A Cowardly Act

His gaze shifted to Uchiha Kai, who had just stepped off the stage. Kai felt burning eyes on his back but forced himself not to look.

"You were amazing, Kai! You beat that arrogant girl in just a few moves. Did you see it? She was actually crying!" Morino Kei exclaimed, happily pumping his fist.

"No, no, it was just luck," Uchiha Kai replied, waving his hand.

"Don't be so modest, Kai-kun. It's proof of your hard work. You train so desperately, isn't it normal to have this kind of strength?" Hyuga Rei praised from the side.

"Unlike some people who just talk big... all talk and no action..." the girl said, glancing sideways at Mitaraishi Anko in the distance, her hostility evident in her eyes.

"Alright, alright. After all, she's Lord Orochimaru's disciple, we should show some respect," Uchiha Kai said gently, nudging the girl. Only then did she withdraw her gaze and close her Byakugan.

Just as the group was about to chat a bit longer, a voice reached their ears, interrupting them again.

"Next match, Uchiha Ko versus Morino Kei!"

"Huh? It's my turn already? Why not pick on the three of us?" Morino Kei scratched his head.

"Move aside, big oaf." While Morino Kei was still grumbling, a cold voice came from behind him.

A boy in a black combat uniform with a stern face strode forward, chest puffed out. As he passed, he deliberately bumped Morino Kei hard with his shoulder.

"Hey, your mom..." Morino Kei, stumbling from the bump, was about to curse loudly when Uchiha Kai covered his mouth.

"Mmph mmmph mmmph..." Morino Kei struggled for a moment, then looked at the boy with confusion.

"What are you doing, Kai? Don't cover my mouth! This arrogant, idiotic kid, if I don't curse him down to his crotch, it's only because he's holding on tight."

"It's fine, no need to get angry with that kind of fool. You can just teach him a lesson with your fists later, smash that ugly face of his with your strength," Uchiha Kai said, shaking his head earnestly, without ever looking directly at Uchiha Ko.

"Okay! Just watch, Kai, Rei. I'll stuff this guy's mouth full of rocks right now and let him feast!" With that, the boy rolled up his sleeves and strode quickly towards the center of the training ground.

"Hmph, a self-taught fighter is just a self-taught fighter. Dawdling around, can that change the fact that you're weak?" Before the fight even began, Uchiha Ko couldn't wait to start mocking.

Morino Kei, hearing this, didn't get angry. He opened his mouth and silently mouthed.

"Idiot."

"You!" Uchiha Ko's expression changed. Just as he was about to speak again...

"Begin!" Funeno Daikoku, who was presiding, seemed to be fanning the flames. At the peak of their confrontation, he suddenly announced the start of the battle.

The next moment, both men formed the hand seals for combat.

"Boring fight, I'll crush you in an instant!" Uchiha Ko charged forward rapidly, his face filled with arrogance.

"Crazy," Morino Kei muttered under his breath, his eyes fixed on Uchiha Ko's movements, preparing for the incoming attack.

CRACK!

Uchiha Ko's powerful whip kick came flying. Morino Kei didn't dodge, blocking it firmly with crossed arms.

Seizing the opportunity, he threw a punch. Uchiha Ko, his previous force spent and new force not yet generated, could only raise his arm to protect his vital areas.

"Ugh..."

Uchiha Ko cried out in pain, sent flying back half a meter by the powerful blow, his arms nearly numb.

"Damn brute!" he cursed, throwing several shuriken at Morino Kei.

"Impotent sissy," Morino Kei shot back, gripping a kunai and deflecting the incoming shuriken.

The two closed in again, their kunai slashing and clashing, sparks flying.

CLANG! CLANG! In just a few seconds, they had exchanged blows several times. However, it seemed Uchiha Ko was completely at a disadvantage. Every time their weapons met, his contorted face was visible.

"Damn it, damn it! Where did this damn commoner ninja get so much strength from!" After another clash, Uchiha Ko felt a tearing pain in his tiger's mouth.

