First Place

"Uchiha Feiyu, it's finally our turn to fight! This time, I'll definitely beat you! Kurenai, just watch me avenge you!"

After casting Genjutsu after Genjutsu without affecting Uchiha Feiyu in the slightest, even after exhausting all her Chakra, Kurenai was now sitting below to rest. Hearing Asuma's words, she could only roll her eyes helplessly.

"Boys really are so childish..."

"Exactly, exactly! Asuma is so childish, don't you think so, Rin!"

Uchiha Obito picked up where Kurenai had left off. Standing beside Nohara Rin with a beaming smile, he looked like he would have wagged his tail if he had one, prompting an awkward yet polite smile from Rin.

These children were not even ten years old yet. They could hardly speak of love, but their ordinary crushes were all the more direct and pure, like peacocks spreading their tails or flowers vying for attention.

Standing opposite Asuma, Uchiha Feiyu merely rolled his eyes as he watched him dig his own grave. The more certain Asuma sounded now, the higher he built himself up, and the more humiliating it would be when he lost.

Once the Ninja Academy teacher beside them saw that Asuma had finished speaking, he directly addressed the two of them.

"Form the Seal of Confrontation! Begin!"

The two formed the Seal of Confrontation, and without another word, Asuma drew two bladed knuckle weapons from his ninja tool pouch and lunged forward.

These two knuckle blades were not the chakra-metal Flying Swallows from Shippuden, nor could they conduct Chakra. However, knuckle blades were inherently peculiar, flexible, and vicious weapons. In the hands of someone skilled with them, they were extremely difficult to deal with.

But Uchiha Feiyu was no longer the same as before. Without even activating his Sharingan, he merely swayed slightly and dodged every one of Asuma's attacks.

Every strike Asuma made fell just a little short. At their closest, the blades were perhaps only a centimeter away from Uchiha Feiyu, yet they could not so much as cut a corner of his clothes.

"He's amazing... Uchiha Feiyu is incredible! Asuma's attacks are completely useless! He dodges every attack at the closest possible distance. Is this the power of the Sharingan?"

Uchiha Obito spoke with a look of astonishment. As he continued, a proud smile appeared on his face.

"Once I awaken my Sharingan, I'll definitely be able to do that too!"

"Look carefully. Can't you see that Uchiha Feiyu hasn't activated his Sharingan at all?"

A calm voice sounded beside Uchiha Obito's ear. He immediately stared at Uchiha Feiyu in shock and found that his eyes were indeed black and white, with no sign that he was using the Sharingan's power.

"Th-this... what is going on? He can do something like this without even using the Sharingan?"

"It's simple. Uchiha Feiyu has complete control over the rhythm and distance of the fight. Asuma's combat talent is far inferior to Uchiha Feiyu's!"

"I see... Wait, Kakashi?! Why are you here? Aren't you already a Chunin? Why are you watching Ninja Academy students take their Graduation Exam?"

Uchiha Obito came to a sudden realization, then froze. The voice beside him sounded both unfamiliar and familiar, and it did not seem to belong to one of his classmates.

When he turned his head, he saw Kakashi's white hair right beside him. He immediately cried out and began shouting at Kakashi.

"Idiot..."

Hatake Kakashi rolled his eyes. Ignoring Obito, he called out to Uchiha Feiyu in the Training Ground.

"Feiyu, how much longer are you going to play around? Hurry up and finish Asuma."

Hearing Kakashi's words, Uchiha Feiyu chuckled and swiftly retreated. Asuma, who had been swinging his pair of knuckle blades, was sweating heavily by now. He let out a deep breath.

"You're actually this strong? You pushed me this far without even using the Sharingan... Were you just toying with me all along?!"

Asuma gritted his teeth. When he had fought Uchiha Feiyu before, although he usually could not win, they had at least exchanged blows. For every three punches he took, he could still land one in return.

But the battle just now had told him that Uchiha Feiyu had merely been playing with him before. The gap between them was far greater than he had imagined!

"Uh... I only made rapid progress recently. Forget it, you probably wouldn't believe me even if I told you!"

Uchiha Feiyu tried to explain, but seeing the disbelief on Asuma's face, he ultimately shut his mouth.

Not only would Asuma fail to believe him, even Kakashi did not believe that Uchiha Feiyu had learned the White Fang Sword Style in such a short time.

The unique possession-based learning method of Spirit Summons and Subjugation was simply an unimaginable, overwhelming advantage over ordinary ninja. Ninjutsu that others had honed for their entire lives could perhaps be completely learned by Uchiha Feiyu in only a few days.

"Do you think I'm an idiot? I never thought you hid yourself so deeply... But I won't admit defeat so easily!"

"Let me show you the signature ninjutsu that the Sarutobi Clan has studied most deeply!"

Asuma spoke while forming hand seals at rapid speed. After taking a long, deep breath, he spewed out a violent torrent of flames.

"Fire Release: Great Flame Technique!"

The raging flames surged toward Uchiha Feiyu in an instant, ultimately burning him to ashes. When the fire receded, only a round, stick-shaped piece of charcoal remained on the ground.

"Substitution Technique!? So fast..."

After using the Great Flame Technique, seven or eight tenths of Asuma's Chakra had been drained. Seeing that his flames had only burned a Substitution Log, his face turned pale, and his disappointment was plain to see.

"Impressive, impressive. What an incredible ability..."

Uchiha Feiyu's figure slowly appeared nearby with an astonished expression. Asuma forced himself to catch his breath and spoke stubbornly.

"Of course it's incredible. The Sarutobi Clan's Fire Release is among the best in all of Konoha, and the Great Flame Technique is the signature Fire Release of the Sarutobi Clan!"

"Who was talking about your Fire Release? I really don't believe the Sarutobi Clan's Fire Release is stronger than the Uchiha Clan's! What I meant was that I'm curious how you can talk while breathing fire!"

"You bastard! That's what you care about?!"

Asuma rolled his eyes in anger and shot back.

"The Uchiha Clan's Fire Release is indeed powerful, but other than the Great Fireball Technique, what other Fire Release can an Uchiha like you even use?"

"Fine, fine, I can't compare to you in Fire Release, all right? Anyway, are you still going to keep fighting?"

Seeing Uchiha Feiyu's utterly unconcerned expression, Asuma gritted his teeth.

"I lost this time! Uchiha Feiyu, just wait. One day, I'll definitely surpass you!"