Dragon Bone

Uchiha Qi stared fixedly at Sword Star for a long while before gritting his teeth. "You win. Whatever you want."

"Fine. A gentleman's word is his bond. Don't go back on it later."

"I swear on the honor of the Uchiha Clan."

Sigh.

Sword Star sighed inwardly. Every other word out of his mouth was "Uchiha," "honor," yet he used it so cheaply for a vow. If he really lost, would he refuse to go back on it even if he had to appear in women's clothing or stand on his head and eat shit?

Of course! Sword Star had risen above such low tastes. He would never make that kind of demand.

As long as it was equal, whether Qi called him "big brother" or "dad," it did not matter. Qi could not show off if he won, then treat Sword Star like a joke if he lost.

"Bring the teacher over. I'm ready anytime." Sword Star began loosening up.

At the Ninja Academy, if students fought while no teacher was present, it was a private brawl—commonly known as a fight. If a teacher was present, a private brawl became a sparring match.

Private brawls meant companions beating each other up, damaging the academy's unity and stability. If you lost, you went to the hospital; if you won, you got detention. There was no upside at all.

Sparring was different. It was mutual practice, an act of improving one's skills and promoting one another's progress. The Ninja Academy encouraged students to resolve conflicts through sparring. Put simply, it was a way to burn off bratty children's excess energy so they would not blow up the school.

The academy's two teachers—Chunin Fukuda Ichiro and Jonin Nakamura Yuki—hurried over after hearing the news, drawing a large crowd of students to watch.