The Happiness of Deidara in Naruto

Chapter 22: The Eye of Detection

As for how that person eventually got out, Deidara didn't know and wasn't interested in finding out. Now, he stood in a large classroom, which felt more like a small auditorium.

Inside, more than a hundred people were gathered—these were all individuals who had passed the written exam and were now preparing for the combat test.

Ninja combat tests were divided by categories: taijutsu ninjas and ninjutsu ninjas were considered combat-type ninjas, whereas sensory ninjas and medical ninjas were classified as support-type ninjas.

Support ninjas, such as medical and sensory types, were not required to meet the same combat power standards as combat ninjas to qualify as official ninjas, so their combat tests differed accordingly.

Taijutsu and ninjutsu users faced the daunting task of combating real genin. However, the only skills ordinary students could learn in ninja school were basic techniques like Body Flicker Technique and the use of shuriken and kunai, limiting their ninjutsu options.

This highlighted the benefits of having a good background. If Deidara didn't have the support of Tsuchikage Ōnoki and a wide array of ninjutsu, he would have only been able to practice a few techniques inherited from his father, leaving him much weaker than he was now.

Even with physical techniques and his unique abilities, Deidara would only be slightly stronger than a genin, not to mention he would struggle against many talented individuals with family-inherited jutsu.

Thus, the majority aimed to withstand attacks from actual genin for ten minutes, while those with sensory abilities and medical potential were required to evade capture during pursuit—a test that also required them to last ten minutes.

However, Deidara and his friends set their sights on defeating a genin and accomplishing this feat in a time frame that ordinary students could not.

As the test began, individuals entered the arena, as did the genin. Many of the lower-ranked ninjas were tasked with this mission as part of the ninja school combat test.

This task was highly sought after; it not only allowed genin to showcase their skills at their alma mater but also carried minimal risk. Even if one lost, it was still considered completing a mission, and the compensation wasn't too shabby.

Such easy tasks were snapped up quickly. Although it occurred only once a year, it was seen as a benefit for the lower-ranked ninjas!

The skill levels of the genin varied greatly; some were only marginally stronger than recent graduates, while others were strong enough that Deidara found himself feeling challenged.

Students could choose their opponents, but this was almost indistinguishable from a random assignment. They didn't have detailed intel on the genin, so it was merely a matter of luck.

Choosing an opponent weaker than oneself would make for an impressive performance; picking one of equal strength should be manageable for ten minutes; facing someone slightly stronger would be a bit challenging; but encountering someone significantly out of their league would spell trouble.

Deidara's calm gaze revealed his fighting spirit; he had no rivals left in the ninja school, making the genin excellent opponents.

Kurotsuchi, standing nearby, noticed Deidara's intentions and wanted to advise him against taking on too much risk but chose not to speak up. She knew both his strength and his indifference; once his fighting spirit was roused, a battle was inevitable.

While she worried about Deidara and hoped he would pass the test smoothly, she also realized that even the strongest genin present wouldn't surpass Deidara by much. So, she felt reassured and focused on selecting her opponent.

She wasn't looking for anyone truly strong but neither did she want someone weak. She aimed for someone whose abilities matched her own, ensuring a worthwhile battle.

It seemed her friends were on the same wavelength.

Deidara was also in the process of finding his opponent. He scanned the crowd, noting several powerful figures, but he couldn't immediately identify who was the strongest.

Yet this didn't pose a challenge for Deidara. Over the past few days, he had developed a new application for his second chakra. He extended his right hand, his two fingers raised before his eyes, activating the "Eye of Detection!"

The genin appeared to emit light. Most radiated red light, though to varying degrees, while two especially stood out in the crowd.

With this ninjutsu he developed, Deidara could judge an individual's strength based on the color of light they emitted: white for an ordinary person, red for a genin, yellow for a chunin, and blue for a jōnin. Anything beyond that was currently beyond his perception.

For instance, when he looked at Ōnoki and Loess, the light around them was distorted, making it impossible to discern the color. He could only identify jōnin for now; perhaps as his strength and second chakra grew, he would be able to see more.

Among the group of genin, one particularly caught Deidara's eye; he emitted a bright red light tinged with yellow—a clear indication he was on the cusp of chunin rank. With the right opportunity, he could break through. The other was emitting pure yellow light.

After checking the roster, Deidara noticed the two were named Yamamoto Mirai and Chou Ichiya.

Although he's lacking intelligence about them, Deidara opted to challenge the one radiating yellow light—Chou Ichiya. He passed a note to Dōjō, who was still selecting his opponent, which read the name Yamamoto Mirai.

Deidara also helped Kurotsuchi choose her opponent, then braced himself for battle. Through the lens of his technique, he could see that he also emitted red light tinged with yellow, but it was more intense than Yamamoto Mirai's.

As for whether he should worry that those two would be easily chosen by others, Deidara felt confident. Their presence was unmistakable, causing weaker opponents to steer clear of them.

Though he couldn't guarantee victory, Deidara found excitement in the unpredictability of battle. He preferred interesting encounters.

Sure enough, one by one, opponents were selected, but the strongest individuals remained untouched until Chitatsu and the others began to choose.

Kurotsuchi picked a female ninja known for her water ninjutsu. However, Kurotsuchi, proficient in earth and water ninjutsu as well as lava release, triumphed over her opponent with her superior skill set.

"Yamamoto Mirai, I'm Dōjō. Let's have a match!" Dōjō declared with determination. Although he viewed Deidara as the strongest rival, he still felt confident in his abilities.

Yamamoto Mirai opened his eyes and replied with an expression devoid of emotion, "Sure."

This Yamamoto Mirai specialized in swordsmanship, while Dōjō was a taijutsu user; it remained unclear which was stronger, since Deidara's technique still indicated that Dōjō also possessed a red light tinged with yellow.