Chiba gripped the kunai in a reverse grip, its cold metal edge resting lightly against Uchiha Hirohiko's neck. His voice was calm and clear.
"You lost."
The breeze swept through the silent training field.
Every student stared—eyes wide, mouths open.
He… won?
The bottom-ranked student… had defeated the number one prodigy?
Was this a dream?
Ono, the student ranked dead last, pinched his cheek.
Ouch.
Okay, not a dream.
But even with the pain, he couldn't process it.
That was Uchiha Hirohiko! The genius who could use Shadow Clone Jutsu! A jōnin-level technique!
And he'd just been defeated by—Takikawa Chiba?!
"Thump!"
Ono sat down hard, utterly stunned.
Around him, it wasn't much better.
All the students were frozen in disbelief.
Even Hyūga Yukina looked slightly shaken, her frost-like expression showing a rare trace of surprise.
What did he just do…?
She replayed the moment with her Byakugan-enhanced memory:
He activated two key chakra nodes in his brain.
Then leapt through the twin Fireballs.
From midair, he axe-kicked the Shadow Clone into dust.
Then, instantly repositioned behind Hirohiko…
All before anyone could react.
Even she, with her far superior visual acuity, could barely follow his movement.
The others?
Even the chūnin instructor hadn't seen what happened.
He vanished.
The teacher's face twitched.
He had completely lost sight of Chiba in that instant.
This speed…
Was faster than that passionate taijutsu maniac from last year.
No more denying it—Takikawa Chiba wasn't just a promising student.
He was a true genius.
The instructor exhaled, shaken to his core.
This year, there weren't just one or two—but three students with the potential to graduate early:
Takikawa Chiba, a taijutsu genius with terrifying speed.
Uchiha Hirohiko, already using Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Hyūga Yukina, who had mastered the rare Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm at age seven.
He needed to report this to the Third Hokage immediately.
Uchiha Hirohiko looked down at the kunai pressed to his neck.
His Sharingan slowly faded, tomoe dimming away.
He had lost.
That burst of speed—his Sharingan couldn't track it.
He'd been completely outplayed.
It was just a friendly spar, nothing more.
But inside… Hirohiko felt a deep, pure bitterness.
Not because he was the "number one" who lost to the "last place".
Not because of pride.
It was something simpler.
The feeling of being surpassed. Of chasing someone's back.
So this is what it feels like… to lose.
And in that moment, he thought of his brother.
So that's why…
Is this what you meant? Is this why you betrayed the clan and the village? Because you needed to surpass someone so badly, you gave up everything?
He looked up at the sky, a distant, weightless expression on his face. Then he turned to Chiba and said clearly:
"I lost."
Chiba slowly lowered the kunai, face unreadable.
He was a little surprised.
This guy isn't frowning anymore.
He almost looked… liberated?
He tilted his head slightly.
Is this guy a masochist?
Losing makes him happy?
But Hirohiko had already turned to leave, expression calm.
No shame. No anger. Just… quiet acceptance.
Chiba watched him go, then called out:
"Wait."
Hirohiko paused and looked back. "What is it?"
Chiba flipped the kunai in his hand and gently tossed it over.
"Here. This is yours."
Hirohiko caught it.
He blinked, then looked at the blade. Then back at Chiba.
A rare flicker of confusion crossed his otherwise stone face.
"I borrowed it," Chiba said, with a faint smile. "Returning it now."
Hirohiko's eyes narrowed slightly.
He reached down, checking his gear pouch.
One kunai missing.
This guy…
He had taken it during the fight.
His gaze rested on Chiba a moment longer. Then, with a small nod, he turned and walked back into the crowd.
Chiba, meanwhile, looked down…
And his expression sank.
Under his foot, mashed flat and half-covered in dust, was—
His extra-large Leaf Village bun.
My bun…
Gone. Crushed by my own foot.
The one thing he didn't want to sacrifice today.
"Match over!" the instructor finally called. "Takikawa Chiba wins!"
The crowd didn't respond.
They were still processing what had just happened.
Chiba slowly picked up his fallen training weights and made his way back.
Like parting waves, the students moved aside to let him pass.
Their eyes held a mix of:
Shock
Awe
Disbelief
Even... a little fear.
His strength had been overwhelming.
It wasn't just a win.
It was domination.
He was the strongest in the academy.
A match for legends like Kakashi.
But Chiba didn't seem to care.
He wasn't thinking about praise.
He was staring at his ruined bun, mourning its delicious, doughy loss.
That was today's lunch! And they're not cheap!
His stipend from the village, as a war orphan, was just enough to get by.
But the weights he trained with?
Ridiculously expensive.
They ate up 80% of his monthly budget.
And now, with his appetite growing from increased chakra demands, even food had become a serious issue.
If he didn't graduate soon…
Forget the next ninja war.
He'd starve first.
Once he became a genin, he could take missions and earn proper income. Even low-level missions would pay better than his orphan stipend.
Until then… it was all about survival.
"Next match!" the instructor tried to resume class. "Who's up?"
The students exchanged looks… then turned, one by one, toward the three monsters in the crowd:
Chiba
Hirohiko
Yukina
No one moved.
They'd just witnessed high-speed taijutsu, shadow clones, and vacuum palm techniques.
How could they possibly follow that?
It would be embarrassing.
The energy had left the field.
Even the instructor could only cough awkwardly and smile.
He understood.
Honestly, even he didn't want to teach anymore after seeing that.
The three culprits stood silently.
Yukina, thoughtful, her brows slightly furrowed—clearly analyzing the battle, replaying it for insight.
Hirohiko, stoic, eyes glinting—quietly digesting the experience.
And Chiba?
He was still staring at the flattened bun.
One day... I'll have enough money to buy ten. Ten buns. And a second pair of weights. And extra curry.
But first—
He had to graduate.
Because if he didn't?
He'd die of hunger long before the next Great Ninja War even began.