One Against Three! First in the Grade Is as Good as Mine!

Finally...

At a certain moment, they heard—

"Clang!!!"

The wooden kunai in Mikami Yu and Asuma's hands collided once more, and both flew from their grips.

The instant Asuma swung his fist, Mikami Yu activated the Substitution Technique. With a whoosh, his body vanished from where he stood and appeared behind Asuma. He caught the falling kunai in midair and, before Asuma could turn around, precisely held it across the back of his neck:

"It's over."

"..."

Asuma instinctively wanted to struggle, but quickly realized what had happened. With a bitter smile, he helplessly raised both hands. "All right. You win."

In truth, Asuma still had some stamina left and could have fought a little longer, but there was no need.

Because if that kunai had been real, he would already be dead.

As Asuma conceded defeat,

Mikami Yu also let out a breath and took two steps back. He lowered his center of gravity slightly as he stood there, overwhelmed by a powerful sense of exhaustion.

He had really done it!

One against three!

In this battle, he had used every trick he had. Other than the special properties of the Transformation Technique and Substitution Technique, as well as the Eight Gates, he had used nearly every method at his disposal—though he had never planned to use those first two anyway, since he intended to save them as trump cards for a first encounter.

After catching his breath for a few moments, Mikami Yu looked around.

By then,

Most of the students in the field had already finished fighting.

After all, ninja academy students of this age mostly relied on Taijutsu and the Three Techniques in battle, perhaps with a little Genjutsu mixed in. Once someone was knocked to the ground, the fight was basically over.

Only a scattered few were still fighting.

For example, Obito and Might Guy—

Those two were old rivals as well. In the midterms and final exams over the past few years, Obito had lost to Guy at least four times. Now that enemies had met, their eyes were red with hatred. Even after being beaten black and blue, Obito kept getting back up and continuing the fight.

Finally, Obito found an opening. He formed a hand seal with both hands crossed and spat fire at Might Guy:

"Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!!"

This Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu looked slightly smaller than the one Mikami Yu had used earlier, only about a meter in diameter.

Well... Obito's Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu had been painstakingly trained every day, whereas Mikami Yu's had been "copied" through the Gala System. Compared to Mikami Yu's solid and powerful Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu, Obito's seemed somewhat hollow and weak.

As the blazing flames rushed toward him, Might Guy was so fired up from the fight that he actually raised both arms across his face. Pale green chakra steamed from his entire body as he forcibly smashed through the fireball and struck Obito—who was already celebrating victory—in the face with a Flame Fist!

At that moment, even flames were flickering in Might Guy's hair.

"Guy..."

"Obito, what are you two doing...?"

Not far away, Nohara Rin and Yuhi Kurenai were dumbfounded.

It was only a graduation exam. Why were they fighting like their lives depended on it...?

Just at that critical moment—

"Water Style: Wild Water Wave!"

An even more torrential stream than the one Mikami Yu had used earlier descended from above, dousing the blazing flames. Then, a white figure flashed into the battlefield like lightning. It was Hatake Kakashi, appearing between Obito and Might Guy and grabbing both of them by the wrist.

"You two, enough already! Are you trying to get yourselves killed?"

"Hurry up and find a medical ninja for treatment!"

As Kakashi spoke, the two teachers, Oki and Himura, also stepped in and announced that the fifteen-minute countdown had ended. The entire exam was over.

The medical ninjas who had long been waiting nearby quickly entered the field, examining the injured students and treating the more obvious wounds.

On the attacking side, Nara Zhenyuan was roused awake. He rubbed his aching neck without saying a word. Asuma stepped aside, his gaze toward Mikami Yu complicated. Kaimon Hyuga stood silently nearby as well, his Byakugan already deactivated.

On the defending side, Obito, his face freshly wrapped in bandages, noisily questioned Kakashi about which side had won. Kakashi said nothing, too lazy to pay him any attention.

"Obito, sit down and rest for a while. The teachers will announce the results later."

Nohara Rin patted the stone step beside her and advised him.

Then she looked at Mikami Yu. "Yu, are you all right?"

"...I'm fine. Just a little tired."

Mikami Yu smiled and leaned against the tree trunk behind him, not wanting to move at all.

Nohara Rin pursed her lips before continuing, "What you did just now was incredible. You took on three people by yourself, and one of them was Asuma. I really didn't expect you to have become this strong."

"I just got lucky."

The moment Mikami Yu modestly said that, Obito leaned over. "I'm amazing too! If I hadn't held Might Guy back, how could he have won so easily? And Guy lost to me in the end too. If Yu gets first place, then I should at least be second, right?"

"...I'd say you're twentieth at best."

This time, it was Yuhi Kurenai, who had just walked over.

She was clearly exhausted as well, her face slightly flushed and her breathing still heavy, but her eyes shone brightly. "I think Mikami's first place is beyond doubt. It's a shame Asuma and the others weren't in our group, or they wouldn't have lost so badly."

The group chattered away as they discussed it.

Mikami Yu listened absentmindedly, while lines of text boxes flashed through his mind:

[Transformation Technique: Congratulations, Little Mikami. You won again. And this time, your opponents were much stronger than last time. It was amazing that you managed to win.]

[Clone Technique: Hmph, it was passable. Too bad you didn't use my beautiful new skin... But this is fine too, considering how hard you worked. I wonder which Ninjutsu Little Mikami still hasn't used. So hard to guess!]

[Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu: ...Even though you weren't talking about me this time, I still find it irritating when you talk. Also, I advise you not to mention that technique. Otherwise, once she comes out, this Mikami guy is dead for sure.]

[Eight Gates: ?]

"Fuck, don't start!"

The moment he saw the Eight Gates pop up, Mikami Yu jolted in fright.

He had not used the Eight Gates in this exam, partly because opening only one gate was not very useful, but also because he was somewhat afraid. Who knew whether the Eight Gates would suddenly get carried away and make him run a hundred laps around Konoha's training grounds, or do something else bizarre?

Fortunately...

[Eight Gates: Hmm, although I'm a little unhappy about not being brought along for the fight, I quite like your tactical style. That's what youth is all about! Go home and wash yourself clean. I'll come train with you tomorrow! See you then!]

Mikami Yu: "..."