Nawaki snapped out of his pleasant fantasy when he heard Akihime's voice. Then, with a serious expression, he declared to her, "Use your full strength. Otherwise... I'll let you have a taste of defeat!"
"Full strength?"
Akihime tilted her head and looked down at Nawaki with a haughty expression, as though confirming what he had said.
"That's right, full strength!"
Nawaki nodded. As a member of the Senju Clan, he feared no Uchiha. His dream was to become Hokage, to inherit the will of his grandfather and granduncle. What he wanted to challenge was an Uchiha at full strength, and he would defeat her openly and fairly, making the name of the Senju Clan resound throughout Konoha once more!
That was Nawaki's truest thought.
But in Akihime's eyes, Nawaki was looking down on her. Even Yuzuru, that "monster" from the Hyuga Clan, had never bluntly told her to fight with her full strength. What gave some "ordinary person" from the Senju Clan, who knew where he had popped out from, the right to talk so big?
"Senior Senju, then I won't hold back!"
A fake smile hung on Akihime's face as she spoke to Nawaki in an exceptionally serious tone.
"Mm!"
Nawaki nodded solemnly as well, then fixed his full attention on Akihime.
The instant Nawaki responded, Akihime used taijutsu far beyond that of her peers to rapidly close in on him. She moved so fast that afterimages trailed behind her.
"Take this!"
"Water Release: Water Shotgun!"
The instant Akihime moved, Nawaki swiftly completed the hand seals for his practiced ninjutsu. He spread his hands forward, and water bullets scattered from his palms like shotgun pellets. The dense barrage nearly filled every path ahead of Nawaki. With such a fully covering ninjutsu, it would surely force Akihime back!
However, to Nawaki's surprise, Akihime's afterimages kept flickering in his field of vision. His prized Water Release ninjutsu seemed unable to touch even the corner of her clothes!
And within those few short seconds, Akihime had drawn much closer to him, as though Nawaki's Water Release ninjutsu had not affected her at all.
"Damn it! Earth Release: Earth Wave!"
Nawaki used another ninjutsu. Once he finished his hand seals, he slammed both hands against the ground. The hard training field immediately turned soft, then, under Nawaki's control, rose and fell like a carpet, resembling waves on the sea.
"This should limit your speed!"
Nawaki muttered confidently, but when he looked back over the field, Akihime had suddenly vanished.
"Senior, are you looking for me?"
A voice suddenly rang out behind Nawaki, startling him. When he turned around, he saw Akihime wearing a fake smile, one foot already poised to kick.
"Wait—"
Nawaki's eyes widened. Just as he was about to say something, a small foot smashed into his face. Though its owner was only six years old, the force behind that foot was no weaker than an adult's. Nawaki was kicked into a face-first sprawl and slid across the training field for some distance. His face and mouth were covered in dead grass and dirt, leaving him in a miserable state.
"Hiss..."
Outside the field, both the younger Ninja Academy students and the older ones sucked in a breath at the sight. If Nawaki did not possess the Senju Clan's physique, that kick from Akihime the Uchiha would have killed him outright!
Seeing this from the principal's office, Tsunade immediately flew into a rage and was about to rush over. Her furious, protective expression made Jiraiya, who had only just been peeled off the wall, instinctively press himself back against it, afraid of provoking her.
Fortunately, Hiruzen Sarutobi stopped her. Otherwise, with her temper, she might really have taken her anger out on Uchiha Akihime. That would have been difficult to handle. Tsunade was not only a Jonin of the village, but also the First Hokage's granddaughter. As a direct descendant of the Senju Clan, if she bullied a new-generation Uchiha like this, it would likely provoke the Uchiha Clan's dissatisfaction...
"Is that all the Senju Clan can do?"
After kicking Nawaki away, Akihime immediately followed after him. One foot rested halfway on Nawaki's back, her tone filled with confusion and incomprehension.
"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey..."
Nawaki spat out the dead grass and dirt in his mouth. Half his face seemed to have swollen immediately, and his head felt dizzy, as if he had suffered a concussion. But upon hearing Akihime's provocation, his fighting spirit surged. He wanted to get up and fight Akihime again, but the force pressing down on his back left him like a turtle flipped onto its shell. No matter how hard he struggled, he could not rise!
"Teacher Ootani, can you announce the result now?"
Akihime asked Ootani Yuuto, who stood not far away.
Ootani Yuuto looked at Nawaki, who was trapped beneath Akihime's foot and unable to break free, then straightforwardly announced the result.
"Uchiha Akihime wins!"
After hearing the result, Akihime immediately removed her foot from Nawaki's back. Nawaki, meanwhile, looked at her with an unconvinced expression.
"I was careless this time. Next time, I'll definitely defeat you!"
After throwing out those words, Nawaki left at once. After all, losing in front of so many junior students was quite embarrassing.
"Looks like the Senju Clan is nothing special after all."
After returning to her place, Akihime spoke beside Yuzuru, her expression seeming to say that only he was her "lifelong rival."
Yuzuru could not be bothered with this "little brat" and continued resting with his eyes closed. However, Kageka Maple, standing beside him, smiled and said to Akihime,
"Akihime, congratulations on your victory."
"Compared to that Senju Clan guy, I'd rather have a proper match with you. I'm quite interested in that ability of yours."
Akihime narrowed her eyes as she stared at Kageka Maple, looking extremely serious.
"It would be my honor to spar with Akihime."
Kageka Maple still wore a sweet smile, but to Akihime, it looked like an irritating fake smile.
"It seems that ability of yours has indeed given you a great deal of confidence and courage. Normally, you wouldn't dare speak to me in that tone."
Akihime stroked her chin and spoke slowly. Since when had this inconspicuous little nobody beside her dared to challenge her "authority" like this?
Thinking of this, Akihime instinctively looked toward Yuzuru. Could it be because of him?
"People always have to grow. Compared with who I was yesterday, there are bound to be some changes in who I am today. Otherwise, if everything remained unchanged forever, wouldn't life be far too dull?"
Kageka Maple suddenly spoke such philosophical words. That mature, world-weary air about her was remarkably similar to Hyuga Yuzuru's.
"Akihime, don't you think so too?"
Before you continue