When his number was called, Akiyama Shun opened his eyes and stepped onto the battlefield.
Then he used a Summoning Scroll to summon a sword.
It was the one that had come as a bonus when he drew Gekko Hayate. Since it was inconvenient to carry around, Akiyama Shun had simply stored it in his Summoning Scroll.
The sword wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't anything special. It couldn't compare to the White Fang. Still, it was comfortable enough for Akiyama Shun to use for now.
His move immediately drew gasps from his classmates. After all, it was a ninjutsu, and they hadn't seen many students use one.
The only one who'd used one before was a genius like Asuma, who had performed a Fire Style technique.
Kakashi's expression remained calm. It was only a C-rank ninjutsu; he could use it too. What surprised him more was that Akiyama Shun had actually drawn a sword!
But if he was going to use a sword...
Then Kakashi's confidence was about to skyrocket!
He had to admit that Akiyama Shun was better than him in many ways, but when it came to swordsmanship, he was confident he could crush him!
That confidence came from his father, the White Fang of Konoha, who had taught him from a young age!
Kakashi drew the short blade his father had given him and entered the battlefield.
As Kakashi stepped onto the battlefield, the students present froze for a moment before erupting into cheers.
Even a few teachers who happened to be passing by saw what was happening and came over to watch.
There was no helping it. The two of them were too famous.
One was Hatake Kakashi, a Konoha genius who had made a name for himself from a young age and the son of the White Fang of Konoha!
The other was Akiyama Shun, who had begun to stand out after entering the Ninja Academy and outperformed Kakashi in every way!
They wanted to see what would happen when these two geniuses fought.
"Shun! Do your best!"
Yuhi Kurenai cupped her hands around her mouth and loudly cheered Akiyama Shun on.
"Akiyama Shun! Do your best! Beat that Kakashi guy into the ground!"
Just like during the shuriken-throwing contest, Obito continued cheering for Akiyama Shun. Seeing Kakashi get beaten was all it took to make him happy.
"Damn, who should I be cheering for?"
Might Guy was different from the others. He was completely torn between two sides.
One was his rival, and the other was his comrade.
Damn it!
This was too hard!
In the end...
"Go, Akiyama Shun!"
Kakashi didn't care who cheered for Akiyama Shun, but when he heard Might Guy's voice, he couldn't hold back anymore. He turned and gave Might Guy a strange look.
You traitor!!
Kakashi glared at him, and Might Guy scratched his head awkwardly.
"Go, Kakashi, too!"
The other students had split into two camps, one supporting Akiyama Shun and the other supporting Kakashi.
And so, amid the lively cheering,
Kazama Shinya spoke up.
"Akiyama Shun versus Hatake Kakashi. Both sides, perform the Seal of Confrontation!"
After saying this, Kazama Shinya turned and left, leaving the battlefield to the two of them.
Akiyama Shun and Kakashi each raised two fingers in front of their chests, completing the opening ritual.
The moment they lowered their hands!
"Whoosh!"
Kakashi vanished from the spot in an instant, his short blade already drawn!
As he sped forward, his blade cut through the air with a sharp whistle, slashing straight toward Akiyama Shun's chest!
Kakashi had planned to use this unexpected strike to end the fight before Akiyama Shun could react!
But then Kakashi saw Akiyama Shun looking at him with a smile.
The next moment,
"Clang!"
The sound of blades colliding rang out. Akiyama Shun had easily blocked the attack.
Only then did the other students realize what had just happened.
The teachers watching nearby also grew serious. Kakashi really was a genius; to be so skilled with the Body Flicker Technique at such a young age was impressive. But Akiyama Shun, who had easily blocked the attack, was even more terrifying!
Seeing his attack blocked, Kakashi quickly retreated to what he considered a safe distance.
His short blade slashed again!
"Clang!"
Once more, Akiyama Shun easily blocked it.
Kakashi refused to believe it and began trying to attack Akiyama Shun from different angles!
In an instant, several slashes rushed toward Akiyama Shun from all directions at nearly the same time!
"Clang!"
"Clang!"
"Clang!"
"..."
A dense succession of clanging sounds rang out from where their blades met. Akiyama Shun perfectly blocked every one of Kakashi's attacks.
If the two of them were playing Sekiro, Kakashi's posture meter would have been full by now.
From the other spectators' perspective, dozens of streaks of swordlight formed a circle around the two of them, enclosing them within!
They couldn't make out either fighter's movements at all!
"That guy... He's this strong?"
Obito clenched his fists. He had always known Kakashi was strong, but he hadn't realized he was this strong!
Obito couldn't even block one of Kakashi's casual attacks!
The students could only watch the spectacle, but the teachers were different. They could follow the fight clearly.
The two seemed to be evenly matched, but in reality, one of them was simply toying with the other!
Some of the teachers who had trained in swordsmanship even recognized Akiyama Shun's style as Konoha Style Swordsmanship, developed by the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju!
Akiyama Shun easily blocked Kakashi's attacks. Kakashi's expression grew more and more serious, while Akiyama Shun's never changed. He always looked relaxed.
A drop of sweat rolled down Kakashi's forehead. He knew he couldn't let the stalemate continue.
Seizing the moment Akiyama Shun blocked his attack, Kakashi twisted his wrist. The short blade in his hand suddenly changed course and thrust straight toward Akiyama Shun!
Yet Akiyama Shun only turned his sword slightly, easily blocking the attack.
He blocked even that!?
While Kakashi was stunned, leaving his center wide open, Akiyama Shun drove a powerful kick into his chest. The impact sent Kakashi flying backward!
The pain that shot through Kakashi's body finally snapped him out of it. He hurriedly adjusted his posture and raised his short blade in front of his chest.
But as soon as he got back on his feet, Akiyama Shun was already in front of him.
Dance of the Crescent Moon!
Two Shadow Clones appeared, one on each side, and slashed simultaneously at Kakashi's vital points!
Together with Akiyama Shun's original body, they had completely sealed off every avenue of escape!
Too fast!
Kakashi didn't have time to block with his short blade. He couldn't dodge, either; every way out was sealed!
In the blink of an eye, Akiyama Shun and his two clones were attacking him at once.
But this was only an ordinary practical exam, not a real battle to the death.
Akiyama Shun didn't actually strike him. He simply had his two Shadow Clones pin Kakashi's vital points in place before knocking the short blade from his hand.
"Bang!"
After two sounds, the Shadow Clones disappeared.
Only then did Kakashi react. He sank to the ground, utterly drained.
The sword in Akiyama Shun's hand was now pointed at Kakashi's neck.
"Mm, it's over."
Before you continue