"The fourth match goes to Uchiha Aozora!"
As soon as the referee announced the result, Aozora canceled his Earth Release – Earth Rising Spear and offered Shinki a hand of peace.
"I truly respect your bravery fighting at the Front Line for our Clan, but those behind aren't just hiding away enjoying peace either. We have our own duties too. Next time, watch that sharp tongue of yours!"
Without waiting for Shinki's reply, he spun around, bounded into the air in one leap, and landed effortlessly on the stands as thunderous cheers erupted.
Shinki stood shocked staring at Aozora's retreating figure until the referee nudged him back to reality.
Though the match was over, its impact still lingered in the air.
The Uchiha clan members and knowledgeable ninjas remained immersed in what they'd witnessed, buzzing with discussions.
"First Mukashi, then Shinki—both had their ninjutsu copied!"
"Not only copied, but he performed those ninjutsu even more powerfully than their originals!"
"Hold on, he completely copied Mukashi's technique, yes, but with Shinki, he must have repeatedly observed while dodging before successfully copying it. And his reason for having a stronger Earth Rising Spear was simply because he used more chakra."
"Still, dodging while copying is already rare enough—it's a B-rank Earth Release after all!"
"Yeah, a B-rank technique! Ordinary jonin can't master many of those!"
"He's gone beyond just being called a prodigy—he'll surely earn his own title soon. What do you think that title might be? The Copy Ninja?"
"Don't say that randomly—it's Kakashi's title!"
"But Aozora's 'copying' ability isn't inferior at all. Remember, Kakashi could copy techniques only with the Uchiha's Sharingan! How could two Sharingans possibly be weaker than one?"
From the central stand:
Seeing Aozora win, Torifu laughed heartily, "That kid won again! Who knew he was this amazing all along? He seems even more gifted than his older brother!"
Fugaku, who held great respect for Torifu's friendship with the Uchiha, responded, "Aozora and Shisui are both extraordinary talents; we shouldn't compare them directly."
"You're right—each of them shines in a different way. Shisui relies primarily on his genjutsu and Body Flicker Technique, whereas Aozora mainly uses the Sharingan's copying ability, so comparing them doesn't make sense. If I had to..."
Torifu pondered briefly and said, "Aozora is somewhat similar to Kakashi—they both specialize in copying ninjutsu and both use..."
Suddenly realizing his slip-up about Kakashi's Sharingan origins, Torifu quickly shut up.
"They both use the Uchiha's Sharingan!" Kintai picked up where Torifu left off. "'Copy Ninja' Kakashi—a big name indeed!"
Kintai made no effort to hide his sarcasm, deliberately emphasizing the words "Uchiha" and "Copy Ninja."
Moreover, after speaking, he kept watching Fugaku to see how he would respond.
Kakashi had gained fame during the Third Great Ninja Wars but fell into despair afterward, following Obito's death, especially after giving his eye to Kakashi.
Only recently did Kakashi finally emerge from his grief, spurred into action once more as Konoha faced wave after wave of devastating attacks.
If Kakashi had earned his fame using his father's Sword Techniques or his own Lightning Release, that would have been one thing. But for him to rely on the Sharingan's copying ability and gain the title of "Copy Ninja"—where did that leave the Uchiha clan's dignity?
Moreover, ever since his younger brother's death, Kintai never hesitated to assume the worst possible intentions from any ninja outside the Uchiha clan.
Why did the weakest female ninja in the squad return safely while Obito, who had already awakened the second tomoe, ended up dead without even leaving a corpse behind? Could they find time to transplant the Sharingan but not enough time to retrieve the body?
Maybe the donation was anything but voluntary—it could've been forced!
Therefore, he consistently advocated taking back Kakashi's Sharingan. Fortunately, Fugaku stopped this out of concern for national interests.
Facing Kintai's accusing gaze, Fugaku maintained an unchanged expression, experiencing not a trace of regret.
After his previous conversation with Aozora, he had indeed reflected upon his past decisions, feeling regret about some—such as the decision to relocate the Uchiha Compound.
However, among all those decisions he regretted, refusing to reclaim Kakashi's Sharingan was not included.
Since Kushina and Mikoto were close friends, he clearly understood Minato Namikaze's character. Under the Fourth's guarantee, he believed Kakashi truly received the Sharingan under what seemed to be Obito's voluntary gift.
Given the complicated circumstances at the time, leaving Obito's Sharingan with Kakashi could strengthen ties with Minato Namikaze while also befriending Kakashi himself, who was undoubtedly a genius.
What he hadn't expected, though, was for Minato Namikaze to die so prematurely or for Kakashi to ignore the Uchiha's goodwill. As a result, what seemed like a reasonable decision ultimately brought no positive outcome.
Although he felt no remorse inside, Fugaku still found the name "Copy Ninja" distasteful.
"It's true that an outsider developing the Sharingan to this level certainly proves his genius! However, if White Fang had known his son would depend on our Uchiha's Sharingan to build his reputation, hmmph—" Fugaku concluded his evaluation with a meaningful chuckle.
His words sounded complimentary but were laced with scorn, implying that White Fang's sword techniques paled in comparison to the Sharingan and suggesting Kakashi's reliance on "external tools" revealed his lack of true ability.
Sarutobi Hiruzen naturally wouldn't allow Fugaku to defame a genius from the Hokage faction. He took a puff of his pipe and said, "Fugaku, you shouldn't make wild accusations. Kakashi earned the title 'Copy Ninja' not primarily because of the Sharingan. Without possessing five chakra natures and exceptional talent for ninjutsu, how could he copy enemy techniques?"
As Kintai was about to retort, the referee approached and whispered something into Fugaku's ear.
Fugaku turned toward Kintai and asked, "Do we really need to continue today's match? Aozora and the others have fought two consecutive matches. Their chakra and physical stamina are nearly depleted."
Kintai realized this was Fugaku extending a gesture of goodwill.
Among the remaining four candidates, only Junping, Aozora, and Ryoichi remained eligible for the Chief Instructor position, with Ryoichi being the most injured and exhausted.
Considering Zetsu's recent mistake, Kintai waved his hand dismissively, saying, "No changes necessary! Altering the match rules and schedule now would disrupt the Police Force's subsequent arrangements. Besides… a ninja should be able to face any challenge head-on!"
Upon hearing this, Fugaku didn't press further, allowing the referee to continue overseeing the upcoming matches.
After some thought, he gestured briefly and whispered a few words to Zhong Ming, who had appeared behind him.
The referee quickly stepped onto the stage and announced that the match would continue.
Aozora quietly exhaled in relief once the audience's attention returned to the large screen. He dropped his pose and leaned back comfortably in his seat.
Man, keeping up a perfect image all the time is exhausting! Turns out being an idol's not as easy as it looks!
At that moment, Zhong Ming appeared behind him again, whispering Fugaku's message directly into his ear.
"The Clan Leader said the Chief Instructor doesn't need to keep attendance or even attend training sessions—just creating the training plan is enough."
Instantly, Aozora, who had already decided to forfeit, perked up with interest.
Hmm, sounds like being Chief Instructor makes it way easier to slack off!
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