"Uchiha Lan, 295 jin."
"Wenyi Hyuga, 300 jin."
Ryosuke read out the results of the first two students from prominent clans, looking unsurprised. Even with chakra, these first-year children generally topped out at around 200 jin. Every year, however, the children from prominent clans were far stronger physically, having begun training with their families at an early age.
Uchiha Lan frowned and glanced at Wenyi Hyuga, who raised his chin provocatively.
The ordinary students tested next had widely varying results. The better ones managed around 200 jin, while the weaker ones could not even lift 100. The gap was enormous, and their results were scattered across the range.
Ryosuke scribbled on his sheet of paper and finally called Kakashi's name.
Then, under everyone's disbelieving stares, Kakashi lifted the heaviest barbell, weighing 350 jin. It did not even look as though he had reached his limit.
"...Do you need me to add more weight?" Ryosuke was stunned, too. This was the first time he had seen anyone lift that barbell.
Kakashi shook his head, set down the barbell, and walked away without a fuss.
Obito was right after Kakashi. With disbelief written all over his face, he tried lifting it, but the 350-jin weight did not budge in his hands. His face flushed red, yet he could not raise it a single inch.
Still stunned, Lan and Wenyi both turned toward Kakashi, who usually kept a low profile. He strolled leisurely back into the crowd, took a booklet from his pocket, and began reading.
"350 jin..." Both realized that a monster had been hiding in their class.
The last person to be tested was Xue Ge, who had transferred into the class. While everyone was still staring at Kakashi, some openly and others discreetly, Xue Ge silently walked up to the heaviest barbell and lifted it without hesitation.
To graduate early, I need full marks. There's no reason to hold back.
The theory exams posed no difficulty for him, and he was confident he could take first place. That meant he needed to put more effort into practical training.
"Waterbird River Xue Ge... 350 jin." The pen in Ryosuke's hand paused.
Uh, is there something unusual about this year's class?
"Huh?" Heads both big and small turned again, looking toward Xue Ge as he casually set down the barbell.
Kakashi's grip on his booklet tightened, and he glanced at Xue Ge out of the corner of his eye.
Just as I thought...
The second event was an endurance test, measured by how many laps they could run around the school grounds without stopping.
Rin ran twelve laps, Obito ran fifteen, and Uchiha Lan and Wenyi Hyuga ran twenty-three and twenty-one respectively.
When Kakashi and Xue Ge reached thirty laps, still running side by side, Ryosuke called a halt.
He was worried that if he let them continue, neither would be tired even when school ended.
The third event was the ninja tools throwing test. Each student threw ten shuriken, ten kunai, and ten senbon, and their scores from all thirty throws were added together for a maximum of 300 points.
Obito finished with an abysmally low score of 114 and went off alone to sulk. Asuma scored 287, while Rin and Kurenai both scored 230.
Wenyi Hyuga scored 297, while Uchiha Lan, Xue Ge, and Kakashi all earned perfect scores of 300.
"What a disgrace to the Uchiha..." Uchiha Lan pressed a hand to her forehead helplessly as she looked at Obito in the distance. The Uchiha Clan was famous for its ninja tools throwing, yet somehow it had produced someone like Obito, who had scored dead last.
The final sparring test was conducted in pairs. Ryosuke matched the students according to their combined rankings from the first three tests.
Kakashi and Xue Ge tied for first with perfect scores across the board. Uchiha Lan was third, Wenyi Hyuga fourth, Asuma fifth, and sixth was Genma Shiranui, who had barely drawn any attention before now.
The matchups were therefore Kakashi versus Xue Ge, Uchiha Lan versus Wenyi Hyuga, Asuma versus Genma Shiranui, and so on.
The matches proceeded from the bottom of the rankings upward. First came Obito versus Gekko Hayate...
There was no suspense in this match. Gekko Hayate's poor health had held him back in the first three tests, leaving him at the bottom in both strength and endurance. Only his ninja tools throwing had been decent. But all of Gekko Hayate's skill lay in his swordsmanship.
