Before long, the door to the rooftop of the Sand Village Ninja Academy was pushed open.
"Hahaha, I'm the first! Today, let me see just how strong Konoha's soon-to-graduate students really are!" The student was clearly excited.
Perhaps because he had wanted to claim first place, he had run all the way up and was still panting lightly.
Whoosh
Bang
"Hey, wait, I'm not even rea—"
However, before this Sunagakure student had spent even five seconds on the academy rooftop, Kimimaro rushed in and kicked him back down.
The battle was over. Kimimaro claimed first blood!
Even now, they could still hear the echoes of that Sunagakure student rolling down the academy stairs.
By the end, even his screams could no longer be heard clearly.
Soji, Rasa, Haku, and Yota: "..."
The four spectators were left speechless.
Rasa even covered his face in embarrassment.
That Sunagakure student had clearly not come prepared for a challenge. He had only come to snatch first place.
And while he had indeed gotten first place, he had also handed over first blood!
What was more, after seeing that scene, Rasa's face burned. He felt that Soji was looking at him with an amused half-smile!
Fortunately, the first Sunagakure student to challenge Kimimaro had not been one of his children. Otherwise, he would not have been allowed at the dinner table tonight!
"Ahem, Soji-kun, that was an accident. The students coming up to challenge him next will be stronger!" Rasa explained after pretending to cough into his fist.
"I understand. The challengers get stronger the later they come up," Soji said considerately, giving Rasa an out.
But perhaps Soji was some kind of prophet, because the Sunagakure students who came onto the rooftop afterward really did grow considerably stronger one after another.
At the very