Chapter 157: Steady Obito
"Examinee No. 1, Nohara Rin, and Examinee No. 3, Might Guy—prepare for the exam," the proctor announced.
Mugetsu immediately knew that Rin's first match had concluded.
It would have been better if she had faced Obito, but against Guy, there was no chance of victory. Rin's combat relied entirely on Taijutsu, and Guy's strongest field was Taijutsu—this battle's outcome was already clear.
"Rin beat Uchiha Tekka so easily. Could she actually have a chance against Might Guy?"
"Now that you mention it, it might be possible! Might Guy himself rose suddenly before—maybe Rin will do the same this time."
Because Rin's earlier match had been so decisive, the other Fourth-Grade students couldn't help but expect another miracle.
"Rin, you can do it!" Obito called out, raising his fist. He didn't say more—he already knew how wide the gap between them was.
"Mhm." Rin nodded, walking into the arena with a calm, determined look.
"Guy, please use your full strength," Rin said seriously as she formed the confrontation seal. "I want to see the gap between us."
"Burning youth means giving your all in every battle!" Guy shouted, flashing his signature grin and giving her a thumbs-up before assuming his stance.
"Begin!"
The moment the word left the proctor's mouth, Guy exploded forward. Rin hadn't even finished her first breath before he was already upon her.
So fast!
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
Guy unleashed a fierce spinning kick, the air screaming from the speed.
Whoosh!
In the nick of time, Rin used Soru to evade, her form blurring out of sight.
But before she could counter, Guy reappeared in front of her like a flash of lightning, fist drawn back.
With no time to dodge, Rin poured Chakra into her arm and met him head-on.
Bang!!
The force of the collision blasted a gust of wind through the arena, whipping Rin's short brown hair backward.
Her stance wavered as she was forced back several meters.
So much power… I can't match this, Rin thought, her arm numb from the impact. She hadn't expected Guy's raw physical strength to be this overwhelming.
Even her strongest blow couldn't rival his speed and might under Breathing Technique enhancement. The result was clear.
Guy pressed forward relentlessly. Each strike came faster and heavier than the last, giving her no room to breathe, let alone counterattack.
"This… she's being completely overwhelmed by Guy."
The onlookers fell silent, their earlier excitement fading.
They had hoped Rin might finally break the unshakable dominance of Obito and Guy, but now they saw the gap firsthand.
Some began to question—was Uchiha Tekka really that strong before, or was Might Guy even more terrifying than they had imagined?
"Might Guy wins!" the proctor declared as Rin lost her ability to continue.
"Rin! Are you alright?" Obito rushed forward and helped her up, his tone filled with concern.
"I'm fine," Rin said, catching her breath. "But Guy is really strong. I still have a long way to go before I can catch up to you two."
"If you keep training like this, you'll definitely catch up," Obito said firmly.
He truly believed it. Under Mugetsu's guidance, Rin's progress had already been astonishing. Given time, she would close the distance. After all, he and Guy hadn't started out strong either.
"What a pity," Ueda Aya muttered as she marked Rin's score—still high despite her loss. "If she were in any other class, she'd easily qualify for the Grade-Level Practical Exam."
She glanced at the trio—Obito, Guy, Rin—and sighed. "Having those two in the same class… the rest don't stand a chance."
Inwardly, she couldn't help but envy Ikeya's supposed "luck." How did that man end up with such a stacked group of students? It wasn't skill—Ueda was sure of that. If Ikeya truly had teaching ability, he wouldn't have remained so mediocre for years.
He was simply fortunate enough to inherit a golden class.
---
As the second day's matches neared their end, the final bout drew all attention: Might Guy versus Uchiha Obito.
"Guy, I'm sorry," Obito said confidently, tightening his gloves. "But I'll be taking this one. I'll avenge Rin!"
He had watched Guy and Shisui's fights closely and was certain that his strength had already surpassed Guy's by a solid margin.
"Haha! Then come at me with everything you've got! Let's burn our youth together!" Guy roared, his eyes blazing.
"Begin!"
"Rock Breathing—Total Concentration Breathing!"
Guy's breathing instantly shifted. His aura surged as the energy coursed through his body, enhancing every fiber of muscle. He dashed forward, faster than most could see.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Obito's response was instantaneous. He retreated with a quick flash, formed seals with one hand, and exhaled a massive sphere of flame.
Though it was only a C-rank jutsu, the power was enough to scorch the air itself. Guy didn't dare meet it head-on and instead flickered to the side, the heat licking his cheek as the fireball exploded behind him.