"No, I can't keep clashing head-on with this big idiot. I'll be the one at a disadvantage if this continues." Thinking this, Uchiha Ko quickly disengaged and retreated.

"Hmph! Trying to run?" Morino Kei wouldn't let him get away. He leaped forward, rapidly pursuing Uchiha Ko.

"Don't run, aren't you arrogant! You sissy!" Morino Kei shouted loudly.

"Hmph, powerless rage," Uchiha Ko snorted coldly, ignoring the taunts, his speed actually increasing.

WHOOSH WHOOSH! Morino Kei threw a handful of shuriken, not aiming for precision but relying on sheer numbers, a pure display of brute force.

"? Who taught this guy to use shuriken like this?" Uchiha Ko stared blankly at the net of shuriken closing in on him. His hands quickly formed several seals.

THWACK!

After a dull thud, a half-rotten log replaced Uchiha Ko in the path of the shuriken, followed by a series of dense impacts.

"Whoa, quite a quick reaction," Morino Kei said, seeing his attack dodged. He wasn't surprised; he hadn't expected his half-baked Shurikenjutsu to be of much use anyway.

It would be good enough if it could just consume some of Uchiha Ko's Chakra.

The next second, Morino Kei's expression turned serious. His eyes were fixed on the enemy's retreat route.

His hands began to form seals rapidly.

"Water Style – Water Colliding Wave!"

A thick jet of water sprayed from Morino Kei's mouth, rushing towards Uchiha Ko at extreme speed.

"!" Uchiha Ko was startled, but having just used a Substitution Technique, he was still recovering and didn't have time to form seals and cast another jutsu.

A thick water pillar slammed squarely into his body, the powerful impact nearly knocking the wind out of him. He staggered two steps before falling completely to the ground, devoid of the strength to fight any longer.

"Damn it... damn it! I still have ninjutsu I haven't used, how could I lose like this! I don't accept it, I absolutely refuse to accept it!"

Uchiha Ko, lying on the ground, forced himself to try and stand up again, but the intense pain in his chest made it difficult to rise.

"The match is decided!" Funeno Daikoku shouted loudly, announcing the result of the competition.

Morino Kei took two steps forward, walking to the fallen Uchiha Ko and extending his right hand, intending to form a reconciliation seal with him.

"Get lost! I didn't lose!" Uchiha Ko, however, showed no gratitude at all, shouting angrily and swatting Morino Kei's hand away.

"Huh? It's not that serious, losing is losing, don't be so pathetic, okay?" Looking at Uchiha Ko's resentful face, the tall young man couldn't help but say.

He didn't notice Uchiha Ko's gaze on the ground growing increasingly sharp and his expression becoming extremely ferocious, gritting his teeth as if staring at an enemy.

Morino Kei, without thinking much, turned around carelessly and walked towards his waiting friends. Just as he was about to brag to them.

Suddenly, the sound of a sharp weapon cutting through the air came from behind him. He instinctively turned his head to dodge, but his face was still grazed.

"What are you doing!?" the young man shouted, demanding an answer.

"Losing a match and then ambushing? How much of a sore loser is this guy? Is this even from the Uchiha Clan?" "Exactly, exactly, look at Uchiha Kai, he has the demeanor of a master. If someone like this becomes a ninja, who would dare be his teammate?"

Seeing Uchiha Ko suddenly erupt and launch a surprise attack, the students watching from below erupted in an uproar, immediately starting to accuse and curse him.

"Shut up! All of you, shut up! I didn't lose, I didn't lose!" Uchiha Ko roared maniacally, his eyes bloodshot.

"It's all your fault! Attacking me! Attacking me before I could use my ninjutsu!" Uchiha Ko, having completely lost his reason, suddenly began forming hand seals.

"I'll kill you!"

A massive fireball condensed and shot straight towards Morino Kei. The young man was both shocked and enraged, never expecting Uchiha Ko to go this far, to openly use ninjutsu to ambush him in front of everyone.

Just as he was about to form hand seals to resist, he suddenly heard a humming sound.

A cold glint flashed, Zhulu was drawn.