The guard led the three of them through the Uchiha Clan Compound. Before long, they arrived at a secluded training ground. After asking them to wait a moment, he went to notify Mikoto Uchiha.
The three of them were left alone to take in their surroundings.
The ground was clean, the lawn neatly trimmed, and the training area spacious. There were also target dummies and weapon racks; the place was fully equipped.
It was much better than the school field. The little courtyard at the Kotetsu Clan home couldn't compare.
"Heh." A snicker came from nearby.
Nebula Kotetsu knew without turning around that it had to be Asuma Sarutobi.
"Asuma," Kurenai Yuhi whispered in warning.
But Asuma didn't care.
Watching Nebula look around with undisguised curiosity, he couldn't help looking down on him.
What a country bumpkin.
Seeing him act that way gave Kurenai a headache. Whatever else, Nebula was their teammate now, and she didn't like Asuma treating him like that.
Just as she was about to try to stop him, Nebula's voice came from nearby.
"Kurenai, you don't need to stop him."
"Let him laugh." He continued looking around as he spoke.
"Born into a prestigious clan, with a father in a position of power—if a young master like him can't use his father's influence to mock a poor teammate from an ordinary family who's never seen the world, how else is he supposed to show off in front of the girl he likes?"
"It can't be his thoroughly mediocre combat skills or his terrible tactical decisions, can it?"
Asuma's eyes flew open, and his breathing immediately grew heavy.
Kurenai's mouth fell slightly open. Her eyes were filled with shock.
Wait...
Did he really just go straight for the ultimate attack, right to his face?
As someone who'd been friends with Asuma for a long time, she knew all too well how devastating Nebula's words were.
"Born into a prestigious clan, with a father in a position of power"—that was the background Asuma hated having brought up most.
"Mocking a poor teammate who's never seen the world" was a jab at his character.
"Thoroughly mediocre combat skills" and "terrible tactical decisions" referred to his performance in yesterday's test.
In just a few short sentences, Nebula had insulted nearly everything about Asuma that could be insulted.
If she weren't Asuma's friend, Kurenai would have cheered for Nebula.
She still didn't know what her teammate was like as a person, but he sure had a sharp tongue.
"Nebula Kotetsu! What do you mean by that?!" Asuma roared furiously.
"What else could I mean?" Nebula drew his curious gaze back and looked at Asuma. Then he patiently explained, "You couldn't tell? I'm insulting you."
Asuma: "!!!"
Honestly, he was so angry he could barely think straight.
He'd heard that Nebula was a shallow womanizer, and that girls flocked to praise his pretty face. But he'd never heard that Nebula's tongue was this vicious!
Nebula couldn't take the slightest offense without retaliating, and every cutting remark hit him square in the face.
"Nebula Kotetsu!"
"I challenge you!!"
"Oh?" Nebula asked, looking perfectly unruffled. "Do you think you're stronger than me?"
"Of course!" Asuma snapped.
"Then why should I accept your challenge?"
"Do you only challenge people you think you can beat, just to satisfy your need for attention and vanity?"
"I... I..."
"We're teammates, yet you refuse to work together. And that's not all—you keep trying to save face by throwing your weight around. Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"
"Is this really how the Third Hokage taught you?"
"I don't believe it."
Asuma: "(╬◣д◢)!!!"
Asuma's face and neck visibly began turning red.
So Nebula kindly reminded Kurenai, "Kurenai, you should try to calm him down now. He looks like he's about to boil over."
Kurenai: "..."
At that moment, she resolved that no matter what Nebula was like as a person, she would never argue with him.
Right. She was a lady. She didn't argue with teammates.
As Kurenai tried to soothe Asuma and get him to cool off, Mikoto Uchiha arrived, striding in on long legs.
She was still in her shinobi uniform, her presence commanding.
As soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw Asuma panting heavily.
"What happened?"
"Did you just warm up?"
Asuma's eye twitched.
Mikoto had no intention of prying. She got straight to the point. "Next, we'll have a week of special training."
"The routine is simple. Every morning, the three of you will spar with me."
"The sparring at the Ninja Academy is far too easy. You need to experience the intensity of a real fight."
"Besides that, I'll set aside an hour to answer any questions you have about your training."
Nebula's interest was immediately piqued.
To Asuma and Kurenai, sparring with Mikoto and getting her advice might not seem like a big deal. They came from prestigious clans, and their fathers were both renowned shinobi. They were used to it.
But he was different.
Only Nebula and Kotetsu Hagane were left in the Kotetsu family. When it came to training, he could only rely on the Ninja Academy's mediocre teachers or the scrolls passed down by his family.
Having a famous jonin help him with his training was the best thing he could ask for.
"Asuma, you look pretty fired up. You can go first."
This time, Asuma didn't refuse.
He was furious and needed somewhere to vent. Fighting Mikoto would work just fine.
He could release his pent-up anger while making Mikoto change her impression of him.
He, Asuma Sarutobi, was definitely stronger than this dead-last, Nebula Kotetsu!
He got up and took his place opposite Mikoto, then formed the Seal of Confrontation.
Next, he drew his twin blades and charged forward.
His figure cut through the air.
He raced toward her and reached Mikoto in the blink of an eye, slashing at her with his short blades.
Mikoto waited calmly, only moving once he was right in front of her.
"Clang!" No one saw how she moved.
Asuma only saw a blur, and then Mikoto had blocked his short blades with the Kunai in her hand.
After a brief pause, the woman before him moved again.
"Thud." Pain tightened his chest as Mikoto kicked him squarely in it.
As Asuma flew backward, he heard her say:
"Get a grip."
"Show me what you can do."
Asuma twisted in midair, then gritted his teeth and steadied himself.
He reined in his anger a little and forced himself to think clearly. Mikoto Uchiha was an opponent he would have to give his all against if he wanted to earn her approval.
Taking a deep breath, Asuma tightened his grip on his twin blades and focused intently on Mikoto.
Grimacing, he charged again!
"Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang!!!!!"
The short blades met the Kunai, throwing off a string of sparks. The exchange was intense, but Mikoto couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.
Average.
Very average.
Before you continue