Looking at the fist right in front of him, Kakashi had only one thought.
So fast.
There had been six or seven meters between them, yet Seiryū crossed that distance in an instant?
This speed was even faster than his Body Flicker Technique!
Damn it. I shouldn't have trusted Seiryū!
He even said he hadn't learned Ninjutsu. Isn't the Body Flicker Technique a Ninjutsu?
Is this what a real shinobi is like?
Never easily revealing their true abilities. Fine, he'd learned his lesson. Compared to Seiryū, he was still too naive, not yet a qualified shinobi!
Swish…
The fist passed by his ear without hitting him, but the wind pressure it created made Kakashi's broom-like hair sway violently.
"I won this spar, Kakashi." Seiryū's attack didn't land, but the outcome of the match was already decided.
He didn't want to deal with medical expenses. Even if he had money, there was no need to be that reckless.
It was just a spar. They stopped before causing serious injury.
If he hadn't tried to show off earlier, he could have dodged that Great Fireball that was only a meter away…
"I lost…" Kakashi slowly let out a breath. There was no resentment in his voice. Seiryū had defeated him fair and square.
He hadn't held back either and had used all of his strength.
Yet he still lost.
Only now did he realize that Seiryū's earlier punch had deliberately exposed an opening, guiding him into attacking.
It wasn't Seiryū who revealed a flaw, it was himself. He was still too inexperienced. This loss was well deserved.
[Ding. Mission complete. Rewards being issued…]
As Kakashi admitted defeat, the system notification sounded once more in Seiryū's mind.
Today had been extremely rewarding. He had completed three missions in a row and obtained three rewards.
Hadō #4: Byakurai. Shunpo. Hadō #1: Shō.
A huge harvest!
Seiryū formed the Seal of Reconciliation and smiled. "Thank you for the match."
Kakashi also formed the seal and nodded. "Next time I…"
He stopped mid-sentence. Remembering how several people who lost to Seiryū had said similar things, he felt something was off. Why did everyone say the same thing after losing?
He changed his wording. "I look forward to our next spar."
Seiryū nodded. "Yes, I look forward to it as well."
He didn't immediately bring up learning the Hatake sword techniques. Things like that had to be done gradually. It was Kakashi's father's signature skill. How could it be casually taught to someone else?
Steady progress was the right approach. Without the right relationship, bringing it up would only be awkward.
Didn't Seiryū also know that Minato had already begun developing the Rasengan? Yet he wasn't in a hurry either.
There were still several years before the true outbreak of the Third Great Ninja War. He had time to grow.
Most importantly, these things couldn't be rushed.
Besides, Seiryū had plenty to do. The three rewards he just obtained all required time to study. He was actually quite busy…
The battle ended, and under Oda's announcement, the rankings for this practical lesson were finalized.
First place, Seiryū. Again.
No matter the subject, he always took first. It was absurd. Everyone present, teachers and students alike, had witnessed the battle. He was already on a completely different level.
He even possessed Genin-level strength.
It was hard to imagine that a first-year Academy student already had Genin-level combat power…
"Seiryū is way too strong. First place again!"
"As expected of Seiryū. He's incredible!"
"I have to make Seiryū fall in love with me…"
Cheers and exclamations rose one after another, mostly from the girls, their eyes filled with admiration and excitement.
Everything about Seiryū perfectly matched their image of a genius.
Handsome, powerful, and gentle. He was almost flawless.
Of course, where there were cheers, there were also less pleasant voices.
People are competitive, especially boys at this age. They felt unconvinced and jealous, but… recalling the battle, they hesitated.
The gap was simply too big.
"Tch, showing off again. Even Kakashi isn't his match. How am I supposed to beat him?" Obito spoke with a sour tone.
Especially when he saw Rin staring intently at Seiryū.
The jealousy only grew stronger.
"If I awaken my Sharingan, I should have a chance!"
Touching his eyes, Obito felt that there might still be hope. As long as he awakened the Uchiha clan's bloodline limit, the Sharingan, he believed he could defeat Seiryū and attract Rin's attention.
Ryota thought the same. His slightly sinister gaze fixed on Seiryū as he muttered, "Sharingan… I need to awaken my Sharingan as soon as possible!"
The dejection he had felt earlier was gone.
The Uchiha clan would not remain stagnant forever. Their pride, sometimes, could be a positive force.
Well, most of the time, it was a negative one…
Asuma's fighting spirit was also reignited. He clenched his fists tightly and resolved, "No. When I get home, I'll ask Father for more Ninjutsu. I already said it. Next time I absolutely can't… can't lose so easily!"
Next time, he absolutely could not lose so badly.
He was the Hokage's son, backed by Konoha's strongest shinobi. As long as he worked harder, and then even harder, there was still a chance to win!
If Seiryū knew what these people were thinking, he would definitely give them a thumbs-up.
Clap, clap.
Oda clapped his hands, drawing the students' attention, and smiled. "Alright, class. The results for today's practical lesson are out."
He paused, then gave a meaningful smile. "However, I believe many of you may not be satisfied with your results. So next, we'll proceed with the final segment of today's practical lesson."
"Everyone will get one chance to challenge a student with a higher score than their own. If you defeat them, you take their score, and the loser's ranking drops by one!"
This final challenge was meant to give students who were unlucky a chance to prove themselves.
For example, Ryota's poor ranking was only because he ran into Seiryū in the first round. It didn't mean his actual combat ability was weak.
This was both an opportunity and a test.
A test of insight and judgment.
The practical rankings were already set. Every student had experienced at least one fight. They should have a clear idea of who was strong and who was weak.
Insight and judgment were also indispensable qualities for a shinobi.
(To be continued.)