Life at the Ninja Academy continued amid uneventful days and hidden undercurrents. Ling maintained every detail of his persona flawlessly: consistently excellent grades in academic classes, precisely controlled scores in practical lessons, and relationships with Ino, Tenten, and the others that were neither too distant nor too close.
Yet even when he wanted peace, trouble would not leave him alone. The semester's first combat assessment arrived right on schedule.
The assessment was simple and straightforward: one-on-one matches, jointly judged by Iruka-sensei and several other chunin instructors, testing basic taijutsu, application of the Three Body Technique, and tactical awareness.
When the draw results came out, they caused a small stir.
"First match: Ling Hatake versus Sasuke Uchiha!"
The crowd immediately buzzed with excitement. A showdown between top students! This was undoubtedly the highlight of the assessment. Ino clenched her fists nervously, while Sakura watched Sasuke without blinking. Naruto shouted from the sidelines, "Sasuke! You'd better beat that stuck-up jerk!" (Although Naruto himself had drawn Kiba in the first round, and his prospects looked grim.)
Sasuke snorted, slipped his hands into his pockets, and strode coolly into the arena. His gaze toward Ling brimmed with confidence and undisguised competitiveness. He had always considered Ling one of his main rivals and had long wanted a proper match against him.
Ling entered the arena calmly, his expression unchanged.
[Hold back. Focus on taijutsu and maneuvering, then use a slightly respectable Water Release technique to make the final win look like a struggle.] Tobirama swiftly laid out the battle plan. [Watch out-he moves fast. The Uchiha have a solid foundation in taijutsu, but he lacks the ferocity that comes from life-and-death experience. His opening is the slight stiffness after he commits to a strike.]
"Begin!" Iruka-sensei gave the signal.
Sasuke attacked first! His movements were indeed swift and sharp. His kunai thrust straight ahead with a faint whistle, coming from a tricky angle that revealed training far more solid than that of his peers.
Ling shifted his footing, seemingly avoiding the blade by a hair, and used basic taijutsu to hold Sasuke off. To the onlookers, his movements looked full of "effort." Every block and dodge was just right, showing a good foundation while also suggesting that he was struggling, barely holding out against Sasuke's fierce assault. Yet at every crucial moment, he evaded with the smallest possible movement, as though he had predicted Sasuke's actions.
"Wow! Sasuke-kun is so fast!"
"Ling-kun looks like he's having trouble keeping up..."
"Sasuke-kun really is stronger after all!"
Discussion rippled along the sidelines. Ino stamped her feet anxiously. "Ling! Come on!"
Unable to break through despite his repeated attacks, Sasuke's frown deepened. His opponent's movements did not even look particularly fast, yet he was as slippery as an eel, always avoiding attacks by the narrowest margin. It left Sasuke frustrated, unable to bring his strength to bear. That frustration gradually made him impatient. His attacks grew fiercer, but his openings also increased slightly.
Now!
The instant one of Sasuke's powerful slashing attacks missed and he began drawing his arm back, a sharp gleam flashed in Ling's eyes! He stopped merely dodging and abruptly stepped in sideways. His left hand deflected Sasuke's retreating arm, while the kunai in his right darted out like a striking snake, thrusting straight into the opening Sasuke had left by committing to his attack!
The change came with astonishing speed, and the timing was exquisite!
Sasuke's pupils contracted. He had never expected Ling, who had been defending passively all this time, to launch such a precise counterattack! He desperately twisted to dodge, but he was already half a beat too late!
Rrrip!
The kunai's sharp tip tore through Sasuke's sleeve, leaving a shallow, bloody cut on his arm!
"Ah!" Gasps rose from the sidelines.
Stung by the pain, shocked and furious, Sasuke leaped backward to gain distance. Looking at the bloody mark on his arm, his expression turned ugly. He had actually been the first to get hurt!
"Damn it!" Sasuke growled, thoroughly enraged. His hands rapidly formed hand seals-the seals for Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique! Although it was only a basic C-rank ninjutsu, its power in Uchiha hands was not to be underestimated! Ninjutsu was permitted during the assessment, but students generally controlled its power.
Iruka-sensei leaned forward slightly, ready to intervene at any moment.
Ling's gaze sharpened. Here was his chance!
The instant Sasuke inhaled, Ling moved too! His hand seals appeared half a beat slower than Sasuke's, but they were exceptionally steady.
"Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"
A fairly powerful stream of water burst from Ling's mouth, aimed precisely at the fireball Sasuke had spat out, its size deliberately restrained!
Hiss-!
Water collided with fire, and a great cloud of steam instantly spread out, blocking everyone's view!
Gasps erupted along the sidelines.
From within the steam came several rapid sounds of hand-to-hand combat, followed by a muffled grunt.
As the steam slowly dispersed, the situation in the arena became clear:
Sasuke knelt on one knee, his water-soaked clothes making him look even more disheveled. His face was filled with shock, resentment, and anger. His Great Fireball had been extinguished completely.
Ling stood a few steps away from him, breathing slightly hard, sweat beading at his temples. The kunai in his hand was pressed against Sasuke's throat, but his arm trembled faintly too, as though that Water Release technique had consumed an enormous amount of energy and he had put everything he had into the final strike.
For a moment, everything went still.
"The winner is Ling Hatake!" Iruka-sensei announced immediately, his eyes full of approval. "Excellent tactical choices! First, a precise counterattack to break your opponent's momentum and force him to use a costly ninjutsu. Then, countering with Water Release to obscure his vision and close in for the decisive strike! Your timing, control, and tactics were all first-rate!"
"Yay!!!!" Ino was the first to jump up and cheer, happier than if she had won herself. Sakura looked at Sasuke with worry in her eyes. The other students began talking as well, their gazes toward Ling now carrying a measure of genuine admiration.
Sasuke stood up with his teeth clenched, staring hard at Ling, his eyes almost blazing. He felt unbearably frustrated. His opponent clearly had not looked that strong, yet every response had been perfectly measured, as though he had seen through all of Sasuke's actions! Especially that final Water Release technique-its power had been just enough to counter his fireball. That chakra control... He clenched his fists tightly and returned to the crowd without a word.
Ling withdrew his kunai, steadied his "labored" breathing, and returned to his place as well, letting just the right traces of "exhaustion" and "relief at his lucky win" show on his face.
[Not a bad performance,] Tobirama remarked mildly. [The timing of the counterattack, the power of the Water Release, the exhaustion at the end-you controlled all of them just right. You won while thoroughly "revealing" your "limits," without provoking him too much.]
Ling felt a slight sense of relief. The performance had been practically perfect. He had won the assessment and demonstrated sufficient strength, tactical value, and chakra control, while suitably "revealing" his "heavy" chakra expenditure and signs of having "given his all," without excessively provoking Sasuke or any observers who might be watching.
[But you still don't understand the Uchiha. Did you see that brat's eyes at the end, and those clenched fists? You're in trouble, kid.] Tobirama sounded rather pleased with his misfortune.
The remaining matches passed without major surprises. Naruto did indeed lose to Kiba and Akamaru's teamwork, though he provided plenty of laughs along the way. Ino faced Sakura and won through stronger fundamentals and a tiny smattering of her Family Secret Technique, such as simple suggestions through Mind Disruption. Hinata unexpectedly showed considerable tenacity against an unremarkable classmate, though she ultimately surrendered out of shyness.
When the assessment ended, Ling unquestionably received one of the highest ratings.
After school, Ino circled him excitedly. "Ling! You were amazing! You actually beat Sasuke-kun! That counterattack was so cool!"
Tenten came over too. "Nice tactics! Act weak first, then find your chance to finish it in one strike!"
Even Hinata quietly offered, "C-congratulations, Hatake-kun."
Ling only replied mildly, "He was too impatient."
He noticed that Sasuke's gaze was full of resentment and an even stronger desire to fight, while Naruto wore a thoughtful expression that seemed to say, "So you can do it that way too."
Out of sight, a certain Lord Hokage who had watched the entire match through the Crystal Ball took a puff of his pipe and smiled in satisfaction. "Excellent tactical awareness, calm, good at seizing opportunities, precise chakra control... Kakashi, you really have taught him well."
And in deeper shadows, Danzo listened to his subordinate's report, a cold glint flashing in his single eye. "Precise tactics and chakra control... It seems he has more than a little cleverness. Keep watching. I need a more detailed assessment report."
The combat assessment was like a stone cast into a lake. Although Ling had done his utmost to control the size of the ripples, its effects were quietly spreading. His image as a "top student" had become more firmly established, but he had also officially become a focus of attention for more people.
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