Konoha: Who Says the Shinobi World Can't Play Hunter?

Chapter 33: Survival Exercise (Part 2)

The morning mist had long since dissipated, and the sun now hung high in the sky, spreading its heat and gradually dispelling the coolness of the night. After waiting for over two hours, Ichirō and Nobuko were beginning to feel restless. However, they had waited an entire year for this opportunity—what right did they have to complain? Even their futures as shinobi rested entirely on someone else's judgment.

To Ichirō and Nobuko, their instructor being late wasn't a big deal. As long as he didn't reject them, they could wait all day if needed.

Kazama, who appeared to be lazily leaning against a tree, was in fact receiving updates from Gatarō. In order to give Hayate Gekkō a surprise, he had gone all out. Early in the morning, he had summoned his five little summons, scattering them across the surrounding forest. They seemed like ordinary wild animals, but in reality, they were monitoring the entire area. Kazama himself hadn't moved, yet he already had a clear understanding of everything within range—every living creature, its location, its movement.

An elite jōnin like Hayate Gekkō could certainly evade detection from three inexperienced genin. But to Kazama's five summons, his presence was glaringly obvious. And if his summons knew, that meant Kazama knew as well.

---

Some distance away—

"They should be losing patience by now," Hayate thought to himself. "A little more heat, a little more fatigue, and they'll be easier to test."

He had planned this waiting period deliberately. The fact that Ichirō and Nobuko could still sit upright and maintain their composure was already enough to satisfy him. The only one who disappointed him was Kazama, who was slouched against the tree as if he were about to doze off. Such a lazy attitude, completely lacking a ninja's vigilance—he made a mental note to teach Kazama a lesson later.

---

"You two shouldn't be so tense," Kazama suddenly spoke, breaking the silence. "Keeping your muscles and minds too tight will just drain your energy. At this rate, you'll be exhausted before the exam even starts. Stand up, move around, relax a bit, eat something, drink some water—whatever helps."

Kazama didn't want to outright warn his teammates about their instructor's presence. If they weren't good actors, they might give the game away. Instead, he disguised his warning as a casual suggestion. They would need all their strength for what was coming.

"Really? I didn't even realize I was so tense," Nobuko admitted, embarrassed. She had been waiting so long for this moment that the anticipation, anxiety, and excitement had overwhelmed her.

"Ichirō, let's stretch a little," she called out.

"Okay," Ichirō agreed, standing up. He instinctively grabbed his iron staff, swung it a few times, then rested it on his shoulder, unwilling to part with it.

---

Just as Hayate was about to reveal himself, he noticed their movements and hesitated, thinking he had been detected. But after observing them for a moment, he realized they were simply stretching.

His initial plan was ruined.

And now, watching the three of them casually eating and drinking, he realized his strategy of draining their stamina had also failed. A brief irritation flared up within him—but he quickly suppressed it. Annoyance over a disrupted plan was normal, but as a ninja, unexpected situations were part of the job. There was no point dwelling on it.

Since the psychological tactic had failed, there was no need to wait any longer.

A gust of wind blew past, and as the three of them were eating, a sudden white cloud of smoke erupted behind them.

From the dispersing smoke, Hayate Gekkō appeared.

---

All three genin instantly tensed.

Kazama reacted first, drawing his blade with a smooth motion, holding it in a reverse grip across his chest in a defensive stance.

Ichirō, with a piece of food still in one hand, gripped his iron staff tightly with the other and turned to face Hayate.

Nobuko wasn't slow to respond either—she had already drawn her large kunai, taking a position at Kazama's flank.

"Relax, it's just me," Hayate said, realizing that his dramatic entrance had been entirely wasted. He had intended to surprise them, but their quick reactions had left him feeling awkward instead.

"Sensei, don't sneak up behind me like that. I might reflexively attack you," Kazama warned.

Enemies approaching from the front weren't scary—what was dangerous were the ones that bypassed his defenses and got too close. Kazama had always positioned himself as a long-range fighter, and close encounters were his greatest vulnerability.

Hayate ignored the complaint. Instead, he moved straight to the point.

"Now that we're all here, let's begin the assessment. Your task is simple: work together and try to take me down. Use any means necessary—shuriken, explosive tags, lethal techniques, anything goes. Show me if you're ready to be shinobi."

"Yes!" x3

"Then, the exam begins." With a wave of his hand, Hayate officially started the test, and the atmosphere turned instantly heavy.

---

Ichirō and Nobuko wasted no time. Ichirō charged forward with his iron staff, while Nobuko, standing behind him, threw a handful of shuriken. The sharp projectiles whirled through the air with deadly precision, spinning in an unpredictable arc towards Hayate.

For a moment, Hayate was surprised. He had expected them to scatter, hide, and look for an opening. But instead, the moment he announced the test, they attacked immediately. Their unexpected aggression caught him slightly off guard.

Nobuko's shuriken came first, targeting vital points. Naturally, such an attack was meaningless to a jōnin. With a simple shift of his body, he dodged two of them. The third, he casually caught between his fingers. The last, he flicked aside effortlessly.

Shuriken techniques were useless against him.

But then came Ichirō's iron staff, swinging down with incredible force.

Hayate raised his hand, intending to block it with the shuriken still in his grasp.

That was a mistake.

Even for a genin, Ichirō was physically strong. And with the added momentum of his iron staff, the strike carried significant power.

Clang!

A loud metallic clash rang out.

Hayate's arm jerked backward as the force of the impact sent the shuriken flying from his grip. His other hand immediately reached for a kunai, pressing against the descending staff to control its momentum.

Even so, his fingers trembled slightly from the sheer force.

Nobuko, meanwhile, didn't waste any time. She knew Ichirō's attack wouldn't defeat Hayate, but it created an opening. The moment Ichirō's first swing finished, she lunged in with her large kunai, aiming directly for Hayate's throat—without hesitation.

Yesterday, Kazama had told them that they wouldn't be able to hurt a jōnin anyway. So there was no reason to hold back.

Hayate tilted his head to avoid the thrust, but he was inwardly impressed by Nobuko's timing. The moment Ichirō completed his swing, she had struck at a perfect opening.

When her first stab missed, she immediately transitioned into a horizontal slash, trying to cut across his neck.

Hayate had no choice but to use the kunai in his free hand to block it.

But in doing so, he lost control over Ichirō's iron staff.

Freed from resistance, Ichirō spun his weapon in a wide arc and swung down once more, putting his full strength into a downward smash.

This time, Hayate had to retreat.

He leaped backward, widening the gap between them.

---

The first exchange was over.

The three genin stood ready, weapons raised, breathing steadily.

Hayate rubbed his slightly sore wrist.

"...Not bad," he muttered to himself.

Their teamwork was rough, but functional.

He had underestimated them.

This might be more interesting than he thought.

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You can read advance chapters ahead on patreon.com/fishkiss69, I will upload 1 extra chapter every day there.

THANK YOU

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