Signing up for the early exam was merely a minor episode.
In Matsuake’s mind, the Graduation Exam wasn’t his top priority either.
Whether it was Genin, Chūnin, or Jōnin, strength was the foundation.
The urgent task at hand was to improve his own strength.
After all, the future ninja world would not be peaceful.
Filling out a Graduation Exam application form didn’t take much time.
After everyone submitted theirs, the teacher began the lesson.
Soon, half a day passed just like that within the Ninja Academy.
Perhaps considering that some students still needed to undergo training within their clans, dismissal time was generally quite early.
After the teacher left, Suke was just about to jump out and provoke a few words.
But he discovered that Matsuake had already hurriedly pulled Tsukuyomi out of the classroom.
Seeing this scene, Suke felt as if he had punched cotton, his face turning alternately pale and flushed.
“Matsuake-san, please slow down a little.” Tsukuyomi blushed slightly as she looked at Matsuake’s hand holding her wrist.
After leaving the classroom, Matsuake naturally slowed his pace.
The reason he left the classroom right after class, almost on the teacher’s heels, was naturally to avoid letting certain people’s incessant barking affect his good sparring partner’s mood.
Tsukuyomi already lacked confidence; it wouldn’t be good if her mindset was further affected.
But he couldn’t exactly say this directly to her.
“Sorry, Tsukuyomi.
It’s rare to have a suitable opponent for practical training, so I got a bit excited for a moment.” This wasn’t entirely untrue.
After all, in the Ninja Academy, practical training for their lower grades was always stopped at the appropriate point.
Some of their sparring partners had only just begun ninja training not long ago, causing most fights to be little different from children playing ninja games.
Tsukuyomi, having trained in the Hyūga Clan since childhood and awakened her Byakugan, was estimated to already have Genin-level strength.
“Matsuake-san…” Hearing this, Tsukuyomi felt warmth in her heart.
She naturally understood the intention behind him hurriedly pulling her out of the classroom.
It was simply to prevent her from hearing any provocative or belittling words.
Thinking of this, a determined look appeared in her pure white eyes.
Someone was supporting and believing in her—she couldn’t let him down!
Konohagakure had public training grounds.
Although there were quite a few people at this time, there were still empty spots.
However, since his own residence had a training ground, there was no need to occupy public resources.
In the Matsuake family courtyard, there was a space specifically used for training.
Although not large, it was sufficient for the two of them to spar.
On the trees planted at the edge of the area, there were targets for practicing Shuriken and Kunai throwing, bearing many marks.
Visiting a friend’s home for the first time, Tsukuyomi was naturally somewhat curious.
But out of courtesy, she didn’t show it, only curiously observing the courtyard.
Matsuake-san’s parents seemed…
Noticing the quiet emptiness within the residence, Tsukuyomi seemed to remember something, a trace of sympathy flickering in her eyes.
“Tsukuyomi, if you’re ready, let’s begin.” After stretching his limbs, Matsuake looked at her.
“Yes, please guide me!” A bit distracted, the girl was momentarily flustered but quickly adjusted her state.
Since it was only their first sparring session today, neither of them went all out from the start.
For now, Matsuake and Tsukuyomi were evenly matched in strength.
Both possessed considerable talent and had diligently followed the training regimens arranged by their respective clans since childhood.
However, Matsuake’s cheat ability had only just awakened and was not yet sufficient to create a significant gap between him and his peers.
“Byakugan, open!” After a preliminary assessment of her opponent’s strength, Tsukuyomi chose to activate her Byakugan.
Veins formed intricate patterns around her temples.
With the assistance of the Byakugan, the Hyūga Clan’s Gentle Fist truly came to life.
Matsuake could sense that her movements had become more fluid, precise, and effortless compared to before.
After activating her Byakugan, Tsukuyomi’s combat prowess increased by at least thirty to forty percent.
Of course, Matsuake was not far behind.
If the Hyūga Clan’s hereditary Taijutsu, the Gentle Fist, was characterized by its soft, silent, and supple nature, overcoming strength with flexibility, then the Taijutsu favored by the Senju Clan was defined by its raw power and overwhelming force, breaking through finesse with sheer might.
Moreover, Matsuake possessed not only this but also the Chakra Enhanced Strength technique passed down within the Senju Clan.
However, he was far from mastering it and currently struggled to control it properly.
Reckless use could easily lead to unintended harm.
On the field, both had immersed themselves completely in the battle.
Hyūga Tsukuyomi’s pale, nearly translucent palms moved left and right, carrying the unique force of the Gentle Fist as they struck like lightning toward the acupoints near the inner elbow and wrist pulse of Matsuake’s right arm.
In response, Matsuake countered with rigid, forceful strikes, narrowly evading or deflecting her Gentle Fist attacks time and again.
Yet, even the most careful defense had its lapses, and occasionally, he could not avoid being struck by the Gentle Fist.
Not only did this disrupt the flow of his Chakra, but even the nearby muscles were affected.
“So this is the Hyūga Clan’s Gentle Fist.
It truly lives up to its reputation,” Matsuake remarked with admiration.
In the later stages of the original story, when Wood Release, Rinnegan, and Senjutsu were commonplace, the Gentle Fist might have seemed unremarkable.
But one must not forget the sense of pressure it brought during the earlier periods when combat power levels were more grounded.
Seeing through meridians, striking acupoints, obstructing Chakra flow, or even sealing it entirely—for ninjas whose abilities fundamentally relied on Chakra, once caught in a series of Gentle Fist strikes, they were left utterly vulnerable.
On the other side, Tsukuyomi’s eyes also gleamed with surprise.
“Matsuake-kun, you’re amazing.” She was not unaware that her strength placed her among the top tier of her peers.
However, she had always believed her advantage stemmed solely from awakening her Byakugan earlier than others.
While her peers were just beginning to learn their clan’s secret techniques or had yet to awaken their Kekkei Genkai, she had already unlocked her Byakugan.
Such an advantage, she thought, might gradually diminish over time.
Yet even so, Matsuake could still engage her in a back-and-forth battle.
Moreover, her hands would even grow numb from the impact whenever they clashed with his fists.
After another exchange, the two distanced themselves, fine beads of sweat already forming on their foreheads.
“Tsukuyomi, be careful!” Matsuake warned.
Then, his expression turned serious as he adjusted his breathing according to the method taught by Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
With the rapid intake of oxygen, his cardiopulmonary functions were instantly stimulated, and his blood flow accelerated accordingly.
At the same time, he could clearly feel strength surging into his body.
From the perspective of Tsukuyomi’s Byakugan, she could see that within just a few seconds, the flow of Chakra through Matsuake’s meridians had significantly increased, faintly exuding a sense of threat.
Unaware of what had happened, Tsukuyomi thought this was some kind of Ninjutsu from the Senju Clan.
Assuming the Gentle Fist’s opening stance, she prepared herself for the opponent’s next attack.