Chapter 25

Chapter 25

"Let's go."

Haneda grabbed Obito and quickly crossed the street, arriving at a corner. He peeked around, not seeing his target, and hurriedly pulled Obito along again.

Obito, out of breath, broke free from Haneda's grip, bent over, hands on his knees, and gasped for air.

"I can't take it anymore, Haneda. It's just an old lady, what's the big deal?"

"You don't get it." Haneda glanced at Obito and then looked around cautiously.

Obito, as someone who was basically destined to encounter old ladies at every turn, was like a gambler always losing to the house. Haneda needed to remain extremely cautious!

After waiting for Obito to rest for a moment, Haneda extended his hand. "Let's go, Obito. If we delay any longer, the old lady will catch up."

As he spoke, Haneda carefully raised his head and looked ahead.

Sure enough, an old lady with a cane was slowly making her way down the street. Suddenly, she stopped and looked directly at Obito, giving him a kind, gentle smile.

Damn it!

...

Tap, tap, tap…

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the school hallway.

Along with the footsteps came a boy's voice, complaining.

"I told you to keep up with me, but you didn't listen. Now we're late again."

"Hmph, what's wrong with helping someone? You jerk, Haneda."

"Shut up."

Bickering as they went, Haneda and Obito finally arrived at the classroom door.

"Sumimasen, sensei," they said as they walked in, one after the other.

"Teacher, I—" Obito, already familiar with this routine, immediately started to explain but was quickly interrupted.

"I know, Obito. You were helping an old lady across the street and lost track of time, right? No need to explain."

"Teacher, I—" Haneda started to speak, only to be cut off as well.

"You don't need to explain either, Haneda. I know you were with Obito helping the old lady, right?"

The teacher rubbed his temples and added, "Alright, just take your seats. And remember, Haneda, no more skipping class. If you have something to do, just ask for leave and cooperate with your teacher, okay?"

Haneda gave an awkward smile. When did the teacher start assuming things like this? Now he felt a bit guilty about skipping class…

This time, things were different from before. Instead of just a few students laughing at Obito, most of the class now looked at Haneda with admiration, respect, and even envy.

"Wow! Haneda's wearing black today. It's even cooler than his white shirt!"

"Aah! I can't take it! Haneda's smile is so sweet and warm! It's like he's smiling just for me!"

"Hey! No one else is allowed to claim Haneda! He's mine!"

"Draw your swords, former best friends!"

A group of young girls, eyes full of hearts, looked at Haneda with adoration and excitement.

'The Uchiha Haneda who defeated Kakashi—he's already been late twice and skipped class once this week, and he's still amazing! I have to work even harder now. This is youth!' Guy thought excitedly from his seat.

Meanwhile, Kakashi, who had dinner with Haneda the night before, kept his eyes on Haneda until he sat down.

'Breaking the rules again, Haneda. You truly are the sun I'll chase for the rest of my life…' Kakashi thought to himself.

Haneda, on the other hand, had no intention of paying attention to the crazed girls or even imagining what Guy or Kakashi were thinking. His eyes were locked onto Obito, filled with annoyance. He wished he could've kicked him one more time this morning.

His plan was flawless, his scouting was perfect.

But because Obito needed a short break, they ended up being stuck for nearly an hour!

"Why are you staring at me, you jerk, Haneda?" Obito asked, feeling uneasy under Haneda's gaze.

"What do you think?" Haneda responded coldly before turning away.

He didn't want to deal with this guy anymore.

Next time—no, there won't be a next time. He absolutely wouldn't go to school with Obito again!

...

Riiiiing.

The loud school bell rang, signaling the end of class. In the end, Haneda chose not to skip the lesson. He decided to respect the teacher a little and went to the office to request a leave of absence instead.

Just as he was about to leave the classroom, a strange hand landed on his shoulder. This unfamiliar hand was strong, full of determination.

Haneda turned around to see a bright green bowl cut that nearly blinded him.

"I have a bad habit: whenever I encounter a genius, I feel the urge to challenge them."

The speaker was none other than Guy, who, with excitement in his voice, extended his index finger and said, "How about it, Haneda? Let's have a passionate duel, a contest of youth!"

Seeing one of his three main rivals, Might Guy, actively seeking him out, Haneda pretended to hesitate for a moment before "reluctantly" agreeing.

"Alright, Guy, what do you want to compete in? Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Genjutsu, or maybe kunai and shuriken?"

"Uh…"

Hearing the list of options, Guy found himself at a loss. He thought for a moment. He wasn't good at ninjutsu or genjutsu, so he immediately ruled those out.

As for taijutsu…

That was his specialty, so he'd save it for last.

After eliminating the other options, Guy's eyes lit up, his gaze full of determination as he looked at Haneda.

"Let's start with a shuriken contest, Haneda!"

"Sure." Haneda nodded.

"But just to be clear, I don't have much time. If you're really serious about challenging me, then follow along."

Haneda paused for a moment and added, "And be ready to skip class."

With that, Haneda shoved his hands into his pockets and headed toward the stairs, seemingly on his way to the training grounds.

Watching Haneda's retreating figure, Guy gritted his teeth and followed. Compared to the boring theory class, a showdown with the top genius of their year, Uchiha Haneda, was true youth!

In Guy's mind, he recalled how he'd been using geniuses like Kakashi as targets to drive his self-discipline. At this moment, his resolve solidified.

If he could defeat Haneda, it would mean he could defeat Kakashi too—perfection!

Arriving at the shuriken training grounds, Haneda, hands still in his pockets, politely asked, "Do you want to go first, or should I?"

"You go first," Guy said, eager to see Haneda's real shuriken skills.

In Haneda's battle with Kakashi, he had already demonstrated an extraordinary level of skill, far above his usual standard.

"Alright." Haneda casually took out three shuriken from his pouch.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!*

Three swift sounds sliced through the air as the shuriken flew toward three separate targets, each hitting the bullseye dead center!

Guy stood in awe, thinking, 'Is this what a true genius looks like?!'

But his shock didn't last long. Guy quickly regained his composure, determined. 'Using such a genius as a goal and to push myself forward—that's what youth is all about!'

Without hesitation, Guy also took out three shuriken.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!*

The shuriken flew through the air, but unlike Haneda's, Guy's shuriken hit the edge of a single target, far from the bullseye.

"I lost…"

"Alright! As punishment, I'll run 5,000 laps around the school! If I can't do that, I'll walk upside down for 5,000 laps!"

Haneda, a bit puzzled, looked at Guy. "You're not going to continue the challenge?"

Guy gave him a thumbs-up. "If I can't do that, I'll challenge you again, Haneda!"

Hearing that, Haneda suddenly had a bad feeling…

'Wait, could Kakashi and Guy's rivalry be transferring onto me now?!'

However, Haneda quickly pushed the thought aside and headed for the school gates.

The duel with Guy was just a small detour. Today's real training was only just beginning.

...

***

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