In the blink of an eye, the entire morning had passed.
At the Ninja Academy, classes were typically split into two parts—theory in the morning, and practical training in the afternoon.
Thanks to his adult mindset and the original Haruki's memories, he managed to barely keep up with the theoretical lessons.
As for the practical classes in the afternoon…
As long as they didn't test the Three Basic Techniques, he could probably bluff his way through.
According to memory, these techniques were usually tested once a week, while the rest of the time was focused on combat theory and the use of ninja tools.
The last test had taken place three days ago, so he wouldn't have to worry about being exposed for a few more days.
And the next test?
He had four days—more than enough to grind his Clone Technique to a usable level.
With that foundation, he wouldn't need to worry about any assessment.
By afternoon, the class had gathered outside on the training field.
Standing before them, Itou Sugi surveyed the 30+ students below and spoke sternly:
"Next, I will divide you into pairs. You will fight each other. Until I say stop, you are not allowed to quit. Even if you're defeated, you must get back up and keep fighting. Understood?"
His words instantly stirred unrest among the students.
Why? Because normally their training was done one pair at a time, with Itou Sugi supervising and offering feedback.
But now? Not only were all of them fighting at once, they were being forced to continue no matter what—this was completely unprecedented.
Haruki wasn't sure how the others felt, but he could sense urgency behind this change.
Yes—urgency.
Typically, this level of training didn't happen until fifth or even sixth grade. To introduce it now meant that the curriculum was being accelerated.
Given the ongoing state of the shinobi world, it wasn't hard to guess the reason—the academy was preparing them for early graduation.
But it was understandable.
In times of peace, six years of school made sense. In wartime, with the frontlines desperate for manpower, graduation would be pushed up.
"If I remember correctly," Haruki thought, "Konoha's graduation exams are held from October 7th to 10th each year."
Afterward, the results would be delivered to the village leadership, and once approved by the Hokage, official registration would happen on October 15th.
And today was September 3rd.
In other words, in just over a month, he would be forced to graduate.
That realization hit Haruki hard. A sense of pressure welled up inside him.
"Silence!"
Itou Sugi's voice rang out, instantly suppressing the noise below.
"When I call your name, step forward. Hanada Sundo."
A tall and sturdy boy stepped forward.
"Hirai Matsu."
Another student followed.
Itou Sugi looked at the two and said, "You two will be paired."
"Yes, Sensei!"
Hanada and Hirai stood together and responded in unison.
"Good."
Itou nodded and continued calling names. "Yamanaka Hana, Aoki Ryuko..."
Soon, the entire class had been divided into several pairs.
Haruki was paired with a civilian-born student named Mori Tetsu—not a prodigy, but definitely not weak either. Based on memory, he and the original Haruki were about evenly matched.
But that was then.
Haruki knew he couldn't beat him now.
Sure, Mori Tetsu was just a ten-year-old kid, but when it came to real combat experience, Haruki didn't stand a chance.
After all, his previous life's schools never taught him how to fight.
Fortunately, his adult mental strength helped him stay calm.
Itou Sugi's voice came again:
"Remember—no weapons allowed during the fight."
Haruki let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Even if the training kunai weren't sharpened, getting hit in a vital area would still hurt.
He didn't want unnecessary injuries—after all, he was here to gain experience, not play masochist.
That's right—Haruki was mentally prepared to get beaten up.
'I just hope this beating is worth it…'
He opened his system panel, guessing that he'd unlock a new skill by the end of the day.
"Get ready! Form the Seal of Confrontation!"
Itou Sugi's voice rang out again.
Haruki and Mori Tetsu raised their right hands and performed the Seal of Confrontation.
"Begin!"
At the sound of the command, Mori Tetsu launched forward, his right fist aiming straight for Haruki's face.
The strike came so fast that even though Haruki had braced himself, he was still caught off guard.
Yet somehow—whether from inherited memory or muscle reflex—he managed to twist his body and dodge it just in time.
And in that same moment, his fist shot out instinctively, smashing toward Mori's cheek.
Thud—
Mori raised his right arm and blocked it.
As the two passed each other, Mori suddenly pivoted on his left foot, his waist twisting sharply as his right leg whipped around in a roundhouse kick aimed at Haruki's head.
'Seriously? You're ten! Why are you kicking like a pro?!'
Haruki mentally cursed as the wind from the kick brushed past his ear.
But he knew—this was what shinobi combat was like. Harsh, relentless, and brutal. You had to be ruthless not just with your enemy—but with yourself.
And this was just the beginning.
Once Itou Sugi allowed them to use weapons in training, the danger would spike even more.
If Haruki wanted to survive in this world of chaos, he had to adapt—fast.
Even with the skill panel, if he couldn't handle the real world, he'd just be another casualty.
Driven by that urgency, Haruki stopped thinking and poured all his focus into remembered muscle memory and the fight itself.
He began absorbing everything the original Haruki had once learned.
Time ticked by as battles raged across the field.
Cries of pain occasionally echoed as students fell injured, but no matter how bad the injuries looked, Itou Sugi never called a halt.
Haruki was knocked down multiple times.
Even with the advantage of inherited memories, his attacks were stiff and clumsy, which allowed Mori to spot weaknesses quickly.
And once he did?
Haruki got beaten hard.
It was hard to say whether Mori Tetsu held some grudge against the original Haruki, but his hits were brutal. By the end of class, Haruki's body was covered in bruises.
"Tch—"
Rubbing his swollen eye as he walked down the street, Haruki surprisingly felt no resentment. If anything, he was grateful.
Why?
Because when he opened his system panel, he found a new skill had appeared—Basic Taijutsu.
"Panel."
With a single thought, the light-blue translucent panel appeared before his eyes.
[Name: Uchiha Haruki
Age: 10
Body: 5
Mind: 7
Chakra: 6 (127)
Bloodline: Sharingan · Unawakened (51/100)
Skills:
Chakra Refinement: Lv0 (2/100)
Clone Technique: Lv0 (19/100)
Basic Taijutsu: Lv0 (35/100)]
Just one fight, and his Basic Taijutsu had reached Lv0 (35/100)—surpassing even his Clone Technique.
Haruki guessed the original owner's taijutsu had only just reached Lv1.
Meaning, after two or three more fights like today's, he'd be able to fully inherit that experience.
And it was all thanks to Mori Tetsu's merciless beatdown, which had forced him to go all out.
With that in mind, how could he possibly hold a grudge?