Naruto: Becoming a master taijutsu using martial arts.

While I sat there wondering if I'd have better luck getting reincarnated somewhere that didn't involve dealing with these clowns, Bekkou-sensei clapped his hands to snap us out of our misery.

"Groups are set! You have ten minutes to organize yourselves, come up with a plan, and grab your flags. Let's move!"

With a defeated sigh, we shuffled to the table holding the flags. Each group had a neon-colored flag; ours was purple. Great, just the right mix of royalty and doom. I picked it up as the rest of the group approached.

First on the scene was Tokuma, strutting like he was the star of his own action movie. His face? All smug confidence. His vibe? Annoyingly superior. The guy didn't waste a second before barking orders.

"Listen up, because I'm only saying this once. I'll carry the flag—obviously—because I'm the only one here with the skill to keep it safe. My Byakugan can predict every attack, which means I'm clearly the most qualified. You guys? You'll stick around me as backup and do what I say. Got it?"

I stared at him, genuinely wondering if I'd accidentally scrambled his brain during our last sparring session. Did he seriously think I'd let Captain Ego carry the flag?

"Lead the group? Are you for real?!" Jimei burst out, already at 100 on the volume scale. "What makes you think you're hot stuff just because you've got freaky super vision? Newsflash, genius: this isn't a staring contest!"

Tokuma didn't even flinch. 

"It's because I actually know what I'm doing. Unlike some people." He turned to Jimei with a look so icy it could've frozen a lava pit.

Meanwhile, Hiyomi was sitting on a nearby rock, looking half-asleep with her chin resting on her palm. Honestly, I couldn't tell if she was zoning out or meditating. She muttered something so quiet I barely caught it.

"If you guys are gonna argue… could you at least keep it down? So noisy…" She let out a long yawn, fully committing to the vibe of someone who'd rather be anywhere else.

"It's his fault, Hiyomi-chan! He's unbearable!" Jimei yelled, pointing at Tokuma like the guy had stolen his dessert.

"Actually, you're both unbearable." I muttered, pinching the bridge of my nose.

Now, don't get me wrong, watching Dumb and Dumber go at it had some entertainment value, but we had ten minutes to figure this out, and I wasn't about to let their stupidity ruin my shot at the jutsu scroll.

"Enough!" I said, waving the flag like I was a damn soccer referee. "This isn't a contest to see who's the biggest egomaniac. We've got two days to act like a team—and I want those coupons just as much as the scroll. So, how about we focus, huh?"

That seemed to shut everyone up—momentarily, anyway. Then, Natori, the human embodiment of calm and cool, let out a small chuckle.

"Well, someone's got their head on straight. Alright, leader. What's the plan?"

I looked at the five faces around me, each screaming their own flavor of chaos. No one else seemed remotely interested in leading, which meant it was all on me. Fine. At least this way, I'd have some control over the chaos.

"First, we need to figure out the layout of the field—what's out there, where we can hide, and the best spots for a base. Tokuma, you're up. Use your Byakugan and get us the intel."

Tokuma looked like he'd swallowed a lemon but nodded.

"Great. Natori, you're on camp defense. We need someone to secure the base while we're out capturing flags." Natori gave me a silent nod, like some stoic warrior who'd seen it all.

"Hiyomi, you're good with traps, right?"

"Eh? I guess…" she mumbled, her voice slower than a sloth on a lazy day.

"Hiyomi-chan is amazing! She's a trap master and super cute!" Jimei practically shouted, his face going redder than a ripe tomato.

I blinked at him. Wait. Was Jimei crushing on the girl who was two seconds away from falling asleep standing up? Oh, this was gold. I filed that tidbit away for future blackmail use.

"Right… Anyway, Hiyomi, once the camp's set up, I'll need you to rig it with traps. We don't want anyone sneaking in." I glanced at Jimei. "You and I will keep the flag safe for now."

"And Tokuma…" I said, turning back to the Hyuuga. "After the camp's ready, you're coming with me and Jimei to scout and grab other teams' flags. Wanna be the leader? Cool. Show us you're useful instead of just bossy."

Tokuma's scowl deepened, but he nodded grudgingly.

"Alright. We're stuck together for two days. Work together, don't kill each other, and then go back to hating each other all you want. Deal?"

Hiyomi yawned again, Tokuma rolled his eyes, and Natori stayed his usual quiet self. But hey, no one complained. I'd call that a win.

As we grabbed our gear and set out, I felt the full weight of my self-inflicted leadership. Was I ready for this? Not really. But I'll try my best.

"Ken-kun." Jimei whispered, walking beside me, "do you actually think this'll work?"

"No idea." I admitted. "But it's gonna work because I'm making it work."

We marched toward the training field like a mismatched band of misfits. The tension between Jimei and Tokuma was palpable, Natori was as silent and serious as ever, and Hiyomi looked like she'd give anything to be napping instead of walking.

Two days. Just two days of not killing each other. How hard could it be? Right?