"Ehhh—?!"
A unified cry echoed across the training field as all the students reacted in shock.
"Alright, alright!" The instructor raised both hands to calm the group. "We're going with a different rule today: each of you gets to pick your own opponent. We've got 25 matches to get through, so let's move fast."
Pick your own opponent? Not teacher-assigned?
This might be interesting.
Chiba munched thoughtfully on the last half of his oversized steamed bun while casually glancing around the crowd.
Uchiha Hirohiko?
His eyes locked on the top student. If he wanted to stand out, he had to go straight for the number one.
"Alright then! I choose Hirohiko!"
Before Chiba could speak, a boy stepped forward and pointed confidently toward the crowd—right at Uchiha Hirohiko.
"Oi, Ono! Are you nuts? You're bottom of the class!"
A burst of laughter erupted from the students.
The boy, Ono, sneered inwardly. Idiots. If I lose to Hirohiko, at least I won't get scolded by my parents. No one gets blamed for losing to the top student, right? Even Mom and Dad can't argue with that!
"Fine," the teacher accepted the match.
Chiba watched Ono step forward… then saw Hirohiko slowly stride out to meet him.
Too slow, huh?
Well, no big deal. He could at least watch Hirohiko fight and get a sense of his strength.
After performing the seal of confrontation, the match began.
And Chiba's pupils contracted slightly.
It was over in an instant.
A flash of movement, and Uchiha Hirohiko had pinned Ono to the ground, kunai glinting as it pressed against his neck.
Ono trembled, sweat pouring down his pale face.
Who wouldn't panic with a blade that close to their throat?
"Uchiha Hirohiko, victory!" the instructor declared.
Expressionless, Hirohiko withdrew his kunai and stood. Ono, shaking, struggled to his feet. They exchanged the seal of reconciliation and returned to the crowd.
Ono looked like a ghost. His body was still trembling, and his sweat hadn't stopped. His face was white as a sheet.
That killing intent…
Has Uchiha Hirohiko already taken lives?
Chiba stopped eating. His brows furrowed slightly.
And that speed—incredible. He'd defeated his opponent in one move.
So this is a prodigy…
Chiba had been quietly confident. After all, with access to Eight Gates Mode, even with just the first three gates, he thought he could crush his peers easily.
But now… Hirohiko was clearly not someone to underestimate.
"Next!" the teacher called.
"I…" a voice rang out—clear and melodious, like a yellow warbler.
Hyuga Yukina stepped out from the crowd.
The teacher nodded. "Choose your opponent."
"Already?" one of the boys whispered excitedly. "Is it time for the big match between Hirohiko and Yukina?"
"It's gotta be him," another said. "Who else could challenge her besides Hirohiko?"
"Yeah, she hates fighting weaklings. It's always him."
"Hey, who do you think will win this time?"
"Well, the current record is three wins for Hirohiko, one for Yukina. It's obvious."
"But she's strong too!"
"Of course! She's a beast—no one but Hirohiko can match her!"
Meanwhile, on the girls' side—
"Ugh, Yukina and Hirohiko again…" a girl sighed, jealousy dripping from her voice.
"Do you think they're dating? I see them walking home together all the time!"
"Don't be ridiculous," another girl objected. "Their clans just live in the same direction."
"But they look so good together… Hirohiko's handsome, Yukina's beautiful, and both are crazy strong…"
The rest of the girls glanced toward Yukina—and wilted instantly.
They looked toward Hirohiko.
Kyaa! So dreamy!
Cue the starry-eyed sighs.
Yukina's gaze swept across the crowd. When her eyes landed on Hirohiko, everyone nodded knowingly.
Here it comes.
Uchiha Hirohiko frowned slightly. He knew how strong Yukina was. Not someone to take lightly. He braced himself to fight with full focus.
Then—Yukina spoke.
"Takikawa Chiba."
The name dropped like a thunderclap.
"WHAT?!"
Every student did a double take.
Yukina chose Takikawa Chiba?!
That traitor's son? That bottom-tier student? Could he be secretly strong?
"No way, no way!" Ono exclaimed, waving his hands. "Chiba's just another bottom-feeder like me! Yukina must've lost it!"
As someone ranked dead last, Ono was very aware of who hovered around him. Chiba was 47th out of 50.
Same tier, no threat.
The girls groaned in disappointment.
No dreamy Hirohiko fight? No dashing kunai throws? No cool silent stances?
What a shame.
Even Hirohiko turned, surprised, to see Chiba mid-bite, bun halfway to his mouth.
Yukina chose him?
Hirohiko was baffled.
Not because he was arrogant, but because he'd studied every student in their year. He knew Chiba's record. His performance was abysmal in everything—ninjutsu, taijutsu, shurikenjutsu.
More accurately: subpar.
Against Yukina? She'd crush him.
How could she possibly pick him?
Even Chiba himself was stunned. He paused mid-bite.
He hadn't seen this coming.
"Takikawa Chiba, step forward," the teacher called, still a little surprised himself.
He knew Yukina well. She was serious, focused, and an undeniable genius—maybe just slightly below Hirohiko, but still a top-tier seed.
As for Chiba…
His background aside, the kid was unimpressive. He'd been ranked so low the only reason he wasn't dead last was because his taijutsu was slightly better than a few others. Otherwise, he'd be bottom of the class.
In fact, in both shurikenjutsu and ninjutsu, he was even worse than Ono.
Maybe Yukina was just trying to one-up Hirohiko.
He one-shotted Ono?
She'd one-shot Chiba.
So that's it, the teacher realized. His surprise faded into understanding.
Chiba now stood across from Yukina, and the two performed the seal of confrontation.
Poor kid.
The teacher sighed inwardly.
A sacrificial lamb for geniuses to flex on.
"Begin!"