"Hey—" On the playground, the students yelled in unison.
"Okay, okay!" The teacher clapped his hands and announced, "Today, we'll follow this rule. Everyone can choose their own opponent. We have to get through 25 matches today, so time is tight."
'Everyone can choose their own opponent? Isn't the teacher supposed to assign opponents? This could be interesting! So, who should I choose?' Chiba thought.
Chiba sneakily took out the remaining half of his steamed bun and surveyed his surroundings while nibbling on it.
'Hirohiko Uchiha?'
Chiba quietly set his sights on him. If you want to draw attention, you've got to aim for the top student of the year.
"That's great! I want to challenge Hirohiko!" No sooner had the teacher finished speaking than a young boy raised his hand, stepped forward, and pointed at Hirohiko Uchiha in the crowd.
"Hey, what are you thinking? You're at the bottom of the class!" The other students burst out in disbelief.
The boy, defiantly puffing out his chest, thought to himself: 'You fools, if you lose to the top student, your parents can't possibly scold you when you get home. Losing to the best gives you a free pass, even from your own parents.'
"Alright!" The teacher approved the duel.
Chiba glanced at the boy, then at Hirohiko Uchiha, who was stepping forward with a calm demeanor.
'A step too slow, well, let's see how strong Hirohiko Uchiha really is,' Chiba mused.
After completing the preparatory rituals, the teacher declared the start of the match.
Then, Chiba's eyes narrowed slightly.
The outcome was decided in an instant!
Hirohiko Uchiha swiftly pinned the boy under him, placing a hand on his neck.
The boy was petrified, his face pale with fear, as a cold, gleaming kunai rested at his throat. It was no surprise his face went white.
"Hirohiko Uchiha wins!" the teacher announced.
Hirohiko Uchiha, with a cold demeanor, sheathed his kunai and stood up slowly. The boy also got up, still shaking and dripping with cold sweat, his face ashen.
'A murderous aura... Has Hirohiko Uchiha already tasted blood?' Chiba wondered.
Chiba set down his bun and frowned.
'To subdue his opponent with a single move, that was incredibly fast.'
'A genius indeed. I must not underestimate him.'
Chiba had thought that mastering the *Eight Gates*, even just three would allow him to dominate these students. But now, it seemed Hirohiko Uchiha wouldn't be so easily defeated.
"Next, who will challenge?" the teacher asked.
"I will..." Just as the teacher finished speaking, a clear, melodious voice cut through, and Yukina Hyuga stepped out from the crowd.
The teacher looked at Yukina Hyuga, nodded, and said, "Choose your opponent."
"Will the match between Hirohiko and Miss Yukina start so quickly?" a young boy asked, excitement sparkling in his eyes, eagerly anticipating the duel between Yukina Hyuga and Hirohiko Uchiha.
"No need to ask who she'll choose; it has to be Hirohiko. Besides him, who else here could challenge the princess?" another boy remarked.
"Yes, the princess prefers not to battle the weak, and Hirohiko is the only worthy opponent."
"Hey, what do you think will happen this time when Yukina and Hirohiko face off?"
"What do you mean, 'what'? So far, the score between the princess and Hirohiko is three to one, with Hirohiko winning three matches. Obviously, Hirohiko has the upper hand."
"But Miss Yukina is also quite skilled."
"Of course, how could she not be? Aside from Hirohiko, no one can defeat her!"
Meanwhile, among the girls:
"Oh, it's Yukina and Hirohiko again," a girl sighed, her voice tinged with envy.
"Do you think Hirohiko and Yukina are dating? I often see them walking together after school," another girl speculated, clearly more interested in the romantic possibilities than the sparring matches.
"What nonsense. It's just that the Hyuga and Uchiha families are close!"
A girl sighed in disappointment.
"But look at them, Hirohiko is so handsome, and Yukina is so beautiful, and both of them are so talented," a female voice said, her tone tinged with frustration.
All the girls looked on, and when they saw Yukina, they all felt a pang of envy, such beauty!
Then they looked at Hirohiko again.
'So handsome!' they thought.
The girls suddenly felt a sense of pity.
"I want to choose..." Yukina Hyuga glanced at everyone, her gaze finally resting on Hirohiko Uchiha.
'It really is Hirohiko!' everyone thought.
Everyone had an expression of 'as expected.'
Hirohiko Uchiha also quietly frowned. Yukina was well aware of his strength, which was formidable, certainly not comparable to those at the bottom. Fighting against her would require full effort.
"Chiba Taki!" Yukina Hyuga pronounced the name with emphasis.
Chiba Taki?
All the students were shocked, followed by a wave of disbelief!
"What! Chiba Taki?" The students exclaimed.
'Yukina chose Chiba Taki, the son of the traitor? Is he that good?' they wondered.
"Impossible! Fourth from the bottom, Chiba Taki is also at the bottom of the class! What's going on, Yukina?"
Everyone was very aware of Chiba's ranking.
The girls were disappointed.
'Why didn't Yukina choose Hirohiko? They won't get to see his handsome fighting style! Such a pity!' they thought.
Hirohiko Uchiha was also taken aback for a moment, slowly turned around, and looked at Chiba, who was picking up a bun behind him, and was very surprised.
'Yukina chose him as her opponent? Are you kidding?' Hirohiko thought.
Hirohiko Uchiha couldn't believe it. It wasn't out of arrogance. The only person here capable of being a match for Yukina was himself, and this guy looked ordinary and unremarkable. Whether in terms of physique, shuriken, or Ninjutsu, this guy was subpar, no, not just subpar, but bad!
He had observed every classmate to gauge their strength, and this one, called Chiba Taki, was definitely at the bottom.
'Yukina would completely crush him!' Hirohiko thought.
'How did she choose him?'
Not just Hirohiko Uchiha, Chiba himself was a little surprised and forgot to bite his meat bun.
He didn't expect Yukina to choose him as her opponent.
"Chiba Taki, go up." The teacher was also a little surprised. He knew Yukina Hyuga's character very well. She was a serious genius. Although not on the same level as Hirohiko Uchiha, she was still a prodigy, one of the village's promising talents. The *Gentle Fist* technique of the Hyuga clan was also very powerful, and he privately had high hopes for her.
As for Chiba Taki, regardless of his background, his appearance and skills were not remarkable, mediocre, or even poor, typical of someone at the bottom of the class.
Even in Shuriken and Ninjutsu, he was not as good as the dead last. If it weren't for slightly better Taijutsu, Chiba Taki would not be ranked forty-seventh, but at the very bottom.
'Oh! So that's why!' The teacher suddenly understood.
'Yukina has been competing with Hirohiko! Seeing Hirohiko defeat the dead last in seconds, she was not convinced and wanted to defeat Chiba Taki just as quickly!'
'That's it!'
The teacher instantly understood, the surprised look on his face turning into a nod of realization. By this time, Chiba was already standing in front of Yukina, and the two were facing off.
'Alas, this Chiba Taki has become a pawn in a genius rivalry!' The teacher sighed internally, then announced: "Begin!"