He knew his own students very well, but knew nothing about Qingyuan and the other two.
Being a genin did not always mean having only genin-level strength.
Most likely, they simply had not had time to take the exam.
“Obito, spar with Qingyuan first.”
Minato Namikaze called out to Obito.
Kakashi was too overpowered, Rin Nohara was a medical ninja, and the only one he could pick was Obito.
“Heh-heh, just the chance to test myself a little!”
Obito grinned and adjusted his goggles, looking relaxed.
For the sake of his precious eyes, he took meticulous care of them.
He did not pay much attention to this guy who was only a genin.
After all, he was from the Uchiha clan.
Even if his eyes had not awakened yet, confidence in that bloodline still ran through his very bones.
“All right.”
Qingyuan nodded and stepped forward.
Besides training in ninjutsu, Renegade Qingyuan had spent the past few days teaching him combat techniques one-on-one.
After all, if a rogue ninja lacked combat ability, he would have been killed long ago.
So although Qingyuan had not learned much ninjutsu, he had learned many combat techniques.
“Let’s begin,”
Minato Namikaze said.
Qingyuan prepared himself for battle.
His chakra reserves had once been close to those of a chunin; he had simply never taken the chunin exam.
Now that he had merged with part of Renegade Qingyuan, his chakra reserves were definitely above those of an ordinary chunin.
So Qingyuan felt he was sure to win this spar with Obito.
Actually, Obito’s combat ability was not bad either.
Before awakening the Sharingan, however, he lacked composure.
Renegade Qingyuan’s spirit body appeared behind him.
“Remember, Obito has the Uchiha clan’s physique. All you need to do is seize his openings.”
Qingyuan gave a slight nod.
“Begin!”
Minato Namikaze announced.
Obito moved first!
He kicked off, dirt spraying from the ground as he instantly closed the distance between them.
A kunai sliced through the air, going straight for Qingyuan’s throat.
At that moment, Qingyuan drew a kunai as well.
Metal struck metal with a sharp clang, sending a brilliant string of sparks flying.
Qingyuan’s kunai blocked the attack, and he stepped back half a pace at the same time, bleeding off the force.
“So fast…”
Obito had thought Qingyuan was only a genin and had looked down on him somewhat.
Now, though, it seemed this guy was no simple opponent.
His kunai flipped, rose in an upward slash, and came down in a chain of attacks executed in one fluid motion.
Qingyuan’s body moved almost instinctively.
“Your movement was wrong. You should parry like this…”
Renegade Qingyuan’s spirit body continued explaining combat techniques to Qingyuan.
Listening to his future self’s experience, Qingyuan felt suddenly enlightened.
Obito was up against more than just Qingyuan—he also had Grandpa Renegade Qingyuan!
The power of a jonin, kid!
As time passed, Obito noticed that Qingyuan’s movements were becoming sharper and smoother, like a clumsy apprentice who had suddenly found a rhythm of his own.
Qingyuan could launch attacks at him from astonishingly tricky angles.
He could also feel Qingyuan improving bit by bit.
“His lower body is unstable, his center of gravity is too far back. Attack his left side and force him to move…”
Renegade Qingyuan said.
Qingyuan rolled his wrist, turning the kunai’s thrust into a slash aimed at Obito’s left side.
Obito did indeed look more awkward, a slight hitch entering his parrying movements.
As the two exchanged blows, Obito gradually fell into a disadvantage.
Obito’s eyes widened.
Just a commoner, yet he was improving this quickly.
Only a few minutes ago, he had barely been able to keep up; now he was actually starting to suppress Obito!
“How is this possible?!”
The more Obito fought, the more alarmed he became, and the pressure on him mounted sharply.
Rin was watching.
He could not bear to lose face in front of her.
“Qingyuan can go toe-to-toe with Obito. This mission should be no problem.”
As he watched Qingyuan improve so quickly, Minato Namikaze could not help thinking this.
“Why does it feel like Qingyuan is much stronger than before?”
Kurenai Yuhi’s ruby-like eyes reflected Qingyuan’s figure.
She and Qingyuan were old classmates and practically knew each other inside out.
Could survival pressure have brought out Qingyuan’s potential?
Whatever the others might have guessed, Obito felt as if a mountain of pressure were bearing down on him, his initial confidence gone.
Damn it, Rin is right here!
Bearing the Uchiha name, I absolutely cannot lose!
Obito reached his left hand into his ninja tool pouch.
When he pulled it out again, several shuriken were pinched between his fingers.
The Manipulated Shuriken Technique was one of the Uchiha clan’s specialties!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Three shuriken flew from Obito’s hand, covering Qingyuan’s upper, middle, and lower lines.
Their angles were tricky, showing that Obito had clearly put real effort into his throwing technique.
“Don’t forget the technique I taught you.”
Renegade Qingyuan said.
Only Qingyuan could hear him.
To everyone else, he was a ghost, as insubstantial as air.
Qingyuan nodded slightly, then produced only one shuriken.
Whoosh!
Qingyuan’s shuriken flew out.
Though thrown later, it arrived first, tracing an arc through the air before striking the tail of the first shuriken Obito had thrown.
Clang!
After a crisp impact, Qingyuan’s shuriken seemed to veer in midair toward the remaining two shuriken.
Clang!
Clang!
With a string of crisp rings, Obito’s three-shuriken attack, launched with such confidence, was completely neutralized by a single shuriken, the weapons scattering crookedly across the ground.
“How is that possible?!”
Obito’s eyes bulged round with disbelief.
The curving shuriken technique—he had not even learned it yet, and Qingyuan already knew how to use it!
Careless for that instant, Obito’s defensive motion slowed.
How could Qingyuan let such a fleeting opportunity slip away?
Obito’s vision blurred.
Just as he raised his kunai to defend, Qingyuan’s hand clamped onto his kunai-wielding wrist like an iron pincer, while Qingyuan hooked his foot.
“Ngh!”
An irresistible force hit Obito.
He completely lost his balance, and his whole body spun around.
Bang!
Obito was slammed hard onto the ground with a dull thud, kicking up a little dust.