The Academy assigned us a teamwork test.
A "friendly" sparring match between squads. No jutsu above D-rank, no permanent injuries, and "try to work together."
Which, translated from Shinobi Bureaucratese, meant:
"Let the kids beat the stuffing out of each other while we drink tea and evaluate who's traumatized."
---
Team 3 was our opponent. Three older students. Taller. Meaner. One of them wore actual armor.
Naruto cracked his knuckles. "Heh. Easy win."
Sasuke: "Tch."
Me? I was wondering how I ended up in Naruto's team.
"Because," Iruka had said, "we want to see how he operates in a team with strong individuals. And you're weirdly strong for a first-year, Michio."
Translation: You're his emotional support dumbbell.
---
"Match… begin!"
Sasuke vanished in a blur. Naruto charged straight ahead, screaming something heroic. I sighed, activated Explosive Sprint, and circled wide.
Two enemy genin intercepted Naruto. They weren't ready for his erratic style. Punches flew. One clone exploded in a puff of smoke.
I dove in from behind, swept the legs of the armored guy, and elbowed him in the gut. He went down like a sack of rice.
> System Alert:
+1 Strength (Temporary Bonus from Training Bond)
New Perk: "Momentum Fighter" – Consecutive attacks boost critical hit chance by 2% per hit.
Was I… becoming a combo-based shonen protagonist?
God help me.
---
The fight lasted five minutes.
Sasuke soloed his guy like a smug action movie extra. Naruto used three shadow clones to dogpile the last one. I mostly supported—stunning, redirecting, calling plays.
We won.
Which, of course, meant we got assigned clean-up duty for "going too hard."
Naruto: "THAT'S NOT FAIR!"
Me: "Welcome to the ninja world. Where effort is punished and sarcasm is a coping mechanism."
---
After class, we grabbed ramen. Well, Naruto did. I brought protein bars. He looked at them like I'd pulled out a live beetle.
"…You choose to eat that?"
"It has 20 grams of protein and only 3 grams of sugar."
"Iruka says you're weird, y'know."
"I am weird. That's why I'm still alive."
Naruto laughed, slurping noodles. "You think too much, Michio."
"You don't think enough."
He grinned. "That's why we make a great team."
Honestly? He wasn't wrong.
---
That night, I trained solo in the woods.
Tree climbing. Wall running. Weighted lunges. Just me, the system, and the soothing sound of squirrels judging me.
Then it happened.
A kunai hit the tree inches from my face.
I spun around—and there he was.
The masked figure. Again.
"I warned you," they said. "Your presence is tilting the balance."
I dropped into a stance. "Then stop throwing knives and explain."
They didn't answer.
Instead, they blurred forward.
I blocked the first strike—barely.
Then I felt it.
Blood. Mine.
A shallow slice across my arm. Not deep. But enough.
They backed off just as fast.
"Next time," they said, "I won't miss."
They vanished again.
> System Alert:
New Data Acquired – Masked Figure
Threat Level: Upgraded to High
Blood Loss Detected. Initiating Minor Healing Process.
I wrapped my arm. Fast. Sloppy.
My hands were shaking.
Not because I was hurt.
Because this wasn't a test anymore.
This was war.