"Sharingan?"
The shocked exclamations from below the stage made Hatake Kusuo take this match a bit more seriously.
He hadn't expected that the blow he dealt Sasuke would be so intense, that it would force Sasuke to awaken his Sharingan early. In the original story, Sasuke had only activated it in his fury during the massacre of his clan.
It seemed that because of him, the course of the original timeline was already beginning to change.
Whether that was good or bad, he didn't know.
But Kusuo didn't dwell on it for long.
Sasuke, his eyes now gleaming scarlet with the Sharingan, stepped back onto the stage, his face filled with newfound confidence.
"If not for you, I wouldn't have awakened these eyes."
"As thanks, I'll defeat you. Watch closely, Hatake Kusuo. You're about to witness the true power of the Uchiha clan's Sharingan."
With his Sharingan activated, Sasuke brimmed with self-assurance.
Faced with the famous dojutsu of the ninja world, even if it was just a one-tomoe Sharingan, Kusuo couldn't help but become a little more focused.
Swish!
A figure darted forward. Sasuke's strength had clearly increased after awakening his Sharingan.
Even his aura felt far more intense than before.
"But if this is all there is, then that's the end of it."
Kusuo's keen senses easily tracked Sasuke's movement. A faint smile appeared on his lips as he smoothly drew the sword from his waist.
Clang!
Sparks flew.
The sound of metal clashing rang out.
In that instant,
the two collided.
Sasuke wielded a sharp kunai, while Kusuo had only drawn his sword sheath.
Sasuke's eyes, sharper now with his Sharingan, had managed to block Kusuo's attack.
"You're not even drawing your sword?!"
Seeing that Kusuo, even against his activated Sharingan, still hadn't unsheathed his blade filled Sasuke with even more rage.
"Heh. Since awakening your eye, your overall abilities have certainly improved. You're even able to track my speed. Looks like the Uchiha clan's reputation isn't just talk."
"But… to deal with you, you're not worthy of seeing my blade."
"The fact that I'm using even the sheath is already enough for you to feel proud."
Kusuo's calm praise only made Sasuke more furious. In that moment, Kusuo's right hand gripped the sheath tightly and exerted his strength, a force like a crashing tide pressing down on Sasuke.
"Damn it!"
Sasuke roared, shocked that even with his Sharingan awakened he was still being overpowered.
Slowly…
His legs buckled, and he found himself kneeling beneath the overwhelming strength Kusuo applied.
"Alright, this little game ends here."
Kusuo gave Sasuke, now frozen in place, a calm glance before casually kicking him off the stage.
Boom!
Sasuke crashed to the ground, leaving a small human-shaped dent in the earth.
Silence.
Utter silence.
Everyone exchanged stunned looks, the entire area falling still.
"Damn…"
"Kusuo is just too strong!"
"Incredible."
"Even Sasuke with his Sharingan activated couldn't beat him!"
The sound of gulping filled the air, and the looks people gave Kusuo were filled with respect.
Before true strength, even jealousy couldn't take root.
"Match over! The winner is Hatake Kusuo!"
Iruka Umino, who had witnessed everything, looked at the fallen Sasuke with a complex expression before loudly announcing the result.
Hatake Kusuo had claimed victory with overwhelming force, leaving no doubt.
And with that,
the title of top student for their year
was his.
"Yeah!"
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Everyone was proud of Kusuo.
Children from ordinary families especially saw Kusuo as their hero, feeling a deep sense of pride in him.
Smiling as he accepted everyone's congratulations, Kusuo stepped down from the stage, only to be immediately surrounded by his classmates.
Their gazes were full of admiration but also a bit of nervousness, as if afraid to approach.
But Kusuo simply waved at Hinata, who stood quietly off to the side. He walked over and gently tugged at her cheek.
Hinata's face turned bright red in an instant.
"K-Kusuo…"
She was happy for him, but with so many eyes watching, she couldn't bring herself to say much.
"C-congratulations, Kusuo…"
Only after Kusuo had left did Hinata whisper in a voice so soft only she could hear it.
To Kusuo, the final exams had been nothing more than a minor episode.
Returning home,
he continued his daily, monotonous training.
The path of the sword was like that—no shortcuts, just endless practice.
…
…
"System, display my impersonation progress."
[Kusuo's current impersonation rate: %]
Sweat pouring down his face, Kusuo wiped himself with a towel, nodding with satisfaction at the interface.
"I'm about to unlock the next Sun Breathing technique. I can't wait!"
The Sun Breathing sword techniques, enhanced by the system, had grown far more powerful, but the energy they consumed was terrifying.
His daily training was limited, so most of his time was focused on mastering Total Concentration Breathing: Constant.
"If only I had the three kids from Demon Slayer helping me. Then I wouldn't have to worry about forgetting to use Total Concentration Breathing in my sleep."
But that was impossible. The system wasn't about to give him actual people as a reward.
"So, how should I solve this problem?"
Kusuo propped his chin on his hand, deep in thought.
Faces floated through his mind: the playful Ino, the ever-shy Hinata…
For some reason, Naruto's face popped up too.
"Naruto?"
"Oh no, ugh!"
Kusuo shook his head hard. Just the thought of Naruto crouching at his bedside in the dead of night supervising his training was terrifying.
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100 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter