Chapter 16: Ryuzen vs. Yūhi KurenaiThe Test Begins
The next morning arrived clear and bright.
At exactly 8:30, Ryuzen and Hinata left his house and made their way through the village streets toward the designated meeting place.
When they reached the clearing, Aburame Shino was already there, leaning against one of the weathered wooden stakes.
"Good morning."
Ryuzen offered the greeting casually. From this point forward, they would be teammates fighting alongside one another. There was no reason to maintain the distant attitude he had cultivated during his Academy years.
"Good morning, Aburame-san." Hinata added her own soft greeting.
"Good morning... please, just call me Shino."
If he was surprised by their friendliness, Shino didn't show it—his face remained hidden behind dark sunglasses and his high collar. But he responded quickly enough, suggesting he appreciated the gesture.
After this brief exchange, the three settled into a comfortable silence, finally acquainted with one another.
Ryuzen and Hinata moved to another wooden stake nearby.
Hinata busied herself organizing her ninja pouch, checking her supplies with methodical care. Ryuzen simply held his bamboo sword across his lap and closed his eyes, resting.
After a few moments, Shino approached him.
"Ryuzen-kun, should we prepare a battle plan?"
The question itself was significant—Shino was clearly acknowledging Ryuzen as the team's de facto leader. His understanding of team dynamics was sharp enough to recognize that any other approach would be problematic.
The relationship between Ryuzen and Hinata was obvious to anyone who had observed them at the Academy. They were inseparable, and Hinata naturally deferred to him in all things.
Beyond that, Ryuzen had held the top student position for years. Someone with that kind of consistent excellence would inevitably possess the pride that came with genuine talent. Trying to dictate terms to him would only create unnecessary friction.
So Shino asked instead of assumed.
"We're all teammates now. Call me Ryuzen—or Yusuke, if you prefer." Ryuzen opened his eyes, his crimson gaze calm. "As for a battle plan... there's no need for one."
Shino tilted his head slightly, waiting for explanation.
"Team awareness can be developed over time through actual missions. What matters right now is this—I finally have an opportunity to test myself against a genuine jōnin. I won't waste it by approaching cautiously."
"I see." Shino nodded slowly. His expression remained unreadable behind his sunglasses, making it impossible to tell whether he thought Ryuzen arrogantly overconfident or merely confident.
Perhaps he thought both.
But when it became clear Ryuzen had no interest in discussing strategy further, Shino returned to his original position without another word. He would simply observe and adapt to whatever came next.
The Instructor Arrives
Time passed steadily.
At exactly five minutes before nine o'clock, a graceful figure materialized in front of them as if from nowhere.
Kurenai Yūhi stood before her new team, her red eyes surveying them with obvious approval. They had arrived early and waited patiently—a good sign for any team.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," she said with a warm smile. "Let's begin officially now."
Jingle.
The sound of bells rang clearly in the morning air.
Kurenai produced three small bells from her pocket, holding them up for the genin to see. "Today's survival exercise is simple. Your task is to successfully take these three bells from me."
She paused, letting the words sink in.
"You may use any method you choose—assassination attempts, direct confrontation, clever strategies, anything at all. If you manage to take a bell from me, I'll treat the whole team to barbecue afterward."
With that, she secured the bells to her waist, where they hung invitingly.
"Hinata!"
Ryuzen's sharp call cut through the momentary stillness.
"Yes!" Hinata responded instantly, reaching into her ninja pouch and withdrawing a strip of black cloth.
Ryuzen accepted it and, without hesitation, tied it firmly around his eyes, blindfolding himself completely.
"Both of you, move back."
Hinata leaped away without question, putting distance between herself and Ryuzen. Shino followed suit, though with considerably less understanding of what was happening.
He watched Hinata's unquestioning trust, remembered Ryuzen's dismissal of battle plans, and reached his own conclusion. The top graduate clearly possessed hidden abilities that justified such confidence.
Kurenai observed the blindfolded boy before her with open curiosity. "You intend to confront me directly like this?"
"Yes." Ryuzen nodded once, adjusting his grip on the bamboo sword into a drawing stance. "Kurenai-sensei... please be careful."
The words should have sounded absurd—a freshly graduated genin warning a battle-tested jōnin to exercise caution.
But Kurenai's face shifted abruptly.
A chill of imminent danger coursed through her body, every instinct screaming warning.
SWISH—
In the next instant, a brilliant flash erupted from Ryuzen's position.
The bamboo sword in his hand transformed mid-swing, white wood giving way to dark steel as Shigure Kintoki revealed its true form. A crescent of dark red sword energy arced forward, carving a deep, straight trench across the earth as it raced toward her.
The sword energy moved with terrifying speed.
Kurenai's intuition saved her. The moment she perceived danger, she threw herself sideways, barely avoiding the slash's path.
CRASH—
Behind her, the forest erupted.
A tree with a trunk thicker than a man's waist collapsed as if struck by a hurricane, its splintered remains scattering across the ground. Thick dust billowed into the air.
The trench stretching across the clearing—straight and smooth as if carved by some immense blade—stole the breath of everyone present.
Kurenai stared at Ryuzen with wide eyes, her mind struggling to process what she had just witnessed.
