After the graduation ceremony concluded, sixteen jōnin entered the classroom one after another, each leading their assigned students toward their respective meeting points. Among them was Pakura—the same jōnin Shiraishi had crossed paths with before.
"Next, we'll begin team assignments."
As the other students were gradually taken away, only Pakura and three genin remained in the classroom. Pakura closed her eyes as if pondering the meaning of life, calmly resting without paying the three youngsters any attention.
Pakura of the Scorch Release…
Shirogaki Tsukasa glanced up at the heroic-looking female ninja. He hadn't expected her to be their guiding jōnin. Her strength was undeniable, but her conflicts with Sunagakure's upper echelon were well known.
Tsukasa had been absent from the academy for over two years, largely because the Shirogaki clan, aside from being puppeteers, was also one of Sunagakure's major ninja tool–crafting families. With wars raging in recent years and the clan's manpower stretched thin, Tsukasa had spent most of his time training alongside his parents.
Sunagakure's defining traits were its bizarre poisons and its mysterious puppet mechanisms. Developing and crafting these required enormous amounts of calculation and experimentation—knowledge typically passed down within specialized research facilities or clans. By contrast, what the Ninja Academy taught was relatively limited.
Shiraishi's own breadth of knowledge was not inferior. That was largely because he spent much of his free time buried in Sunagakure's library, reading extensively about the history of the shinobi world, changes across nations, and strange anecdotes from various lands.
Considering that Pakura would be his team's jōnin leader, Tsukasa hesitated. Being dragged into political struggles among the village leadership was not something he desired. For a moment, the black-haired youth felt reluctant to join this team at all.
But he knew such thoughts were meaningless. Refusing the assignment would directly offend a powerful jōnin and bring unnecessary trouble to his family. With that realization, Tsukasa steadied himself and quietly waited for Pakura to speak.
Shiraishi observed Tsukasa's reaction clearly. His teammate was weighing gains and losses. Shiraishi had also heard of Pakura's poor relationship with Sunagakure's leadership, but she was still one of the village's strongest elites. Having such a seasoned jōnin lead them actually guaranteed a measure of safety—especially in the early stages.
Their squad was designated Team Nineteen, a replacement for the previous Team Nineteen that had been wiped out along the border not long ago. From that fact alone, Shiraishi fully understood how vital a powerful jōnin was.
While Tsukasa and Shiraishi calculated matters in their own ways, Maki simply stared at Pakura with starry eyes. Compared to other strong figures in the village, she idolized this formidable female ninja even more. Learning that Pakura would be her instructor made her look almost blissfully happy.
After resting with her eyes closed for over ten minutes, Pakura finally opened them and looked at the three youngsters.
"Good. From now on, I am your guiding jōnin. This is Team Nineteen. My name is Pakura. Now, give me a brief self-introduction."
"Shirogaki Tsukasa," he said. "I specialize in puppets and mechanisms. Aka Hiremaru is my weapon."
As he spoke, Tsukasa patted the wrapped mechanism on his back. Though its exact form was hidden, it was clearly a high-quality puppet crafted by the Shirogaki clan.
Next was Maki. She smiled cutely at Pakura.
"My name is Maki. I have decent talent in genjutsu perception, and I'm fairly confident in my chakra control."
That response made Pakura's eyes light up slightly. A genin with strong sensory abilities could play a crucial role within a team. As for the final brat…
"Shiraishi," he said calmly. "I focus mainly on taijutsu. The only ninjutsu I've mastered so far is Beast Wave Palm. This silver blade is my weapon."
The snow-white long blade rested firmly in Shiraishi's grip. It was a gift from Yashamaru in the past—purchased with months of earned pay—and it never left his side.
Sunagakure had very few true masters of swordsmanship. Those qualified to guide Shiraishi were among the highest-ranking figures in the village. As a result, his close-combat blade techniques had been self-developed, emphasizing speed and swift killing strikes.
As a ninja tool, the silver blade could channel chakra, but Shiraishi was still unable to maintain a stable infusion of Wind Release along the blade. For now, it only erupted in power at the instant of a decisive strike.
A close-combat fighter like Shiraishi, a long-range puppeteer like Tsukasa, and a sensory-type ninja like Maki—the division of roles within the team was immediately clear. Pakura nodded in approval, though she still needed to evaluate their actual combat capabilities.
"Five minutes from now, assemble at the northern training field. I'll conduct a practical assessment."
With that, Pakura vanished from sight.
Only five minutes remained. The three genin exchanged glances before Shiraishi spoke.
"We don't need five minutes. Let's head there now and set traps."
Tsukasa grinned as he manipulated several chakra threads. "That was my thought as well. Looks like we'll work well together."
Sunagakure's northern training field was vast and harsh, but the three genin moved with rhythm and coordination, forming up naturally.
During their introductions, each had already understood their role. Compared to ordinary rookies, their organization came effortlessly. Maki activated her sensory-based telekinetic genjutsu, scanning the surroundings.
"Sensei Pakura is coming!"
"Oh? You arrived earlier than I did."
Pakura appeared openly, making no effort to conceal herself. The moment she stepped onto the field, the ground beneath her suddenly sank.
Loose soil collapsed inward as several hidden weapons shot out. Pakura arched backward instantly. At the same time, Shiraishi flicked his wrist—three explosive tags flashed into view.
Pakura vanished with a substitution technique.
Unexpectedly, the explosive tags did not detonate. They were merely a diversion.
This really is…
Explosive tags were expensive. Shiraishi had no intention of wasting them on a probing attack. The real explosives were planted elsewhere, lying in wait.
The failure of the first assault didn't surprise any of them. If Pakura could be subdued that easily, she wouldn't be qualified to lead them.
Suddenly, a massive fireball crashed down from above, transforming into searing heat. Tsukasa reacted instantly—the bundle on his back unfurled as a crimson flounder-like puppet darted forward, firing a volley of poisoned needles with eerie agility.
Though not large, the red flounder puppet was nimble and sinister. Its needle trajectories were especially vicious, targeting Pakura's blind spots.
Throughout it all, Maki's role as a sensory ninja proved vital.
But with a sharp bang, Pakura transformed once more—her substitution technique fused seamlessly with her Scorch Release. The resulting fireball erupted with violent heat, blasting all three genin backward!
Calmly removing his glasses, Shiraishi slowly drew his silver blade. His body sank low, assuming a battō stance.
He waited—for the moment of the killing strike.