"Naruto Talent Entry: Awakened Legacy – Born of the Ōtsutsuki Bloodlin

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Kurenai Yuhi led Team 8 out of the teaching building—not towards the training grounds, but instead out of the academy entirely. Their destination was a secluded practice field in the wilderness. Such fields were scattered throughout Konoha, set aside for ninja to hone their skills.

Standing before a tree stump, Kurenai Yuhi turned to face her students. Smiling warmly, she said, "Until one of you is promoted to Chunin Squad Leader, I'll be leading you on missions. So let's start by introducing ourselves—get to know each other a bit."

She stepped forward, placing one hand on her hip, and said with confidence, "I'll go first as an example. My name is Kurenai Yuhi. You can call me 'Red Sensei.' My specialty is Genjutsu—various types of it, to be exact. As for my likes, I enjoy wasabi octopus, and when it comes to drinks, I'm fond of shochu and vodka. My dream is to become a kunoichi as renowned as Tsunade-sama."

She then glanced toward her students, her eyes landing on Izanami. "Your turn."

Izanami stepped forward calmly and spoke in a measured tone. "My name is Izanami. I don't have a surname. My specialty is Ninjutsu. I'm fairly skilled in Fire Release and Wind Release. I also have some basic knowledge of Medical Ninjutsu and Sensing Techniques. I enjoy training and sparring. There are many things I dislike. As for my dream, I want to become an excellent ninja."

Kurenai nodded, mentally noting Izanami's strengths and personality.

Next, she turned to Hinata, who stood quietly beside Izanami.

"My name is Hyuga Hinata," Hinata began softly. "I specialize in Sensing and the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist technique. I enjoy training with Juuyabiru and my sister. I like red bean soup and cinnamon rolls. I dislike shrimp and crab. My dream is also to become an excellent ninja."

As Hinata finished, Kurenai's gaze flicked between her and Izanami. Noticing Hinata's blushing cheeks and her shyly lowered head, Kurenai gave a knowing smile. "I see," she said playfully.

Finally, Kurenai looked toward Shino Aburame. Clad in a high-collared coat, sunglasses, and a hood, only a small patch of skin on his face was visible.

"My name is Shino Aburame," he stated plainly. "I specialize in Sensing and my clan's secret insect techniques. I like exploring the forest to find insects. My favorite foods are vegetable salad and winter melon. I dislike strong smells. My dream is to discover new insect species."

"Very good," Kurenai said with satisfaction. "Now you all have a basic understanding of one another."

Her tone became slightly more serious. "However, before we begin taking missions together, I need to assess your abilities. Tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, we'll meet back here for a survival exercise."

She smiled mischievously. "The theme of the exercise is a capture battle. And your opponent… is me."

She pointed to herself, then waved and said, "See you tomorrow. Don't be late."

Before any of them could react or ask questions, she vanished in a puff of smoke.

The three Genin stood quietly for a moment.

"Izanami, what do you think?" Shino asked, subtly probing for a reaction and leadership.

Despite having been overshadowed by Izanami and Hinata throughout their academy years, Shino never believed himself to be truly inferior—at least, not in areas beyond academics. The academy's sixth-grade duels, held monthly, hadn't matched him against either of them. As a result, Shino had kept his clan's techniques hidden. He was waiting for the right time to demonstrate his real strength.

Kurenai's departure hadn't been casual—she had clearly left them clues. If Izanami failed to pick up on them, it would mean he wasn't as sharp as people thought. Though, due to Hinata's obvious closeness to Izanami, Shino was still willing to yield leadership—if Izanami made the right calls.

Unaware of Shino's internal debate, Izanami responded calmly.

"There's no need to wait until tomorrow. We already know the outcome," he said. "We're just Genin who've recently graduated. We're no match for a Jonin."

"Even though tomorrow's test is a capture battle, if a Jonin doesn't want to be captured, we won't stand a chance. Remember the school's survival exercises? The Chunin instructors always held back. Unless someone did really poorly, they were never eliminated."

"So tomorrow," he continued, "as long as we meet Red Sensei's expectations, she'll hold back and allow us to succeed."

Shino narrowed his eyes behind his glasses. "Then how do we meet those expectations?"

Leaning against the tree stump Kurenai had just used, Izanami explained, "She said the test is about assessing our abilities, not our raw strength. Ninja battles are battles of information."

"In her self-introduction, she mentioned her specialty: Genjutsu. It's still morning, yet she gave us an entire day to prepare and even revealed the theme and location. That's not coincidence—it's intentional. She wants to see if we can plan accordingly."

"As long as our tactics and teamwork are well-executed, she'll likely hold back and let us succeed."

Hinata's eyes sparkled with admiration. Her expression showed that she was impressed by Izanami's reasoning.

Shino, though unreadable behind his usual attire, had internally conceded. He had also picked up on Kurenai's hints, but not as thoroughly as Izanami. He realized now that he had underestimated Izanami's insight.

He really is the top student... Shino thought. If Hinata has trained with him, she's likely the only one who's seen his true strength.

Out loud, he asked once more, this time genuinely acknowledging Izanami's role. "Then what's the plan?"

Izanami smiled slightly. "Before we make a plan, we need a better understanding of each other. Come over here. Let's talk about our trump cards—your most skilled techniques and their effects."

Hinata and Shino stepped closer, forming a small circle with him. They began speaking in hushed tones, sharing strategies and discussing combinations.

From high in the trees nearby, Kurenai Yuhi watched the trio. A soft, satisfied smile graced her face.

They're quick to adapt, she thought. I barely left, and they're already strategizing. They understood immediately that the test is about observation and teamwork.

She had purposely left subtle hints to see how long it would take them to notice. Their immediate reaction exceeded her expectations.

"These three are really excellent," she murmured. "With teamwork like this… there's even a chance they could win."

Her expression darkened slightly as she recalled the discussion before squad assignments. Neither Kakashi nor Asuma had taken her seriously. They had made bets and jokes, underestimating her completely.

"I'll make you regret underestimating me," she whispered.

Then, like a fading mirage, Kurenai disappeared into the forest.

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