In the blink of an eye, school was over.
The classroom, which usually emptied the instant the dismissal bell rang, still had a third of the students today.
They stayed behind specifically to watch the duel between Asuma Sarutobi and Hanekawa. Many were curious about this battle because it was a hot topic.
Asuma Sarutobi, the son of the Hokage, was recognized as one of the geniuses. Although he didn't match up to Hatake Kakashi, he was quite popular in the class.
Hanekawa, the transfer student, left little impression on most people. Since enrolling, he seemed average, not attracting any trouble yet not standing out either.
"Kakashi, who do you think will win?" Rin asked curiously, looking at Asuma and Hanekawa on the field.
"I don't know." Kakashi shook his head and replied.
"It has to be Asuma!" Obito interjected. "He's the son of Lord Hokage, after all!"
"Not necessarily." Kakashi sensed that Hanekawa was unusually calm, almost as if he was confident of victory.
"How about we make a bet?" Obito's eyes sparkled as he suggested.
"What kind of bet?" Kakashi paused before saying, "If it's another duel, count me out."
"Hmph, it isn't." Obito glanced at Rin and said, "Whoever wins treats Rin to a meal."
"Why me?" Rin blinked in astonishment.
"Well..." Obito, caught under her gaze, turned slightly red and was momentarily lost for words.
"I'll bet with you." Kakashi agreed nonchalantly.
"Great!" Obito's spirits lifted. Was his dream of a cozy duo about to come true?
"You guys are impossible." Rin smiled wryly. She was accustomed to the clashes between her two friends.
Although they mostly ended with Obito losing, this time, Asuma might just win. Rin, aware of the advantages of being from a ninja clan, thought Asuma had a better chance.
On the field, Asuma frowned slightly. He disliked being referred to as the Hokage's son.
No matter how great his father was, what did it have to do with him? "Remember, the one who defeats you is Asuma Sarutobi!" Asuma declared loudly to Hanekawa.
Hanekawa's mouth twitched. His habit of feeling second-hand embarrassment kicked in.
What an over-the-top declaration! Still, for kids about five or six years old, it was perfectly fitting.
The onlookers grew excited, eyes glued to the spectacle.
"Bring it on!" Asuma raised his hands, enjoying the attention from the peers.
Hanekawa remained expressionless as he formed the seal of confrontation, a necessary step before a sparring match. Asuma did the same.
Upon completing the seal, Asuma stood his ground and hurled two shurikens in quick succession toward Hanekawa, aimed skillfully for critical points.
It should be noted that because it was a spar, they used wooden ninja tools.
The whistling sound of the air followed.
Hanekawa responded with his pair of shurikens. The shurikens clashed mid-air. Asuma's shurikens fell to the ground, but Hanekawa's continued their path with undiminished force.
"How is that possible?" Asuma could hardly believe it. He remembered that just a week before, Hanekawa couldn't even hit a target in the ninja tool throwing class.
But now he managed to deflect Asuma's shurikens? It implied that Hanekawa surpassed him in both skill and strength.
This speed of improvement?
Although stunned, Asuma swiftly formed seals.
Substitution Jutsu!
He shifted to the left as a puff of smoke surrounded him. The shurikens pierced through the smoke, striking a wooden stake that had swapped places with Asuma, protecting him.
The essence of the Substitution Jutsu is a misdirection tactic. If executed with enough proficiency, it can mirror Space-Time Ninjutsu.
"Your shuriken skills are decent, but this is as far as you go, Hanekawa." Asuma glanced at Kurenai at the sidelines, speaking in a deep voice.
His plan was to win in one decisive strike. They'd already wasted too much time; even a victory would be embarrassing if it dragged on against someone who had been at the academy for two months versus one week.
Body Flicker Technique!
Chakra surged around Asuma's feet, accelerating his speed dramatically. He lunged at Hanekawa, kunai in hand, closing the distance quickly.
"Move, Hanekawa!" Kurenai watched with a worried look on her face as Hanekawa stood still.
"He must be petrified!" Obito shook his head and said, "He hasn't learned the Three Basic Techniques. The result is clear."
At that moment, Hanekawa quickly formed seals.
However, upon completion, nothing happened as if the technique failed. Just as Obito was about to speak, a look of confusion spread across his face.
Asuma had stopped in his tracks.
"It's Genjutsu," Kakashi's eyes glimmered. "Indeed, the outcome is decided."
"Genjutsu?" Obito was stunned. The other students, lacking Kakashi's insight, were left bewildered, not comprehending the situation.
Switching to Asuma's perspective, he witnessed Hanekawa forming seals and bracing for defense.
But when nothing transpired, he laughed. Failures when casting jutsu were common for novices. Clearly, Hanekawa wasn't skilled enough yet.
"You've lost!" Asuma reached Hanekawa and stabbed forward with his kunai, but missed the mark.
"What happened?" Instinctively, Asuma turned and saw Hanekawa behind him. How did he dodge that? Asuma frowned.
"You'll never evade this technique!" Asuma resolutely put away his kunai and clasped his hands together. Wind Release: Gale Palm! Chakra transformed into a gust of wind, slicing toward Hanekawa at high speed.
"Impossible!" Asuma's pupils contracted fiercely. Hanekawa evaded again. Known for its speed and sharpness, Wind Release is hard to dodge even for Genin, let alone academy students.
"This can't be!" Asuma hastily formed seals again. Wind Release: Gale Palm materialized once more, but still proved ineffective. Asuma grit his teeth, feeling dizzy from expending so much chakra.
He couldn't fathom how Hanekawa just stood there calmly. It almost seemed like he was under Genjutsu.
Wait, Genjutsu?
Realization struck Asuma, but he didn't know how to dispel it. He hadn't been taught! His tutors hadn't anticipated facing a Genjutsu Ninja in his first year.
Finding himself awkwardly stuck, Hanekawa casually walked forward. He had cast the Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique, which made people see their worst fears.
At that moment, Asuma's greatest fear was losing to him. As the Genjutsu lifted, Asuma opened his eyes to find a kunai at his throat.
"Are you okay?" Hanekawa retracted his kunai and asked.
"..."
Asuma was dumbfounded and seethed with frustration, cheeks flushed as if about to faint.
"Take a deep breath. Feeling dizzy is normal," Hanekawa remarked calmly. "You've used too many jutsus."
"You!" Asuma raised a trembling finger at him, infuriated despite the concern in Hanekawa's words—it only seemed to make his blood boil.