Seeing Guy dodge so cautiously, Obito shook his head. Tch, if he'd charged straight in, I would've hit him with Phoenix Sage Flower Claw Crimson.
He swapped to Shuriken and unleashed a flurry toward the running Guy. But Guy, pushing his speed to the limit, dodged them all with fluid precision.
For the moment, the two were evenly matched—both consuming Chakra and stamina rapidly, both testing and reading each other.
They had trained together long enough to know each other's habits, so neither dared to underestimate the other.
Guy's Rock Breathing amplified his strength and endurance, while Obito's Flame Breathing fueled his speed and power. Their battle was one of intensity and balance.
After a minute of exchanging blows and dodges, Guy finally spotted what he thought was an opening. His expression sharpened—then he burst forward like a cannon.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Claw Crimson!"
Obito completed a rapid one-handed seal and hurled flaming kunai toward Guy.
But Guy had anticipated the move. He twisted midair, narrowly avoiding the flaming projectiles, and retaliated with a spinning kick.
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
As his leg swung toward Obito, Guy felt victory within reach—until he saw Obito's grin.
"Flame Breathing—Total Concentration Breathing!"
Obito's breath deepened, and fire flared from his body. His hand shot out, catching Guy's leg mid-kick.
Fwoosh!
Flames erupted from his palm, engulfing the point of contact.
Guy grimaced, feeling the intense heat despite his Chakra reinforcement.
"How did his strength and speed just jump like that?!" he thought in shock.
Obito's grin widened. He could feel it—this was true mastery. His breathing, his rhythm, his Chakra flow—all perfectly aligned.
Only now did he realize how incomplete his previous Total Concentration Breathing had been. The true form amplified every aspect of his power far beyond before—but at a steep cost.
His stamina and Chakra drained rapidly. He could only maintain this level once per battle; even afterward, his normal breathing would be strained to the limit.
Still, for now, he stood toe-to-toe with Guy—equal in speed, strength, and spirit.
Even with mastery, I can only match him, Obito thought, his expression steady. Not surpass him… yet.
With strength at best equal to Guy's—but with far greater stamina and Chakra consumption—Obito knew better than to try defeating him in pure Taijutsu. Even with his mastery of the Breathing Technique, Guy's years of combat experience in close quarters gave him the upper hand there.
But Obito had a plan.
He would use the explosive burst of Total Concentration Breathing to create an opening—one moment of surprise to turn the tide.
Just earlier, he had deliberately shown a false weakness, luring Guy into a reckless charge.
Now, striking while the iron was hot, Obito launched a fierce assault of flames. The torrent of fire roared like a dragon, forcing Guy on the defensive. Even with Rock Breathing pushed to its limit, Guy couldn't withstand Obito's offense for long.
Moments later, the match was over.
"Uchiha Obito wins!" the proctor announced.
Mugetsu nodded slightly—it was exactly as he expected.
After all, Obito's progress with the Breathing Technique far surpassed Guy's. The only way Guy could have won was if Obito made a mistake—or if Guy somehow outperformed himself to an absurd degree.
"I finally took first place in the class!" Obito pumped his fist in triumph, his grin almost splitting his face.
It was funny—he had been first in his grade before, but this was the first time he had ever taken first in his own class.
It hadn't been easy. Against Guy, Obito had to be cautious. Fire Release carried immense power, but also danger—one slip could cause collateral damage. His movements had to stay measured, precise.
"I'll win tomorrow's battle the same way—steady and clean," Obito vowed inwardly. "I'll take first in both the class and the grade this time!"
In the last exam, he had the advantage too—but arrogance cost him the match. Guy's comeback had left him humiliated: top of the grade, yet not first in his own class.
Not this time. This time, he would fight like Shisui—calm, composed, and mercilessly efficient.
"Obito, that was amazing," Rin said with a bright, genuine smile. "You really did great this time."
"Hehe… Rin, you'll be like me someday too," Obito replied, cheeks flushed, scratching his nose shyly.
"Indeed," Mugetsu added with a gentle smile. "You performed excellently, Obito. You've proven worthy of the Breathing Technique you learned first."
At that moment, Obito felt like the happiest person alive.
Being praised by both Rin and Mugetsu—could there be anything better?
---
After the exam, Mugetsu led his disciples back to the South Border Forest.
He first helped Guy recover from minor strain, then began teaching Obito a new Fire Release technique.
