Chapter 58: Chapter 59: The Unnecessary Presence of Nohara Rin
"I'm not the lowest rank in the Uchiha clan. I ranked third in the last practical exam!"
When Tobi saw that Kakashi still had the impression that he was the same as before he started learning from Mu Yue, he immediately boasted about his third-place finish in the last exam.
"If third place counts as the lowest rank, then wouldn't that mean there are only two people in the grade who aren't the lowest rank? And besides, I was careless last time. I'll definitely get first place next time!" Tobi said, dissatisfied.
Kakashi paused for a moment. Being third in the grade certainly didn't count as being the lowest. After recalling Tobi's performance in the Junior Ninja Tournament, he thought that third place seemed reasonable. However, Kakashi couldn't stand Tobi's arrogance, so he replied:
"I don't really know whether third place counts as the lowest because I've always been first. I don't know what it feels like to be in third."
Tobi opened his mouth but couldn't refute this. The fact was, Kakashi had absolute dominance in school. He had always been first.
"By the way, was it your practical exam where you ranked third? I ranked first in the theory exam," Kakashi added, throwing in a little jab.
Tobi felt as if an arrow had struck his heart. Theory exams were his weakest point. Not to mention third place—he had barely passed, thanks to Mu Yue's extra lessons.
Although his theory scores were truly terrible, he would never admit it in front of Kakashi. Tobi stubbornly said:
"I didn't sleep well the night before the theory exam, so I scored a little worse than in the practical exam. But this time will definitely be different!"
"How much worse could it be? Not even passing, perhaps?" Kakashi said teasingly, knowing exactly how Tobi fared.
Just as expected, Tobi immediately confessed:
"I wasn't failing, I just barely passed!" Tobi retorted. It was the first time he had barely passed.
"Barely passing is still a little worse than third place. That 'little' is quite a big difference," Kakashi said, a faint smile appearing on his face.
Tobi fell silent. If he ever became Hokage, he would definitely abolish the theory exams for ninjas. They were just too torturous.
"Tobi has been working really hard lately. I see him studying every day, and his grades may improve significantly in the upcoming final exam," Nohara Rin said in defense of Tobi.
The moment Tobi heard this, his mood lifted, and the world seemed brighter.
He even found the sight of Might Guy and Shisui walking away to be somewhat cute.
"Wait, Guy and Shisui are training while I'm here bickering with Kakashi and wasting time?" Tobi suddenly realized a problem.
With this shift in priorities, Guy was definitely becoming stronger than him. That meant there would be even more tasks for Tobi to complete, leaving him with even less time to hang out with Rin.
"Spending time with Rin will only lead to more tasks, and more tasks will take away time with Rin, so spending time with Rin means no time for Rin," Tobi thought to himself, coming to a strange conclusion.
He didn't understand why Guy and Shisui were training together at night. The two of them were his clanmate and classmate—why did he feel like an outsider?
Thinking back, he realized they had invited him, but he had refused because he was planning to hang out with Rin.
Tobi felt conflicted. How could he solve this dilemma? Then, he saw Kakashi, and an idea began to form.
No matter how much he denied it or how hard he tried to act tough, Tobi couldn't help but admit that Kakashi was truly strong.
Graduating at five, becoming a Chūnin at six—while they were still in the second year of ninja school, Kakashi had already reached Chūnin rank, on the same level as the teachers.
If he could learn something from Kakashi, maybe he could gain an advantage in his battle against Guy.
"Kakashi, if your opponent is faster and stronger than you, how would you deal with it?" Tobi asked Kakashi.
"Keep your distance and use ninjutsu," Kakashi replied.
"Only using taijutsu," Tobi added a condition.
"Why would I use only taijutsu when I have ninjutsu?" Kakashi responded, refusing to answer.
Tobi scratched his head, feeling frustrated with Kakashi's attitude.
"Because my chakra would be almost depleted, and I wouldn't be able to use ninjutsu," Tobi explained.
"Then just fight him head-on," Kakashi replied casually.
"Why? If I'm at a disadvantage in strength and speed, how can I possibly win in a direct fight?" Tobi asked, confused.
"This way, you can die with dignity. Don't you think taijutsu requires chakra too?" Kakashi responded bluntly.
Tobi was getting more frustrated. This troublesome Kakashi wasn't following the script at all.
Once Kakashi felt he had teased Tobi enough, he finally said:
"Since your physical strength and speed are inferior to your opponent's, you need to focus on body movement and technique."
"Combat is essentially about how you hit your opponent and how to avoid being hit. Body movement can help you dodge your enemy's attacks and avoid injury. Stronger technique can make up for a lack of strength in your attacks."
Tobi felt that Kakashi's advice made sense, but at the same time, it seemed like he hadn't said much at all.
Upon further reflection, Tobi realized that he had heard similar advice from Mu Yue before.
"Are you participating in some kind of competition that only allows taijutsu? Is there someone stronger than you?" Kakashi guessed.
"No, it's a practical exam. My two rivals are both good at taijutsu," Tobi replied, not revealing the full truth.
He didn't want Kakashi to know that the reason for the battle was the penalty of doing extra tasks. If Kakashi knew that, he might laugh and not help him.
"If you really want to improve your taijutsu, I don't mind helping you, though I'm afraid you won't be able to handle it," Kakashi said.
"I, Uchiha Tobi, am not afraid of hardship!" Tobi replied with confidence.
Hearing Kakashi's words, Tobi smiled. What kind of hardship could be worse than fighting and having to do a hundred extra tasks? Kakashi's suffering was nothing compared to his.
Soon, Kakashi took both of them to a nearby training ground.
"I'll fight you without using any ninjutsu, but I won't hold back. Are you sure you want me to help you train?" Kakashi asked one last time.
"Go ahead, use all your strength," Tobi said nonchalantly. He was eager to test Kakashi's strength.
Without a doubt, Kakashi was more skilled in ninjutsu, so Tobi believed that in a pure taijutsu fight, the difference between them wouldn't be that big.
"Alright, here I go," Kakashi said, deciding to fulfill Tobi's wish.
In the next instant, Kakashi appeared in front of Tobi with a Body Flicker Technique and kicked him, sending him flying.
Tobi, who had just been chatting with Rin, was momentarily stunned. He quickly brushed off the dust and said:
"I got careless, I didn't dodge. Let's continue."
A minute later, Tobi was covered in dust, with several shoe prints on his body.
Although Tobi had fallen several times in just a minute, he still tried to appear relaxed and stood up, calling out for more.
Rin, who had been watching the two, hesitated, feeling like she was in the way.
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