The whole class had gathered on the playground and lined up, waiting for Asuma Sarutobi to speak.
"All right, here are the rules we'll be following. Everyone must choose an opponent for a ninja sparring match."
"There will be five rounds in total. The first round will leave us with fifteen winners, who will then draw lots. I'll have fifteen sticks, and whoever draws the shortest one will advance automatically. The remaining fourteen will face off, leaving seven winners. Those seven and the student who advanced automatically will enter the third round. Those eight will fight until four remain, then pair off again until we have two. Finally, those two will compete in the final!"
We get to choose our own opponents? Interesting! Ruri thought.
"Teacher, I want to challenge Uchiha Itachi!"
Just as Ruri was thinking about whom to choose as his opponent, a little boy shouted from the crowd.
After speaking, the little boy stepped out of the crowd, stood at the front, and looked at Uchiha Itachi.
"Hey, Shan Yan, you idiot! Why would a bottom-of-the-class loser like you challenge Uchiha Itachi? Don't you know how strong he is?" As soon as the little boy named Shan Yan finished speaking, the students in the crowd started shouting.
Shan Yan curled his lip dismissively and thought, You idiots. Of course I know how strong Uchiha Itachi is. But if I lose to him, Mom and Dad won't yell at me when I get home. If I lose to a genius, even they won't have anything to say!
"All right, you two can begin your match!" The teacher approved the match as well.
"Idiot. Choosing me as your opponent is practically asking to die!" Uchiha Itachi muttered scornfully from within the crowd.
"Ruri, isn't that student named Shan Yan really strong? Why else would he challenge Uchiha Itachi?" Momokusa Harukawa asked Ruri as she stood beside him.
Ruri smiled and looked at Momokusa Harukawa. "Silly, if he were really strong, why haven't we heard his name before? I already know how this will end. That little brat Shan Yan is definitely going to lose badly!"
"Even if he loses badly, he still dared to challenge someone stronger than himself. That takes courage too!"
After hearing Momokusa Harukawa's words, Ruri said nothing. He simply smiled and watched the two face off.
The match had barely begun when Uchiha Itachi pinned the student named Shan Yan beneath him, holding a Ruowu against his neck.
Shan Yan was already breaking out in a cold sweat, his little face deathly pale with fear. After all, a Ruowu gleaming coldly was pressed against his neck. The slightest turn of his head could draw blood. It would have been strange if his face hadn't gone pale.
"Uchiha Itachi wins!" Asuma Sarutobi announced from the side.
After the teacher declared his victory, Uchiha Itachi put away the Ruowu he had held against Shan Yan's neck, then slowly rose with a stony expression.
Once Uchiha Itachi got off him, Shan Yan slowly stood as well, his body trembling. The two bowed to each other, then returned to the crowd.
Even after returning to his place, Shan Yan still seemed to be trembling. Cold sweat kept pouring down his face, which was frighteningly pale.
"See? I told you Shan Yan would definitely lose! You didn't even need to think about how this match would end!" Ruri said to Momokusa Harukawa with a smile.
Momokusa Harukawa stuck her tongue out at Ruri, then turned back to see who would be fighting next.
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