Injured

"I agree, Sensei," Nebula Kotetsu said without hesitation.

The sparring class held shortly before graduation was a crucial moment: students were evaluated, and team leaders selected their graduating team members. A student's performance directly affected their assignment after graduation. His father, who had been a Special Jōnin, had told him as much before he died.

He could dodge Obito Uchiha's challenge for a while, but if he showed fear, it would directly affect his placement after graduation. This time, he had to graduate smoothly. Getting assigned to a cannon-fodder team would be a terrible trade-off.

"Fine." The male teacher took out his record book. "Obito Uchiha versus Nebula Kotetsu."

"Form the Seal of Confrontation."

The students watching immediately broke into cheers.

"Go, Obito!"

"Give him everything you've got!"

"Don't choke in front of the class dead-last this time!"

"Fight for the honor of the Uchiha!" The boys shouted one after another. Even when the teacher glanced their way, they couldn't be silenced.

Listening to the cheers around him, Obito Uchiha lifted his chin high and raised his hands to form the Seal of Confrontation.

"This time, I won't let my guard down like before!"

As he spoke, dirt burst beneath his feet. He sprang into motion, charging forward like a gust of wind.

Nebula Kotetsu focused, watching Obito's movements closely, his hands poised to act. The instant Obito's fist shot toward his face, Nebula put his weight behind his right hand and swung a Big Slap at Obito's cheek!

Thud!

But Obito had been ready. He'd anticipated Nebula's move and blocked the slap with his other hand.

"Hahaha!" Feeling his arm go nearly numb, Obito laughed as if he didn't care. "So you're nothing special after all."

"Take this!"

Thump! Thump! Thump!

A storm of punches and kicks, driven by anger, came raining down.

Nebula struggled to keep up.

Obito might have had the nickname "class dead-last," but he wasn't weak in close combat. If Nebula's body hadn't returned to a "healthy" state, he probably wouldn't have lasted more than a few hits.

Fortunately, the system had given him a major boost.

With 0.31 units of chakra, his physical abilities had already surpassed a Genin's. His reflexes and ability to take a hit had both improved dramatically. Nebula even suspected that if his body hadn't been so frail before, the system's 100x Taijutsu Upgrade Card would have raised his Taijutsu far beyond Lv. 1.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

"Nebula Kotetsu, is that all you've got?"

"You won't beat me like that," Obito taunted, surprised by how much Nebula's skills had improved.

Nebula said nothing, focusing entirely on defending himself.

Now that Obito was taking the fight seriously, beating him would be a challenge—but not a particularly difficult one.

Still, rather than go all out to win, Nebula would rather earn the teacher's approval through the fight and achieve his other goal as well.

As he did his best to defend against Obito's punches and kicks, he watched what was happening outside the ring. He also kept an eye on Rin Nohara's reaction.

"Fight back, Nebula Kotetsu!"

"Are you only capable of taking hits!?"

Thud! Nebula seized an opening and slapped Obito in the chest. Obito's breath caught, and he staggered back several steps.

Nebula took the opportunity to provoke him. "That all?"

"Your mouth seems more powerful than your fists and feet, Obito."

"Don't you have anything else?"

Obito gritted his teeth.

"Damn it!"

Then he pulled a kunai from his ninja tool pouch. The teacher's expression sharpened at once as Obito flung it!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! The kunai used in sparring class were specially made without sharpened edges. If one hit a vital spot, the teacher would declare the thrower the winner. Obito even took care to avoid Nebula's head, aiming every kunai at his lower body.

But in his anger, he overestimated his Shurikenjutsu.

Nebula drew a blunt kunai of his own and knocked aside the one aimed at his chest. The others didn't even come close.

"Your throwing skills are about as developed as your brain," Nebula said.

Obito let out an angry shout.

Gripping a kunai, he charged at Nebula. Nebula gathered all his focus and rushed to meet him.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Sparks flew.

The teachers and students watching were all astonished by the fierce clash of kunai.

When had Nebula Kotetsu gotten so much stronger?

The boys looked on suspiciously, while the girls clasped their hands to their chests, stars in their eyes.

"Cool!"

"Nebula's so cool!"

"Yeah, when he swings his kunai, it's like he's carving his name into my heart."

"What's with Obito? Why's he acting crazy?"

"I know, he's so rough!"

Over the sound of clashing kunai, Obito couldn't hear the girls. If he had, he would only have gotten angrier.

Clang! With a loud clash, their kunai locked together. Nebula and Obito stared at each other over the crossed blades.

"Prepare to die, Nebula Kotetsu!"

"That's right. I do like Rin."

Obito flew into a rage.

Desperate to win, he attacked even more fiercely. His moves grew broader and wilder, and he even abandoned his own defense.

But Nebula didn't take advantage of the opening to attack.

Instead, he grew more cautious. At last, when Obito swung his kunai with all his strength and followed with a straight kick, Nebula narrowed his eyes.

"Now!"

The Big Slap activated, boosting the speed of his right hand. But instead of aiming for Obito's face, he struck at the kunai.

Slice! Under the force of the blow, the blunt kunai cut a gash into Nebula's arm. Beads of blood scattered through the air.

The next moment, Nebula crossed his arms in front of his chest to defend himself and took the kick head-on.

Thud!

As the girls cried out in alarm, Nebula's body arced backward, then... fell toward Rin Nohara.

Rin had been watching the fight intently. She let out a tense cry.

Without thinking, she stepped forward and caught Nebula.

The boy's weight made her stumble backward, but she didn't mind. Her gaze quickly fell on Nebula's right arm.

A jagged wound marked the fair skin of his forearm, blood welling from it.

Nebula ignored the wound and looked up at Rin's anxious face. "Thanks."

Rin didn't answer. She quickly took bandages and medicine from her ninja pouch, then deftly disinfected and dressed the wound on Nebula's arm.

A thought surfaced in her mind before she could stop it.

Such a handsome hand. What a shame.

Then, she couldn't help feeling a little angry.

What was Obito thinking, attacking so carelessly? They were classmates sparring. Did he have to fight as if he were facing an enemy?