Combat Training

Amada's gaze followed his classmates as they moved through the sparring matches on the field.

He watched the preceding bouts with keen interest, observing how his familiar classmates displayed their individual traits during actual combat.

Some students attacked with reckless haste, lacking any semblance of strategy, while others defended with timid hesitation, leaving themselves riddled with openings.

Under the keen insight granted by the [Spectator] Potion, what might have seemed like ordinary performances to others were, in Amada's eyes, full of flaws.

Recalling his rapid progress over the past few days, an irrepressible surge of confidence welled up within him.

The improvements in his chakra control and condensation, combined with his leaps and bounds in genjutsu, gave him ample reason to be self-assured.

He mused to himself that with his current strength, these classmates before him were of no concern, and that even when facing Kakashi, who was always regarded as a genius, he would have the strength to put up a fight.

Looking across the entire class, the only ones capable of contending with him were likely just Kakashi and Might Guy.

Should I put on a good performance this time?

This thought circled repeatedly in Amada's mind.

He knew clearly that once he stood out in this practical sparring session, the benefits of gaining a reputation as a genius would be obvious.

Becoming a genius in the eyes of the masses meant being able to enjoy higher-quality educational resources;

Konoha would arrange for experienced elite ninjas to serve as his squad leaders, and he would receive a certain degree of protection during missions, avoiding being easily assigned to those with high-risk factors.

However, Amada also knew the drawbacks all too well.

The halo of a genius was dazzling, but it would also attract too much attention—not just from enemies outside the village, but potentially even from those with ulterior motives within the village.

The source of his abilities was unique, obtained entirely through system draws.

If he used those strange and peculiar items and abilities too often, how would he explain their origins to others?

This was a thorny problem; one slight misstep could invite disaster upon himself.

Amada weighed the options repeatedly in his heart.

In this world of ninjas, strength was certainly important, but hiding one's trump cards and acting with low profile were equally indispensable.

Blindly hiding his strength might cause him to miss many opportunities for growth, but exposing his edge too much could invite unnecessary trouble.

After long deliberation, he finally made up his mind to show off his talent in this sparring match just enough, reaching a level of excellence would suffice—at the very least, he had to shed the long-standing label of "dead-last."

Sorry, Obito, you'll have to carry the title of dead-last all by yourself from now on.

Amada muttered to himself, a faint smile appearing on his face.

Just as Amada was lost in his thoughts, the sparring matches on the field were in full swing.

After several "intense" clashes, the students' enthusiasm grew even higher.

By now, several pairs had already finished their bouts.

"Next pair, Uchiha Obito and Hatake Kakashi. Get ready!"

The teacher's voice rang out across the field, instantly capturing everyone's attention.

The students turned their gazes toward the center of the field, their eyes filled with anticipation.

Amada raised an eyebrow slightly; the teacher had really paired Obito and Kakashi together.

It seemed the teacher felt that with Kakashi's strength, he could easily handle any opponent, so rather than anything else, it was better to have him spar with Obito, which would allow Kakashi to easily display his strength while simultaneously resolving the long-standing conflict between the two.

Obito strode onto the field, his face beaming with a confident smile.

He held his head high, chest puffed out, staring at the Kakashi opposite him as he shouted:

"Kakashi, I'm definitely going to win this time!"

His voice was full of conviction.

Watching Obito's demeanor, a trace of doubt couldn't help but surface in Amada's heart.

I wonder what has made Obito so confident?

Amada then turned his observation toward Kakashi.

Kakashi had his hands casually tucked into his pockets, his eyes revealing a sense of disdain for Obito, as if, in his eyes, the outcome of this duel was already a foregone conclusion.

Yet occasionally, a trace of imperceptible helplessness would flash through his eyes, perhaps because he felt that this duel with Obito was a complete waste of time.

However, relying on his "spectator" insight, Amada noticed the corner of Kakashi's mouth twitch slightly.

Though it was an extremely subtle movement, it indicated that he seemed to have already made some kind of decision in his heart.

"Begin, perform the Seal of Confrontation!"

The teacher's voice rang out.

To everyone's surprise, the moment the duel began, Obito did not hesitate in the slightest, charging straight toward Kakashi head-on.

This reckless move not only left the surrounding students dumbfounded, but even Amada had not anticipated it at all.

No way, where on earth does he get the confidence to think he can beat Kakashi by throwing punches head-on!

Amada ranted wildly in his heart.

"Oh!! That's it! A real man should trade blow for blow. Obito, you are a hot-blooded man too!"

This was the voice of Might Guy.

The moment Kakashi saw Obito charging over regardless of the consequences, he was also slightly taken aback, clearly not having expected Obito to adopt such a simple and brutal method of attack.

But after a brief moment of shock, he reacted immediately.

His body swayed lightly to the side, easily dodging Obito's frontal assault.

Following that, he kicked out in one fluid motion, clean and crisp, without a hint of hesitation.

This kick landed directly on Obito's abdomen.

Obito had no time to put up any defense, and his entire body was sent flying.

Obito crashed heavily to the ground and lay there in a disheveled heap for a while, looking as if he had been dazed by the kick.

However, just when everyone thought he might give up, Obito suddenly pushed his hands against the ground and struggled to stand up.

I have to say, Obito's ability to take a beating is on par with the future Naruto.

Amada stood to the side, watching Obito get back up, and marveled inwardly.

"Damn you, Kakashi, that kick just now really hurt!"

Obito clutched his stomach, his expression twisted in pain.

Immediately afterward, Obito's expression turned serious.

"Next, I'll defeat you with the ninjutsu I just learned!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Obito began to weave hand signs; although his movements were a bit slow, they were indeed the signs for a ninjutsu.

The surrounding students all widened their eyes in astonishment.

"Those are the signs for Fire Style. Can Obito really use Fire Style?"

The teacher's heart was filled with surprise and doubt.

A hint of worry flickered in his eyes as he furrowed his brows, staring intently at Obito.

As an experienced ninja, he knew the power of Fire Style ninjutsu;

if Obito truly succeeded in unleashing it, the situation could very likely spiral out of control.

He secretly prepared himself; the moment Obito actually unleashed Fire Style, he would rush forward to stop it, both to protect Kakashi from harm and to prevent Obito from accidentally injuring the other students.

As for Kakashi, his original look of indifference vanished in an instant, replaced by a face of solemnity.