Hanekawa was very satisfied.

  The D-Rank entry "Ninja Tool Mastery" was proving to be devastatingly effective against first-year students. While Obito Uchiha wasn't the weakest in his class, his fundamentals were abysmal outside of his Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu. Without a Sharingan to compensate, he couldn't dodge kunai thrown at thirty percent of Hanekawa's full strength.

  Three lines of text materialized before his eyes.

  [E-Rank Talent Entry: Fire Prodigy]

  [Trigger Condition: Defeat young Uchiha Obito]

  [Effect: Fire Style talent increased by 10%]

  Double jackpot.

  Like Asuma before him, Obito had triggered a new entry. The difference was that Obito's specialty was Fire Style—which meant Hanekawa now had a fire affinity boost to add to his collection.

  "Asuma."

  Hanekawa waved him over with a casual gesture. He was genuinely looking forward to seeing what kind of entry Asuma Sarutobi would drop this time.

  Asuma didn't move immediately. The arrogance from moments earlier had evaporated completely. He wasn't stupid—those two kunai had sent a very clear message about the gap between them.

  Why does an illusion specialist throw kunai like a weapons master? Asuma wondered, but there was no time for that now. He'd already committed to this fight.

  Asuma approached with grim determination, his hands already moving through the seals. Wind chakra gathered around his palms.

  "Wind Style: Gale Palm!"

  Compressed air erupted outward in a violent wave. Hanekawa simply stepped left—not frantically dodging, but moving with the casual certainty of someone who'd already predicted the attack.

  Asuma's eyes widened. Am I under an illusion?

  Panic made him act on instinct. "Genjutsu: Release!"

  His chakra flared, but nothing changed. He wasn't caught in an illusion at all.

  Then Hanekawa's face appeared directly in front of him.

  Don't come over! Asuma's mind screamed, but it was too late.

  "Genjutsu: Fox's Mind Trick!"

  Asuma froze mid-thought, his body locked in place.

  From the observation platform, Hiruzen Sarutobi pinched the bridge of his nose. A complete mess. Absolute chaos.

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  Asuma had been completely outmaneuvered. The Hokage suspected that defeating Obito had been part of the plan all along—a setup to make Asuma attack recklessly. It was impossible to defend against.

  When Hiruzen glanced at Hanekawa, he found the boy frowning in dissatisfaction.

  Unsatisfied with victory? Hiruzen thought. The arrogance of a true genius.

  "Hateful!" Asuma spat the words out as soon as the genjutsu released him. He'd been trapped for three seconds—an eternity in actual combat. "I'll be back!"

  He turned to leave, but Hanekawa called after him.

  "Asuma."

  "What?" he snapped, turning back with an annoyed expression.

  "Your Wind Style is very strong," Hanekawa said seriously.

  Asuma blinked, then straightened. "Of course it is! Next time, you'll see an even stronger wind jutsu. I'll definitely win then!"

  Perfect. Hanekawa smiled internally. Motivation restored.

  He'd been disappointed that no new entry had triggered from the Asuma fight—but then he remembered. After the last upgrade, "Shippuden" had become D-Rank. To trigger another evolution, he'd probably need to push Asuma to Genin or Chunin level first.

  "This is the Will of Fire," Hiruzen murmured to himself, watching the exchange. A child wouldn't lie about something like that. It was genuine. Perhaps I should speak with Tsunade about bringing him into the Hokage's direct lineage.

  "My turn."

  Kakashi Hatake stepped onto the field with his characteristic blank expression, drawing a short sword from his back. His illusions and tool mastery were superior to his own, but Kakashi had one advantage: the Hatake family's legendary swordsmanship.

  "How does Kakashi's swordsmanship compare to yours?" Hiruzen asked Sakumo.

  "Lord Hokage," Sakumo smiled modestly, "he's still just a child. Perhaps ten percent of my level."

  "Even ten percent would make him superior to most Genin," Hiruzen replied.

  "You're too kind, sir."

  Hiruzen was about to respond when he noticed Hanekawa drawing a katana from his pack.

  Sakumo's eyes lit up. "Interesting. It seems our young friend has been holding back."

  What? Asuma, watching from the sidelines, felt his stomach drop. He wasn't even using his full strength against me?

  "Is he insane?" Obito muttered. "Using a sword against Kakashi?"

  "Don't underestimate him," Rin said quietly. "Hanekawa is very strong."

  "That's not the point," Obito protested. "He's the type of person who—"

  "Come on, Hanekawa!" Kurenai's cheer cut through his words, followed by a wave of support from the other students.

  Obito felt something twist in his chest. When did he become so popular?

  "You know how to use a sword?" Kakashi asked, studying the katana with genuine surprise.

  "Reasonably well," Hanekawa replied with a slight smile.

  He wasn't certain he could beat Kakashi outright, but with the thirty percent strength boost from Ninja Tool Mastery plus the ten percent swordsmanship bonus from his Sword Ninja entry, his odds were solid. Kakashi was only five years old, after all.

  "Be careful," Kakashi said simply, then moved.

  His body exploded forward with explosive speed, his short sword striking like a viper. Hanekawa raised his katana horizontally to block, but Kakashi's blade paused mid-strike and slashed horizontally instead—a technique designed to cut through defenses entirely.

  An inch longer is an inch stronger.

  Hanekawa rotated his wrist and met the slash with his own blade. The impact sent a shockwave through both their arms. Kakashi was forced back several steps, his expression shifting from confidence to surprise.

  The crowd fell silent.

  For the first time, someone had matched Kakashi Hatake's swordsmanship.

  ---