NARUTO: A Certain Scientific Ninja

Classes for the A and B groups were mostly held separately, even for practical combat lessons, with the schedules staggered. This meant that Hyuga Mirai rarely had the chance to observe the A group students unless he skipped class. However, he didn't need to guess—he knew that the A group students were definitely stronger than the B group students. When the classes were assigned, the Ninja Academy teachers took various factors into consideration, with physical fitness and theoretical knowledge being highly prioritized. 

Might Guy could be considered a theoretical novice, but his excellent taijutsu skills earned him a spot in the A group. Back then, Guy was still a low-ranked genin in Konoha with no special connections, so his entry into the A group was entirely due to his personal strength. 

Looking at his own classmates, Hyuga Mirai felt that B group had no hope of winning the upcoming practical combat session. The students rarely took throwing shuriken seriously, so what could he expect in terms of their training at home? Currently, there were some border skirmishes, but with White Fang still alive, no one in Konoha expected that the Third Shinobi World War would erupt in a few years. Under such circumstances, the students at the Ninja Academy felt no sense of urgency, and naturally, they did not put in any serious effort into training. 

The children of large clans had strict training schedules, but for students from civilian families, there was no parental supervision at home, which meant they were always behind the children of prestigious ninja families. 

Soon, after some discussion, the teachers for both classes began the practical combat session. 

"First match: A group's Might Guy versus B group's Kimura Shin." 

Upon hearing Teacher Ishii's announcement, Might Guy and Kimura Shin quickly stepped into the arena. Hyuga Mirai, hearing Guy's name, turned his gaze toward him, studying him closely. Aside from knowing that Guy had almost kicked Six Paths Obito to death in the future, Mirai's most vivid memory of Guy was during the physical test on the first day of school when this guy in his tight-fitting uniform ran while shouting and managed to place in the top ten. 

"Seal of Confrontation!" 

After both of them performed the hand seals, the two middle-ranked chunin teachers moved aside to observe. 

For Kimura Shin, this was his first time fighting in front of so many classmates. It felt completely different from the usual ninja games, and his heart was filled with excitement. 

"Take this!" Kimura Shin shouted enthusiastically, throwing a kunai toward Might Guy while running forward. 

Whoosh! The kunai missed by several centimeters, flying past Guy's head. Undeterred, Kimura Shin immediately swung his fist toward Guy's head. However, his punch was too obvious, and he had no defensive awareness, which made Ishii's face darken with disapproval. 

"Might Hurricane!" Guy shouted as he closed the distance. He flipped mid-air to dodge Kimura Shin's punch and delivered a powerful kick that sent Shin flying. 

Kimura Shin's chin took the brunt of the kick, and even though Guy didn't use his full strength, Shin couldn't continue fighting. The match ended in an instant. 

A group's teacher, Muroya Kinoshita, nodded in approval at Guy's swift and effective taijutsu. 

"Might Guy wins!" Ishii announced. "Next match: A group's Kurenai Yuhi versus B group's Konno Haruko." 

And so, one match after another continued. B group didn't win a single one, and their best result was lasting a few more rounds. On the other hand, Hyuga Mirai found the experience quite rewarding. He closely observed the first few dozen matches, noting that nine students from A group had already mastered the Three Body Jutsu (Sansei Jutsu). He couldn't help but secretly nod in agreement—children from prestigious families simply outclassed the civilian-born students. They weren't even on the same starting line. If civilian students didn't work harder, they didn't need to compete. 

Although Mirai's family had a scroll for learning the Three Body Jutsu, he hadn't started practicing it yet, as the Ninja Academy hadn't introduced the class for it.

"Go home and practice the Three Body Jutsu. In addition to daily taijutsu training, you should also focus on chakra control," said Kurenai Yuhi, her voice calm. 

"Next match: A group's Kiyo Hyuga versus B group's Hyuga Mirai." 

Upon hearing the announcement by A group's teacher, Muroya Kinoshita, Hyuga Mirai froze for a moment when he heard both his name and Kiyo's. However, he quickly regained his composure and walked to the combat area. Kiyo Hyuga, the granddaughter of the Hyuga clan's elder, was, if Mirai remembered correctly, the only granddaughter of the Fourth Elder and also the daughter of the clan's most prominent family. 

Ishii Ichiro, hearing the combination of names for this match, slightly furrowed his brow and pressed his lips together. He didn't speak but instead grabbed his notebook to carefully record the match. 

After they performed the hand seals, Kinoshita declared, "Begin!" 

"Make your move," Kiyo said flatly, her tone calm despite her young age. At only five or six years old, she had already developed the impassive demeanor of a trained member of the Hyuga clan. 

"Yes, Miss Kiyo," Mirai replied, assuming the stance of the Gentle Fist. He wasn't sure who had arranged this match, but he knew he had no chance of winning. There was a clear gap in rank between the main family and the branch family, and even in a practical combat class, this divide could not be overlooked. 

Neither of them reached for kunai or shuriken; while they might have done so against others, the Gentle Fist was the only method of combat between two members of the Hyuga clan. 

Mirai moved first, quickly rushing toward Kiyo. He covered his palm with chakra and struck at her. 

*Slap!* Kiyo stepped back, blocking the strike with ease, then immediately retaliated with a finger strike. 

With the Gentle Fist training inherited from his father and the techniques passed down in his family, Mirai was sure that his skills were no less than Kiyo's. As soon as he saw her move, he recognized her intention: 'A pressure point strike. Truly, the main family learned this early.' 

*Bang!* Mirai sidestepped, countering with a backhand strike. 

Their movements were strikingly similar, and with chakra now in play, their speed was much faster than in the previous matches. The Gentle Fist, which targets pressure points, meridians, and internal organs, was known for its effectiveness but also its danger. Since it's difficult to train the body internally, any injury is hard to heal, which is why it's also called "the cruel fist." 

The surrounding students, seeing the Gentle Fist for the first time, watched in awe as Mirai and Kiyo's strikes came so quickly that they could hardly keep up. But despite her young age, Kiyo eventually began to show signs of fatigue. Being just a five-year-old girl, she would naturally tire more quickly than her opponent. 

*Slap!* Kiyo blocked another one of Mirai's attacks, but this time, she left a slight opening. Mirai saw it right away. 

*Her left side is slightly stiff, and her right palm isn't fully concealing the chakra.* 

However, Mirai had no intention of prolonging the fight. Even though the opening was obvious to him, he decided to act as if he hadn't noticed and continued attacking. 

*Bang!* Kiyo's palm hit his shoulder, and he was knocked back two meters. 

'Damn it, that hurt...' Mirai thought as he lay on the ground for a moment, silently cursing. After two seconds, he slowly sat up and looked at Kiyo. 

"I lost. You're better than me, Miss Kiyo!" 

Kiyo took several deep breaths, her eyes glimmering with a hint of joy. Still, she tried to maintain her calm composure, pressing her lips together. 

"You did well. When you train the Gentle Fist, you're welcome to come to the clan's training ground." 

"Yes, Miss Kiyo." 

(End of chapter)