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Ye Dou immediately dispelled the armament-like chakra surrounding his body and turned his head toward the source of the voice.
Approaching from the training field's entrance were four familiar figures—Might Guy, Rock Lee, Neji Hyūga, and Tenten, the only kunoichi on the team.
"Ye Dou! What are you doing here?" Guy called out, recognizing him instantly.
He squinted for a second, then roared with the force of a thunderclap, "BAKAYARŌ! You're skipping class again with a shadow clone!"
It was obvious from Guy's reaction that this wasn't the first time he'd caught his eccentric apprentice pulling this stunt. Nor was it the first time Ye Dou had used a shadow clone to sneak out of the Ninja Academy.
In truth, ever since his first year, Ye Dou had stopped attending regularly by the second semester. Instead, he spent most of his time at the training grounds. Because of this relentless training, his physical strength—what he called "Dao Power"—had skyrocketed to an absurd 2000 points. With the addition of the Gravity Fruit ability, his power was even more fearsome.
At this point, Ye Dou was a true outlier—an unrecognized superhuman among children.
"What are you doing here?" Ye Dou asked flatly, ignoring the outburst. He set down the practice kunai, walked over to a flat stone nearby, and sat down. From a cloth pouch, he pulled out a carefully wrapped rabbit-shaped onigiri and began eating it without another word.
"Oh, I brought my students here for field training," Might Guy replied, his anger evaporating just as quickly as it had come. Ye Dou's aloof response was more than enough to change the subject.
"Nice to meet you, Senior Brother Ye Dou!" Rock Lee said with a straight face and gleaming eyes. "I'm Rock Lee! But you can just call me Lee! I am also under Guy-sensei's guidance!"
Ye Dou gave him a sideways glance. "You don't need to call me 'senior.' I'm younger than you."
"It doesn't matter!" Lee replied passionately. "In the world of training, the strong are our mentors. And since you're stronger than me, you are my senior!"
"But my flames of youth shall never be extinguished! I will train harder, defeat you, and earn the right to truly call myself your equal!"
His intense gaze practically set the air on fire. But Ye Dou, already accustomed to Might Guy's brand of enthusiasm, was completely unfazed.
"It's hard to believe this guy is also one of Guy-sensei's students..." Tenten muttered, staring at Ye Dou in disbelief. Dressed in a black yukata and exuding a cold, detached aura, Ye Dou looked nothing like Lee—or any of them, for that matter.
She glanced between the overzealous Rock Lee and the silent, sharp-eyed Ye Dou. "If only this handsome guy could replace Lee, I'd be so happy."
"Hahahaha! Lee, even comrades must be rivals! Compete, grow, and sharpen each other—that is the spirit of youth!" Guy proclaimed, striking a nice-guy pose with sparkling teeth.
"Yes, Guy-sensei!" Lee responded, mimicking the pose perfectly. Anyone watching might've assumed they were father and son rather than teacher and student.
Ye Dou eyed the group indifferently. "There's a training field three kilometers to the left. Go use that."
He didn't bother sugar-coating it. The message was clear: This one's mine. Go somewhere else.
Tenten blinked in disbelief. "There's no way this guy is actually one of Sensei's disciples…"
She looked at her teammates, then back at Ye Dou. "I mean, look at them. And look at him. They're polar opposites."
"Hahaha! No worries! I was planning to give them a taste of real combat today anyway," Guy said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Ye Dou, why don't you spar with them?"
"Spar with him?" The three Genin looked at each other, frowning.
The truth was, they had come to the training field today in part because of the upcoming Chūnin Exams. Lee, unsure of his own abilities, had begun to doubt himself. Out of solidarity, Neji and Tenten had both agreed to postpone their participation as well.
Still, even with their insecurities, they found it hard to believe that Ye Dou—who hadn't even graduated from the Academy—could really push them.
Tenten leaned toward Guy. "Guy-sensei, are you sure about this…?"
"No need to question me," Guy said firmly. "I'll make it clear: if you can defeat Ye Dou today, I'll personally recommend you three for this year's Chūnin Exams."
Their eyes widened in shock.
He wasn't joking. Not even a little.
With a new sense of urgency, the three turned their attention to Ye Dou again, who had remained quiet the whole time, still chewing on his rice ball, unbothered by their presence.
"Let me go first," said Neji calmly, his pale Byakugan eyes narrowing as he stepped forward, clearly provoked by Ye Dou's silence.
"Ye Dou?" Guy called out again.
No response.
Ye Dou didn't even glance at them. He just continued eating as if they didn't exist.
"Hey! At least say something!" Tenten snapped. "We're your seniors!"
Finally, Ye Dou finished the last bite of his rice ball and stood up. He dusted off his hands and looked toward them with a flat expression.
"Leave. I don't want to hurt anyone, and I don't have money for hospital bills."
"…"
[Battle: Hyūga Neji]
A breeze passed through the field, rustling the trees and scattering a few leaves into the air.
Tension thickened.
The three Genin stood their ground, anger bubbling beneath the surface. They were new Chūnin hopefuls, yes—but still Genin. And now, they were being challenged by a kid who wasn't even officially a ninja yet.
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