"What I'll teach you next is the Dust Cloud Technique," Mugetsu said. "It's a versatile Ninjutsu—useful for both offense and retreat."
Obito had already mastered four offensive Fire Release techniques, so Mugetsu decided it was time to teach him something with utility and tactical potential.
"Watch carefully. Fire Release: Dust Cloud Technique!"
Mugetsu inhaled deeply, gathering Chakra in his throat, then exhaled a controlled burst of high-temperature flames mixed with burning dust.
Thick smoke filled the clearing, obscuring everything around.
Since they were surrounded by trees, Mugetsu kept the output low, avoiding unnecessary fire spread and focusing on generating a dense haze.
Obito's vision went completely dark.
"Whoa! I can't see a thing!" he said, waving his hand in front of his face.
Mugetsu released the technique, the air clearing moments later.
"But what if I can't see either when I use it?" Obito asked, rubbing the back of his head.
"You have two options," Mugetsu replied. "First, use it purely to retreat—disengage and reposition. Second, undergo special training to fight within it, using sound to locate your opponent. That's when it becomes truly dangerous."
Obito's eyes lit up. "Then I'll learn the second one! This technique looks awesome!"
[You taught your disciple Fire Release: Dust Cloud Technique. Due to the disciple's immense gratitude, a critical reward was triggered, granting you the Ninjutsu: Fire Release: Secret Technique — Great Fire Technique (Proficient).]
A small critical reward—though the technique itself was… somewhat underwhelming.
The Great Fire Technique was a secret Fire Release of the Sarutobi Clan, one Mugetsu would never use casually. It was, after all, a clan-restricted technique known only to Sarutobi ninjas.
---
On the third day of the Grade-Level Practical Exam (Yearly), Mugetsu headed to the Fourth Grade arena.
There was little reason to observe the first years—Shisui dominated every match effortlessly, while Anko consistently secured second place whenever she didn't meet him early.
The Fourth Grade, however, was worth watching. Obito still had a tendency to get overconfident.
And when it came to Obito… anything was possible.
That morning, in the four-to-two elimination round, Obito once again faced Guy.
But this time, he didn't lose his composure. He fought with patience and precision, maintaining his breathing rhythm and composure from start to finish.
He defeated Guy cleanly once more.
"Now there's no doubt—Obito's first place again," whispered one of the spectators.
Everyone knew it. The real final had already happened.
The winner of the other semi-final was Hyuga Homura, the former top student, who had been soundly defeated by Guy in the previous exam.
As expected, the final match wasn't even close.
Obito forced Homura into defense with a single Great Fireball Technique, then closed the gap using Flame Breathing. Homura couldn't even block properly before being overwhelmed.
"The first place in this semester's Grade-Level Practical Exam goes to—Uchiha Obito!"
The proctor's voice echoed across the arena, marking not only the end of the match but also the end of the final exams.
For most students, that meant one thing—vacation.
But for the Fourth Graders, rest would be short. After just four days, they'd move on to either special training or internship assignments.
Mugetsu decided to give his three disciples—Obito, Guy, and Rin—a short break as well.
"Obito, Guy," he said, "remember to gather at the training ground I mentioned next Monday. Until then, rest well."
"We start missions next Monday, huh?" Obito said, eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Today's only Wednesday. That's a lot of free time," Rin said softly. She had grown so used to daily training that even a few days off felt unusual.
"Burning youth means training every day!" Guy shouted proudly. "I'll be in the South Border Forest tomorrow, as usual!"
"Mugetsu-sensei, will you still be there these days?" Shisui asked.
"Yes," Mugetsu nodded with a warm smile. "If any of you can't stay idle, come find me."
"I still feel there are parts of the Breathing Technique I don't fully understand," Shisui admitted. "Then I'll trouble you again, Sensei."
Mugetsu chuckled softly. "A teacher's duty is to guide their students. There's no such thing as trouble. Whenever you have doubts, come to me."
"For a teacher," he added gently, "there's nothing more satisfying than seeing their students grow stronger."
Hearing this, Shisui smiled and bowed deeply.
Guy clenched his fist with fiery enthusiasm, while Obito scratched his cheek awkwardly.
If both of them continued training, wouldn't he look lazy by comparison?
"Obito," Rin said teasingly, "are you going to tell Kakashi about your big win tonight?"
Obito straightened up, pretending to be serious. "To prepare for the life of a true ninja, more training is absolutely necessary!"
Mugetsu couldn't help but smile faintly at his disciple's stubborn pride.
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