The two bowed slightly and simultaneously formed opposing hand seals.
As Obito formed the hand seals, his Uchiha clanmate sneered, his expression hostile.
He had long wanted to teach Obito a lesson, especially given his bizarre outfit today, which he found embarrassing for the Uchiha name.
But after the opposing seals were completed, Obito immediately darted into motion.
This wasn't his usual style.
Obito used to be rigid, always charging straight into head-on clashes.
As Raj put it, he had "zero positioning, terrible awareness, a textbook bronze-tier player."
Now, however, he had improved significantly.
He at least knew to position himself strategically beforehand and seemed to have some tricks up his sleeve.
Still, it was futile.
Skill couldn't be caught up with minor adjustments.
Obito had talent, but Guy was hardly a professional instructor.
All Guy could teach him was how to run and use taijutsu.
As for applying these skills creatively...
Guy himself was likely still figuring that out.
After a few exchanges, Obito was left with several cuts from shuriken, looking quite battered.
The improvement, however, was that his opponent was in even worse shape, with two black eyes and a purplish bruise on his lip.
Raj nearly wanted to applaud Obito.
'What do you do when you're surrounded in a fight? Focus all your energy on beating down one opponent, making sure they suffer even if you're getting pummeled yourself.'
Obito had mastered this principle.
He stayed in close combat, giving his opponent no chance to form hand seals for Ninjutsu or throw shuriken.
He turned what should have been a ninja battle into a street brawl.
Of course, this tactic couldn't last long.
Once his opponent used the Body Flicker Technique to create distance, they could exploit their own strengths to defeat Obito.
But...
The moment his clanmate used the Body Flicker Technique to create distance, Obito decisively raised his hand and declared, "Teacher, I surrender."
"Alright, both sides stop fighting," Takuma said, surprised but quick to call a halt.
Obito's clanmate was stunned.
He had been battered black and blue, and just when he finally created distance to use his Ninjutsu and shuriken advantage, his opponent surrendered.
Not just him, but all the other students were astonished.
Obito didn't seem like the type to be so cunning, and neither did Guy.
Guy lived for passion and relentless effort, never giving up until he was completely exhausted.
But Obito's current tactics reminded them of Kakashi in his younger days - equally cunning.
Of course, that was all in the past.
Since White Fang's death, Kakashi's combat style had changed drastically, losing the agility he'd possessed as a child.
'Good. It seems Obito has been influenced by Guy, but not to the same extreme. He's probably just going through a temporary phase of chuunibyou.'
Raj secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.
As expected.
Gems like Guy and Rock Lee, who dedicate themselves entirely to taijutsu, are rare, appearing only once every ten years.
Obito clearly lacked the same level of dedication, and it was unlikely he could master the Eight Inner Gates.
Guy, more than anyone, understood this.
Obito's true passion wasn't taijutsu; it was his Sharingan, which he obsessed over.
That's why he always wore those goggles.
But mastering the Eight Inner Gates required a ninja to devote their entire being to taijutsu training.
Take Guy, for example.
Unlike his father, Might Duy, and his disciple, Rock Lee, who were incapable of using Ninjutsu, Guy actually possessed natural talent for it.
He simply chose to abandon Ninjutsu entirely, focusing solely on taijutsu.
"Injured students, report to the medical bay for treatment. The rest of you, continue with your practical combat training," the teacher announced calmly.
Practical combat training was bound to draw blood.
As long as the injuries weren't life-threatening, they were considered acceptable.
The injuries sustained by Obito and his clan members fell within this acceptable range.
But if the fighting continued, who knew what might happen?
Raj watched quietly.
The Uchiha's demeanor carried a distinct "Don't think you're getting away after school" vibe.
Obito would likely face a harsh interrogation upon returning to the Uchiha compound.
'Well, I'm just a cat. I can't really help him with the Uchiha clan. Better just stay out of it.'
'Good luck, Obito.'
Of course, Raj didn't see this as entirely negative.
Obito had previously lacked the clan's support because he hadn't proven his worth.
If this fight, followed by a clan beating, sparked some unconventional attention, it might finally make the clan notice him.
Lying nearby, Raj pondered these thoughts, but none of them seemed particularly useful.
'I'm just a cat.'
Next up was Kurenai against Rin.
This wasn't a fair match.
While Kurenai couldn't use genjutsu, her shuriken and kunai skills far surpassed Rin's.
But Rin's goal wasn't to defeat Kurenai; it was to survive against her.
Her ambition was to become a Medical Ninja.
Every Medical Ninja becomes a prime target for enemy shinobi, much like how, in Raj's past life when playing games, the first rule was always: "If the enemy has a healer, ignore everything else."
"And kill the healer first."
The battle dragged on, the two evenly matched.
Kurenai refrained from using genjutsu, which would have ended the fight quickly.
As the two finished their match, Hana returned with Haimaru.
The Medical Ninjutsu had worked wonders.
Haimaru's paw, now free of bandages, looked as good as new.
At least, that's how it appeared on the surface.
However, Haimaru's psychological wounds were clearly still raw.
The moment he saw Raj looking his way, his injured paw began to tremble violently.
'Did he develop a trauma from the fight?'
Raj wondered.
'This is pathetic. The Inuzuka Clan really needs to step up their mental training for their Ninja Beasts.'
Raj mentally scoffed.
Hana continued to soothe Haimaru, refraining from participating in any further battles after arriving.
It took a long time for Haimaru to gradually calm down, but it was obvious he lacked the courage to face the Little Black Cat again - at least until he believed he had sufficient strength.
He wouldn't dare provoke Raj again until then.
Raj felt a twinge of disappointment.
'If this guy had been braver, he could have earned me more Points.'
'What's the point of giving up after just one fight? When Guy and Kakashi sparred, did they ever back down after losing so many times? Every time, they faced each other head-on with unwavering courage.'
Raj's gaze darted around, searching for potential targets to pilfer Points from.
But aside from the nameless extras, the others ike Genma and Raido, were too risky to provoke.
After scanning the crowd, the gatekeeper duo seemed like the easiest targets.
However, these two wouldn't yield many Points.
They were too honest, too easily bullied, and possessed nothing worth stealing.
After pondering for a moment, Raj decided to go tease Little Anko.
'If you don't cherish the loli when she's young, you'll regret it when she grows up and becomes an old hag. By then, it'll be too late to reminisce.'