The battle commenced with abrupt intensity.It concluded with startling swiftness.
A crisp thwack echoed across the training ground as Ren's fist connected squarely with Asuma Sarutobi's right eye. Asuma stumbled back, clutching his rapidly swelling eye socket, tears of pure, stinging pain—not sorrow—threatening to spill over. He gritted his teeth, glaring at Ren with a gaze brimming with bitter frustration and refusal to concede.
He had lost. Again. But he was not convinced.
Spitting out the classic line of the perpetually second-best, he snarled, "Damn it! Next time, I won't lose to you! Just wait until we're allowed to use ninjutsu in combat! I'll definitely make you pay!"
This guy truly showed no respect for the Hokage's son! The punch was unnecessarily solid! Couldn't he have held back, just a little? His image was in tatters!
Ren: "..."
He genuinely hadn't aimed for the face. But had Asuma ever considered his own part in this? The fist had been on a trajectory; if Asuma hadn't failed to parry or dodge adequately, whose fault was that?
Ren had even been worried about excessive force and parental complaints.
"Your benchmarks for victory are remarkably… flexible," Ren observed with a tone of weary practicality. "This is the third time. Can't you find a new criterion?"
Written exams, shurikenjutsu, now taijutsu… Asuma Sarutobi's standards for a "real" contest were endlessly malleable. One had to admire his persistence, if not his consistency.
"Don't you look down on me!" Asuma barked, his voice muffled by the hand still cupping his eye. Indignation blazed from his left. "I've already mastered several ninjutsu! I refuse to believe your talent extends that far as well!"
How could the Hokage's son be repeatedly bested by the same person? He set a new, fierce goal: he must surpass Ren in at least one arena. He refused to accept the existence of someone who could simply glance at a discipline and master it instantly.
[Ding! Mission complete. Rewards distributing…]
Hearing the familiar chime, a suitably imposing line from his past life surfaced in Ren's mind. He let his voice drop, adopting a cool, detached tone. "Those who fall behind me have never truly been my rivals. I grant you time to chase, until the day comes when you can no longer even see my distant shadow…"
He had a system. How could ordinary effort ever hope to close that gap?
Asuma Sarutobi: "..."
So arrogant!
It was decided! He would train his ninjutsu in secret! Then, in next semester's ninjutsu practical exam, he would stun everyone, defeat Ren in a single, glorious clash, and reclaim the prestige rightfully belonging to the Hokage's heir!
The two performed the Hand Seal of Reconciliation, and the match was formally concluded.
The tournament ground on.
After several more rounds, the upper echelon had solidified. Only the final match for first place remained.
As anticipated by nearly everyone, the last two contestants standing were Ren and Kakashi Hatake—the undisputed first and second placers from the written exams.
This was the clash the entire class had been waiting for. Boys and girls alike watched with rapt attention. Even their chūnin instructor, Teacher Oda, watched with keen professional interest.
Both Ren and Kakashi had dismantled their previous opponents with an ease that bordered on boredom, never seeming to extend themselves. A saying from Ren's old world came unbidden to the minds of those they had defeated: Sorry, we couldn't give you a satisfying fight.
The gulf in skill was just that apparent.
In the center of the ring, Ren and Kakashi faced each other, the Hand Seal of Confrontation already formed between them.
Kakashi did not immediately attack. His single visible eye regarded Ren with unprecedented seriousness.
"Ren," he began, his voice calm and measured. "Have you begun learning ninjutsu?"
Ren considered for a moment, then shook his head. "Not yet."
As previously established, Ren suffered from a severe form of obsessive focus. Until he had fully perfected the Chakra-enhanced Fist, his mind couldn't properly settle to dissect another complex discipline. Now that the technique was complete, however, the path was clear. It was indeed time to delve into ninjutsu.
The academy's formal curriculum wouldn't introduce the Three Basic Techniques until next semester, but those with resources or connections were never bound by the standard schedule. Getting a head start was always advantageous.
"I see," Kakashi replied, a flicker of disappointment crossing his features before it was schooled back into neutrality. He had hoped for more.
He truly wanted to fight Ren at full strength, but a contest confined to rudimentary taijutsu felt unsatisfying, a poor metric for gauging true capability. He already possessed genin-level prowess; these juvenile spars held little challenge for him.
Sensing Kakashi's unspoken thoughts, Ren's eyes gleamed. "What? You want a real fight? Not just this basic taijutsu exercise?"
This Kakashi, still early in his timeline and unburdened by future trauma, retained a sharp, competitive edge. He had subtly marked Ren as a rival.
In the original history, Kakashi had entered the academy at five and graduated at five—meaning sometime this very year, without waiting for a third semester. It was perfectly reasonable to assume he had already begun his ninjutsu training. And with his father being Sakumo Hatake, the legendary White Fang of Konoha… he had likely been introduced to some formidable kenjutsu as well.
Kakashi wanted a serious match. Interesting.
"That's right," Kakashi admitted without pretense. "A bout limited to foundational taijutsu lacks… depth. But since you haven't started ninjutsu, it will have to wait for another time." He added the last part almost as an afterthought of fairness. Fighting someone who didn't know ninjutsu with his full arsenal would feel like bullying. The gap between those who wielded chakra techniques and those who didn't was vast. And that was before factoring in the Hatake clan's blade arts…
[Ding! As the future Spirit King who shall command the Three Realms, the Host must never shy from the challenge of any Soul Reaper. Remember this: so-called geniuses are merely stepping stones upon your path!]
[Mission Issued: Defeat the proclaimed genius, Hatake Kakashi, in an unrestricted bout!]
[Mission Reward: Bakudō #1: Sai!]
The system's prompt resonated in his mind. Ren's smile widened as he looked at Kakashi. "While it's true I haven't formally begun ninjutsu, I do have other… trump cards. If you truly wish for a serious contest, I have no objections."
Even without the system's mission, Ren himself was curious. He wanted to test himself against this prodigy who, in another life, had shattered academy records. What was his current level?
"Trump cards?" Kakashi's interest was visibly piqued, his posture straightening slightly. "Are you saying you accept? A real fight, not a basic spar?"
Ren nodded. "I'm quite interested in the famed Hatake blade techniques as well. You've begun learning them, haven't you?"
Ren hadn't forgotten his other, longer-term objective: mastering the four core combat arts of a Shinigami—Zanjutsu (Swordsmanship), Hakuda (Hand-to-Hand), Hohō (Movement), and Kidō (Demon Arts).
Hakuda, analogous to taijutsu, was underway after a month of diligent foundational training.
Kidō was accruing nicely via system rewards: Bakudō #1: Sai was imminent, he already possessed Bakudō #4. Hainawa and Hadō #4: Byakurai.
Hohō, or Shunpo, was the reward for defeating Asuma, providing a direct avenue for study.
That left Zanjutsu—the art of the blade. He currently had no point of entry. In this context, kenjutsu and the Hatake clan's blade arts were one and the same. The Hatake techniques represented the first plausible channel Ren could see for acquiring this final piece of the puzzle. The Ninja Academy, unlike the Shin'ō Academy in Soul Society, didn't offer swordsmanship courses. He would have to forge his own path.