Everyone Here Is Trash

The second sparring assessment was Might Guy versus Obito Uchiha.

The gap between them was even greater than that between Uchiha Ling and Asuma Sarutobi. With a roar and a kick, Might Guy sent Obito Uchiha spinning through the air before he landed flat on his face.

Obito Uchiha looked up, not forgetting to greet Kakashi on the wall first.

Kakashi did not move or respond, making Obito Uchiha leap to his feet and yell in outrage, completely forgetting that he had just lost to Might Guy.

After watching the entire class's sparring matches, Kakashi vanished.

Uchiha Ling was somewhat annoyed. Kakashi was still so good at putting on airs. When it came to acting cool, only Kakashi could compete with him.

Kakashi's identity was too special. He was already a genin who had graduated early, while no matter how strong Uchiha Ling was, he was still just king of the little kids.

Once Kakashi learned some new abilities, he would find another way to make him crack.

Kakashi's early life had been so miserable that making him crack would be easy.

After the sparring class came the Clone Technique assessment of the Three-Body Technique. Uchiha Ling had mastered the Shadow Clone Technique, so he was exempted and received full marks.

Once all the assessments were over, during the final class, Teacher Yamano announced the class rankings from the podium.

The teachers here did not care about preserving students' self-esteem. In his previous life, schools were not allowed to publish rankings or scores. Here, everything was laid bare.

"Now, I'll begin reading names from last place. Come up one at a time to collect your report cards.

"Class rank thirty, last place: Obito Uchiha!"

The classroom instantly fell silent.

Obito Uchiha's face turned ashen. He slowly stood up and walked forward dejectedly.

"Teacher! For the sake of your performance review, I formally suggest that Obito Uchiha repeat the year!"

Obito Uchiha was already upset. Hearing that, he turned and glared furiously at Uchiha Ling.

Uchiha Ling would never pass up any opportunity to provoke Obito Uchiha.

If he could increase the resentment in Obito Uchiha's heart, making him no longer sincere and no longer devoted to love, then Obito Uchiha would lose the talent to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan, and the Uchiha Clan would be rid of a major menace.

Obito Uchiha wanted to retort, but he had no idea how.

Damn it, why was he so weak?

He turned back, collected his report card, and returned to his seat in frustration.

One student after another went up to the podium.

Ebisu was delighted. He had improved from twenty-first place last year to twelfth place this year, and the top ten was within reach.

His father had kept making him challenge Uchiha Ling, and the results had been this good.

Next semester... Ebisu shuddered all over. Forget it, no more asking to be beaten.

Even if he jumped off the Ninja Academy building and died down below, he would never challenge Uchiha Ling again.

"Second place: Asuma Sarutobi."

Asuma Sarutobi's expression was even worse than Obito Uchiha's.

He had been second when Kakashi was around. Kakashi had graduated early, and he was still second. Then hadn't Kakashi graduated early for nothing?

Asuma Sarutobi had just collected his report card and turned around when he saw Uchiha Ling already walking from the back row toward the podium.

"First place! Uchiha Ling!"

Uchiha Ling had stepped on him to claim first place, making Asuma Sarutobi feel even worse.

Uchiha Ling blocked Asuma Sarutobi in the aisle.

"Yo! Isn't this Young Master Asuma, the valiant winner of second place? Go home and study hard. Learn some useful abilities from your Sarutobi Clan. Your father's a ninjutsu professor—surely he doesn't teach you nothing?

"I think you might not be your father's biological son, because even an adopted child wouldn't be treated this cruelly.

"Wait!

"I think I've discovered some incredible secret. You couldn't really be adopted, could you?

"Adopted Asuma! That'll be your name from now on!"

Trash talk poured from Uchiha Ling's mouth, but inwardly he thought, Asuma Sarutobi, when are you going to learn some forbidden techniques or something? How else am I supposed to extract your abilities?

You're such trash. How am I supposed to improve?

Asuma Sarutobi's face turned livid. He desperately wanted to make a move, but then he remembered that he could not win even if he did.

He stood there, his chest heaving and his shoulders trembling.

Seeing this, Uchiha Ling turned sideways and gestured for Asuma Sarutobi to pass first.

"Learning the truth must be hard for you. I feel a little sorry for you. You're pitiful, so you go first."

Asuma Sarutobi swallowed his anger and slipped past Uchiha Ling.

Uchiha Ling was somewhat disappointed. Asuma Sarutobi had not cracked after all; his mental fortitude had improved.

After collecting his report card, Uchiha Ling stepped down from the podium. As he passed Kurenai Yuhi, he said tenderly:

"Kurenai, you're the only one I don't want to see remain ordinary forever.

"You know where I live. During this break, I'll be waiting for you anytime, ready to spar with you anytime."

Kurenai Yuhi's face flushed red. Since when did I know where you lived?!

Behind Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma Sarutobi's face turned green.

What did he mean by "you're the only one"? What did he mean by "waiting for you anytime"?

Uchiha Ling glanced at Asuma Sarutobi. Was a little brat's crush really this shallow? He still had not cracked over this?

"Kurenai, I know your father is very skilled in genjutsu, but what measures a ninja's overall strength is their weakness—the bucket effect.

"Promise me you'll come find me.

"Just look at Ebisu. Under my training, see how quickly he's improved."

Not far away, Ebisu, who had been eagerly listening in on the gossip, instantly raised his head.

What did he mean, "under my training"? He had clearly fearlessly challenged a stronger opponent!

His spirit was so admirable. How had it become "training" when Uchiha Ling said it? Was that even a proper term?

When the final class ended, Uchiha Ling stood up in satisfaction and left the classroom.

As he neared the classroom door, he noticed something strange.

When he turned around, some students were standing while others remained seated, but none of them moved to leave.

They all watched Uchiha Ling from afar, most of them with disgust in their eyes.

Nara Saku had just directed the students, signaling that no one should leave together with Uchiha Ling.

Uchiha Ling snorted coldly.

If he were really a five-year-old brat, he might have been afraid of being isolated.

But the soul inside him belonged to a thirty-year-old man. Whether they isolated him or not, he did not want to play with them anyway.

"Hey! Trash! It's not that you isolated me—it's that I isolated you!

"I'm not targeting anyone in particular. I'm saying that everyone here is trash!

"The Ninja World War has begun. Trash dies quickly. I'm kindhearted, so when you die, I'll pause by your gravestones for a second or two.

"See you next year! Work hard, you trash trying to catch up to me!"

The classroom was silent enough to hear a pin drop.

After a long silence, noise suddenly erupted.

Might Guy shouted the loudest. "Don't get cocky! I'm going to train like crazy all winter! On the first day of school next year, I'm going to beat you down hard!"

Uchiha Ling shook his head and left the classroom, isolating every one of his classmates.

He felt somewhat regretful.

He had just applied equal pressure to every classmate, practically attacking the whole group, yet not a single one of them had cracked.

It seemed these little brats still had dreams. They still refused to admit defeat.

He would have to train hard during the break. He could not afford to stumble against a bunch of little brats.