"Teacher Umino, can't you arrange more combat training? We're becoming ninjas, not practicing how to run away."
Many students complained.
Compared to the plain and boring physical training, they preferred one-on-one battles.
At least during those moments, they could receive cheers from others.
"Yo, Kakashi! It's my favorite part again!"
Might Guy flashed his gleaming white teeth and gave a thumbs-up.
"Want to have a passionate battle of youth with me?!"
"…"
Kakashi, wearing his scarf, glanced at the green tights Guy was wearing.
Seeing Guy constantly strike strange poses made Kakashi feel like he needed to wash his eyes.
He couldn't understand why his father, Hatake Sakumo, had warned him that Might Guy would one day become a respectable opponent.
At this moment, it only felt absurd.
"If you don't start running, you'll fall behind."
Kakashi began running.
"Kakashi, I'm coming!"
Might Guy immediately chased after him.
"Kakashi is as handsome as ever…"
Many of the girls watched Kakashi as he ran, feeling that watching him made the running less tiring.
Nohara Rin also secretly glanced at Kakashi while trying her best to keep up with his pace.
"Can you keep up?" Kakashi asked calmly.
"I can."
Rin nodded.
Obito was running near the back. When he saw Rin and Kakashi chatting as if no one else existed, he gritted his teeth.
Suddenly accelerating, he ran ahead and blocked Rin's view.
"Kakashi, you're running too slowly."
Obito tried to look relaxed.
"Idiot."
Kakashi thought Obito was foolish.
They had only run a few laps, yet Obito had already disrupted his own pace just to match others.
Later on, he would inevitably run out of stamina.
Kakashi shook his head and continued running forward.
"That is… Uchiha Kiyoshi."
Kakashi's eyes narrowed.
While he had been distracted talking with others, he suddenly noticed that Kiyoshi had already run near the front of the group.
For some reason, it almost looked as if Kiyoshi was running more easily with each lap.
During the remaining laps, Kakashi kept observing him.
By the time they finished, Kiyoshi had barely broken a sweat.
While the others were gasping for breath and resting, Kiyoshi took out a small notebook and began reading something.
This behavior caught the attention of their instructor, Umino.
Soon, he remembered Kiyoshi's background.
"The Land of Lightning…"
He recalled the Kumogakure ninjas famous for their powerful nin-taijutsu.
It was normal for Kiyoshi to have better physical ability than the others.
Even the Senju and Uzumaki clans weren't as famous for physical combat techniques as the ninjas from the Land of Lightning.
"You're not tired?"
Kakashi walked over and asked.
He was curious how someone with such a thin appearance could possess such strong endurance.
"I'm alright."
Kiyoshi took a sip from the water bottle he had prepared earlier.
With chakra, ninjas were naturally far stronger than ordinary people—even in long-distance running.
After drinking, Kiyoshi looked at Kakashi.
This was the genius who would develop the S-rank jutsu Raikiri at only twelve years old.
Ironically, the Sharingan Obito later gave him would actually slow down Kakashi's growth.
In the official novel Kakashi Hiden: Lightning in the Frozen Sky, after losing the Sharingan, Kakashi quickly developed a new Lightning Release technique that didn't require the Sharingan and didn't even need hand seals.
That technique was Purple Lightning, created as a replacement for Raikiri.
"Kakashi, aren't you the one performing even better?"
Kakashi ranked first overall in their grade.
Naturally, he had no weaknesses in physical ability either.
"Kiyoshi, so you're also part of the youth that burns with passion!"
Might Guy ran over, his bowl-cut hair bouncing as he moved.
"No. I'm just training."
Kiyoshi pointed at his thin body and paused before adding,
"If I want to become a ninja in the future, this alone won't be enough."
"That's true."
Guy nodded in agreement.
Under his tight green suit, Guy had already trained his body to be extremely strong.
Kiyoshi definitely needed more training.
"Kiyoshi, you're really hardworking."
Rin wiped the sweat from her forehead and walked over.
A thin layer of sweat glistened on her fair skin, making her look even softer.
"My performance just now should've been cool enough, right?"
Because he had disrupted his rhythm earlier to block Kakashi from Rin's view, Obito was exhausted during the last few laps.
Everyone else had already finished.
Only he was still running.
With weak steps, he finally completed the last lap.
Looking around, he searched for Rin.
If Rin could see how hard he had worked, then the exhaustion would be worth it.
"Rin…"
He spotted Rin's back to the left.
Just as he ran over to greet her, he noticed several people standing in front of her.
Might Guy was automatically ignored.
But there was his rival—Kakashi.
And that annoying guy from the Land of Lightning.
"Nohara Rin, could I trouble you again today to teach me ninjutsu? I've already understood the basics of the tree-climbing training. I'd like to learn an E-rank ninjutsu as soon as possible."
Hearing this, Kakashi looked at Rin with slight confusion.
Yesterday his father had called him home early, so he had left earlier than usual.
So Rin had taught the transfer student tree-climbing training yesterday?
Kakashi thought to himself.
"Of course. That way Kiyoshi can adapt to studying here more quickly."
Rin nodded.
In front of Kakashi, she naturally wanted to appear gentle and kind.
Their conversation reached Obito's ears.
"Why is it that guy again…"
Obito stopped walking and clenched his fist.
He barely had time alone with Rin.
Most of the time it was Kakashi, Rin, and himself together.
Yesterday he had even forced himself to join them.
If he hadn't done that, wouldn't the two of them have been alone?
His grandmother had told him that his parents had died long ago on the battlefield.
And at that time, the Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire had been at war.
This guy was from the Land of Lightning.
And he was always hanging around Rin.
Obito could tolerate many things.
But when it came to Nohara Rin, he couldn't endure it.
As for Kakashi, he acknowledged Kakashi's strength to some degree.
He viewed Kakashi both as a rival in love and a fellow classmate.
But why was this newcomer also attracting Rin's attention?
"What's wrong, Obito?"
Sarutobi Asuma was sucking on a lollipop when he noticed Obito's unpleasant expression.
"Nothing."
Obito waved his hand dismissively.
Seeing this, Asuma didn't bother asking further.
Their relationship wasn't particularly close anyway.
"Oh… it's Rin."
Following Obito's line of sight, Asuma quickly understood the situation.
Obito was always trying to please Rin. Everyone in the class could see it.
"Tsk."
Asuma didn't think highly of Obito's behavior.
How could a man be so humble?
He walked in another direction and smiled.
"Kurenai, are you tired? I have some candy here…"
(End of Chapter)