Part 4 — The Leaderboard
The students shuffled into the classroom, settling into their seats. Some stretched, some whispered quietly—but the low murmur faded as Daigo walked to the front.
He picked up a piece of chalk and tapped it lightly against the board. The soft scraping made the room silent instantly.
"I am going to show last year's combat training leaderboard," he said, voice calm and deliberate.
A pause. His eyes swept across the room.
"From now on… both classes will be counted together."
The words landed heavier than expected. No more Class 1. No more Class 2. One combined hierarchy.
Daigo began writing slowly, deliberately:
Last Year – 72 Official Matches
Name Win Draw Lost Points
Arashi 54 13 5 175
Naoko 44 17 11 149
Raizo 42 16 14 142
Amaya 43 6 23 135
Ayame 40 8 24 128
Izumi 38 12 22 126
Kaito 37 11 24 122
Hina 36 14 22 122
Shin 34 14 24 116
Tetsu 32 18 22 114
Riku 32 17 24 110
Misaki 24 12 36 84
Souta 21 16 35 79
Yuna 21 14 37 77
Daichi 8 24 40 48
Sanae 9 18 45 45
Haruki 7 24 41 45
Haruto 0 0 72 0
Silence.
Then whispers began.
Sanae leaned forward, squinting.
"…Haruki, even Daichi got more than you."
Haruki immediately shot back, "You're right below him."
She stiffened. "At least I have more wins than you."
Daichi crossed his arms with a grin. "I've got more points than both of you."
Haruki scoffed. "You're only there because Hina makes draws with you every time. She just holds back."
Daichi blinked. "That's not—"
Hina didn't even look at him.
Her eyes were still on the board.
Haruki's gaze drifted downward.
"…And I didn't expect Haruto to be such a loser. Won almost none."
The word hung in the air.
A few students shifted uncomfortably.
Daichi's eyes moved up again.
"Wait—Hina, you and Kaito have the same points. Why is Kaito above you?"
Hina answered calmly.
"He has one more win than me."
Daichi blinked.
"Oh."
Kaito didn't react.
Hina's gaze slowly moved toward the bottom of the board.
Haruto.
0 – 0 – 72.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
That's not possible.
She had watched the fight against haruki earlier.
His control.
His timing.
His movement.
That wasn't someone who loses seventy-two times.
Something didn't add up.
Izumi glanced at Amaya.
"You're second in our class."
Amaya didn't smile.
Didn't react.
Her expression stayed neutral.
As if the number meant nothing.
Like no matter what she achieved—
It didn't change anything.
Izumi tilted her head slightly.
"You don't look proud."
Amaya's voice was flat.
"It doesn't matter."
But her fingers tightened slightly at her side.
Ayame looked at Haruto.
No anger.
No embarrassment.
Just quiet understanding.
Kaito didn't look at the board anymore.
He was watching reactions instead.
Measuring.
Arashi leaned back slightly, satisfied but silent.
Naoko's expression was thoughtful.
Raizo folded his arms.
Riku's eyes flicked between the board and Haruto.
Haruto?
He didn't look up.
No defense.
No explanation.
Like the numbers belonged to someone else.
Daigo let the whispers and murmurs build for exactly five seconds.
Then—
He tapped the board once.
Silence fell instantly.
"These numbers reflect attendance and recorded outcomes."
His gaze swept the room.
"Nothing more."
He paused. "Some of you relied on comfort. Some of you relied on opponents holding back."
A brief glance toward Daichi.
"And some of you… did not participate."
His eyes lingered for a heartbeat on Haruto.
Then he turned back to the class.
"This year, that ends. From today, every combat training session will have a new leaderboard. Starting from now, your standings will be earned—every time."
He stepped back. "Now… let's go to the training ground."
Students began to stand, gather their things, and move out.
All except Haruto.
He stayed where he was, hesitant.
Daigo noticed immediately. He crouched slightly, catching Haruto by the ear.
"It hurts." Haruto winced.
Daigo released him and straightened, voice firm but not unkind.
"Do you see where you're placed? From today on, you aren't going to sit back anymore."
Haruto remained silent, his gaze lowered.
Daigo continued, pacing slightly. "And now… we don't have odd numbers anymore. That means you're getting paired in every session. No practice? No preparation? How do you think you'll survive in the tournament?"
He stopped directly in front of Haruto, lowering his voice so only he could hear.
"You're not exempt. You're not invisible. You've got to fight. Every match counts. Every mistake counts. And if you think hiding behind absence will save you—"
He straightened. "It won't."
Haruto stayed still, silent, absorbing every word.
Daigo glanced at the rest of the class, then back at him.
"Now move. Don't lag behind."
Haruto nodded slightly and followed, still quiet, his mind already turning over Daigo's words.
The students filed out of the classroom toward the combat ground.
Haruto walked beside Daigo, keeping pace silently for a moment.
Finally, he spoke. "Sensei… I'm not trying to say anything bad, but why are some of the students above me—Daichi, Haruki, Sanae—having 7, 8, 9… 21 wins? In an entire year of seventy-two sessions, getting this low is… crazy."
Daigo didn't turn. His gaze stayed steady ahead.
"Not every shinobi is meant to be a frontliner like Arashi, Raizo, or Naoko," he said evenly. "There are shinobies for support, tactics, observation, and strategy. Some contribute in ways that don't show in wins. Numbers alone don't measure skill or potential."
He glanced at Haruto, voice lowering slightly.
"There are three types of shinobies: Spiritual, Vital, and Natural. Spiritual uses Spiritual Energy. Vital uses Vital Energy. Natural uses Natural Energy—the kind you all are training for. You will learn more as you progress, but for now… start moving. Go. Join the others."
Haruto nodded silently and left toward the training ground.