Saturday morning.
Yamato got up early and went running for half an hour, then bought a sesame pancake for breakfast, eating as he walked towards the Southern Border Forest.
Today is the day his seniors are having their ranking battle.
After enrolling at the Ninja Academy, Yamato seldom trained with Kakashi and the others, and he was very curious about the changes in his seniors' strength.
For this reason, Yamato declined a pile of invitations from friends for weekend activities.
The early morning forest was a bit chilly, though the sun had risen, its golden light falling over the forest, yet it didn't raise the temperature.
Watching the sunlight filter through the treetops, creating patches of golden spots along the winding forest paths, Yamato paused slightly.
These spots intertwined with the shadows not yet touched by the sun, creating a beautiful scene of light and shadow.
"If it were Senior Obito, he'd probably take a photo," Yamato thought to himself.
Click!
The sound of a camera shutter echoed.
Yamato instinctively turned around and saw Obito and Shisui waving at him.
After putting the camera back in the Scroll using Hand Seals, Obito smiled and walked over with Shisui to greet Yamato, "Good morning, Yamato."
"Good morning, Senior Obito, Senior Shisui," Yamato replied.
"You're so lucky, becoming Teacher Mokgetsu's disciple without even attending school; that must be something at the Ninja Academy," Obito reminisced about the scenes he saw at the Ninja Academy not long ago and couldn't help but sigh.
If he had been taught by Mokgetsu before the first grade, Kakashi wouldn't even be a consideration; he would be the strongest genius.
"Uh, normal school days?" Yamato asked uncertainly.
This was his first time attending school, with no experience to compare against.
"Normal my foot, it's totally the treatment of a ninja novel's protagonist," Obito patted Yamato's back enviously.
If he could enjoy Yamato's treatment, he'd be willing to let Kakashi be bullied by him every day.
As they ventured deeper, the three of them met Nohara Rin and Kakashi.
When the five of them reached the agreed battle location, they saw Might Guy warming up, with Mokgetsu standing beside him.
After greeting each other, Mokgetsu took out a wooden box, inviting Obito and the others to draw lots.
"I'll go first!" Obito eagerly volunteered to draw lots.
Times have changed, and his strength now gives him confidence; even if he meets the long-dominant Might Guy in the first round, he is unafraid.
Obito reached into the wooden box, grabbed a paper ball, and pulled it out.
This is the confidence Kamui brings him!
"Number four," Obito opened the paper ball, checked the number, and quickly stepped aside.
The first person to draw lots doesn't matter what number they get; it depends on what numbers the rest draw to determine opponents.
Kakashi quickly stepped forward, reached into the wooden box, and casually picked a paper ball.
"Number one," Kakashi opened the paper ball to show Mokgetsu.
Obito silently regretted it; his most desired first-round opponent was Kakashi.
Because now everyone's strength isn't weak, if not giving it their all, anyone could lose.
If he couldn't defeat Kakashi, even if he ultimately became the strongest disciple, it would be an incomplete ranking battle for him.
"Number two!" Might Guy unfolded the paper ball he drew with his left hand and gave Kakashi a thumbs-up with his right.
"My dear friend, this is the bond between us!"
Kakashi: ...
Bond my foot, there are only four people, meeting is normal.
"But given the current scenario, drawing Guy is a good draw," Kakashi thought to himself.
Among Might Guy, Shisui, Obito, the most difficult one for Kakashi to handle is Obito.
Obito's Kamui is too much of a counter to his Thoughtless Slash, unless he is so fast that Obito can't react, or his power is strong enough to affect space; otherwise, his Thoughtless Slash is useless against Obito.
Unfortunately, he couldn't achieve either.
Shisui's strength might not necessarily surpass Might Guy, but Guy's advantage lies in his transparent intel, with all his tricks known to Kakashi.
But with Shisui owning the Mangekyo Sharingan, Kakashi couldn't gauge his overall strength.
The most important thing is that Kakashi has fully absorbed the inspiration triggered by his battle with Uchiha Madara; he now uses the "Thoughtful Slash," pushing his explosiveness to a new stage.
Familiar with Might Guy, he finds it easier to exploit Guy's exposed flaws to end the battle with a single blow.
Even though he already predicted his number before drawing, Shisui still ceremoniously drew the paper ball and displayed it.
After a ten-minute warm-up, Teacher Mokgetsu, acting as a referee, announced the start of the battle.
"Number one, Kakashi versus number two, Guy."
Both of them simultaneously stopped their warm-ups and walked towards the fighting ground.
"Senior Shisui, do you think Senior Kakashi will win, or will Senior Guy?" Yamato curiously asked Shisui.
Shisui showed a thoughtful expression and did not answer immediately.
"Guy has a higher chance of winning; he is very strong, with the Eight Gates plus the Breath of Rock, he has no obvious weaknesses and is quite versatile," Obito, sitting on the other side, analyzed for Shisui.
Until now, Obito still considered Might Guy the biggest obstacle on his path to becoming the strongest disciple.
He wasn't afraid of Kakashi's Thoughtless Slash nor Shisui's Genjutsu, but facing Might Guy, Obito had no choice but to engage in a head-to-head fight, lacking effective tactics.
"Of course, Kakashi might not lose; he has been training very diligently lately, perhaps hiding some big moves," Obito added.