Training Ground No. 16 was alive with tension.Students from every grade filled the space, waiting for their turns to fight.Hanyū Yuuma stood calmly at the front, roll sheet in hand, eyes sharp like a hunter checking his gear before a raid.
Once attendance was confirmed, Yuuma and Kimura Sugito began the draw.
The rules were simple and merciless:Everyone pulls a number.Odd fights even.1 vs. 23 vs. 4…until only one remains standing.
Obito practically sprinted back after drawing his lot.
"I'm number one! Rin, what number did you get?!"
Rin glanced at her slip. "Number ten. Looks like you're opening the whole exam."
Obito clenched his fist, excitement burning in his chest.
"It doesn't matter who comes first. I'm going to win. I'll shock the entire school."
After training with Teacher Hanyū for a month, he felt his power rising day by day.Stat by stat, skill by skill—he was no longer the boy who always trailed behind.
He ran to Might Guy next.
"What number are you, Guy?"
"Number forty!" Might Guy declared proudly.
"…So we'll only meet in the finals." Obito nodded in satisfaction.
"Don't lose before me, Obito!" Guy grinned, thumbs up.
"I should be telling you that. I'm an Uchiha, remember?" Obito muttered.
"Huh? Where do you two get this confidence?" a classmate complained."With your grades? Finals? Dream on."
A sharp voice cut through the noise:
"Candidate Number One, Uchiha Obito. Candidate Number Two, Uchiha Tekka. Report to the exam area."
Yuuma watched them with unreadable eyes.
Obito stepped into the white-lined arena.Uchiha Tekka entered from the opposite side—calm, cold, perfectly collected.
Two Uchiha.Same age.Same class.Never spoken.
Not because of drama—simply because neither cared enough about the other.
Tekka thought Obito was a fool.Late, lazy, talentless. "The last-place Uchiha."
Obito thought Tekka was stiff, cold, and annoying to look at.
Students nearby were whispering:
"Oooh, Uchiha vs. Uchiha.""Whoever loses is finished.""What's the suspense? Tekka's been top of the class for years.""Obito? He can't even pass theory. He's dead."
Rin bit her lip.This matchup was pure bad luck.
Obito wasn't top-tier—normally he'd make it past the first round, maybe even second.But against Tekka?
She could only hope he wouldn't get hurt.
Might Guy crossed his arms and laughed boldly.
"What's the problem? A victory born from hopeless odds is the most dazzling kind!"
His voice carried confidence neither he nor Obito truly deserved—but it still lifted the air around them.
Other classes gathered to watch.When they heard it was Obito vs. Tekka…Half of them turned away.
"Bullying.""No point watching.""This'll be over in seconds."
Only those curious about Tekka's skill stayed.
Yuuma signaled them forward.
Obito and Tekka faced each other and formed the Seal of Opposition—the promise of a fair fight.
"Begin!"
Yuuma's voice hit like a starting pistol.
Tekka moved instantly—three shuriken flashing toward Obito's head, chest, and legs.Precision. Killing angles. No wasted movement.
Obito answered in kind—three shuriken thrown in a blur.
Metal clanged midair.All six shuriken crashed to the ground.
Kimura Sugito raised an eyebrow.
"Even the weakest Uchiha still throws shuriken like an Uchiha."
The arena was small—perfect for fast fighters.
Tekka closed in with frightening speed, right hook slicing toward Obito's jaw.
Obito didn't flinch.He braced and counterpunched.
Their fists collided—Then the fight exploded.
Dust clouds burst up, the sound of impact sharp and rapid.Students gasped.
"Wait… Obito can fight like that?!""He's… keeping up with Tekka?!"
Obito—the last-place Uchiha, the academy clown—was trading blows evenly with the class ace.
Even students from other classes were stunned.
This wasn't the Obito they knew.
Rin's mouth fell open.
"He… really did get stronger…"
Yuuma and Sugito watched with experienced eyes.
Sugito shook his head.
"He's still behind. You can see it in the footwork."
Yuuma nodded."One month isn't enough to fix everything. He focused most of that time on fire-style ninjutsu."
Sure enough, Tekka slowly pushed Obito back.
A relieved whisper rose from the crowd:
"Yeah. As expected. Obito isn't on his level."
"But he's not the 'last-place Uchiha' anymore. That much is obvious."
Obito grit his teeth, using Tekka's momentum to spring backward and create distance.
His hands flew into seals.
He didn't grind fire-style training for a month just to lose in a slugfest.
His chakra surged.
And for the first time in his life—
He wasn't going to be the one mocked.