Winter quietly gave way to spring, and time flew by like a white horse racing past a crack. In the blink of an eye, April had arrived.
At the Ninja Academy in Konoha.
All the students in Isho's class had gathered on the training ground, ready for their practical assessment.
"Isho, who do you think will come in second this time?" Akiyo, who stood behind Isho and got along well with him, asked curiously.
"Probably Jingchuan. I think he came in second last time too. Though, it could also be..." Isho paused, then pointed at himself as if joking.
"Me."
"Hahahaha, he must still be dreaming."
The students nearby who had overheard them burst out laughing. The tense atmosphere eased considerably, while Neji Hyuga calmly glanced over at the two of them.
Only a handful of people in this class will become strong in the future. Rock Lee is still at the bottom of the class, and Tenten is in the lower-middle range. Neji goes without saying—he'll take first place every time. Isho considered the futures of his classmates.
"Isho, you're getting better and better at joking. In that case, I'll be third. I'm only a little weaker than you, after all." Akiyo's smile faded, and he spoke with a serious expression.
"Alright, quiet down."
Before Isho could respond, the Chunin instructor beside them spoke sternly. Two medical ninjas stood nearby, and the instructor held the students' records in his hands. He scrutinized the group, gave Isho a slight nod, then continued:
"From now on, we'll hold a practical assessment every week. You need to understand that every powerful ninja grows stronger at an extraordinary pace by learning from experience and mistakes in actual combat. That's how they become strong."
"Students who rank at the bottom will have their training time and intensity increased. Those who rank near the top may use their free time as they wish after completing their basic training."
"Let's begin the assessment. First match: Uchiha Isho versus Neji Hyuga."
"What?! Isho's really unlucky." Akiyo held his forehead, already mourning Isho in his heart.
Isho walked out of the crowd with steady steps, his expression somewhat complicated. If he lost this match, he would definitely rank last. He didn't want to have to train more.
I was planning to keep a low profile and develop at my own pace, but it looks like I'll have to go all out. Even if I have to use up a Ninja Experience Card, I'm going to win.
Isho quickly reached the designated spot. At the instructor's signal, the two exchanged the Seal of Confrontation and entered their fighting stances.
Isho dashed backward, throwing shuriken at different parts of Neji's body as he ran. Neji pursued him relentlessly, quickly using his kunai to block the attacks or leaping and rolling sideways to narrowly evade them all.
"Another useless trick," Neji muttered, his heart full of disdain.
Isho didn't lose heart and kept running. He had used the same strategy in several previous matches against Neji. He knew all too well how powerful the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms was. Once his chakra points were struck, he'd be completely helpless—unless he had a cheat, of course.
Before long, the two were less than ten meters apart. Neji's eyes flashed as he suddenly accelerated like an arrow loosed from a bow, hoping to claim victory in one strike.
Just then, Isho turned around and finished forming the final Tiger Seal. A sudden sense of foreboding welled up in Neji's heart. He tried to react, but a surging wave of heat accompanied by a gigantic fireball over a meter in diameter was already hurtling toward him.
It was none other than, "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
But just before the flames could engulf Neji, the Chunin instructor responsible for the assessment appeared in front of him with the Body Flicker Technique. He was about to reach out, but then flickered back, his strange movements almost like a demonstration of the technique.
Seeing this, Isho didn't dare let his guard down. He formed Hand Seals again.
In an instant, a charred half-log appeared where Neji had been. Neji materialized ten meters away to Isho's left, looking rather disheveled. Some of his clothes had been burned away, his face was flushed red, and he was breathing heavily.
Isho charged forward. In that moment, the roles of pursuer and pursued had switched.
"How is that possible?! He can still use a ninjutsu of that level? How can he have so much chakra?"
Neji's expression changed, and he immediately tried to use his speed advantage to create some distance.
Isho had no intention of letting him do as he pleased. He leaped forward with all his might, closing the distance between them once more. A stream of scarlet flames burst from his mouth. Realizing he couldn't dodge, Neji immediately darted to the side.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
A thick, heavy brown stone wall appeared in front of Neji. The instructor had intervened, which meant Isho had won. The battle had lasted barely two minutes from beginning to end.
"I never expected a third-year exam to feature a ninjutsu that only Chunin can master."
After speaking, the instructor appeared beside Isho and raised his right hand. "First match goes to Uchiha Isho!"
"What was that ninjutsu? Uchiha Isho used it twice in a row!"
"He can perform such a powerful ninjutsu in his third year. He must be at least a Genin! When did he get so strong?!"
The other students weren't so much focused on Isho's victory as they were on the shock of seeing him master the Great Fireball Technique so well.
After all, many students in the class hadn't even mastered the simplest of the Three Basic Techniques. That showed just how difficult it was to learn ninjutsu, and Isho's Fire Release Ninjutsu had to be several levels above theirs.
The main reason was that Isho had been an average student in the class. Seeing him suddenly leap to first place was such a huge change that they found it hard to accept.
"Isho, no wonder you said you'd come in second. You were prepared all along! Forget second place—you'll probably come in first now."
Akiyo laughed and came over to put an arm around Isho's shoulders. His eyes shone, and he suddenly stood up straighter.
After forming the Seal of Reconciliation and rejoining the group, Isho saw all his classmates looking at him. He smiled and said, "I was lucky to win. Of course, my victory also owed a lot to all my hard work."
Working hard can't compare to having a cheat, Isho silently added.
Neji, who had returned to the group a moment after Isho, saw the scene too. He clenched his fists, his pale eyes fixed on Isho with resentment. Then he gave a cold snort and looked away.
"Next match: Yukino versus Yuino."
"Phew, it's finally almost over. This weather's awful. I'm roasting."
Isho wiped his forehead with his hand, then flicked it toward the ground. The droplets of sweat evaporated as soon as they touched the earth.
The average ones keep fighting back and forth until one side is exhausted before they win. What a waste of time. Not like me—I found the right moment in the second and third matches and ended each with a single ninjutsu. Isho thought helplessly.
"Final match: Uchiha Isho versus Jingchuan Lirang."
Jingchuan Lirang walked out of the crowd at an unhurried pace. He was about 1.4 meters tall and solidly built, making him stand out among the students.
When the instructor lowered his right hand, both fighters drew their kunai.
"Bang."
Two identical clones of Jingchuan Lirang appeared in an instant, each with a kunai in hand. The three figures lined up and immediately charged at Isho.
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