Who's the Tail-ender?

On the playground of the Ninja Academy, the practical combat class that the students had been looking forward to finally arrived.

Unlike the lessons on chakra refinement or shuriken throwing, this time they were sparring in pairs.

Everyone yearning for the life of a ninja held great expectations for this course, and at this moment, they surrounded the playground, shouting loudly and perfectly fulfilling their roles as the atmosphere squad:

"Go, Shu! Show Kakashi what you've got!"

"Teach him a lesson, Shu, let him understand who the real genius is..."

"Go, Kakashi!"

"..."

The girls at the very front supported Hatake Kakashi as always; even though the silver-haired boy had a cold attitude and didn't play with the others, the maverick youth attracted even more of their attention.

The chattering sounds made Obito Uchiha, standing at the back of the crowd, frown. Especially when he saw Rin Nohara also clasping her hands together, cheering for Kakashi with great enthusiasm, he felt even more annoyed:

"What is this! Just a guy who only knows how to show off..."

The boys nearby who heard Obito's whisper began their routine mockery. More than two months had passed, and several small cliques had emerged in Class A; even as a member of the prestigious Uchiha clan, he was still isolated by everyone.

"The dead-last only knows how to complain here!"

"An idiot who only talks big."

"Hey! You guys, that's enough!"

"..."

The homeroom teacher, Ryosuke Kimura, noticed the argument between Obito and the others in the back but said nothing, instead signaling for the two combatants to prepare.

Shu Furukawa and Kakashi stood face to face, and upon hearing the reminder, they both performed the Seal of Confrontation.

Taking turns holding the top spot had clearly given Kakashi a greater desire to win. At this moment, even his nonchalant, dead-fish eyes had vanished, and while staring intently at his opponent, he spoke up:

"I won't let the top spot in the practical combat class go to anyone else!"

"You said the same thing during the last assessment."

As he spoke, Kakashi began to condense chakra in his feet. Shu Furukawa sensed it, yet he still played along with the "performance," his young face showing just the right amount of desire for victory.

Homeroom teacher Ryosuke Kimura, who intentionally fostered competition between the two, was very satisfied with the situation and shouted loudly amidst the noise:

"Begin!"

Pebbles flew from under their feet as Kakashi exploded with full force into a straight sprint, rushing toward Shu Furukawa at high speed in an attempt to seize the initiative.

"Bang..."

The right fist Kakashi swung was blocked, and the tiny sounds of collision rang out continuously between them. The successive punches and blocks made the crowd on the sidelines gasp in surprise.

An elbow strike that grazed his face forced Kakashi to lower his body, and after dodging a quick sweep, he erupted again.

Leaping into the air, he rotated his body to kick at his opponent repeatedly. The moment his attack was defended, Kakashi used the momentum to dissipate the force and retreat.

"Oh no!"

Landing and steadying his feet, Kakashi's pupils constricted. Sensing that something was wrong, he hurriedly raised his left arm to defend.

The counterattacking Shu Furukawa moved extremely fast; after his right fist was blocked, he immediately twisted his body to launch a series of attacks.

As Kakashi, who was on the defensive, tried to counter, a sudden high sweep from Shu Furukawa made him instinctively lean backward.

"Yah!"

Seeing Shu Furukawa seize the opportunity to turn swiftly and kick Kakashi away with a side kick, several girls shrieked, and the subsequent pursuit and stomp made Rin Nohara clench her fists in nervousness.

The Kakashi who fell to the ground turned into a wooden log after parrying; the Substitution Technique did not surprise Shu Furukawa. Hearing the sound of wind from his side, he blocked and grabbed instinctively.

"Clang..."

A training kunai dropped to the ground. After being thrown over the shoulder, Kakashi was pinned to the ground. Seeing the hand Shu Furukawa slowly extended as he stood up, he couldn't help but let out a low cry:

"Damn it!"

"You were careless, Kakashi. A ninja can never let their guard down."

Shu Furukawa, who pulled Kakashi up, wore a kind smile. To deal with Might Guy's challenges, he had to wrong the silver-haired boy; this was the best shield.

