisui arrived, a group of enemies was closing in, and in the shadows, two other squads lurked, watching the battle unfold.

As Asuma’s stamina neared depletion—

A massive fireball shot out.

Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!

Asuma’s eyes lit up.

However…

He was already completely exhausted, with no chance of escaping. Mustering the last bit of chakra he could gather, he immediately formed hand seals.

The next instant—

Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!

Boom!

A thunderous explosion erupted.

Shisui had originally intended his fireball as a diversion to cover Asuma’s retreat, not as a direct attack. But Asuma’s jutsu redirected the fireball’s trajectory.

Flames raged, consuming a large swath of enemies.

Hyūga Hibiki and Akimichi Shito were engulfed in the inferno.

The observing jōnin were left in awe.

Asuma…

That was ruthless!

Even at his last moment, instead of escaping, he chose to coordinate with his teammate to eliminate enemies.

“His reasoning was that even if he managed to escape, he would only become a burden to his team. Instead, he chose to assist his allies in taking down their foes,” Nara Shikaku observed, glancing at the Third Hokage.

Though this was just an exam—a simulation—it still demonstrated Asuma’s keen battlefield awareness and tactical acumen.

“What a shame…”

Hagane Kotetsu sighed but nodded in appreciation.

It was a balance between logic and emotion.

And Asuma chose his teammates.

“That’s commendable. Each experience and lesson is valuable.”

The Third Hokage wasn’t disappointed.

In fact…

He felt a deep sense of gratitude toward Kyoichi.

As Asuma’s father, he had always sensed his son’s struggles.

But now…

It seemed Asuma had found clarity in his beliefs.

And that was invaluable.

“Why?”

Kakashi was confused.

There had clearly been a better choice—why make such a decision?

Surely Asuma understood this.

“Normally, those who fail a mission are called trash. But those who abandon their comrades… are worse than trash.”

Cough, cough!

The Third Hokage coughed repeatedly, feeling a little awkward.

Kyoichi’s words…

They were a direct stab to the heart.

Not just for Kakashi.

Everyone knew that Kakashi’s mantra was "Mission First," a belief shaped by his father’s disgrace—Sakumo Hatake had abandoned a mission to save his comrades.

Kyoichi’s statement essentially validated Sakumo’s decision.

“You don’t understand anything!”

Kakashi’s gaze turned icy.

With his face hidden behind a mask, his expression was unreadable.

“This is just an exam. If someone is willing to abandon their teammates here just to win, then they’re too blinded by self-interest. I know you want to bring up Guy, but even he, in his first instinct, chose to carry Aoba rather than leave him behind.”

Kyoichi’s expression was serious.

Kakashi turned away, unwilling to continue the conversation.

Kyoichi didn’t bother pushing further.

He wasn’t Kakashi’s father. A passing comment was one thing, but he wasn’t interested in lecturing him.

Besides…

There were more pressing matters at hand.

On the battlefield, Kurenai and the others had arrived, using their numbers to intimidate the two lurking squads. However, they couldn’t stop Nara Enji and his remaining teammate.

Now, it was time for the jōnin to clean up the battlefield.

Akimichi Shito and Hyūga Hibiki were seriously injured.

This was probably the most devastating use of the Great Fireball Jutsu in Chūnin Exam history.

Minato was the first to arrive.

The medical team would take a bit longer.

Kyoichi formed hand seals, channeling medical chakra and using Katsuyu’s division to transport healing chakra to Minato’s summoned slug. Gradually, Hyūga Enji and Akimichi Shito’s wounds stabilized.

Katsuyu's Healing Technique!

The Third Hokage watched, filled with emotion and nostalgia.@@novelbin@@

Back in the day, Tsunade had used this technique to save countless lives on the battlefield. Since her departure, no other medical ninja in Konoha had been capable of replicating it.

But now, Kyoichi had succeeded!

The issue was…

Kyoichi wasn’t even a dedicated medical ninja.

His medical ninjutsu was merely a secondary skill—his true expertise lay in kenjutsu and general ninjutsu.

This was ridiculous!

Comparisons were just infuriating.

“Thank you. These two are stable now—you all can continue your exam,” Minato announced.

He had noticed the healing provided by Katsuyu and felt reassured.

No wonder Kyoichi dared to push so hard.

Katsuyu's Healing Technique!

With this, combined with his Flying Thunder God and Body Flicker techniques, he could ensure that no participant in the Forest of Death would be in mortal danger—unless their injuries were beyond saving.

“Yes, sir!”

Kurenai stared at the healing slug with envy, then slowly shifted to determination.

She had to master genjutsu.

But she couldn’t neglect medical ninjutsu either!

She followed the others as they headed deeper into the inner circle.

“Minato, they’re out of immediate danger. Prepare for the final zone.”

“Yes!”

The final zone…

This was the second phase of the battle royale.

However…

Even before the first phase had ended, numerous skirmishes had already erupted, significantly altering the trajectory of the exam.

Take Asuma, for example.

He had been cornered.

But his resistance was fierce.

His squad had wiped out one team and crippled another—a remarkable feat. And with only two remaining, Nara Enji’s team wouldn’t last much longer.

The final contenders were clear—

Elite lone wolves, like Might Guy.

And cohesive powerhouse squads, like Shisui and Kurenai’s team.

Kyoichi halted his healing efforts.

He needed to conserve chakra—there were likely more injuries ahead.

Meanwhile…

As the jōnin further tightened their encirclement, the battlefield shrank once again. In the process, Shisui’s squad eliminated another team.

Now, only a small zone remained for the final showdown.

Shisui and Kurenai’s squad remained intact.

Nara Enji’s squad had two members left.

The last team was an unusual mix—

Might Guy, Rin, and Genma Shiranui.

A temporary alliance of lone survivors.

The top five teams would advance to the third round.

However…

There were still six teams remaining.

Nara Enji was nervous.

“You guys…”

“Let’s join forces. If we don’t, we won’t stand a chance against them,” Genma said, his face pale.

His chakra and stamina were nearly drained.

Meanwhile, Shisui’s team…

They were fresh and in peak condition.

Not working together meant certain defeat.

“…Alright.”

Nara Enji sighed in relief.

His real fear was that Might Guy’s team would go full berserker and attack them first.

That would be a disaster.

But now…

Genma still believed they had a fighting chance, which meant there was room for negotiation.

Time to strategize… and survive.