Around the arena, countless eyes were fixed on the two figures facing each other on the central platform. These two boys were recognized as the strongest among the Ninja Academy’s graduating students, and everyone eagerly anticipated their match.
At this moment, at the railing at the back of the stands, a boy and a girl slowly approached the silent figure of Neji Hyuga, who was putting on an air of indifference.
“Neji, you’re really here! I couldn’t believe it when someone told me. Why would you be interested in a match like this?” Tenten, wearing a pink cheongsam and a traditional Chinese hairstyle, said as she approached.
The other person, dressed in green with thick eyebrows, was Rock Lee, who had once had an intense taijutsu sparring match with Yukigetsu. He gazed at the arena below, raising his right fist with fiery eyes and shouting passionately, “This is youth!”
Tenten helplessly slapped her forehead while Neji remained indifferent, saying calmly, “The Hokage asked me to come.”
Tenten looked up curiously. “Did the Hokage have something for you to do?”
Neji frowned and shook his head, then shifted his gaze to the figure in the windbreaker on the platform.
“Yukigetsu is up. I’m curious if he can match the Uchiha.”
“Yukigetsu? He does have some reputation, but why are you interested in him? Do you have a connection?” Tenten asked, her eyes sweeping over the boy’s tall figure below.
Neji shook his head. “Not a connection, just a bit of an unresolved issue.”
Although he had bullied someone from the branch family for years, he had helped Hinata, so if there was a chance, it wouldn’t hurt to give him a little trouble…
Tenten’s lips twitched. What kind of unresolved issue is that…
At that moment, Lee’s excited voice rang out beside them. “Oh, it’s my rival Yukigetsu! He won’t lose!”
He punched the air with tears streaming down his face. “Go, young man! This is our youth! You must win!”
The spectators looked at Lee’s shouting antics with twitching eyes.
Neji and Tenten had already distanced themselves, wearing expressions that screamed, “Don’t look at me; I don’t know him.”
In a corner of the A-class seating area, the students watched the figures on the platform. Despite their occasional clashes with B-class, they were curious about Yukigetsu. After all, he was the only one in the academy who could rival Sasuke.
If it weren’t for the time, he couldn’t extract chakra, and Yukigetsu might be someone they could only look up to. Even the genius Sasuke wouldn’t be as relaxed as he was now.
Thinking this, they glanced secretly at Sakura Haruno, who looked visibly upset. It was best not to say this out loud.
Sakura had been having a bad time lately. After Yukigetsu publicly broke off their engagement during the graduation exam and revealed her violent nature, rumors spread that girls from the Haruno family were getting rejected because of their temperament, which had made her a laughingstock.
Her face darkened further as she stood up and shouted, “Go, Sasuke-kun!”
Her sudden outburst startled everyone. But her cheer sparked a chorus of support in an academy full of Sasuke fangirls.
“Sasuke-kun, you can do it!”
Sakura felt pleased and yelled even louder, “Sasuke-kun will win!”
The fangirls echoed, “Sasuke-kun will win!”
Sakura: “Beat Yukigetsu!”
Fangirls: “Beat Yukigetsu!”
Sakura: “Hit his head, kick his waist, and stomp his butt!”
Fangirls: “Hit his… head… kick…”
The fangirls looked at each other, and many spectators were close to vomiting from frustration.
“This kid is quite popular with the girls,” the Third Hokage said with a faint smile.
Kakashi’s mouth twitched hard beside him. Fortunately, the engagement was called off. Bringing home a violent girl like that would be unbearable, even for me, let alone Yukigetsu…
Hearing the commotion, Yukigetsu didn’t get angry. Instead, he almost laughed at Sasuke’s face, which had turned as black as a pot’s bottom.
Hinata, naturally, heard the cheers as well. The little girl stared intently at the platform, her pure white eyes fixed on Yukigetsu.
At this moment, the boy stood tall and straight like a spear. The windbreaker fluttered slightly, and the usual laziness seemed to have completely faded away, replaced by a gradually emerging sharpness.
Hinata’s mouth curved into a small smile. Yukigetsu won’t lose…
On the other side, Lee, seeing Sakura, became excited, his eyes turning into hearts. Raising his fist with motivation, he said, “I’ll do push-ups right now. If I reach a thousand, Sakura will like me!”
Neji’s face twitched as he turned away. Tenten buried her face in her hands on the railing, thinking, how did I end up with such a weird teammate…
“Go, class rep!”
“Class rep, make B-class proud by taking first place!”
Around the stands, B-class students weren’t to be outdone, shouting and cheering with red faces.
They watched the two on the platform with excitement. Throughout their six years at the academy, B-class had been overshadowed by A-class in every way. Whether in written tests or sparring, they were always suppressed. Finally, their class rep was standing in the final duel for the highest honor among graduating students.
“What a bunch of dreamers.”
Hearing the cheers, Sasuke’s lips curled into a mocking smile. He formed the Seal of Confrontation with his hands, glaring at Yukigetsu. “I can’t wait to see their faces when you lose.”
Yukigetsu showed no anger at his taunt. Instead, he calmly extended his hand and formed the Seal of Confrontation, smiling lightly. “You don’t have the ability.”
“You’re asking for it!”
Fury flashed in Sasuke’s eyes as he clenched his fists. In the next instant, he shot forward like a panther.
Whoosh!
Sasuke closed in on Yukigetsu in an instant, a kunai appearing in his right hand, piercing the air with sharp precision.
Yukigetsu’s body swayed slightly, and as the kunai brushed past him, he raised his right knee, aiming a fierce strike at Sasuke’s midsection.
This attack was fierce, but Sasuke, the undisputed top student at the academy, was not easy to deal with. He swiftly redirected his right hand, slashing at Yukigetsu’s neck.
The audience gasped.
Yukigetsu’s eyes narrowed as he retracted his leg, planted his foot on the ground and performed a swift backflip. As soon as he landed, he drew his kunai and charged back at Sasuke.
Clang!
A crisp sound rang out as their kunai clashed, and the two locked eyes, neither willing to back down.
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