Stunning! Nebula Kotetsu's Progress

"My god... so handsome!!!"

Uzuki Yugao stood frozen in place, dazed.

Her gaze was locked onto a figure in the arena, her eyes flashing with a brilliance of wonder she had never felt before.

Handsome!

Too handsome!

Before coming here, she had imagined what kind of sacred being this Nebula Kotetsu, so hyped up by the girls, could possibly be.

A delicate, effeminate pretty boy?

A senior with sharp, rugged features?

But no matter what she imagined, nothing could have prepared her for the sheer shock of seeing him in person.

Unearthly handsome!

Stunningly so!

He was like a bewitching, exotic flower, like the midday sun resting on one's shoulder, like the very essence of the vibrant youth one yearns for most.

Just standing there, not even looking at you, with just a faint smile on his face, he drew you into his charm before you even realized it.

Nebula Kotetsu.

Uzuki Yugao repeated the name over and over in her heart.

It took a long while for her to recover from the massive shock of his beauty. She unclenched her hands, which she had been gripping unconsciously, and forced herself to turn away, refusing to look at him any longer.

Fortunately, Mitarashi Anko's eyes were glued to him, and she hadn't noticed her friend's strange behavior.

Yet, Uzuki Yugao realized that even though her gaze had only left him for a moment, her heart was already desperately urging her to turn back around.

Impossible!

It was impossible for a person to be this handsome!

Caught in a struggle, a sliver of doubt rose in Uzuki Yugao's mind.

Was it possible that he wasn't actually that handsome? Perhaps the sunlight had just been perfect, the angle just right, and because her recent training had been so dull, she had simply found him extra striking. Was it all just a coincidence of a first glance?

With that thought, she took a deep breath, steeled her nerves, and looked back toward the arena.

It was like a smooth pebble dropping into a calm pond.

With a soft thud, the profile of Nebula Kotetsu fell into the lake of her heart like that stone, sending ripples spreading out in layer after layer.

Alright.

Confirmed again.

Anko hadn't lied to her; from every angle, he was absolutely flawless.

Uzuki Yugao realized that her own experience was indeed lacking; this was the first time she had ever seen someone so breathtaking, and for a moment, she couldn't keep her composure.

To make up for her lack of experience, she decided... she would just have to look more! She needed to get used to it as soon as possible!

A moment later, Mitarashi Anko nudged Uzuki Yugao's shoulder.

"Yugao, what do you think?"

Uzuki Yugao's heart tightened. She forced her gaze away from Nebula Kotetsu and looked at Mitarashi Anko, feigning indifference as she asked, "What do you mean, what do I think?"

Mitarashi Anko replied, "What else could I mean? I'm asking you, is he handsome or what?"

Uzuki Yugao stared at the sparring in the arena, her expression unreadable.

"He's alright, I guess. When are you going to make your move?"

"Shh~" Mitarashi Anko's expression shifted. She glanced left and right to ensure no one was paying attention before whispering.

"Yugao, be careful! Don't let anyone hear you."

Uzuki Yugao said, "Look at you. And you talk about making a move? He's about to graduate; it looks like you'll just be watching from the sidelines."

"What do you know?" Mitarashi Anko chuckled.

"This is called planning before acting! I have to approach him slowly and let him lower his guard."

"Then, when the opportunity arises, I'll strike!"

Uzuki Yugao raised an eyebrow, looking at her friend who was lost in fantasy.

"Are you sure you aren't just being a coward? That doesn't sound very reliable."

Mitarashi Anko insisted, "This is a plan I carefully researched. It's definitely reliable!"

Hearing this, Uzuki Yugao turned her head to look at Nebula Kotetsu in the arena.

She reminded her, "Isn't everyone saying that aside from his looks, his talent is mediocre and he's good for nothing?"

"You like a vase like that?"

Mitarashi Anko scoffed, "So what if he's a vase!"

"Even if he is a vase, he's the best-looking vase in the world!"

"To encounter such a masterpiece of God and not possess it even once—wouldn't that be living a life in vain?"

Uzuki Yugao: "The weak have no say in the ninja world. Have you thought this through?"

Mitarashi Anko nodded: "Of course! Once I graduate, I'll apprentice under a great teacher and become a powerful kunoichi."

"I'll protect him!"

"Keep him at home, and every day..."

"Hehe, just thinking about it fills me with motivation!"

Uzuki Yugao rolled her eyes.

Then, she watched Nebula Kotetsu begin to move in the arena.

A thought suddenly surfaced in her mind.

It doesn't sound entirely unreasonable, actually.

She stopped speaking and focused on the increasingly intense battle in the arena, but as she watched, Uzuki Yugao's expression gradually turned serious.

"Anko."

Mitarashi Anko didn't take her eyes off the fight. "What is it?"

"Something doesn't seem right!"

"What's wrong? Slurp~"

Uzuki Yugao's gaze grew earnest. "This level of skill... it doesn't seem to match the rumors."

"No matter how you look at it, he doesn't seem like a dead-last."

Reminded by Uzuki Yugao, Mitarashi Anko also began to notice that something was off.

In the arena, Nebula Kotetsu and Mizuki were locked in combat.

Dull thuds echoed as fists and kicks connected.

The two were evenly matched.

Although Mizuki's combat level was only average among the graduates, the speed and strength Nebula Kotetsu displayed—holding his own without falling behind—far exceeded his previous performance.

"That's not right? At this point, shouldn't he be exhausted and ready to concede?" Mitarashi Anko muttered to herself. As a dark, twisted, crawling die-hard fan of Nebula Kotetsu, she knew his strength very well.

All this time, he had been the undisputed dead-last, his body perpetually frail. By all logic, in a battle of this intensity, he should have conceded and ended it after a few exchanges.

"Go Mizuki, beat him hard!" some boys in the crowd clamored.

"That's right! Don't be a loser like Obito! Teach him a lesson! I want to see blood!"

"Who wants to see blood!?" As the referee, Kaede Hyuga let out a sharp reprimand, her Byakugan sweeping across the crowd with a fierce gaze, instantly silencing them.

Afterward, she turned back to look at Nebula Kotetsu, who was still holding his own, a look of surprise appearing in her eyes—the same look shared by the other teachers.

In the arena, unable to secure a victory after a long assault, Mizuki's face began to turn ugly.

Damn it!

How is this possible!

How could this annoying dead-last, Nebula Kotetsu, be my match!

He grew increasingly furious, his otherwise handsome features slightly twisted.

Opposite him, Nebula Kotetsu saw the change in his expression. Knowing the other's true nature, he was not surprised.

Seeing his opponent leave an opening, he seized the chance and activated Big Slap Lv1.

"Smack!"

With a crisp sound, Nebula Kotetsu's palm landed heavily on the side of his opponent's neck.

A move that wasn't enough to impress Might Guy proved to have a clear advantage against Mizuki. Caught off guard, the latter didn't even have time to react before he collapsed quietly to the ground.

A flicker of intrigue crossed Kaede Hyuga's eyes.

"Winner, Nebula Kotetsu."

"Next group, Shiranui Genma..."

Off the stage.

Amidst the astonished gazes of the boys and the glowing eyes of the girls, Nebula Kotetsu walked into the crowd.