"The opponent is Kurenai Yuhi."
When the examiner Miyagi Shunsuke called out the name "Uchiha," the atmosphere at the scene noticeably heated up.
But when they heard it was Uchiha Ruri, their excitement quickly faded.
Who wants to watch the Uchiha clan's dead last? We want to see a genius!
Meanwhile, Asuma was cheering Kurenai on with excitement.
"Kurenai! Go get him! Smash that dead-last's head in!"
Kurenai furrowed her brows slightly and glanced at Asuma.
Is it really polite to call someone a dead last in front of everyone?
Kurenai motioned for Asuma to be quiet, then stepped onto the arena.
Up on the high ground, Kakashi remained expressionless, as if none of this had anything to do with him.
He had been sent by Lord Hokage to maintain order and deal with any unexpected incidents.
But honestly, what kind of surprise could a mere ninja school exam possibly hold? He figured his time would've been better spent doing actual missions.
Uchiha Ruri took in everyone's reactions and casually shrugged.
Well, looks like I've got zero supporters. Typical.
The only one feeling curious was Senju Hashirama, hidden within Uchiha Ruri's body. Just how far could this child, handpicked by Tobirama, really go?
Uchiha Ruri and Kurenai stepped into the center of the training ground, facing each other.
Miyagi Shunsuke gave them both a glance. "Fight at full strength — no holding back. Your chance to graduate depends on this."
Uchiha Ruri muttered inwardly, wondering if that warning was meant for him or for Kurenai.
"Begin!"
At Miyagi Shunsuke's signal, Kurenai swiftly weaved her hand signs. "Clone Jutsu!"
Three clones flickered into view around Kurenai, rushing straight toward Uchiha Ruri.
It was one of the basic jutsu every ninja academy student expected to master — and a key part of the graduation exam.
As she sprinted forward, Kurenai flung a handful of kunai toward Uchiha Ruri with all her strength.
Uchiha Ruri stayed perfectly calm as the kunai whistled through the air toward him.
With just a curl of his finger, thick vines burst from the earth and swatted the kunai aside like they were nothing.
Kurenai faltered mid-stride, stunned. What the heck is that? I've never seen this jutsu before!
On the sidelines, the examiners and seasoned ninjas suddenly tensed up, their expressions turning grave. There was something oddly familiar about this jutsu — they just couldn't place where they'd seen it before.
Before they could dwell on the thought, Kurenai and her clones sprang into the air, launching a synchronized assault on Uchiha Ruri.
In the blink of an eye, thick vines shot upward, snapping through the air and effortlessly swatting Kurenai's clones aside.
Before Kurenai could even react, one of the vines coiled around her, suspending her helplessly in midair.
"What jutsu is this? I've never seen anything like it…"
Clutching her kunai, Kurenai hacked at the vines in desperation.
But her efforts were futile — the sharp kunai barely managed to leave shallow scratches on the tough vines.
Little by little, she felt her chakra draining away. Finally, her kunai slipped from her weakening grip and hit the ground with a dull clang.
Uchiha Ruri turned back to Miyagi Shunsuke, his voice calm and steady. "Senpai Shunsuke, does this mean I've won?"
"Kurenai has lost her ability to fight — Uchiha Ruri is the winner!" Miyagi Shunsuke finally snapped out of his daze as he declared the result.
At those words, Uchiha Ruri released the jutsu, and the vines slowly uncoiled from the nearly unconscious Kurenai.
She drifted down from midair, landing softly in Uchiha Ruri's waiting arms.
At that moment, the spectators were left utterly baffled.
What kind of absurd battle was that supposed to be?
From their point of view, Kurenai charged in, got tied up, and... just like that, lost.
And the wildest part? Uchiha Ruri barely even moved the entire fight...
The crowd's reactions were all over the place, but one spoiled noble boy seemed completely smitten.
"You damn Uchiha! Let go of Kurenai right now!"
Asuma watched Kurenai get taken down by Uchiha Ruri, already feeling irritated.
Now Uchiha Ruri was holding Kurenai in a princess carry, and while the uncle might tolerate it, the aunt definitely couldn't!
Asuma rolled up his sleeves, grabbed a kunai, and was ready to take action against Uchiha Ruri.
Before he could step in, the examiner, Miyagi Shunsuke, stopped him.
"Asuma, it's not your turn yet."
"Sensei Miyagi!"
This is about discipline! Go back to your spot!
Asuma's clenched fist relaxed.
Openly defying a ninja school teacher in front of everyone would definitely get him a beating from his father when he gets home—most likely involving being hung from a tree, drenched in cold water, and lashed.
Just as Asuma was about to leave, he inadvertently glanced over at Kurenai.
At that moment, Kurenai had gradually started to wake up.
She surveyed her situation and felt incredibly embarrassed.
"Ruri, could you please put me down?"
"Ah, sure."
Uchiha Ruri gently set Kurenai down, but to his surprise, she stumbled and ended up falling straight into his arms.
Kurenai's face turned bright red, all the way to her ears. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to."
"It's alright. Aren't we supposed to help each other out as comrades?"
"Yes..." Kurenai's heart was pounding uncontrollably.
Asuma couldn't hold it in any longer, and just then, he heard his name.
"Next match, Asuma Sarutobi vs. Lu Renjia..."
Fuming with anger, Asuma stormed to the center of the training ground. "Come on!"
Bang, bang, bang, slap, slap, slap...
After a fierce battle, Asuma emerged victorious.
He wiped the dust off his clothes and turned to look for Kurenai, only to see Uchiha Ruri and Kurenai talking quietly in a corner.
"Ruri, the jutsu you used earlier is so strange, I've never seen anything like it before."
"I just learned this jutsu yesterday, and I'm still not very good at it.""
"No way, I think you're amazing!"
"..."
Asuma's head was buzzing with frustration. Damn it, damn it, damn it. How could Kurenai be so close to that damn Uchiha?
He stormed up to Miyagi Shunsuke, deliberately raising his voice.
"Sensei Miyagi, I have a request."
Miyagi Shunsuke felt a headache coming on. What trouble was Asuma about to cause this time?
"Go ahead."
Asuma pointed towards Uchiha Ruri in the corner. "I request to have a match with UchihaRuri."
"No," Miyagi Shunsuke rejected Asuma's request without hesitation. "You can spar privately when there's time, but today we're on a tight schedule."
Asuma immediately became anxious upon hearing this. What was the point of sparring privately? What he wanted was to defeat Uchiha Ruri again in front of everyone.
Don't think that just because he barely beat Kurenai, graduation will be easy. The ninja path is not that simple.
Miyagi Shunsuke waved his hand, and in the next second, Kakashi appeared in an instant.
Just as Kakashi was about to forcibly take Asuma away, Uchiha Ruri, who had been idly drawing circles in the corner, slowly stood up.
"Sensei Miyagi, I also want to spar with Asuma."
Miyagi Shunsuke felt even more troubled.
At school, Uchiha Ruri was always a well-behaved student, never causing trouble with them. Why did he seem like a completely different person today?
He waved his hand irritably. "We'll talk about it after the other students are done."
The long wait finally passed. After the last match ended, Miyagi Shunsuke called Uchiha Ruri and Sarutobi Asuma over.
"Finish it quickly."
Asuma stretched his joints, showing a strange smile.
"Don't worry, Sensei Miyagi. I'll be quick."
Thanks to all the readers for your continued support! Asuma and Uchiha Ruri's showdown is just beginning, and the upcoming adventures are even more exciting. Please continue to follow, favorite, and comment, and let's witness the growth and challenges of these ninjas together! Your support is the driving force behind my continued writing!