Morning fog rolled across the lower training fields of Kumogakure.
This part of the academy felt different.
No cliffs.
No storms.
No chaos.
Just weapons.
Precision.
Control.
Tall wooden walls enclosed the field.
Target ranges stretched across one side.
Obstacle structures filled the center.
Sealed combat circles marked the ground.
At the front stood Kaito Ren.
Today— was not about power.
"This is the Shinobi Arsenal Course."
His voice carried across the field.
"A shinobi must be lethal—"
He flicked a kunai.
"—with anything."
The blade struck dead center.
No wasted motion.
No effort.
Students shifted slightly.
This wasn't going to be easy.
"You will rotate through five stations."
Ren gestured across the field.
Close combat.
Projectile accuracy.
Precision tools.
Trap deployment.
Weapon disarm.
"Master these—"
"…and you stop depending on one style."
That part mattered.
Daigo stared at the senbon station.
"…Those are basically needles."
Daigo Mizuta frowned.
Akari didn't look up.
"They're supposed to be."
Akari Mizuta smirked.
Raizen said nothing.
He was already watching the field.
Station One — Kunai Combat
A circle.
Two fighters.
One blade each.
Disarm— or force out.
Raizen stepped in.
Across from him—
Hikari.
A tall student with confident posture.
"You're the one everyone's talking about."
No response.
Ren signaled.
Hikari attacked immediately.
Fast.
Direct.
Strike to the shoulder.
Raizen shifted.
Miss.
Second strike.
Third.
Relentless.
But— predictable.
Raizen didn't rush.
Small movements.
Minimal energy.
Redirect.
Angle.
Control.
Steel clashed sharply.
Then—
Raizen stepped forward.
Not back.
His kunai slid along Hikari's wrist—
Twist.
The weapon dropped.
Silence.
"…What?"
Hikari stared at his empty hand.
Match over.
From the edge— whispers.
"He barely moved."
"Does he even try?"
"…Showoff."
Akari heard it.
Said nothing.
Raizen didn't react.
But Astra did.
Inside his mind—
"Social perception shift detected."
Raizen ignored it.
For now.
Station Two — Projectile Accuracy
Moving targets.
Sliding rigs.
Unpredictable timing.
Kenji stepped first.
Kenji Sato moved with confidence.
Three shuriken— three impacts.
Clean.
Applause followed.
Then—
Raizen stepped forward.
He didn't pick up shuriken.
He chose senbon.
A few students frowned.
"Those won't hit moving targets."
Inside his mind—
Astra activated.
"Trajectory compensation required."
Raizen threw.
One— miss.
A faint shift.
Two— hit.
Three— hit.
Not perfect.
But adjusted.
Ren noticed.
"…Good correction."
This time—
Raizen didn't look satisfied.
Station Three — Trap Deployment
Wire.
Kunai.
Tags.
Most students rushed.
Simple traps.
Quick setups.
Raizen slowed down.
Anchor point.
Tension line.
Redirect loop.
Calculated.
When Ren triggered it—
SNAP.
The wire locked his ankle.
He cut free instantly.
But paused.
"Efficient."
Station Four — Disarm
No weapons.
Just control.
Raizen faced Kenji.
Kenji attacked fast.
Blade forward—
Raizen stepped inside.
Wrist control.
Balance shift.
Kenji dropped.
Weapon fell.
"…Yeah, okay," Kenji laughed.
"Not letting that happen again."
Respect.
Real.
The Lesson Ends
Ren faced the group again.
"You rely too much on preference."
His gaze sharpened.
"That will get you killed."
Silence.
"Adapt."
"Or lose."
Students began packing up.
But Raizen stayed still for a moment.
Watching the field.
Thinking.
Inside his mind—
Astra spoke.
"Combat adaptability increasing."
Raizen exhaled slowly.
Not enough.
Because for the first time— he had noticed something.
Even with all his control—
He still had gaps.
And the Storm Run—
would expose them.