This battle, once again, could only be described as an instant-kill.
"Aizawa-sensei..."
"Ah, right!"
Snapped out of his daze by Hagoromo's reminder, Aizawa swiftly entered the training ground. After a quick examination, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. Maito Gai had merely lost consciousness; his life was not in danger.
During that final blow, Hagoromo had held back. He wasn't the type to strike his friends with lethal force.
"Hagoromo-kun, although I don't know when you mastered such powerful Lightning Style, I must remind you: these kinds of moves are not meant for your comrades," Aizawa warned after calling for the medical team.
"I understand, Aizawa-sensei." Hagoromo accepted the lecture obediently. This was the first time he had truly showcased his strength, and he'd found it difficult to perfectly calibrate his output—otherwise, Gai wouldn't have been knocked out.
The medical team arrived once more to collect Maito Gai.
"Ninja Graduation Exam, Second Round, First Match: Winner, Kamishiraishi Hagoromo!" Aizawa announced.
As Hagoromo walked back into the crowd of students, they instinctively moved aside to give him space. He couldn't help but offer a wry smile. It seemed he had been a bit too ruthless today; two consecutive opponents had been knocked unconscious. Kurenai was one thing, but Gai's state was truly pitiable to look at. Injuries like those wouldn't heal in just an hour or two.
"Hagoromo! You went way too far with Gai!"
As soon as he returned, Obito rushed up. True to the bond of the "Dead-Last Duo," despite being covered in bruises from his own loss, Obito was immediately ready to fight for Gai's honor.
"Let's go check on Gai first."
Rin was already by Gai's side as the medical ninjas treated his wounds.
"Gai looks bad, but his injuries aren't actually that serious. They're mostly superficial; he'll recover in a few days with some rest," Rin said. Having already received formal medical training, she was capable of assessing his condition.
"It's all Hagoromo's fault for being so heavy-handed," Obito repeated.
"Sorry, I didn't manage to pull the strength of the final hit," Hagoromo apologized quickly. He had indeed been a bit clumsy; he'd wanted to face Gai with his real strength but hadn't fully accounted for Gai's current level of durability.
"However, giving your all is a sign of respect to your opponent. Would you prefer it if I held back against you, Obito?" Hagoromo countered. While he felt bad about the injury, he didn't believe his underlying intent was wrong.
"I..."
Hagoromo's point was hard to argue. Nobody wants to be treated as an afterthought by their opponent.
Which would you rather hear? 'I only needed 30% of my power to beat you,' or 'I will give this fight everything I have'?
Obito understood that much.
"When will he wake up?"
"He's fine. He'll be awake within an hour. Though, it's certainly rare to see someone beat their opponent this badly during a graduation exam," one of the medical ninjas remarked while bandaging Gai.
"..." Hagoromo felt even more awkward.
After the second round, due to the "infighting" between Hagoromo and Gai, the survivors of the four-person friend group were down to just Hagoromo and Rin. By now, both had secured ranks within the Top 8 of the class.
Then, in the third match of the third round, Hagoromo found himself facing Nohara Rin.
"Don't forget what you just said: giving your all is a sign of respect," Rin said to Hagoromo as they stood in the arena.
This was what people call "instant karma." On the sidelines, Uchiha Obito was watching him like a hawk. If Hagoromo used the same level of force he'd used in the previous round, the "Dead-Last" would likely charge the field immediately.
Hagoromo decisively raised his hand and spoke to the instructor. "Aizawa-sensei, I exhausted my chakra in the fight with Maito Gai. I forfeit this round."
"You..." Aizawa was about to scold him, but then he paused. He considered that Hagoromo might actually be telling the truth. At his age, ninjas capable of Nature Transformation were few and far between; it was entirely possible that powerful Lightning Style had drained Hagoromo's reserves.
"Understood," he nodded, accepting the forfeit. He announced loudly: "Graduation Exam, Third Round: Kamishiraishi Hagoromo forfeits. Nohara Rin wins by default!"
Hagoromo knew that his performance in the first two rounds was more than enough to guarantee his graduation, so there was no need to fight Rin. Ignoring her complicated gaze, he quickly left the training ground.
Was his chakra truly exhausted? Of course not. He had plenty left. Because he lacked a point of comparison, Hagoromo couldn't precisely judge where his chakra levels stood, but based on his physical and mental energy, his reserves were clearly above average.
In reality, his chakra volume was excellent for his age, though it couldn't be compared to the monstrous innate talent of the Senju or Uzumaki clans.
However, he had a different trick up his sleeve: extreme chakra control. Generally, a ninja wastes a portion of their chakra when performing a jutsu. Hagoromo was different. Through precise mental control, he could save between 30% and 60% more chakra than an average ninja for the same technique.
Compared to his A-rank skill or S-rank talent, this "bugged" brain was Hagoromo's true foundation for survival in the Naruto world.
By the fourth round, Rin's streak of luck ended, and she was defeated.
Hagoromo's prediction proved correct. The pass rate for Class One was high; even Uchiha Obito managed to graduate, so Hagoromo's success was never in doubt.
Graduation was finished—but that also meant the real war had arrived. Soon, they would be sent to the front.
Unlike the team assignments of peacetime, the village didn't form teams of entirely new Genin during the war. Instead, graduates were used as replacements to fill gaps in existing squads.
Consequently, some were assigned in pairs, others as individuals. Teams of three new Genin were almost non-existent.
For example, Rin and Obito were grouped together, meaning they would be added to an existing two-man squad. Hagoromo and Gai were both assigned as individuals, meaning they would be funneled into separate three-man squads.
However, Hagoromo's estimation was slightly off. Almost all the new graduates were heading to the front, but that "almost" did not include him. He wasn't added to any frontline squad, nor was he sent to the theater of war.
He was ordered to stay exactly where he was—in Konoha.
(End of Chapter 5)