Chapter 15: The Underdog, Obito
Chapter 15: The Underdog, Obito
At Training Ground 16, Mu Yue was taking attendance before the exam.
As the entire academy would be taking the practical exam together, and it required a spacious area, the school's playground was not large enough to accommodate everyone. Hence, they headed directly to the training grounds to take the test.
Once Mu Yue and Kimura Sando confirmed that all the examinees were present, they announced the start of the lottery draw.
The rules of the practical exam were simple. Students would be called up according to the class roster to draw lots, and their lottery numbers would determine their battle opponents. Number one would fight number two, number three would face number four, and so on.
"I drew number one, Rin, what about you?" Obito eagerly approached Nohara Rin after drawing his lot.
"I got number ten, so that means you're up first, Obito," Nohara Rin replied.
"It doesn't matter which round it is; I'm definitely going to win," Obito said confidently, certain that everyone would be surprised by his current strength.
After asking Nohara Rin, Obito went to find out Might Guy's number.
"I'm number forty," Might Guy answered.
"Looks like we'll only meet towards the end, then," Obito said, surprised that their numbers were at opposite ends of the spectrum.
"Don't lose before I fight you, Obito," Might Guy said, giving him a thumbs-up to encourage him.
"I should be saying that to you. I am an Uchiha, after all," Obito replied, unsure if Might Guy was being sincere or teasing him. The way he said it sounded almost like a challenge.
"Where did you two underachievers get all this confidence from?" a classmate chimed in, wondering how the two students at the bottom of the class could be acting so cocky.
"The first battle is about to begin. Examinee number one, Uchiha Obito, and examinee number two, Uchiha Tihoka, please get ready to start the exam," Mu Yue announced, signaling the official start of the exam after checking the time.
Obito ignored the naysayers and quickly made his way to the square area marked with white lines to prepare for the exam.
Uchiha Tihoka also swiftly entered the exam area and locked eyes with Obito.
Although they were both Uchiha, of the same age, and in the same class, they barely spoke to each other.
There was no dramatic backstory; they simply had no interest in each other.
Uchiha Tihoka thought Obito was a bit simple-minded, lacking in strength, and often late. He had never met an Uchiha as unimpressive as Obito.
On the other hand, Obito found Uchiha Tihoka cold and unapproachable.
"This is going to be interesting, having two Uchiha clansmen face off," someone in the audience whispered, trying to contain their laughter.
It would be embarrassing for the loser, no matter who won.
"What's so interesting about it? It's obvious that either Uchiha Tihoka will win or Uchiha Obito will lose," said the person next to them, certain that the outcome was a foregone conclusion.
"You should know that Uchiha Tihoka has been at the top of the class ever since their first year, except for when they were overshadowed by Kakashi in their first year," they added.
"As for Uchiha Obito, he's never passed the theory exams, and his practical skills are just average. How can he possibly beat Uchiha Tihoka?"
The first speaker had to admit that their classmate had a point. Uchiha Tihoka was the epitome of a model Uchiha ninja, excelling in both practical and theoretical aspects. Aside from the abnormal genius Kakashi, who had graduated at the top of their class in the first year, no one in their class could rival Uchiha Tihoka.
It would indeed be a challenging task for Uchiha Obito, the clan's underachiever, to defeat an exceptional Uchiha like Uchiha Tihoka.
"Be careful, Obito," Nohara Rin said worriedly.
She felt that Obito's luck could have been better.
Based on Obito's abilities, she didn't think he would be eliminated in the first round, but he certainly wasn't among the top students in the class.
However, facing Uchiha Tihoka, who had consistently been at the top, Nohara Rin simply hoped that Obito wouldn't push himself too hard and end up getting hurt.
While she wanted to support Obito and see him win, she also recognized the significant gap in their skills.
The practical exam allowed for relative freedom, as long as the trainees didn't leave the training field.
However, seeing that it was Obito against Tihoka, many lost interest.
As they were all the same grade, they had been taking these practical exams together for several years, and everyone knew who the standouts were in each class.
Having Itachi Uchiha fight Obito was like a one-sided beating; there was nothing intriguing about it.
Only a handful of people who wanted to see Tihoka's strength for themselves stayed to watch.
The two stood facing each other, each forming a conflicting hand seal.
This was a necessary procedure in ninja school battles—it signaled to the opponent that you were about to attack, and after the fight, you would form a reconciliation hand seal to symbolize that they were still good friends.
"Begin!" Mu Yue called out, signaling the start of the exam as she saw that both trainees were ready.
As soon as Mu Yue spoke, Tihoka swiftly drew three shuriken from his ninja tool pouch and threw them at Obito, aiming at his head, body, and feet. Without hesitation, he rushed towards Obito at full speed.
Obito, equally quick, drew and threw three shuriken of his own, intercepting Tihoka's.
The six shuriken collided with a crisp metallic clang and fell to the ground.
"The shuriken throwing technique of the Uchiha clan is indeed remarkable," commented Kimura Sando. "Even an average talent like Obito possesses impressive shuriken skills."
Intercepting shuriken with shuriken required a high level of precision.
Due to the limited size of the field, Tihoka quickly closed the distance between them and threw a right hook at Obito.
Undeterred, Obito met his punch with his own, engaging Tihoka in close-quarters combat.
The two traded blows, stirring up dust and creating an intense battle scene.
"Huh? Is this Obito actually skilled in taijutsu?" someone in the audience exclaimed in surprise.
The one known as the black sheep of the Uchiha clan was holding his own against Tihoka, much to everyone's astonishment.
Not only were outsiders amazed, but even their classmates wore expressions as if they had seen a ghost.
According to their expectations, Obito should have been kicked flying by Tihoka in mere seconds.
"Obito has really gotten a lot stronger," Rin Nohara said, her mouth slightly agape in disbelief.
She had always thought that Obito was just putting on a brave front, but this time, he had truly become stronger!
"Obito still falls a bit short," Kimura Sando shook his head. As a Chunin, his insights far exceeded those of the students.
"Yes, his taijutsu could use some work," Mu Yue nodded in agreement.
After all, they only had one month to prepare, and it was impossible to excel in every area. During this period, Obito had primarily focused on honing his fire-style jutsu, and with Mu Yue's guidance, he had made significant progress in nature transformation.
As Kimura Sando had observed, Obito began to fall back under Tihoka's relentless assault.
"I knew it! How could Obito possibly be a match for Tihoka?" one of the onlookers who had previously mocked Obito breathed a sigh of relief.
If Obito had won, it would have made him look foolish for underestimating Obito.
However, he felt that from now on, they should stop calling Obito the black sheep of the Uchiha clan. Obito's performance had shown that he was more than just an underachiever; he knew his strengths and weaknesses.
Obito seized an opportunity to use Tihoka's momentum against him, creating some distance between them. He then quickly began forming hand seals.
He hadn't spent all this time practicing fire-style jutsu just to trade punches with Tihoka.
[Don't think this chapter is a step down in intelligence; Obito's arrogant behavior is what invites the ridicule.]
(End of Chapter)
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