Chapter 29: Leader

Kurenai Yuhi led Team 8 out of the school building, bypassing the training field and heading to a practice area in the wilderness.

Such grounds were common around Konoha.

Stopping at a tree stump, Kurenai turned to Izayoi, Hinata, and Shino, smiling. "Until one of you becomes a Chunin squad leader, I'll be guiding you on missions for a long time."

"So, let's start with introductions to get to know each other."

"I'll go first."

Kurenai put a hand on her hip, grinning. "I'm Kurenai Yuhi—Yuhi's my surname, so you can call me Kurenai-sensei. My specialty is Genjutsu, all kinds. I like lots of things—food-wise, mustard octopus, shochu, and vodka. My dream? To be a kunoichi like Lady Tsunade."

"Your turn."

Her gaze swept over the three, settling on Izayoi.

Izayoi spoke steadily, "I'm Izayoi, no surname. My specialty is Ninjutsu, mainly Fire and Wind Release, with a bit of Medical Ninjutsu and sensory skills. I love training and fighting. I dislike plenty, and my dream is to be an outstanding ninja."

Kurenai nodded, forming an initial read on his skills and personality.

She turned to Hinata beside him.

"I'm Hyuga Hinata," Hinata said softly. "My specialties are sensory skills and my clan's Gentle Fist. I enjoy training with Izayoi-kun and my sister, and I like red bean paste and cinnamon rolls. I dislike shrimp and crab. My dream is also to be an outstanding ninja."

After Hinata's introduction, Kurenai glanced between her and Izayoi, her eyes lingering until Hinata's cheeks flushed, and she looked down. Kurenai smirked knowingly, nodding, "I see."

Finally, her gaze fell on Aburame Shino, bundled up tightly—hood covering his hair, headband across his forehead, sunglasses hiding his eyes, collar up to his chin, only a sliver of skin visible.

Shino said flatly, "I'm Aburame Shino. My specialties are sensory skills and clan secret techniques. I like searching for insects in forests. Favorite foods are vegetable salads and winter melon. I dislike strong-smelling things. My dream is to find new insect species."

"Great, now you all know each other a bit."

Kurenai smiled, satisfied. "But before missions, I need to test your abilities. Tomorrow at nine a.m., same place, we'll have a survival exercise."

"By the way, it's a capture-the-flag game. Your opponent… is me."

She pointed at herself, then waved, chuckling, "See you tomorrow. Don't be late."

Before they could react or ask questions, Kurenai vanished in a blur.

Izayoi, Hinata, and Shino exchanged looks.

"Izayoi, what do you think?" Shino asked, testing him.

Though often outranked by Izayoi and Hinata, Shino only trailed in academics. He didn't believe he lagged in other areas.

Sixth-grade no-rules spars, held monthly, never pitted him against them.

Other classmates weren't worth his clan techniques.

So, no one knew Shino hid his true strength.

He'd caught Kurenai's hints.

If Izayoi hadn't, it meant his mind wasn't as sharp.

Given Hinata's bond with Izayoi, Shino would yield the leader role.

But if Izayoi's plan was off, he wouldn't hesitate to call him out.

Izayoi, unaware of Shino's thoughts, analyzed calmly, "No need to wait for tomorrow—the outcome's clear now. Fresh Genin like us can't beat a Jonin."

"Even if it's just capture-the-flag, if the Jonin doesn't allow it, we won't succeed. You've noticed, right? In school drills, Chunin teachers went easy. As long as we didn't flop completely, we passed."

"So tomorrow, if we impress Kurenai-sensei, she'll go easy too."

"But… how do we impress her?"

Leaning against the stump Kurenai had stood by, Izayoi continued, "She said she's testing our abilities, not strength. Ninja battles are about intel. Her introduction gave us her info: she excels in all Genjutsu."

"It's morning—we could start now, but she gave us a day to prepare and specified the theme and location. That's clearly time to plan tactics and set traps."

"If our strategy and teamwork pass muster, she'll likely let us win, allowing us to grab the objective."

Hinata's eyes sparkled, her admiration for Izayoi plain.

Shino, hands in pockets, face unreadable under his layers, stayed impassive.

But inwardly, he fully endorsed Izayoi, feeling outmatched.

He'd noticed Kurenai's hints but hadn't dissected them as thoroughly.

No wonder he's top student.

Shino suspected that, besides Hinata, who trained with him, no one had seen Izayoi's full strength.

So, he asked, "What's your strategy?"

No longer probing, Shino now accepted Izayoi as leader, ready to follow.

"To plan, we need to know each other better."

Izayoi beckoned to Hinata and Shino. "Come here, spill your best moves and their effects."

They stepped closer.

The three formed a circle, whispering.

Nearby, Kurenai perched on a treetop, watching with a pleased smile, growing fonder of her students.

Her hints were deliberate, testing their observation.

She hadn't expected them to be this sharp.

Barely gone, they'd already deduced the exercise and prep time were about ability and teamwork.

"Impressive," Kurenai mused, recalling a pre-assignment bet. Neither Hatake Kakashi nor Asuma Sarutobi, always buttering her up, took her seriously. "They've got a shot at winning. I'll make them pay for underestimating me."

Her form shimmered like a mirage, then vanished.

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