They cleared a path as he passed.
It wasn't because they were afraid. It was just that, with a teacher present and fighting off-limits, no one wanted to be caught in the same shot as Nebula Kotetsu.
Rin Nohara watched him with delight, while Obito Uchiha tensed warily from head to toe. Nebula Kotetsu didn't stop.
Mitaraishi Anko ignored the risk of being spotted by the teacher and tugged along Uzuki Yugao, who wore a complicated expression, waving at him excitedly. He merely nodded.
Then he came to stand beside Might Guy. The latter was wearing a green, skintight jumpsuit, and the classmates around him were keeping a meter away.
"Guy."
"How was that? I did pretty well, right?"
Might Guy grinned and gave him a thumbs-up. "Not bad, Nebula."
"You did well."
"But if you want to keep challenging me, you'll need even more youthful power!"
Nebula Kotetsu said seriously.
"Don't worry."
"Guy, I'll catch up to you!"
"Thanks for the encouragement!"
Might Guy grinned, his teeth gleaming.
Then the two stood side by side and watched the matches together.
Not long afterward.
"Next match: Obito Uchiha versus Might Guy."
At Kaede Hyuga's announcement, Might Guy grew excited at once.
He grinned at Nebula Kotetsu. "Nebula, I'm up!"
Nebula Kotetsu said, "Go for it!"
"Guy, he's an Uchiha. Don't underestimate him. Give it everything you've got!"
Might Guy said, "Don't worry!"
"My youth is ready to burn bright!"
On the other side.
Rin Nohara raised a fist. "Obito, you can do it!"
Obito Uchiha declared confidently, "I'm definitely going to win!"
The heartache Rin Nohara had caused him that morning had been temporarily suppressed by his powerful ability to regulate his emotions. With a trace of cold resolve born of his hurt, he watched Might Guy warming up with constant leaps in the center of the field, a hint of fighting spirit in his eyes.
Come on, you green-jumpsuit freak!
Too bad for you—you ran into a terrifying man who's just been hurt.
I'll show Rin that compared to that guy Nebula Kotetsu, I'm the excellent ninja who has both strength and good looks!
He formed the Seal of Confrontation!
Obito Uchiha said coldly, "You're Might Guy, right?"
"Your luck's terrible, running into me as I am now. Give it everything you've got. Don't say I didn't warn you."
Might Guy extended one hand and clenched the other into a fist, crossing his legs into a fighting stance.
"Bring it on!"
The next second, carrying his anger and indignation, his heart full of wounds, Obito Uchiha charged forward!
A split second later.
"Konoha Strong Fist Whirlwind!"
"Bam!!!~"
Obito Uchiha's vision blurred.
The next second, he could faintly hear a ringing in his ears. Then the world seemed to go quiet.
His heart quieted, too.
Whether it was heartache or resentment, all his negative emotions seemed to vanish in an instant.
He felt free.
Before him stretched a blue sky and white clouds. Birds flew across it, their wings spread wide. Something white seemed to fall from them.
Were those the birds' tears?
For a moment, his mind went hazy.
Half a second later, Obito Uchiha, now completely calm inside, suddenly came to his senses.
Something felt wrong... He was flying!
That's right! Might Guy had kicked him into the air!
That guy in the green jumpsuit was fast and strong. He'd let his guard down for a moment and been sent flying by a roundhouse kick!
The field... the exam... Rin! And the big words he'd just spouted! In an instant, Obito Uchiha remembered his predicament, and panic surged through him!
This was humiliating!
No! He couldn't go down like this! If he fell just like this, how could he ever show his face in the village again?!
Feeling himself fall, Obito Uchiha summoned a fresh burst of strength through sheer willpower! He endured the pain in his chest and reached both hands down.
The timing was perfect. His hands hit the ground, and he rolled backward without caring about the dust.
As he rolled, he bent one leg and stretched the other out to the side. When both legs hit the ground, he flung his left hand out to one side and snapped his head up!
Across from him, Might Guy hadn't taken the chance to ambush him.
Obito Uchiha kept his breathing as steady as he could and said, "Good. Now I'm getting serious!"
"Take this!"
He reached into his ninja tool pouch and flung out eight shuriken. They traced strange arcs as they swiftly closed in on Might Guy.
A hint of caution flashed in Might Guy's eyes.
The Uchiha Clan's shurikenjutsu was renowned throughout the Shinobi World. He didn't know whether Obito Uchiha's shuriken really could take such strange paths, so he chose the safest way to respond.
"Bam!!!~" The ground exploded with a crash!
As dirt flew everywhere, Might Guy leaped three yards into the air!
Midair, he reached out with both hands as well, holding eight shuriken between his fingers.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!!"
The shuriken tore through the air!
Compared to Obito Uchiha's shuriken, Might Guy's throws were decidedly ordinary.
Their paths were obvious straight lines, and they weren't very accurate. But what he lacked in accuracy, he made up for in numbers.
Driven by Might Guy's forceful throws, the eight shuriken let out piercing whistles as they hurtled toward Obito Uchiha like eight rocks.
Obito Uchiha's pupils shrank. A sudden, intense sense of danger made him instinctively roll to one side.
This time, there was no pretending to roll with grace. He ended up covered in dust.
But he was still grateful.
"Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam!!!!!~" The shuriken struck the ground where he'd just been, each one landing with a loud bang. Eight fist-sized holes appeared in the earth.
Obito Uchiha: "(ｷ｀ﾟДﾟ´)!!"
Damn it! If he hadn't dodged just now, could those blunt shuriken have killed him on the field?!
A feeling called "relief at having narrowly escaped disaster" welled up inside him.
At that moment, Obito Uchiha suddenly realized that what had happened that morning really wasn't such a big deal.
He'd completely forgotten about it.
He wasn't some cold, wounded man.
And he wasn't an excellent ninja who possessed both good looks and strength.
He was just a Ninja Academy student who hadn't graduated yet.
A teenage boy with a mild disposition, who liked helping old ladies and hated school bullying.
In his shock and fear, he saw Might Guy drop from the air.
His legs were like steel machinery. Obito hadn't even seen how he'd absorbed the impact. The moment he landed with a "bang," he was already charging toward him.
Dust billowed behind him as he ran. Obito saw the excitement on Might Guy's face.
His hair gleamed, his teeth gleamed. Like a beast, he grinned at Obito with bloodthirsty delight.
"Ha ha ha!!!~"
"A battle full of passion!"
"What moving youth!"
"Take this! Konoha Gale!"
"Bam, bam, bam!!!"
"Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam!!!!!~"
Hard fists and feet kept striking his body.
Obito Uchiha felt like a giant bear was mauling him.
With a sharp pain in his chest, he saw the blue sky again.
He thought he even saw a few grandmothers.
He knew he'd been kicked flying once more.
But this time, he didn't feel panicked or humiliated. Instead, he felt a wave of relief and calm. Only one thought remained in his mind.
Why hadn't the teacher called a stop yet?
Was this deliberate persecution of the Uchiha by the Hyuga Clan?
Those naturally evil Hyuga...
Before you continue