Before long, the sparring had reached the second round, and the fifteen students who had just won their matches were drawing lots.
"We'll draw lots now. Whoever draws the shortest stick advances straight to the next round!" Asuma Sarutobi said, holding a handful of sticks.
"I wonder who'll be lucky enough to draw the shortest one!"
"Don't worry, it definitely won't be you!"
"You never know! What if I draw it?"
While the children were talking, all fifteen students had drawn their sticks from Asuma Sarutobi's hand.
"All right, everyone has drawn a stick. Now let's see whose is the shortest!" Asuma Sarutobi said, clapping his hands.
"Ruri, where's your stick?" Momokusa Harukawa asked from beside him, looking at the stick in her hand.
"Right here. I have no idea whether it's short or long!" Ruri said, holding his stick out in front of Momokusa Harukawa.
Momokusa Harukawa took Ruri's stick and compared it with her own, then said with a smile, "Ruri, you're so lucky! You drew a short one. Yours is a fair bit shorter than mine!"
"Oh, really? Then I'm really lucky today!" Ruri said, smiling at Momokusa Harukawa.
Ruri then took his stick over to Asuma Sarutobi.
"All right, everyone, Ruri Hyuga has drawn the shortest stick. Let's begin the second round!"
"Seriously, Ruri is so lucky!"
"Oh well, let's just focus on our matches!"
Having drawn the shortest stick, Ruri walked to the side and sat down to watch the upcoming matches.
"Teacher, I want to challenge Akagimaru!" Reika Hyuga said, standing beside Momokusa Harukawa.
"Linghua, come on! Why did you have to pick me?" Akagimaru said with a wry smile from nearby.
"What, are you scared of me?" Reika Hyuga asked with a smile.
"Who's scared? Bring it on!" With that, Akagimaru walked onto the sparring ground.
"Next up, Reika Hyuga versus Akagimaru!" Asuma Sarutobi announced.
After the two bowed to each other, Reika Hyuga lowered her stance and assumed the opening posture of the Gentle Fist.
"Come on! Let's see just how strong you are!"
Meanwhile, Ruri activated his Byakugan as he watched from the sidelines, observing the flow of chakra inside their bodies.
"Not bad. Her chakra control is excellent! Just what you'd expect from someone in our Hyuga Clan!" Ruri murmured with a smile as he watched Reika Hyuga.
On the sparring ground, Akagimaru's expression turned serious, and he adjusted his attitude. He could tell that Reika Hyuga was taking this very seriously, and the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist was nothing to scoff at.
"All right, take this!" Akagimaru said.
"Here I come!" Reika Hyuga cried, thrusting her palm forward.
Akagimaru's gaze sharpened. Reika Hyuga's palm strike was surprisingly fast, and he only had time to dodge sideways rather than block it.
Soon, their fight reached a fever pitch. Akagimaru gradually found himself unable to withstand Reika Hyuga's attacks and ultimately lost.
"Ruri, can you teach me ninjutsu tomorrow?" Momokusa Harukawa asked, walking over and crouching beside him.
Ruri looked at Momokusa Harukawa and smiled. "Sure! What kind of ninjutsu do you want to learn?"
"Um, my chakra nature is Wind Release, so you can decide what to teach me! Is that okay?" Momokusa Harukawa asked, blushing.
Ruri smiled and said, "Sure, no problem. Wait for me tomorrow!"
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