Ninja Tool Throwing

Yuzuru's offhand remark instantly stirred ripples in Akihime's calm heart. She wished she could immediately transform into a "female tyrannosaurus" and beat Yuzuru up viciously, but with Teacher Ootani watching ahead, she restrained her anger. Of course, the main reason was that she was not necessarily confident she could defeat Yuzuru...

"Next..."

Ootani Yuuto paid no attention to the little exchange between Yuzuru and Akihime, continuing to call out students' names for ninja tool throwing.

Very soon, most of the students ahead had finished throwing their ninja tools and returned.

"Kageka Maple, it's your turn."

When Ootani Yuuto called Kageka Maple's name, even his tone became gentler.

"Yes, Teacher Ootani."

Kageka Maple answered, then stepped out from the line. After receiving three shuriken, she walked to the designated throwing point. Having watched so many classmates go before her, she felt no nervousness at all. Instead, she looked eager to try. After nearly a month of training under Lady Youying, not only had her control over Shadow Release improved by leaps and bounds, but her physical abilities had also been greatly enhanced. Her eyesight, speed, strength, reflexes, and other abilities had more than doubled compared to a month ago...

"Begin."

The grading teacher spoke.

Kageka Maple gave him a sweet smile, then fixed a sharp gaze on the target thirty meters away before rapidly throwing the shuriken in her hand.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh...

The three shuriken flew out one after another like a rapid volley, landing precisely in the bullseye.

"So amazing!"

"So cool!"

"So awesome!"

"..."

Kageka Maple's casual display immediately caused a stir among the students. After all, effortlessly and quickly hitting the bullseye like that was something most of them simply could not do.

"Tch!"

When Akihime saw it, she made a disdainful sound. As an Uchiha, not only could she perform this kind of throwing technique several times more flamboyantly, she could also hit the center of a target within a hundred meters!

Still smiling, Kageka Maple returned to her original position, and Ootani Yuuto continued calling names.

"Next, Uchiha Akihime."

"Hmph, watch me!"

Akihime gave a soft snort as she passed in front of Yuzuru and Kageka Maple, quietly saying one sentence.

"I'll show you what Uchiha throwing techniques are!"

After receiving three shuriken from Teacher Ootani, Akihime did not head to the throwing point right away. Instead, after making that announcement before all her classmates, she turned and left with pride.

"Damn Uchiha. Don't think you can provoke people so recklessly just because you're a little girl!"

"Careful you don't get slapped in the face!"

"Exactly. Even if you're that pretty, no one will want to be friends with you if your personality and temper are so bad!"

"..."

Akihime's words immediately caused some students to voice their displeasure. Still, they knew how strong she was, so they only dared to complain verbally.

Naturally, Akihime ignored what these "poor students" had to say. She walked straight to the throwing point and threw her shuriken at the grading teacher's signal.

The first shuriken flew out first, followed almost simultaneously by the second and third.

Swoosh, swoosh...

Just as the first shuriken was about to reach the bullseye, the suddenly accelerating second shuriken struck it. The first shuriken, which should have hit the bullseye, was knocked off course. Under normal circumstances, it would have struck the lower part of the target, but Akihime obviously would not do something so uncertain. The third shuriken came like a stroke of genius, colliding with the first at an unimaginable angle and sending them both cleanly toward the bullseye.

In the end, all three shuriken landed precisely in the bullseye at the same time.

Having finished all this, Akihime walked proudly past the stunned grading teacher. Even he, a veteran Chunin instructor, could not pull off such a flashy throwing technique...

As expected of an Uchiha genius...

That was what the grading teacher thought.

"Next, Hyuga Yuzuru."

After seeing Akihime return, Ootani Yuuto immediately called Yuzuru's name.

"Don't disappoint me, you who are called the Hyuga's strongest genius..."

As she returned, Akihime spoke softly beside Yuzuru.

Yuzuru shook his head slightly, then used the Body Flicker Technique to appear directly beside Ootani Yuuto. Before the latter could react, the three prepared shuriken appeared in Yuzuru's hand. He then used the Body Flicker Technique again and arrived at the designated throwing point.

"Was that the Body Flicker Technique?"

Whether it was Ootani Yuuto, the students, or the grading teacher in the distance, everyone wore stunned expressions and froze in place. Was this really a technique a first-year Ninja Academy student could master?

"Yuzuru is so cool and so amazing!"

"Yeah, he's the 'strongest genius' of the Hyuga clan, one of Konoha's great clans!"

"..."

Some of the girls had lovestruck expressions, stars practically shining in their eyes. They could find no fault with the nearly perfect Hyuga Yuzuru. Whether it was the power of his clan, his own strength, or his looks and temperament, every aspect of him deeply attracted them.

"A bunch of lovestruck idiots."

Seeing the girls' infatuated faces, Akihime grumbled in dissatisfaction. She seemed unable to understand why Yuzuru was so popular with girls, and for some reason, it made her feel irritated. Clearly, only she was qualified to be Hyuga Yuzuru's opponent and earn his attention. Those "mayflies" who did not even know where they would drift in the future did not deserve to be remembered at all!

Watching Akihime's expression from the side, the observant Kageka Maple seemed to notice something. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and a meaningful smile appeared on her face. No one knew what she was thinking.

"Teacher, may I begin?"

Standing at the throwing point, Yuzuru asked the dazed grading teacher.

"...Ah... Oh, go ahead, Yuzuru."

The grading teacher suddenly snapped out of it, then nodded at Yuzuru to signal him to begin.

Seeing that, Yuzuru directly threw the three shuriken in sequence.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh...

The first shuriken hit the bullseye. The second followed close behind and struck the first shuriken, driving it deep into the bullseye. Then the third arrived as well, directly striking the hollow center of the rebounding second shuriken and carrying it back down onto the first shuriken's position.

The bullseye was pierced straight through by the tremendous kinetic force, and all three shuriken passed through it before landing on the training ground in the distance!

"!"

"!"

"!"

"..."

Yuzuru's move instantly stunned all the students and teachers present. Meanwhile, the person responsible casually returned to his original spot, as though he had merely done something insignificant.

"Yuzuru, you're unexpectedly strong..."

Kageka Maple gave Yuzuru a sweet smile, and he returned it with a gentle nod. The sight made Akihime beside them feel thoroughly displeased. Why did Yuzuru treat her and Kageka Maple with two completely different attitudes?