Uchiha Iwa's sudden challenge nearly made Hoshiyomi pull a muscle—this guy really had improved since their last verbal skirmish.
So now he's bold enough to come at me directly, huh? Trying to deduct my points just to prove a point?
This is basically a sneak attack disguised as righteous indignation. What a pain.
Mitsui-sensei wiped the sweat from his brow and cleared his throat.
"You and Hoshiyomi are ranked quite close," he said. "Challenging him won't result in a penalty. Hoshiyomi, do you accept? Remember, everyone has the right to refuse one challenge during the exam."
It was clear Mitsui-sensei had picked up on the friction between the two. He subtly shot Hoshiyomi a look, hoping he might let this whole thing go before it escalated.
But Hoshiyomi wasn't one to back down. After being provoked by Iwa three times already, there was no way he'd hand the guy a peaceful exit.
He calmly stepped forward through the crowd, eyes focused.
"I accept," he said.
Mitsui-sensei gave up trying to mediate. These two are going to clash no matter what. He simply tensed his muscles slightly, ready to intervene if things got out of hand.
Both boys entered the sparring field.
Each received six practice kunai—non-bladed for safety—and then stood facing each other, performing the Seal of Confrontation as required.
The moment the seal was completed, Iwa launched his assault.
Despite holding a grudge against Hoshiyomi for a long time, Iwa didn't let his anger cloud his judgment. He wasn't foolish enough to charge straight at someone still holding a bokken—especially not someone with Hoshiyomi's reputation.
Instead, he reached into his pouch and flung three kunai in a triangular formation.
They sliced through the air in perfect coordination, locking down Hoshiyomi's movement—classic beginner-level Uchiha shurikenjutsu. Whether Hoshiyomi dodged left, right, or stayed still, at least one kunai would make contact.
The crowd held their breath. Could Hoshiyomi really dodge that?
But Hoshiyomi remained calm. Two months of training against Hatake Sakumo had sharpened his reflexes considerably.
He'd parried Sakumo's real sword strikes at close range—what were a few kunai compared to that?
He stood motionless.
Then, just as the center kunai entered his strike range, he swung.
Clang!
The bokken smacked the kunai mid-air, redirecting it off course.
A perfect deflection.
Gasps echoed through the crowd. Some classmates who had thought Hoshiyomi only carried a wooden sword to look cool were now wide-eyed in disbelief.
He wasn't bluffing. He actually knows how to use that thing!
With the center kunai knocked off trajectory, the remaining two naturally missed their mark.
But that didn't mean Hoshiyomi was out of danger.
Iwa had already closed the distance, leaping forward with chakra-enhanced speed and thrusting a kunai straight toward Hoshiyomi's face.
Mitsui-sensei frowned deeply. Such a vicious move for a six-year-old. This kid's temperament is seriously problematic. I'll have to speak with his family later.
Hoshiyomi's brows furrowed slightly, but he didn't panic.
He took half a step back, avoiding the thrust, then flipped his bokken upward, striking Iwa squarely on the wrist.
Clack!
Iwa yelped and dropped his kunai.
Still, he wasn't done. Mid-air, he twisted his body and aimed an elbow strike at Hoshiyomi's chest.
But Hoshiyomi sidestepped cleanly and drove the hilt of his bokken into Iwa's back.
Whump!
The impact sent Iwa sprawling face-first into the dirt. The dull thud made several students wince.
Hoshiyomi looked down at him, then backed off.
He hit the ground hard. No need to keep pushing. We're only six, after all. No one needs to leave this field in pieces.
But just as Hoshiyomi relaxed, Iwa made his move.
Taking advantage of the moment, Iwa reached out for one of the kunai that had been knocked away earlier.
At the same time, his other hand slipped into his pouch.
Dual-wielding now, he hurled one kunai immediately, then sprang up with surprising speed, flipping the second kunai into a reverse grip and charging again.
The spectators cried out in shock.
"Despicable!" Jiraiya shouted, jumping to his feet. "That's a sneak attack!"
Even Mitsui-sensei's gaze darkened. His fingers quietly began forming a seal. If Hoshiyomi can't dodge this, I'll have to stop the fight.
Hoshiyomi barely managed to evade the incoming kunai—but Iwa was already upon him.
He's too close!
Students in the crowd clenched their fists. Some covered their eyes, unable to watch.
Jiraiya and Sakumo looked like they were ready to jump into the ring themselves.
Even Tsunade, watching from a distance, was fuming. This Uchiha creep... I want to pound him into the dirt!
Iwa, on the other hand, was grinning like a madman.
He drove the blunt kunai straight toward Hoshiyomi's stomach.
It wouldn't cut him, sure—but it'd leave bruises that would last for weeks.
Serves him right. All that smug posing ends now.
Victory belongs to Uchiha Iwa! That pretty-boy poser should be screaming at my feet!
With a gleeful snarl, Iwa thrust the kunai forward—
Thud.
The blade sank into a chunk of wood.
A cloud of smoke popped. The "Hoshiyomi" in front of him exploded into—
A wooden log.
Substitution Jutsu!
Iwa froze, stunned.
Behind him, the real Hoshiyomi appeared soundlessly.
This time, he didn't hold back.
With a precise, chakra-augmented kick, he slammed his foot into Iwa's backside.
BOOM!
Iwa was sent flying from the sparring field and skidded along the dirt for several meters before coming to a painful stop.
Mitsui-sensei didn't move immediately. He simply declared in a calm, clear voice:
"Uchiha Iwa has left the arena. Winner: Gekkō Hoshiyomi."
Only then did he stroll over to help Iwa up. He turned to Hoshiyomi.
"Come on," he said, "let's perform the Seal of Reconciliation. No matter what happened today, I want this grudge to end here."