"Ah! So amazing!"

"Well done, Shu! Don't let Kakashi be the top student..."

The onlookers began to shout and cheer again, automatically putting themselves in Shu Furukawa's perspective. Defeating the stuck-up Kakashi made everyone extremely happy.

"Shu, Kakashi, you both performed very well!"

"Seal of Reconciliation."

The smile on Ryosuke Kimura's face could not be hidden. After loudly encouraging them, he watched the two leave the arena with increasing satisfaction. Having taught such outstanding ninjas, a generous bonus was already beckoning to him.

"Geniuses are working hard, so you all must practice even more diligently!"

"Yes!"

Hearing the homeroom teacher's instructions, the excited boys responded loudly. The bowl-cut Might Guy's voice was the loudest; he couldn't wait to prove himself.

In Class A, those who didn't fit in were easily isolated, and those with poor grades or ugly appearances were mocked. Even for those from prestigious families, once they became familiar, the boys would still "strike hard."

"What the hell! A guy from the Uchiha clan can't even beat a loser like Guy!"

"Asuma is truly impressive as well..."

"The Third Hokage's son should be even stronger."

"..."

After being knocked to the ground by Guy, Obito felt sullen. The thick-browed guy was far from a loser; although his ninjutsu grades were at the bottom, his overall performance was better than many in the class.

Some detestable people clearly didn't have great grades themselves, yet they loved labeling him a "loser." The more Obito thought about it, the angrier he became, until he heard a voice he had been waiting for:

"Are you alright, Obito? This was only the first practical lesson."

Rin Nohara, having finished her sparring, leaned over to comfort the boy. They had known each other for a long time, and she knew Obito was kind by nature; the way he insisted on helping elderly women every single day was something most people couldn't manage.

"Uh... don't worry about me, Rin!"

"I'm going to become Hokage, after all. Sooner or later, I'll surpass that guy Kakashi..."

Seeing the girl's gentle smile, Obito Uchiha couldn't help but lift his head to show off. Upon hearing this declaration, Rin tilted her head and asked in return:

"Eh? Isn't it surpassing Shu? He might be the most outstanding one in our year."

Obito scratched his head subconsciously. When he thought of Shu Furukawa, he felt a bit awkward inside. That indescribable feeling made him instinctively respond:

"I just feel like that guy is completely different from us!"

"I still prefer Kakashi, even though he's a show-off and always likes to attract the attention of girls..."

His voice grew quieter. Noticing that Rin was still watching him with a smile, Obito turned his head away in embarrassment.

"The Uchiha from the next class are more like elites; you really do look like the Uchiha's loser."

Kakashi, who had been passing by silently, had clearly heard Obito's words. He seized the opportunity to retort, and without waiting to see the other's reaction, he strolled away slowly.

"What did you say! Kakashi, stand right there!"

That night, in the forest behind the Ninja Academy, the sound of "clinking" echoed through the training ground once again.

Facing the shuriken flying from above, Shu Furukawa waved his kunai with both hands, knocking them down one by one. The sparks generated upon impact proved that these were not the training tools used by the Ninja Academy.

Might Guy, exhausted and lying on the ground, stared blankly at the pile of ninja tools scattered at Shu Furukawa's feet, whispering in subconscious admiration:

"So amazing..."

Having finished his daily training, Shu Furukawa exhaled slowly. His dynamic vision surpassed that of an ordinary person, and his motor nerves were equally exceptional. He couldn't yet determine if this was influenced by [Collection].

Turning his head to look at Might Guy, Shu Furukawa was just about to serve up some "chicken soup for the soul" when Might Duy suddenly appeared, hugging his son and shouting:

"Even geniuses work this hard! Guy, you need to double your efforts to catch up and let your youth bloom!"

"Yes! Tomorrow, after I finish 500 handstand push-ups, I'll challenge Kakashi. Once I beat him, I'll challenge Shu!"

Might Guy responded loudly. Watching the father and son hugging and shedding tears, the corner of Shu Furukawa's eye twitched, and he sighed helplessly in his heart:

I really want to succeed at "Talk no Jutsu" just once...