The class's test came to an end. The final result was a tie between the two, and both received full marks.
Normally, Wenyi Hyuga and Uchiha Lan could have earned full marks too, but Xue Ge and Kakashi had shone a little too brightly. They ended up with 95 and 93 points respectively.
After the fight, once Ryosuke had restrained them, Kakashi and Xue Ge each sank onto the Playground, panting lightly as they caught their breath.
Both were bleeding. Xue Ge had stabbed Kakashi in the arm, while flying wood splinters from his shattered prosthetic limb had cut Xue Ge's face.
"Are you okay...?" Rin hurried over and took some rubbing alcohol from the little medical kit she carried, preparing to disinfect Kakashi's wound.
"I'm fine." Kakashi shook his head, then looked at Xue Ge and waved the short sword in his hand.
"If we'd kept fighting, you'd have been dead."
"So would you," Xue Ge replied indifferently.
He pressed his lips together, about to say a few more words to Kakashi, when a white cloth blocked his view.
Muzi wiped the blood and dust from Xue Ge's face with a towel.
"It was only a test. You two took it way too far." Frowning, she looked from Xue Ge to Kakashi.
Kakashi rolled his eyes. Who could have known it would get that intense before they started?
Not far away, quite a few little kids were still gathered around the scorched Playground. The experienced teacher Ryosuke had already run off to report the situation to the relevant school department.
"Thank you," Xue Ge said to Muzi once she put the towel away.
"We're classmates. It's nothing." Muzi smiled and shook her head, then addressed the little kids. "Father asked me to tell you that all of this afternoon's tests are over. Everyone can go home!"
Everyone in class knew Muzi was Ryosuke's daughter. At her announcement, the crowd immediately scattered, leaving only a few people studying the traces of Kakashi and Xue Ge's fight. Obito ruffled Kakashi's hair and laughed. "Hehe, you finally got the short end of the stick too!"
"..." Kakashi put on his trademark dead-fish stare again, completely ignoring the dead-last Obito's gloating.
"Should I take you to the Infirmary? And your prosthetic limb..." Muzi asked quietly as she looked at Xue Ge.
Xue Ge shook his head and stood up with his cane sword in hand. After sheathing it, he told Muzi, "I'll just head straight back."
"Oh, then be careful on your way." Muzi put the towel away.
"Xue Ge." Just then, Kakashi suddenly asked, "You don't know any ninjutsu?"
The moment he said it, everyone still on the Playground turned to look at Xue Ge.
Xue Ge confirmed it.
"Yeah, I don't."
"..." Kakashi narrowed his eyes and studied Xue Ge for a moment, then said pointedly, "The Three Body Technique is a mandatory part of the Ninja Academy graduation exam, you know."
"..." Xue Ge paused midstep, then nodded and walked out of the school without looking back.
Watching Xue Ge's retreating figure, Kakashi felt his suspicion confirmed.
Just as I thought. He wants to graduate early too.
On his way "home," Xue Ge ran into Danzo again.
To his surprise, though, Danzo wasn't alone this time. Hiruzen stood beside him. Both seemed to be waiting for him.
"Walk with us." Danzo beckoned to Xue Ge.
The three walked together along the path leading to Danzo's house.
"It's been four years, Xue Ge. You've grown quite a bit." Hiruzen chuckled as he spoke to him.
Xue Ge looked up at Hiruzen.
Ever since saying goodbye to Hiruzen at the hospital, Xue Ge hadn't seen him again. After all, Hiruzen was Konoha's Hokage and had countless matters to handle every day. Besides, Xue Ge was Danzo's disciple, not Hiruzen's. It was perfectly normal that they hadn't met.
Still, after four years, Hiruzen looked considerably older than Xue Ge remembered.
"Hiruzen and I both saw your fight with Kakashi just now," Danzo said, his face as stern as ever. "I'll be blunt. I arranged what happened this afternoon specifically for you."
"..." Xue Ge calmly waited for Danzo to continue.
"Kakashi Hatake is Sakumo's son. Hiruzen and I both know how talented that boy is." A rare note of approval entered Danzo's voice. "Your performance exceeded my expectations. To think you could fight that boy to a draw. Very good."
"Don't let Danzo fool you," Hiruzen said, undermining him without mercy. "You should have seen how smug he looked when he was telling me about you just now. Hahaha."
"Monkey!" Danzo glared at Hiruzen, who merely shrugged.
After brushing off Danzo's displeasure, Hiruzen turned the conversation back to Xue Ge.
He ruffled Xue Ge's hair and asked, "You've spent two days at school now. How is it? What do you think of school life? How are your classmates?"
"..." Xue Ge hesitated. "The Ninja Academy's lessons... are very easy. A little boring."
"And my classmates..."
He thought back to the few he remembered most clearly.
Kakashi, who slacked off all day but was incredibly strong; Obito, who was weak but optimistic; Muzi, his kind, dutiful deskmate; Rin, who always stood behind Obito and Kakashi to help them; and the excessively hot-blooded Might Guy.
"Their distinct personalities... are something only children raised in loving families would have," Xue Ge said softly. "I probably wouldn't understand."
"..." Hiruzen pressed his fingers to his temples.
So that's how it is. Should I say I'm not surprised? One look, and you can tell this kid was raised by Danzo.
The emptiness and indifference in Xue Ge's eyes were rather jarring to Hiruzen. If this child kept going like this, never mind carrying on the Will of Fire-he might end up even more extreme than Danzo!
No. This is more than ordinary indifference. Something has to be done!
Hiruzen's mind raced, and an idea came to him. He patted Xue Ge's back. "You mustn't think that way. Everyone has someone who loves them, Xue Ge. How about this? You shouldn't devote all your attention to training. I'll introduce you to someone for the two days of the weekend. He happens to be in Konoha these next few days, so you can go help him out."
"Spend more time with other people, child. There's more to the world than training. Even Konoha alone has plenty for you to discover."
"Hiruzen!" Danzo glowered as Hiruzen planned out Xue Ge's weekend. "He's mine!"
"Danzo, I'm the Hokage!" Hiruzen shot back without hesitation.
"...You'll regret this
, damn you." Danzo muttered a couple of curses.
Xue Ge turned his gaze toward Danzo. Danzo drew a deep breath, spat fiercely, then said grudgingly, "Do as Hiruzen says, but you have to come back at night. Understood?"
"Yes." Xue Ge nodded.
Introduce me to someone? This weekend... I wonder who it'll be.