"So... so powerful." Behind them, Shino's murmured words betrayed his shock. He finally understood what Ryuzen had meant earlier about testing himself against a jōnin. This was no ordinary top student.
Hinata's eyes shone with undisguised admiration.
"Kurenai-sensei, please note—my sword does not discriminate between opponents." Ryuzen's voice carried no arrogance, only calm warning. Though blindfolded, his Kenbunshoku Haki had tracked her aura's movement, confirming she had evaded the first strike.
Then he moved.
His figure launched forward, closing distance with explosive speed.
"Terrifying swordsmanship... powerful perception abilities..." Kurenai watched the blindfolded boy rushing toward her, and the shock on her face slowly transformed into something else—genuine delight. She understood perfectly well what Ryuzen had done by blindfolding himself.
Her greatest strength was genjutsu. By removing his sight, he had rendered her primary weapon useless against him.
With his overwhelming sword skills and that uncanny perception allowing him to fight effectively while blind, Ryuzen had already begun applying pressure she hadn't anticipated from any genin.
This student was a genius.
Not merely talented—a true genius on the level of Kakashi Hatake or Uchiha Itachi.
Joy at having discovered such a prodigy filled Kurenai's heart even as her expression grew serious. Fighting someone like this would require her full effort.
Especially now that her genjutsu was neutralized, placing her at a significant disadvantage.
As Ryuzen closed the distance between them, Kurenai drew a kunai from her pouch and prepared to meet him head-on.
Clash
CLANG—
Steel met steel as Ryuzen's blade crashed against Kurenai's kunai.
The force behind the strike surprised her—far beyond what a newly graduated genin should possess. She was forced to use both hands to brace against the blow, her feet sliding backward across the grass.
Ryuzen pressed his advantage immediately.
His blade moved again, faster this time. Another strike. Another. Each one flowed into the next with the kind of seamless precision that came from years of dedicated practice—or from inheriting the combat experience of one of the world's greatest swordsmen.
Kurenai deflected, dodged, retreated.
She was faster than him in pure movement speed. Her years as an active jōnin guaranteed that. But Ryuzen's Kenbunshoku Haki allowed him to predict her movements before she made them, countering her speed with anticipation.
Every time she tried to create distance, he was already there, cutting off her escape route.
Every time she attempted a counter-thrust, his blade was already positioned to intercept.
It was like fighting someone who could read her mind.
CLANG—CLANG—CLANG—
The clearing echoed with the sound of their conflict.
Hinata watched with hands clasped together, her heart racing. She had trained with Ryuzen for years. She knew how strong he was. But seeing him match a jōnin in direct combat still filled her with awe.
Shino observed silently, his insects spreading through the surrounding trees to monitor every angle of the fight. If Ryuzen fell, he would need to act. But watching this display, he seriously doubted that would happen.
Breaking Through
Kurenai leaped backward, putting distance between them at last.
She was breathing harder now—not exhausted, but undeniably pressured. In the space of a few minutes, this twelve-year-old boy had pushed her further than some chūnin ever had.
"You're incredible, Ryuzen." She meant it. "I've never seen a fresh genin fight like this."
Ryuzen didn't respond with words. His blindfolded face turned toward her, tracking her position through Haki alone.
Then he moved again.
But this time, Kurenai was ready.
As Ryuzen closed in, she formed hand signs in a blur—too fast for him to interrupt. Before his blade could reach her, she vanished in a swirl of leaves.
Kawarimi no Jutsu.
Ryuzen's blade passed harmlessly through a wooden log, cleaving it in two.
He spun immediately, Haki flaring outward to locate her new position.
Behind him. Above. Coming down fast with a kunai aimed at his shoulder.
Ryuzen twisted, bringing Shigure Kintoki up in a diagonal block—
CLANG—
But Kurenai hadn't intended the strike to land. The moment their weapons connected, she used the leverage to flip backward, landing gracefully several meters away.
"Your perception is remarkable," she observed. "Even the substitution didn't fool you for more than a second."
Ryuzen said nothing. His stance remained perfect, ready for her next move.
Kurenai studied him for a long moment. Then she smiled—a genuine, pleased expression.
"I think I understand now."
She straightened, tucking her kunai away.
"This exercise isn't about testing whether you can take bells from me. You've already proven more than enough." She reached down, unclipped one of the bells from her waist, and tossed it to Ryuzen.
He caught it reflexively, confusion flickering across his features despite the blindfold.
"The bell test is supposed to teach genin about teamwork," Kurenai explained. "But you three..." Her gaze swept across Hinata and Shino before returning to Ryuzen. "You already understand each other better than most teams do after months together. Hinata trusts you completely. Shino defers to your judgment. And you—you fight not just for yourself, but with awareness of where they are and what they might need."
She unclipped the remaining two bells and tossed them to Hinata and Shino in turn.
"Everyone passes."
Hinata caught her bell with trembling hands, eyes shining. Even Shino seemed momentarily taken aback, staring at the small object in his palm.
"Kurenai-sensei..." Hinata started.
"You all worked hard. More importantly, you showed me what kind of team you are." Kurenai's smile widened. "Now—who wants barbecue?"
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