Ball Buster Kid

Konoha's medical staff rushed to the academy at top speed.

Members of Konoha's Military Police Force arrived with them.

Uchiha Yashiro watched with an ugly expression as the howling Uchiha Yaowang, clutching his crotch, was carried onto a stretcher. Then he turned to look at Iroha Hyuga, the culprit behind it all.

Faced with Uchiha Yashiro's piercing gaze, Iroha Hyuga lowered his head guiltily.

He had not truly meant to hit that spot. He had only just grasped the Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm. Originally, it was a powerful long-range sniping technique with an attack range of over ten meters.

But Iroha Hyuga was still young and had only learned the basics. Not only could he only reach two meters, but his accuracy...

It could not exactly be said that he had none. It was more like it simply did not exist at all.

Seeing him avoid his gaze out of guilt, Uchiha Yashiro sighed inwardly. After closing his eyes to think for a moment, he shifted his attention to the two teachers.

"Let's have a talk, you two."

Glancing at the two teachers, whose expressions were equally grim, Uchiha Yashiro knew that although it had been a Hyuga child who struck, the boy's identity made it impossible for him to vent his anger.

By comparison, the two adults who had failed to stop it in time clearly bore greater responsibility.

With the teachers taken away, the exercise naturally came to an end.

"Say, the teachers won't be in trouble, will they?" Ebisu asked worriedly as he watched the two teachers being led away.

Asuma shrugged. "Don't worry. Injuries caused during exercises at the Ninja Academy aren't common, but they're not unheard of either. The ninja world is full of pain and wounds to begin with. As long as it wasn't deliberate, they won't be punished."

"But putting that aside, Iroha, you're pretty ruthless. Tell us honestly, was that move meant for Kakashi or Might Guy?" Kazashiro sidled up to Iroha Hyuga and asked with a half-joking grin.

"You..." Kakashi stared helplessly at Kazashiro with dead-fish eyes and instinctively clamped his legs together.

Even Might Guy did not know what to say. He could only stand there and laugh foolishly.

Honestly, there was nothing youthful about this.

"What are you talking about? I didn't do it on purpose!" Iroha Hyuga argued, his face red.

"Come on, stop making excuses. Everyone knows the Hyuga Clan and the Uchiha Clan have always been at odds. I get it, I get it." Kazashiro wore the expression of someone enjoying the drama.

At Kazashiro's words, everyone who had not thought much of it began to wonder whether it was true.

After all, the Hyuga Clan and the Uchiha Clan being on bad terms was common knowledge. Besides, Iroha Hyuga had been the one to challenge Uchiha Yaowang in the first place.

Put that way, it sounded pretty believable.

When he saw the strange looks his classmates were starting to give him, Iroha Hyuga hurriedly shoved Kazashiro away and shouted, "It wasn't me, I didn't do it, don't make things up!"

Unfortunately, under Kazashiro's embellishment, Iroha Hyuga's defense was utterly powerless.

"Alright, we understand, Ball Buster Kid." Kazashiro once again sidled up to him with a shameless grin, patted Iroha Hyuga on the shoulder, and conveniently gave him a nickname.

"Ball... Ball Buster Kid?" Iroha Hyuga did not understand what the nickname meant at first, but after thinking it over, he quickly caught on.

Once a nickname like that spread, his lifelong reputation...

Iroha Hyuga despaired.

Because the students from both classes present had heard Kazashiro's words.

Just as expected, within only an hour, news that Class Two had produced a Ball Buster Kid spread throughout the entire Ninja Academy.

Iroha Hyuga thus became the first "ninja" among this year's students to possess a title.

As for whether Iroha Hyuga would one day become famous throughout the ninja world, Kazashiro, the instigator behind it all, did not care in the slightest.

"Ball... Ball Buster Kid?" Hiruzen had come to the Ninja Academy after hearing the news, intending to mediate the matter, when he received a report from the Anbu. The corner of his mouth twitched wildly.

"What is it, Third Hokage?" Hizashi Hyuga, whom he had summoned to the academy, asked curiously when he saw the Third Hokage's expression.

Hearing that, Hiruzen hurriedly suppressed the twitch in his mouth and adjusted his expression. "It's nothing, just some work-related matters. Hizashi, that's what happened. It was merely an accident during an exercise."

Upon hearing Hiruzen's assessment of the matter, Uchiha Yashiro was somewhat dissatisfied, but there was nothing he could do.

Because that was the truth. The two teachers had done their best to prevent it, but Iroha Hyuga's punch had been too fast for them to stop in time.

But Uchiha Yaowang's injury...

"This matter was indeed a failure on the part of the academy's teachers. As principal, I cannot shirk my responsibility either. Later, I will personally visit this child's home and apologize to his parents." Seeing Uchiha Yashiro's reluctance, Hiruzen offered an exceptionally solemn form of apology.

The Hokage personally visiting to apologize was certainly weighty enough.

Only then did Uchiha Yashiro's expression improve somewhat.

"I will inform Captain Fugaku of this matter." Uchiha Yashiro gave Hiruzen a slight bow, completely ignoring Hizashi Hyuga before turning and leaving directly.

Seeing how poorly mannered he was being, Hizashi frowned slightly. He was somewhat displeased, but could not act up in front of Hiruzen, so he could only plant a little poison in Hiruzen's ear. "Yashiro is being far too disrespectful toward you, Third Hokage."

"Hehe, it's fine. After all, one of their clansmen was injured." Hiruzen completely ignored Hizashi's provocation and replied cheerfully.

"That is true. I spoke out of turn. Please allow me to take my leave." Hizashi had not expected Hiruzen to truly become enraged over this. After properly saluting the Third Hokage, he slowly withdrew from the office.

"Whew... That settles it. Saito, Makoto, don't let this weigh on you. Continue holding exercises as usual, but stay alert, especially when dealing with children from ninja clans. They often use techniques that children their age should not be capable of using." Only after the Uchiha and Hyuga Clan members had both left did Hiruzen have time to instruct the two teachers.

"Yes, Third Hokage. We failed in our duty."

Feeling Hiruzen's gentle attitude, the two men, both from civilian ninja backgrounds, were deeply moved.

After all, who would not like a superior who took the initiative to shoulder responsibility?

"Alright, alright, go back to work. During the next exercise, you can ask Kurenai Yuhi to keep watch from the side. As a jonin, his perception is much sharper, and he has the ability to stop those little troublemakers." As Hiruzen sent the two away, he also gave them an idea.

"Yes, Third Hokage!"