His opponent was armed with a kunai.
The two formed the Seal of Confrontation, and the battle began.
Shiya Oyama made the first move. He was fast, and his kunai whistled through the air toward Kakashi's face.
Kakashi dodged to the side and brought his short sword up in a smooth slash.
Clang!
The kunai collided with the short sword, scattering a few sparks.
Shiya missed his strike and used the force of the impact to retreat half a step.
But before he could regain his footing, Kakashi had already closed in. The tip of his short sword stopped at Shiya's throat.
"I lost."
Shiya gave a bitter smile and raised both hands.
Kakashi sheathed his sword, his expression unchanged. But as he turned away, he glanced toward the area beneath the tree.
Hatake Sakumo gave a slight nod.
As a ninja, Kakashi had already proved himself.
If he could change that overly cold personality of his, he would surely become an excellent ninja someday.
"Just what you'd expect from White Fang's son."
Koji Moku sighed in admiration.
"Shiya Oyama is no pushover, yet he didn't even get the chance to fight back against Kakashi."
Umino Shika nodded repeatedly beside him, unable to hide his grin.
With Kakashi doing so well, his teacher naturally shared in the glory.
All around them, the crowd broke into lively discussion.
"Kakashi's way too strong..."
"Obviously. He's Lord Hatake Sakumo's son."
"He's a lower-year student, but he beat an upper-year so easily. Is he really a brand-new student?"
Rin Nohara clasped her hands together, her eyes curving into crescents.
"Kakashi's just as amazing as ever."
She turned to look at Obito beside her.
"Why'd you go quiet, Obito?"
Obito snorted and turned his head away, though he couldn't help sneaking glances at the arena.
Even if he didn't want to admit it, Kakashi was ridiculously strong.
But the stronger Kakashi got, the more curious Obito became...
Just how strong was Qingyu?
Even Kakashi had lost to him before.
"Qingyu, do your best!"
Might Guy's voice rang out from the crowd.
He waved both arms, looking as if he'd been set ablaze.
"Show them the power of youth!"
Qingyu glanced back and gave Guy a slight nod, then walked into the Training Ground.
He didn't use the Sword of the Thunder God.
He simply held the katana Tsunade had given him.
Using the Sword of the Thunder God would have been too unfair.
"So it's finally his turn."
Uchiha Domon folded his arms, fixing his gaze on Qingyu.
He hadn't forgotten that Tekka had lost to this half-breed.
Today, he'd see for himself what Qingyu could do.
In the crowd, Yūhi Kurenai rose onto her tiptoes, peering through the shifting heads at Qingyu.
Ever since Qingyu had answered her questions about Genjutsu, she'd been curious about his strength.
After all, he'd beaten Kakashi. Just how far could he go?
Koji Moku also turned his attention to Qingyu.
After the Senju Clan disbanded, some of its members went to teach at the Ninja Academy.
Some chose to keep their given names and drop their surnames, while others took new surnames.
He was one of them.
That was why Koji Moku was eager to see what Qingyu could do.
Qingyu's first opponent was Hyuga Osamu.
Hyuga Osamu stepped out of the crowd. He had a refined face, but his white eyes were full of arrogance.
As a member of the Main Family, he was used to flattery from the Branch Family. Naturally, he carried himself with pride.
"You're Qingyu?"
Hyuga Osamu looked Qingyu up and down, the corner of his mouth lifting in a faintly mocking smile.
"The Uchiha and Senju are both great clans, sure. But the greatest clan of the future will certainly be the Hyuga..."
He clasped his hands behind his back.
He added inwardly, The Senju have long since disbanded, and the Uchiha are all brawn and no brains. They're no match for our Hyuga Clan.
Of course, he wasn't foolish enough to say that out loud.
Qingyu looked at the kid whose face practically screamed, "I'm the most noble," and nearly lost his composure.
He knew all too well how the Hyuga Clan had fared in the original story.
And they dared to call themselves Konoha's greatest clan?
"Before we start, I have something to remind you."
While everyone else was still trying to make sense of him, Qingyu spoke up:
"The Senju Clan used to be Konoha's greatest clan!"
Then Qingyu revealed his Sharingan and drew the katana in his hand.
Kakashi: "..."
Yūhi Kurenai: "..."
Was that a taunt?
Hyuga Osamu snorted and assumed the opening stance of the Gentle Fist, clearly irritated with Qingyu.
But Koji Moku kept nodding inwardly as he listened.
That was right. If the Senju Clan hadn't put the greater good first, produced two Hokage, and risen to its peak, how could it possibly have disbanded?
After all, the Sarutobi Clan, with the Third Hokage behind it, was thriving these days.
Seeing Hyuga Osamu's irritated expression, Qingyu gave a slight nod.
His goal was to attract more attention and make contact.
That was the only way more traits might drop.
In an instant, Hyuga Osamu planted his feet apart and lowered his body. He held out his hands, one in front of the other, while a faint layer of pale-blue chakra shimmered along the edges of his palms.
Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms.
It was the best he could manage.
While his peers were still practicing basic Gentle Fist moves, he was already able to perform a complete set of thirty-two strikes.
Even among the Main Family, his talent had earned him plenty of praise.
"Qingyu's unlucky."
Koji Moku watched the standoff and shook his head slightly.
He was pleased with what Qingyu had said, but Qingyu simply hadn't had enough time to train.
"Being able to perform Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms at his age... Hyuga Osamu really does have a knack for the Gentle Fist."
Umino Shika nervously tightened his grip on the roster in his hands.
Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms was already an impressive Gentle Fist technique.
Each additional strike demanded greater chakra control and coordination.
An upper-year student about to graduate who could perform thirty-two strikes would have been among the best of his graduating class in past years.
Koji Moku patted Umino Shika on the shoulder.
"Don't be too nervous. It'd be normal for Qingyu to lose. He's only been at the academy for one semester. Give him another year—or even half a year—and the outcome might be very different."
Koji Moku had great faith in Qingyu.
Umino Shika nodded.
The next moment, Hyuga Osamu moved.
His figure flashed as he charged straight at Qingyu.
The Gentle Fist was a close-combat Taijutsu style.
If he got close, Qingyu would have a hard time using either his swordsmanship or ninjutsu.
That was Hyuga Osamu's plan.
He would close the distance as quickly as possible, use the Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms to seal Qingyu's chakra points, and end the fight in style.
But Qingyu didn't give him the chance.
As Hyuga Osamu charged, Qingyu's hands flew through the Hand Seals.
Fire Release: Snake Bullet!
A stream of flames burst from Qingyu's mouth. The fire coiled into a winding serpent in midair, bared its flame-forged fangs, and lunged straight at Hyuga Osamu.
Hyuga Osamu's pupils contracted slightly.
Fire Release?
He had no time to think. He poured chakra into his palms and struck repeatedly.
The Eight Trigrams Palms split the flames apart. Sparks scattered, and the fire burst into a dazzling shower in midair.
But before Hyuga Osamu could catch his breath, Qingyu's next jutsu was already upon him.
Water Release: Water Bullet Barrage!
Several water bullets shot from Qingyu's hands, tearing through the air with sharp whistles as they rained down on Hyuga Osamu.
Hyuga Osamu gritted his teeth. Chakra coated his palms once more, and he slapped the water bullets aside one after another.
Every strike drained his chakra.
But what was with Qingyu? Did he have an endless supply of chakra?
Hyuga Osamu was under mounting pressure.
To be serious, it felt like he was facing a whole artillery battery!
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