Overseer...

~ Omniscient Pov, A few days later... ~

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"Hajime!"

The instructor's voice rang out, signaling the start of the spar.

Two students immediately dashed backward, creating a bit of space between them before dropping into the standard Academy Taijutsu stance. Feet shoulder-width apart, arms raised in a loose guard—textbook form.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

They were watching each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. The hesitation was expected—most academy students weren't trained fighters yet, just kids learning the basics.

But then, one of them—a dark-haired boy—charged in.

His movements were fast but predictable, his footing slightly off as he threw a straight punch aimed at his opponent's chest. The other kid—a leaner, blond-haired student—sidestepped, barely dodging in time before countering with a wide, clumsy kick that missed completely.

The dark-haired boy quickly recovered, moving back into stance, but his opponent wasn't as quick, struggling to reposition himself after the failed counterattack.

It was a messy exchange.

The kind of fight you'd expect from kids still figuring things out.

And watching it all unfold from the sidelines, arms crossed, silver eyes unblinking—was Hayatou.

His expression was unreadable to the outsiders, casual even. But inside, he was just, analyzing.

'This… This is the level of my classmates?' He found it hard to believe the gap was this large.

A few days ago, he had accepted the fact that he was already far beyond them physically, and in terms of chakra volume. But seeing it all play out in front of him like this?

It was like watching a fight play out in super slow motion.

These were his so-called peers?

"Hah…" He exhaled through his nose, shaking his head slightly.

If this was the baseline, then he really needed to start holding back...

"Alright, you've won Shiki, you and Mono can take a breather at the infirmary, great match... Now, let's see..." The teacher looked at his list of students seeing only two that hasn't Faught as yet.

'Good, this just leaves Hayatou and Kai as the last pair...' The teacher looked over to see his old student, Hayatou; now much different than he had remembered. He found it hard to believe that this was even the same child, and for some odd reason, a part of him could tell that Hayatou had changed...

'It's as good as any time to test him.' The teacher then ticked both their names for the final spar.

He looked upwards, "Hayatou and Kai, please step up to the ring."

Hayatou hearing his name with Kai looked confused, 'Why the heck am I being paired with one of the best students at taijutsu from our year?' Hayatou looked at his teacher questioningly, before shrugging it off.

'It doesn't matter, I'll just lose on purpose to get this over with...' Hayatou knew nobody was really expecting him to win, and being bigger boy didn't always equate to being stronger either...

"Alright, now both of you, please do the sign." The teacher reminded.

Hayatou followed suit, placing the unison sign in front of his chest...

Kai seeing this, did so as well, but his expression was far from a humble one. Hayatou immediately realized this and sighed inwardly, 'He's an arrogant one, but I can't really blame him.' 

As the teacher looked at both, he raised his arm upwards;

"Hajime!"

The moment the command left the teacher's lips, Kai moved first.

He launched himself forward without hesitation, his body shifting into a high jump, clearly intending to attack from above. His movement was fast—at least, by Academy standards. The way he angled himself mid-air suggested a powerful kick, one meant to end the fight quickly.

But to Hayatou?

It was obvious.

'Hmm… let's see. He'll kick—left. No, not just that… his right leg is tucked slightly inward, meaning it's a feint. He'll switch at the last second and try to sweep downward instead.'

The instant Hayatou finished that thought, Kai adjusted mid-air, shifting his weight before bringing his right leg down in a downward axe kick. Exactly as predicted.

But Hayatou was already moving.

His body twisted slightly to the right, stepping back just enough to let the kick whiff past him. The moment Kai's foot touched the ground, Hayatou had already read the next move.

'His left foot barely touched the ground before his right. That means he's still off-balance… and from the way his shoulders are turning—he's going for a spinning back kick next.'

Sure enough, Kai pivoted, his body snapping into a spinning motion, his left leg whipping around for a back kick aimed at Hayatou's ribs.

And once again… Hayatou had already reacted.

His feet quickly shifted, turning his body just enough to let the kick graze past him, the force of the blow cutting through the air but missing its mark entirely.

Kai landed with a small skid, his eyes narrowing in frustration. Realizing that his attacks were missing by a hairs breath...

"Tch!… why aren't you attacking?" he muttered, already resetting his stance.

Hayatou just blinked.

"Huh?" he asked, tilting his head slightly, as if he wasn't even taking the fight seriously.

But internally?

He was analyzing everything.

'The kid's stance is too aggressive. He's leading with his right foot every time. That means he's relying too much on his dominant leg for power moves instead of balancing his attacks; it's pretty clear he wants this to end quickly. But, if I let this go on, he'll get impatient and leave an opening…'

Kai grit his teeth, frustration evident on his face as he rushed in again. This time, Hayatou didn't even need to think about predicting his next move—he already knew how this fight was going to end.

Still, he wasn't trying to win.

He just needed to look competent enough to get decent marks, nothing more.

So, as Kai threw a punch, Hayatou waited—eyes locked onto the incoming fist, body completely relaxed. He let it come closer… closer… until the very last moment.

Then, with the slightest movement, he shifted his head, allowing the punch to graze past his cheek.

Not enough to dodge outright, but just enough to make it look like a clean hit.

Kai's fist connected with air, but Hayatou made sure to react just enough for it to feel like a proper impact. His head snapped slightly to the side, his feet shifting half an inch backward to sell it.

To the watching students and the teacher, it looked like a solid hit.

But to Hayatou?

It was all calculated.

Kai grinned, mistaking the reaction for actual damage. "Got ya'!"

Hayatou sighed internally, 'This kid really thinks he's winning, huh…?'

