Asuma's Despair

The Seal of Confrontation had barely been made when Asuma took the initiative and struck first.

He swung a fist straight at Gong Yi.

As the Hokage's son, he'd grown up in comfort. His physique went without saying—he was far sturdier than other kids his age.

That single punch was enough to make several of the watching students gasp.

"Asuma's so fast!"

"With a fist that big, one hit would probably put Gong Yi flat on the ground!"

The chatter from the sidelines didn't affect Gong Yi at all. He raised a hand to block Asuma's punch, redirected it with a push, and followed with a sharp kick from his left leg.

Asuma was stunned. How could this skinny classmate be as strong as he was?

What he didn't know was that Gong Yi was still holding back.

In this match, Gong Yi needed Ishii Kawa to see how he used the Three Body Technique and Chakra in combat.

If he beat his opponent with Taijutsu alone, Ishii Kawa definitely wouldn't teach him Ninjutsu easily.

So Gong Yi had to hold back a little, leaving himself room to show off as the fight went on.

In a sense, Gong Yi had been in control of the match from the very beginning.

Once his initial surprise passed, Asuma raised a leg to block Gong Yi's kick, then turned and struck with a side kick.

Gong Yi met him head-on. Fists and kicks flew back and forth, and the fight grew lively.

"Asuma's doing really well. His Taijutsu is almost at Genin level."

On the school building, a Chunin instructor praised him obsequiously.

The Third Hokage nodded, then added approvingly, "The child fighting Asuma is impressive too. He's calm and collected. By the way, what's his name?"

"Uh, I'm not sure. I'm sorry."

"That's not your fault. There are so many students at the Academy; you can't be expected to know them all. But there's more to what we teach than just how to use the body. Let's keep watching."

Unable to finish off Gong Yi after a prolonged fight, Asuma grew impatient. He pulled a kunai from his pouch and hurled it at his opponent.

Of course, it was made of wood. It wouldn't do for younger students to get hurt during a match.

But even a wooden kunai could decide the match if it hit a vital spot. The instructors would still call it.

Thwack!

The kunai struck Gong Yi right in the thigh!

"Asuma won!"

"Gong Yi got hit in the thigh. He can't move properly now, so Asuma definitely won!"

"No!"

Bang!

With a sharp crack, the Gong Yi who'd just been hit suddenly turned into a log. Everyone around them stared in shock.

"Was that the Substitution Technique?"

"Gong Yi actually learned to use Chakra!"

"So what? I learned to use Chakra a few days ago too."

"But he's learned the Substitution Technique!"

Watching the scene, Ishii Kawa nodded. Gong Yi had used the Substitution Technique at the moment his body was about to be injured.

His instincts in combat were quick, and he'd used his Ninjutsu at just the right time.

He'd already decided that, win or lose, he would teach Gong Yi a C-rank Ninjutsu.

After all, this was a genius who could go toe-to-toe with Lord Hokage's son!

Sarutobi Asuma froze for a moment, then quickly scanned the area, searching for the real Gong Yi.

"I'm over here!"

At a sharp shout, Gong Yi suddenly appeared behind Asuma and punched.

But as soon as the blow landed, Asuma turned into a log too.

"You can use the Substitution Technique? So can I!"

Asuma appeared off to one side with a smug grin. Then he charged at Gong Yi with his kunai, and they continued fighting.

For younger students, Gong Yi and Asuma's match was a spectacular one.

They were evenly matched, and even Chunin instructor Ishii Kawa thought so.

But from where the Third Hokage stood, the fight looked different.

"Asuma's lost!"

The person beside him looked confused. "How has he lost? Asuma's clearly got the upper hand! Look, Lord Hokage—Asuma's landed another punch on that boy. I think Instructor Ishii could call the match now."

The Third Hokage shook his head without a word, his eyes clouded with doubt.

"Shadow Clone Technique? Where did this child learn it? No, that isn't the Shadow Clone Technique. He's channeling Chakra into the clone."

Gong Yi lay on a branch high in a tree on the training field. The dense foliage concealed him completely as he watched the fight below with interest.

Asuma was fighting his clone, trading blows with it. He'd even gained the upper hand.

That's right!

Just as the Third Hokage had guessed, after using the Substitution Technique the first time, Gong Yi had immediately followed up with the Clone Technique.

But unlike ordinary clones, which were only meant to mislead an enemy, Gong Yi's clone could carry a quarter of his Chakra. It was a Shadow Clone Technique.

It wasn't as powerful as the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique. He could only make one Shadow Clone, but it inherited his combat experience.

While practicing the Three Body Technique, Gong Yi had suddenly wondered: why not try to evolve the Clone Technique into the Shadow Clone Technique?

The difference between the Clone Technique and the Shadow Clone Technique wasn't actually that great.

One could be destroyed with a light blow and was only useful for deception.

The other could fight an enemy, allowing its user to take care of other things at their leisure.

The key was that clones made with the Clone Technique couldn't carry Chakra, while Shadow Clones could.

With the Recovery Technique from his low-level Scholar Skill, Gong Yi spent a great deal of Chakra on repeated experiments and calculations.

Eventually, he worked out a method.

First, he created a clone with the Clone Technique. Then he channeled Chakra into it to keep it in existence and allow it to move.

Compared to the genuine Shadow Clone Technique, which could instantly create clones that each took half the user's Chakra, Gong Yi's version was only a knockoff. It could carry at most a quarter of his Chakra, and creating it cost him a quarter of his own Chakra.

That didn't even account for the time it took to channel Chakra into the clone.

After plenty of practice, Gong Yi had cut the time down considerably, but it still took a little while.

He wouldn't dare use it on a battlefield. An experienced opponent wouldn't give him the chance.

But with a kid like Asuma, he had nothing to worry about.

After using the Substitution Technique, Gong Yi had jumped into the tree and sent down a Chakra-infused clone to fight in his place.

Asuma looked at the visibly unsteady Gong Yi and grinned triumphantly.

"So what if you learned to use Chakra? You don't have as much as I do!"

"So what if you can use the Substitution Technique? I can too!"

"You're no match for me in Taijutsu either. One more punch and you'll be on the ground!"

Asuma thought this to himself, then let out a roar and threw a punch. It struck Gong Yi, who fell to the ground.

The crowd around them erupted in cheers!

"Asuma's amazing!"

"He really is Lord Hokage's son!"

Ishii Kawa frowned as he watched, feeling sorry for Gong Yi. He'd already done exceptionally well.

Against anyone else—a civilian-born ninja or even a child from a small clan—Gong Yi could have won.

Ishii Kawa shook his head and sighed. This was a setback, but also a chance to grow. He hoped Gong Yi would see things as they were and stop reaching beyond his abilities.

"I declare Asuma the winner!"

"Wait!"

As the crowd looked on in shock, Gong Yi jumped down from the tree, smiling lazily.

"I haven't lost, Asuma. Let's keep going!"

Asuma's mouth fell open. He looked at Gong Yi, then down at his feet.

Poof!

The Gong Yi he'd knocked down vanished in a cloud of white smoke.

"A clone?"

Gong Yi smiled. "You did well. You managed to defeat a clone with a quarter of my strength. Now I accept your challenge again!"

You've got to be kidding!

Asuma panted, drenched in sweat. His hands and feet were already starting to shake.

Had all that effort gone into defeating nothing but a clone?

And one with only a quarter of Gong Yi's strength?

It was utterly despairing!

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