"I... I'll be back!"
Asuma Sarutobi, at a loss for words, finally managed to squeeze out a threat. He turned and left the field, feeling the gazes of everyone around him, making it impossible for him to stand still. If class weren't still in session, he would have already fled without a trace.
Hagawa couldn't help but smile. Oh, Asuma, old pal. He had done it on purpose. He knew exactly what Asuma had been training for. That being the case, he simply did the opposite. Not only did he defeat him with ease, but he did it in a way that would make Asuma feel utterly unwilling to accept the loss, guaranteeing he would come back for more. It was all just as planned.
"Are kunai really that useful?" Rin Nohara's eyes sparkled.
"It's not that he's strong; it's that we Uchiha are strong," Obito said, a sense of crisis rising in him as he noticed her reaction. "He's just copying us Uchiha."
"How come I've never seen you use that technique?" Rin asked, slightly taken aback. As a civilian-born ninja, the only Uchiha she had ever interacted with was Obito.
"Ah... well... that's..." Obito was instantly drenched in sweat. Seeing this, Rin didn't press further, assuming he was just being salty and boasting again.
Kakashi Hatake shook his head slightly. Obito was half-right. Using ninja wires to control kunai was indeed one of the Uchiha clan's favorite techniques. Because they possessed the Sharingan, their dynamic vision far surpassed that of ordinary people, making such a technique easy for them. But Hagawa didn't have a Sharingan. This meant his proficiency with ninja tools was extremely high. Even so, for him not to use genjutsu was still unexpected.
Poor Asuma, being played with in the palm of his hand.
But for Kakashi, this was a good thing. He had just gathered some valuable intelligence. When the final exams came, he would know to be wary of Hagawa's shurikenjutsu.
The moment the practical combat class ended, Asuma bolted. He wanted to escape this place of sorrow as quickly as possible.
Bang!
Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was sitting on the sofa smoking, was startled by the sound. What's going on? Has Danzo come back to slam my door again? He turned his head and saw a dejected-looking Asuma.
"You lost again?" Hiruzen blurted out.
"..." Asuma's body trembled. He had just taken another hit of true damage. I haven't even said anything, and you're already assuming I lost? Damn it! I hate ninjas!
Asuma ran into his room and locked the door. He sat on the edge of his bed, a sense of melancholy enveloping him. I want to smoke. An image of Hiruzen, looking satisfied as he swallowed clouds and spat out mist, suddenly appeared in his mind.
In the living room, Hiruzen waited a moment before receiving a detailed report on the spar between Asuma and Hagawa from the Anbu ninja, Haru. The report was short, so short that he found it a little hard to believe. Although Asuma wasn't a top-tier genius, with the support of various resources, he was no worse than a typical one. Hiruzen would have previously thought that Hagawa would lose the second spar, since Asuma had undergone half a month of special training.
But after reading through the process of the spar, Hiruzen was relieved. It was not an unjust loss. Hagawa had completely grasped Asuma's psychology and used it to achieve an easy victory. This was a talent Hiruzen called "battle IQ."
Hiruzen couldn't help but think of Minato Namikaze. His battle IQ was also very high, allowing him to hold his own even against stronger enemies.
"This is an unexpected gain," Hiruzen thought to himself, stroking his beard. He was pleased with Hagawa's performance, but Asuma wasn't bad either. He had seen his hard work over the past half-month and was happy about it. As the proverb goes, "diligence can make up for a lack of talent." If Asuma could maintain this level of diligence, he might not be so far behind him after all. Perhaps the Sarutobi clan could produce another Hokage.
"Asuma," Hiruzen said, walking to his son's door. "Do you know why you lost?"
A few seconds later, the door opened. "Why?" Asuma asked stiffly.
"It's battle experience," Hiruzen said with a chuckle. "Just preparing for his genjutsu isn't enough."
"What should I do?" Asuma asked instinctively.
"You wanna learn? I'll teach you," Hiruzen said, raising his voice slightly. "I'm the Hokage, you know!"
Time flew by, and soon it was Saturday. Besides attending classes, Hagawa had been practicing Konoha-ryū Swordsmanship, and his progress had already reached 30%. But today's task wasn't sword practice; it was studying medicine.
After breakfast, Hagawa strolled to the Konoha Hospital.
"Hagawa, you're here again!" "You seem to have grown a lot. Let me see!" "Have you eaten? Want to come to my room?"
Along the way, nurses in uniform greeted him. He had come to the hospital many times to borrow books, so he had become familiar with them. Coupled with his good looks and his connection to Nonō Yakushi, he was naturally very popular.
Hagawa came to a profound realization: if you don't work hard, you'll become a woman's plaything.
He finally reached the peace and quiet in front of Nonō's office. He raised his hand and knocked.
"Come in," Nonō's voice called out.
"Ma—" Hagawa stopped short. Sitting at the desk wasn't Nonō, but Tsunade.
"Long time no see, little guy," Tsunade said, resting her chin on the back of her hand. Her body was leaning slightly forward, her heavy burdens seeming to rest on the desk, their outline clearly visible.
"Lady Tsunade," Hagawa said, snapping back to reality and quickly greeting her.
"I heard from Nonō that you've been studying medical ninjutsu recently?" Tsunade asked with a smile.
"I have," Hagawa said, embarrassed. "But I haven't even reached the introductory level yet."
"Just reading books is useless. You need practice," Tsunade said, standing up. "As it happens, Nonō and I have a surgery. You can observe."
"Okay," Hagawa's eyes lit up, and he immediately agreed. True knowledge comes from practice. Plus, he could get closer to Tsunade. It was a win-win, where he won twice.
A trace of worry appeared on Nonō's face. She was worried that Hagawa wouldn't be able to handle the bloody scene.
"Then let's go," Tsunade said, walking out. She was doing this as a favor to Nonō. How much Hagawa could learn would depend on his own ability.
"Lady Tsunade, I'm begging you. He's the only survivor," a young man with yellow hair said, rushing up to them at the entrance of the operating room.
"I'll do my best, Inoichi," Tsunade said with a serious expression.
Inoichi Yamanaka? Hagawa owed his awakened memories and his system to the Yamanaka clan's mind-reading inspection. But Inoichi was the head of the clan. A patient who required the personal attention of both him and Tsunade was definitely not simple.
Hagawa followed Nonō into the operating room. The thick smell of blood filled the air. He couldn't help but frown, a wave of nausea rising in him. To his surprise, the ninja lying on the operating table looked ordinary, seemingly just a Chunin.
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