Physical Arts Class

"Farewell, Lord Danzo Shimura!"

Wu did not change his posture, only lowered his head even further, offering his highest respect to Konoha's deepest "darkness."

Then, after sensing Danzo Shimura's presence completely vanish into the darkness, Wu disappeared once more with a swish, leaving the Root base.

The enormous circular platform at the center of the stone bridge once again fell silent.

Moonlight quietly spilled down...

Life at the Ninja Academy was still rather boring for Yin Jie.

After all, aside from the relatively mature Shiranui Genma and Ebisu, who could occasionally exchange a few words with him, he simply could not "play" with the other classmates.

Nor did he want to accompany them in playing those so-called ninja games.

Wouldn't it be better to spend that time practicing chakra control?

It seemed he needed to put learning the Shadow Clone Technique on the agenda as soon as possible, Yin Jie thought to himself.

He planned to copy Uchiha Itachi's clever move: send a shadow clone to attend the Ninja Academy while he stayed home and focused on improving his strength.

That afternoon.

Homeroom teacher Dāhé Wàng led the entire class onto the training field.

Scarred wooden posts stood before them one after another. This was where Ninja Academy students practiced physical arts during class.

After all, not everyone had great talent for ninjutsu. In battles between genin, physical arts and thrown weapons were used most often, so practicing physical arts from their time at the Ninja Academy became the choice of most students.

Students could often be seen on the training field strengthening their bodies through running, jumping, and other exercises.

Of course, a small number preferred close-quarters combat, the feeling of fists striking flesh.

But they were a minority among minorities. After all, who could truly dislike the dazzling variety of ninjutsu?

This was the first physical arts class of the term, so these newly enrolled little ones were naturally filled with interest and curiosity toward everything happening on the training field.

In the distance, two upperclassmen who looked close to graduation were sparring with each other.

After one of them failed to break through with a series of fierce attacks, he took a large step back and spat a small ball of flame from his mouth, sending it roaring toward the other.

This drew a wave of exclamations from Yin Jie's classmates.

After all, for them, who had not yet mastered ninjutsu, this was just too awesome!

Before reality had beaten the fantasy out of them, they believed this was how ninjas were supposed to fight. What use were physical arts? Could they beat even a few Fireballs?

Yin Jie followed along with the crowd and let out a few token cries of surprise, but then turned his gaze away. It was only a tiny Fireball; there was nothing worth making such a fuss over.

Very soon, the spar between the two upperclassmen ended in a draw.

That little Fireball, which had sparked so many cries of amazement, had failed to decide the match or bring victory.

Afterward, Yin Jie's classmates turned their attention back to homeroom teacher Dāhé Wàng and began listening seriously to his instruction on physical arts.

It had to be said that Dāhé Wàng truly deserved his reputation as a veteran teacher who had worked at the Ninja Academy for years. His attainments in physical arts were quite respectable.

He broke down every movement in great detail, using language that even six-year-olds could easily understand to explain physical arts in the simplest and clearest way possible.

Soon, a physical arts class from which beginners could learn quite a lot came to an end.

"Next, it's time for everyone to pair up and practice with one another, putting what you've learned into use through actual combat."

Dāhé Wàng's gaze swept across his students.

If nothing unexpected happened, he would likely remain a chūnin for the rest of his life.

Therefore, he only hoped to cultivate more qualified ninjas for the village in the future.

Perhaps most of them would never surpass him, or might not even graduate successfully and become ninjas at all.

But there would also be students who would eventually become special jōnin stronger than him, or even jōnin.

Of course, he did not dare think about producing a Hokage just yet, though it was his deepest hope and dream.

Shiranui Genma, Ebisu, and Uchiha Yin Jie...

Three names slowly passed through Dāhé Wàng's mind.

He had seen the basic profiles submitted by every student upon enrollment, and these three were the ones he believed possessed the greatest talent for becoming ninjas.

There was no need to say much about Yin Jie. The Uchiha surname said it all.

Shiranui Genma came from the small ninja clan known as the Shiranui Clan.

As for Ebisu, although he was a civilian, he had already completed chakra extraction before entering school and possessed kunai-throwing skills that were quite good for his age.

"Everyone must practice seriously. If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to call for me at any time."

Dāhé Wàng pushed aside his wandering thoughts and added one final reminder.

Though he had already formed a judgment in his heart and had certain expectations, that did not mean the other students lacked ninja talent or could not become ninjas.

Moreover, as a teacher, his duty would not allow him to give up on anyone, and he would not do so.

He would do everything in his power to teach these children how to become qualified ninjas.

Once Dāhé Wàng finished speaking, all the students paired up, found their respective partners, and began practicing physical arts.

Yin Jie first looked at Ebisu, then shifted his gaze to Shiranui Genma, finally settling on Shiranui Genma.

You're the best of a bad lot, so it's you!

Although Ebisu had already extracted chakra and practiced kunai throwing before enrolling, he was ultimately a civilian. Compared to Shiranui Genma, who came from a ninja clan, there was still a certain gap.

If anyone in the entire class was qualified to spar with Yin Jie, it could only be Shiranui Genma.