Thirty seconds later, Obito was flat on the ground.
Rin sighed. Obito really was the dead last of the class. Even his theoretical knowledge was poor...
The next few matches were Ebisu versus Aoba Yamashiro... Jangu Muzi versus Mitaraishi Anko, Rin Nohara versus Kurenai Yuhi... Might Guy versus Namiashi Raidō, Asuma versus Genma Shiranui, and Uchiha Lan versus Wenyi Hyuga.
As the rankings rose, there were fewer ridiculous matches like Gekko Hayate versus Obito Uchiha, and the fights became increasingly exciting. By the time the Uchiha and Hyuga faced off, the clash between shuriken flying everywhere and the Hyuga's Byakugan and Gentle Fist left everyone dazzled and cheering.
Across the spacious training grounds, Lan and Wenyi maneuvered around each other, constantly changing positions. Their exciting fight even drew the attention of several older students, who craned their necks to watch during class.
"That's Lan, isn't it..." In a third-year classroom, a boy with similarly spiky hair and a round, bulbous nose leaned against the window to watch.
A pen flew from the lectern and struck him on the head, accompanied by a roar. "Shisui Uchiha! Pay attention!"
"Yes!" Shisui ducked his head and smiled sheepishly, hurriedly opening his book.
But he still kept glancing down at the grounds out of the corner of his eye.
Lan and Wenyi's fight lasted almost twenty minutes. In the end, Lan failed to dodge in time, and Wenyi seized an opening to catch her with a palm strike. After that, she took an entire sequence of Gentle Fist strikes and lost.
Although the fight had been long, everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. The weaker students enjoyed the spectacle, while the stronger ones learned quite a bit from their exchange.
Lan was reluctant to accept her defeat. The Hyuga Clan's Byakugan and fist techniques gave them far too great an advantage in taijutsu combat.
"Once we start learning ninjutsu, you're definitely going to lose to me..." Lan mumbled, clutching her aching jaw.
Wenyi Hyuga gave a cold snort, making his disdain perfectly clear.
The two returned to their respective little groups, still annoyed with each other. Before Ryosuke could call out the next names, Kakashi had already walked to the center of the grounds and was watching Xue Ge, who stood alone amid the crowd.
The Hyuga and Uchiha groups, still arguing a moment earlier, fell silent in unison and focused on the match about to begin.
People from prominent clans would not readily admit they were falling behind. Though each side disliked the other, they were even more eager to find out just how good these two outstanding students from outside the prominent clans really were.
They'd better not just be good at tests and useless in an actual fight.
"Next is the final match, Kakashi Hatake against Waterbird River Xue Ge." Once Ryosuke finished speaking, Xue Ge slowly walked over with his cane and stopped in front of Kakashi.
They could begin at any moment, but although Kakashi had drawn his kunai, he did not rush to attack.
"Draw your sword. I know swordsmanship is your specialty." Kakashi pointed the tip of his kunai at Xue Ge. "I've never met anyone strong my age before, but I think you might be."
"..."
Xue Ge was silent for a moment, then nodded.
Xue Ge felt much the same as Kakashi. So far, aside from Might Guy, he had only fought people whose strength far exceeded his own. Fighting En, Sakumo, and the other ANBU was far too difficult and stressful, while fighting Might Guy was too easy. Right now, Xue Ge urgently needed someone close to his own level to get a clear sense of where he stood.
Kakashi... is the son of Konoha's White Fang. Maybe he can fight me on equal footing.
Moreover, judging by Kakashi's performance so far, Xue Ge felt that he would probably be a strong rival in the race to graduate early.
With that thought in mind, Xue Ge held his cane horizontally.
Kakashi had just frowned and was about to ask something when his eyes widened.
Clang-
With a clear ring, Xue Ge slowly drew a sharp, slender, straight-bladed sword from his cane.
Whoosh! Steel flashed before Kakashi's eyes as Xue Ge raised the blade and pointed it straight at his throat.
"Let's begin."