Instead, Hayatou let the same thing happen until he got 'hit' enough times.

...

"The match is now over, Kai wins..." The student's teacher announced.

Hayatou got up from the floor, mock bruised from the entire fight, 'That should do it... I think my act paid off for the most part. Entice him just enough, but not so much that he thinks I'm special.'

[...What you did earlier was quite smart host... Still, have you realized that your teacher was curious about your growth?]

Hayatou sat on the bench nearby, 'Yeah, I'm sure it's not typical for him to pair me with someone that's considered one of the best in our grade. And, based on my previous experience with em'... I don't think he did it out of spite either...'

[So you deemed it then that he was curious?]

'Essentially, yes; It pretty much had to be that case. Either that or he's just a dickhead and is out to get me.'

Hayatou then paused for a moment, glancing back his sensei...

'I doubt the latter was the case, but it's definitely not a total impossibility... He likely just wanted to test me using a child he deemed much greater than I was. A petty scheme, but a clever one; All just to see how I would perform, he would likely report this to a higher up, which would definitely reach the ears of Danzo... Also, why are you asking me all this?'

[I just wanted to see your thought process, and so far, I agree, if this Danzo person is as bad as you make him out to be, then what you did was wise, even if it cost you a bit of your pride in doing so...]

Hayatou smirked faintly at what N.E.O said, 'What's pride gonna amount to, or even do against a bunch of kids being raised to be functioning psychopaths? Emphasis on the kids part; Though to be honest, I was a little upset that I didn't get to show my strength, but it's not because I had to play possum.'

His eyes drifted back to the training field, where Kai was still basking in his victory. It was because he knew—deep down—that if he had fought seriously, this match would've obviously been over before it had even started.

Hayatou sat there for a moment, watching as Kai continued soaking up the praise from the other students. His so-called 'victory' had probably inflated his ego even more, not that Hayatou particularly cared.

It was funny, really. The difference between them was like night and day, and yet here Kai was, thinking he had actually earned that win.

"Hah…" He exhaled through his nose, shaking his head slightly.

[Something on your mind, host?]

'Not really. Just thinking how easy it would've been to end that fight in an instant. A single counter, one well-placed hit… that would've been all it took.' Hayatou had never tested himself against anyone else, but since he has, it gave him a greater level of understanding himself...

[And yet, you chose not to.]

'Well, yeah. Because I had to. Strength doesn't mean much when you use it at the wrong time. Right now? That would've easily been the worst possible time.'

He wasn't naïve. The moment he showed too much, people would start talking. And once people started talking, certain eyes would fall on him—eyes he had no interest in attracting.

For now, it was better this way. Better to let them think he was just another big guy with hardly any, or real skill than to stand out too early.

[...Do you regret it?]

Hayatou paused and nearly scoffed, "Regret? No. But I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a little frustrating." He flexed his fingers, feeling the strength he held within them, the raw control he had over his body.

'I practically trained like a maniac for weeks, reached a level that shouldn't even be possible for an Academy student… and yet, I have to sit here and pretend that I'm just like them.'

His gaze drifted toward his teacher again, who had already moved on, as if their match had been completely forgettable. However, he could also tell that his sensei was a bit, disappointed. 

'Serves you right.' He thought. To him, that was good enough. That meant he played his part, and played it well.

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The day didn't last long, and soon enough, all the classes had ended. Hayatou wasted no time packing up his belongings and slipping out before anyone could bother him. He had no reason to stick around, and if he was being honest, the whole day had been a little frustrating. Holding back was a pain, but it was necessary. For now, at least.

As he walked home, he decided it was time to spark up a needed conversation.

'Hey, N.E.O., since you've synced with me completely, that means your battle simulation function is unlocked now, right? I want to test it out today, and then go through my next body reconstruction tomorrow.'

There was a brief pause before N.E.O. responded...

[Affirmative, host. The Advanced Combat Simulation feature is now accessible. This function will allow for high-intensity neural combat training by generating virtual opponents based on recorded data. However, be advised: while this will refine reaction speed, combat awareness, and situational adaptability, it will not improve physical strength or endurance...]

'That's fine. Right now, I need the experience more than anything.'

Hayatou knew power alone wasn't enough. He had trained his body to an insane degree, but knowing how to use that power efficiently? That was an entirely different skill set. He had already seen firsthand how much actual combat knowledge could change a fight. Just watching his classmates struggle through their matches had made one thing painfully clear—they had no real battle sense, which was understandable... Their attacks were clunky, predictable, and slow. Even the best of them had glaring weaknesses, and that included Kai.

But Hayatou didn't want to just be stronger. He wanted to be untouchable.

After walking towards his secret training spot, he finally stopped to see his make-shift training equipment...

'Alright; Run me through the gist of everything I need to know.' Hayatou thought while stretching.

[It would be better if I transferred the knowledge to you, it saves time...]

'Okay... Do it then.'

[Affirmative, transferring all necessary information...]

Hayatou's brain tingled a little, however when he opened his eyes, everything was crystal clear to him.

'Damn... To think something like this exists within your capabilities is a little terrifying. Alright, I want you to create 5 different Kais, each with all the martial arts I've accumulated and experience I have; However, I want all of them to have a 4rth of the current strength I possess... Oh, and set it to the highest level of difficulty.'

[Initializing Virtual training mode...] As N.E.O said that, blue holographic creations emerged in front of Hayatou. Each looked completely identical to the boy he had fought in class a few hours earlier.

'Perfect... Now, begin!' The moment Hayatou gave that command, all 5 of the clones charged towards him...

However, N.E.O quickly sounded in his mind, [Fight well host... You will need to.]

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END