After the morning theory class ended, it was time for the shurikenjutsu class that Hanekawa was looking forward to.
Under Eiichiro's guidance, everyone proceeded to the training grounds. The shurikenjutsu class was typically divided into two parts: a lecture and a practical session.
The first part was Eiichiro explaining the key principles of throwing various ninja tools, primarily shuriken and kunai. The second part was dedicated to practice.
Hanekawa listened attentively. This class was crucial for him to quickly acquire new entries in his system.
In contrast, Asuma had already mastered the basics of ninja tool throwing before entering the academy.
Moreover, as the son of the Hokage, he likely received additional training from a special Jōnin instructor.
He was confident he could outperform any student in the class except for Kakashi.
However… Asuma stared at Hanekawa and Kurenai, a look of frustration on his face.
'Why?' he thought jealously. 'I was here first!'
In the past, Kurenai usually stood with him, but today she chose to stand next to Hanekawa.
'I have an idea!' Asuma Sarutobi thought, devising a plan to regain Kurenai's attention. 'It's simple; I just need to outperform Hanekawa.'
In the ninja world, skill and strength were highly valued. Besides, he believed there was a significant skill gap between him and Hanekawa, assuring him of victory.
"Now, let's begin the shurikenjutsu practice," Eiichiro announced as he arranged a row of wooden stakes. "I'll offer guidance and corrections as needed."
"Teacher, I'll go first." Asuma Sarutobi volunteered loudly, giving Kurenai a look that clearly said, 'Watch this.'
Hanekawa recognized this behavior. 'He's showing off,' he thought. Asuma was clearly trying to impress Kurenai.
However, Kurenai didn't seem to understand his intentions and looked puzzled.
Thwack, thwack, thwack.
Asuma Sarutobi threw three kunai with practiced ease, all three hitting the bullseye. He turned around, expecting to see Kurenai's admiration, but he froze.
Kurenai was leaning towards Hanekawa and whispering something to him.
"Excellent."
Eiichiro said, leading the applause.
Asuma Sarutobi felt deflated.
They're celebrating, but I feel nothing, he thought. 'Is my strategy flawed? It shouldn't be.'
"Thank you, Kurenai," Hanekawa said after receiving her advice.
No one was particularly surprised by Asuma hitting all three targets. He was, after all, the Hokage's son and likely had access to superior training.
Hanekawa found a wooden stake. He threw the kunai according to Kurenai's instructions. The kunai hit the stake, but it was far from the bullseye.
"Is that all?"
Asuma Sarutobi, who had been watching him closely, couldn't resist commenting.
"Come on, Hanekawa."
Kurenai said, clenching her fist in encouragement.
Asuma Sarutobi's jealousy intensified.
'Why?' he thought, feeling his frustration growing.
The shurikenjutsu class ended. Hanekawa's progress bar for the Ninja Tool Throwing entry had reached 10%. The E-rank entry only required basic knowledge of shuriken and kunai throwing, so it wasn't too difficult to progress.
"Kakashi! Let's have a duel of youth."
A blur of green flashed past Hanekawa's vision. He looked up and saw Might Guy. In the original story, Guy was known for his intense training and mastery of Taijutsu, especially the Eight Gates.
"Maybe next time, Guy," Kakashi Hatake said, using a quick Shunshin (Body Flicker Technique) to escape.
After entering the academy, Kakashi had been constantly challenged by Guy due to his recognized talent. At first, he found it amusing to spar with Guy, but Guy's relentless challenges had become tiresome.
"What speed."
Guy's eyes lit up, and he grinned. "You are truly worthy of being my eternal rival."
Hanekawa watched them and thought about his own plans for physical training. He knew he couldn't train with Guy.
'Not just mentally, but physically as well,' he thought. Guy, who would eventually master the Eight Gates, had an unparalleled talent for Taijutsu. Following Guy's training regimen would likely lead to serious injury for someone like Hanekawa.
"Hanekawa."
Asuma stood in front of Hanekawa and declared, "I want to duel you."
This was an idea inspired by Might Guy's earlier challenge to Kakashi.
"Asuma," Kurenai asked, sounding somewhat displeased, "Aren't you picking on him?"
She had previously thought well of Asuma, but now she found his behavior unreasonable. Hanekawa had barely been exposed to ninja training; he was essentially a civilian.
"I… I didn't mean it like that." Asuma Sarutobi realized his mistake and quickly backtracked. "I can wait until the end of the semester to duel."
'I'm so focused on impressing her that I'm not thinking straight,' he thought.
'In the original story, Asuma was generally a decent person. His current rebellious phase was understandable. Children often acted impulsively.'
For Hanekawa, this duel presented an opportunity. He wasn't going to back down from a challenge, especially not with his new system. Besides, Asuma was a good benchmark for measuring the progress of a normal, talented ninja.
"No problem," Hanekawa agreed.
The end of the semester was about three months away. Even with his system, he knew he couldn't realistically defeat a six-year-old Asuma in such a short time.
Kurenai hesitated, worry evident on her face.
"Excellent." Asuma Sarutobi exclaimed, oblivious to Kurenai's change in attitude.
After agreeing to the duel with Asuma, Hanekawa felt a surge of motivation. He returned home, had dinner, and then went to the woods to continue his training.
That night, after showering, Hanekawa lay in bed and checked his system. After a night of training, the progress for the "shurikenjutsu" entry had increased by 5%. At this rate, he would likely obtain the entry in about a week.
However, he realized he needed more entries.
Hanekawa resolved to start exercising early the next morning to trigger more entries.
In addition to physical exercise, he also planned to begin studying the basic Three Body Techniques and practice chakra control.
Planning out his training regime, Hanekawa eventually drifted off to sleep, physically and mentally exhausted.
"Hanekawa… Hanekawa…"
In the quiet night, a faint voice suddenly echoed in the room.
Hanekawa sat up abruptly, rubbing his eyes.
'What's going on? he thought. Why is someone whispering my name in the middle of the night?'
Just then, the sound stopped.
Hanekawa looked out the window.
Under the moonlight, faint chakra traces outlined a message.
"Meet at Konoha Lore Bookstore at nine o'clock on Sunday morning."
The message only lasted a few seconds before the chakra dissipated.
Hanekawa was shocked.
'This is the contact from the Hidden Cloud Village! he realized. The undercover agents are finally making contact.'
'But… the location isn't on a rooftop. That's not very clandestine,' he thought.
He wondered who the contact from the Hidden Cloud Village would be.
His strongest impressions of Kumogakure were the powerful Raikage and the beautiful and skilled Samui.
==============
Check out my other fanfic translation: A spy in Konoha, part-time Hokage
Enjoying the story? Support my work and get early access to advanced chapters on my Patreon! Your support means the world and helps keep the translations coming.
Check it out at: patreon.com/Reborn_noob