Chapter 48

The inspection of the training ground generally satisfied us. Heh, we weren't experienced enough to prepare anything that could surpass Kurenai. And she was watching us—at least, I could trust my chakra sense for that. Hmm, considering the focus of Kakashi's test, I could assume that all jōnin sensei had to develop and push their students toward teamwork in some way.

Heh, it's good to be smart when you know the canon. So far, the situation is progressing as expected, and I can leave it on autopilot. If needed, I'll adjust things later. Since we weren't explicitly told about teamwork and such, we either have to figure it out ourselves, or I was wrong in my assumptions. If it's the first, then Sasuke and Kiba should learn the lesson on their own, without hints from a slacker. If it's the second, then no one needs to know anything.

For now, I dutifully worked on team coordination with my teammates. No, two hours weren't enough to achieve much, but at least we wouldn't be tripping over each other.

Afterward, we said our goodbyes and went home. After all, we needed some rest and to share our experiences with our families. My teammates probably thought the same, and I wasn't much different.

"So, who are you going to be in a team with for a long time?" Hana greeted me cheerfully with this question when I returned home.

"Uchiha Sasuke and your brother. In my opinion, it's a pretty good team—track the target, chase them down, and engage in battle. But Shino got the short end of the stick. Right now, without much skill, their team is basically pure support—two sensors and a future medic."

Yeah, the fact that Sakura would become a medical-nin was undeniable. When she found out I was attending medical courses, she assessed her own abilities realistically and decided to improve her knowledge as well. Unlike me, she couldn't even qualify for D-rank yet, but at least she wouldn't be stuck there. Her chakra wasn't toxic, and she had good control, whereas I was only considered a medic-nin thanks to acupuncture.

"And your captain?" This time, it was the second person present at home—Yūgao—who showed interest.

I had no idea where Hitomi was wandering. Hopefully, she got a promotion for her successful propaganda. (Well, I did mention Danzo in the context of an old grandpa with ambitious goals, didn't I?) Then again, it was only midday, so she'd show up sooner or later.

"Some Yūhi Kurenai, a genjutsu master." I shrugged. Honestly, I didn't know much about her beyond that.

"If you're with her..." Hana started, but upon seeing my innocent eyes and equally innocent expression, she trailed off.

"What about it?" I asked with genuine curiosity. Yeah, I had no intention of pursuing a relationship with her—it would mean taking her away from Asuma, and I wasn't about to do that. But I also understood that our relationship would likely reach at least one heart level. Still, completing the first heart almost always required an event triggered by the girl herself. So all I had to do was avoid such a scenario, and even the first heart wouldn't be finalized.

Although, somewhere in the back of my mind, there was a thought that maybe nothing had started between her and Asuma yet. After all, I had already made significant changes to the canon, and the damn "butterfly effect" could manifest at any moment. If that was the case, I'd have to play matchmaker, since those two made a pretty harmonious couple.

"It's nothing. Never mind." Hana sighed.

Lunch followed, and by the end of it, a clearly displeased Hitomi arrived. No, nothing showed on her nearly always indifferent face, but after living together for years, I had long since learned to sense the moods of all three of them—except in rare cases.

So I heroically surrendered and sat down next to Hitomi. Within a minute, I was being mercilessly hugged, but at least her mood improved. Meanwhile, the other two girls looked slightly displeased. They hadn't noticed her mood change or the reasoning behind my actions. Either they weren't as perceptive, or I was just unusually attuned to such things.

After that, I left for training. I still needed to refine my control over the Protective Bubble technique to make it more resilient, and finally, I had to mold myself into an atronach! By the time we met Zabuza, I had to be an impervious-to-blades parasite! And run like hell from Haku!

The first part was going well—once my control surpassed the crucial 201 mark, the technique became noticeably easier to refine, as confirmed by the System, which steadily reduced its chakra cost and increased its durability.

But the second part wasn't working at all. Even the partial form kept slipping away from my attempts to understand and accept it.

So I returned home in the evening, exhausted and feeling mixed emotions. The training was productive, but I was still frustrated that I couldn't make any progress with the Hydration Technique!

After a quick dinner—thankfully, someone had thoughtfully left food for me—I noticed Hitomi briefly passing by in the hallway. Yeah, she wouldn't relax or sleep until she made sure I was home.

Then I went to my room. I moved my chair slightly away from my desk to create the impression that someone might have sat there and settled onto the windowsill. Someday, I'd probably end up sleeping there, hiding from overly persistent attention.

Closing my eyes, I gradually entered a meditative state. Then I dispelled my clones and fell asleep. Luckily, I had learned to sleep in any position back in the Academy during lectures. Yeah, probably not the most useful skill to pick up there.

Morning greeted me with the pleasant surprise of no one being in my room. Maybe I was overreacting? But the slight disturbance in the room's harmony and the lingering trace of chakra clearly indicated that someone had been here... Tsume?

Damn, I just needed to last until the Chūnin Exams and pass them!