Yamanaka Kagetsu let out a long sigh of relief after hearing Uchiha Yuan's words.
He knew full well that he was far behind Uchiha Yuan and Hyuga Asana in strength. And since it was obvious those two were close, if they didn't accept him, he might not survive the battlefield.
Now that they did accept him, it was more than he could ask for.
"Kagetsu, from now on you should focus your training on your clan's secret techniques," Asana said. "As for combat, leave that to Yuan and me. Your role will be support."
Whether it was just psychological or not, Kagetsu felt that Asana's tone was noticeably gentler, and her gaze less piercing.
He felt far less nervous now and nodded quickly. "Asana, Yuan—don't worry, I'll work twice as hard from now on."
"Mhm. Also, earlier we had you introduce yourself and tell us about your abilities. As teammates, it's only fair you know a bit about us too.
"I'm Hyuga Asana, a member of the branch family. My chakra natures are Fire and Lightning. I specialize in taijutsu, and aside from basic general-use ninjutsu, the only technique I can use is Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu."
After that, she turned toward Uchiha Yuan.
Yuan smiled and said, "I'm Uchiha Yuan. My chakra natures are Fire, Water, and Wind. I specialize in fire-style jutsu and genjutsu."
"Genjutsu? You know genjutsu too?" Kagetsu asked in surprise.
"It's pretty normal for Uchiha to use genjutsu after awakening the Sharingan, right?" Yuan replied rhetorically.
"R-right… makes sense."
"Alright, that's enough for introductions," said Asana. "Let's start today's training."
"Sure! Kagetsu, you don't need to join today's training—just observe and get used to the rhythm. You'll join in officially tomorrow," Yuan told him.
Kagetsu was about to protest—he didn't think his skills were that bad—but the next second, he got his answer.
Because he saw Yuan and Asana start fighting right there on the training field.
He watched their entire sparring match.
When they finally stopped, Kagetsu was stunned.
One thought echoed in his mind: Are these two really still students at the Academy?
His cousin had just been promoted to chunin.
And Kagetsu felt that either one of these two could probably defeat his cousin—but only after paying a steep price. A mutual takedown wouldn't even be off the table.
And that assessment was accurate. At this point, if Yuan and Asana used all their hidden trump cards, ordinary genin wouldn't stand a chance against them. Their abilities were already on par with newly promoted chunin.
"Alright, that's enough for today. Time to head to class. Kagetsu, get ready—you're joining in tomorrow," Yuan said, half-joking.
Kagetsu shuddered. "C-could I maybe… not join in?"
"Nope. We need to build synergy, fast," Asana flatly rejected him.
"Asana's right," Yuan added. "We only have five days until graduation. Last year's grads were deployed just two days after graduation. We'll probably be the same.
"So at most we have a week left. We've got to develop team chemistry quickly if we want to survive the battlefield."
Yuan had said it clearly—Kagetsu knew he had no room to refuse. He could only grit his teeth and agree.
In the days that followed, Yuan and Asana focused special attention on Kagetsu's training.
Each morning, one of them would take turns sparring with him.
Yuan still held back a little—after all, Kagetsu was his friend.
Asana had no such reservations. She went all out, beating Kagetsu so badly he was practically howling in pain.
But the intense training had results. After several days of getting beaten up, Kagetsu became familiar with both Yuan's and Asana's attack patterns. He could even start dodging some of their moves.
Now that he had a grasp on their fighting styles, the foundation for team synergy was there.
Unfortunately, time was not on their side. Four days flew by in a flash—tomorrow was graduation.
"Yuan, I don't need to come tomorrow, right?" asked Kagetsu, who was lying flat on the ground after another beatdown.
"Nope. Just head to school," Yuan replied.
Kagetsu's eyes lit up. Fearing Yuan might change his mind, he forced himself to his feet, endured the pain, and quickly fled the third training field.
"He's gotten really familiar with our moves," Asana said, watching him go. "Once he links us with his clan's mental jutsu, he should be able to coordinate with us for tactics or support."
"Knowing our attack patterns alone isn't enough," Yuan said. "If we had another half-month, our teamwork could've been flawless. Right now it only looks like a team."
"It's already good enough," Asana said. "Better than figuring each other out on the battlefield."
"True enough."
"Graduation is tomorrow," Asana murmured suddenly.
"You must be happy—you won't have to stay by Hyuga Chiwa's side anymore," Yuan said.
"A little."
"So you really hate her that much? Enough to prefer risking your life in war than staying near her?"
"Yes. I really do hate her. I wish I could leave the Leaf right now—get as far from her as possible."
"If I get the chance, I'll kill her for you," Yuan said.
Asana's expression turned complicated. She didn't say yes or no.
In her memory, before she was branded with the Caged Bird Seal, she and Hyuga Chiwa had been good childhood playmates.
After the seal, Chiwa became her "master." That once-playful friend now ordered her around with a haughty tone. The gap in status almost broke her.
As they grew older, Chiwa began to understand more and started treating her a bit better.
But what never changed was that condescending attitude.
(To Be Continued...)