During the distraction, he glanced back and saw Raizen already near the front.
It seemed Raizen was running more smoothly as he went on.
For the next few laps, Kakashi observed Raizen closely.
By the end, Raizen barely sweat.
While others gasped for air and rested, Raizen pulled out a small notebook, quietly reviewing something.
His performance caught the attention of Instructor Umino.
Then he remembered Raizen's origin.
"From the Land of Lightning, huh?"
He recalled the Cloud ninja, famous for their physical skills.
It made sense that Raizen's stamina surpassed others.
Even the Senju and Uzumaki clans weren't as renowned in physical prowess as the ninja from the Land of Lightning.
"Aren't you tired?"
Kakashi asked, curious about how someone so thin could run like that.
"I'm okay," Raizen replied, taking a sip from his water bottle. With chakra, a ninja's physical ability exceeds ordinary people, including endurance running.
He looked at Kakashi, acknowledging the boy's talent.
By twelve, Kakashi had already developed the S-rank jutsu, Chidori.
Obito's gift of the Sharingan had actually slowed Kakashi's progress.
In the official novel Kakashi Secret – Lightning of Ice, after losing the Sharingan, Kakashi developed a new lightning technique called Purple Lightning, an alternative to Chidori that required no hand seals.
"Kakashi, aren't you supposed to be exceptional?"
Kakashi, top of his class, had no physical weaknesses.
"Raizen, so you're burning your youth too!"
Might Guy ran over, his bowl-cut bouncing in the wind.
"No, I'm just training," Raizen said, gesturing to his lean body.
He paused. "To be a ninja, this alone isn't enough."
"True," Guy nodded in agreement.
Under his tight outfit, Guy's strong physique was already impressive.
Raizen, however, indeed needed the extra training.
"Raizen works so hard," Rin said, wiping sweat.
Thin traces of sweat shimmered on her fair skin.
Obito, exhausted from trying to block Kakashi, was the last to finish.
He glanced around for Rin.
Showing Rin his effort made the fatigue worth it.
"Rin…"
Obito saw her back a few meters away. He wanted to greet her but realized a few people were between them.
There was Guy, whom he ignored.
Then Kakashi, his rival.
And that annoying boy from the Land of Lightning.
"Rin, could you continue teaching me ninjutsu today? I've started learning tree-climbing techniques and want to master an E-rank jutsu soon," Raizen asked politely.
Kakashi glanced at Rin in surprise.
Had Rin already taught the transfer student yesterday?
He hadn't known.
"Of course. This will help Raizen adapt faster," Rin said with a gentle smile, wanting to appear kind in front of Kakashi.
Obito overheard.
"Why does it have to be him again?"
Obito stopped, clenching his fists.
He hadn't spent much time with Rin alone. Usually, it was the three of them: Kakashi, Rin, and himself.
Yesterday, he had shamelessly joined them.
If he hadn't, Kakashi and Rin would have been alone.
He had heard from his grandmother that his parents died early in battle.
And this Raizen… he was from the Land of Lightning.
Always hovering near Rin.
Obito could tolerate most things, but Rin paying attention to this boy? Unbearable.
He respected Kakashi's strength and considered him a rival, but why did a newcomer attract Rin's attention too?
"What's wrong, Obito?"
Asuma, sucking on a lollipop, noticed Obito's grim expression.
"Nothing," Obito waved him off.
Seeing this, Asuma didn't push further.
"Oh, it's Rin," Asuma realized, following Obito's gaze.
Obito was always doting on Rin; classmates could tell.
"Tsk,"
Asuma thought, Why do men act so pathetic sometimes?
He walked off in another direction, smiling.
"Red, tired? I have some candy…"
Are all the people from the Land of Lightning really this talented?"
Kurenai Yuhi politely declined Asuma Sarutobi's candy, worried she might gain weight.
Asuma had been her childhood friend. They'd known each other before entering the academy.
"My family has sparred with some Cloud ninjas," Asuma replied. "They said the same thing."
He pictured dark-skinned, muscular men, very different from Raizen's lean frame.
"But Raizen isn't that dark-skinned," Asuma added.
He remembered that while many in the Cloud Village were dark-skinned, some were fair.
The consistent trait was their build.....always strong. How they trained to achieve that, he had no idea.
"Who knows?"
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