When the last class ended and the students were dismissed, Sarutobi Retsu, their homeroom teacher, noticed that the class wasn't rushing out as usual.
Instead, they all stayed seated, occasionally sneaking glances at Uchiha Yuan.
Under the attention of those around him, Uchiha Yuan seemed completely unaware. Calmly rising to his feet, he walked out of the classroom as everyone watched.
Immediately, the others got up and followed him out.
Watching them hurry away, Sarutobi Retsu puzzledly stopped a boy and asked, "Mizuo, what's going on?"
"Mr. Retsu, Uehara Isami and Uchiha Yuan agreed to fight at the Training Ground."
Sarutobi Retsu froze. "Uehara Isami and Uchiha Yuan?"
They were both students he kept a close eye on. One had a father who was an elite Chunin in the village. He was always serious during training lessons, and his demonstrated ability ranked among the top hundred in their year.
The other didn't stand out much in class, but he came from the prestigious Uchiha Clan.
So Sarutobi Retsu quietly made his way to the Training Ground as well.
At the center of the Training Ground, Uchiha Yuan stood motionless with his arms crossed. His classmates had gathered nearby to watch.
He spotted Hyuga Kagami, Yūhi Murasaki, and Senju Gen in the crowd.
Noticing his gaze, Senju Gen smiled at him in greeting.
Hyuga Kagami shouted, "Uchiha Yuan, don't bring shame on our great clans!"
Back in the Class 5-9 classroom, Hatake Harukaze was the only one left.
He stood up to leave, but through the classroom window, he saw Uchiha Yuan at the Training Ground. He couldn't help stopping.
Uchiha Yuan's words from earlier kept echoing in his mind.
They brought back the memory of that day six years ago. The grief-stricken faces of his clansmen resurfaced one after another from the depths of his memory.
That day, the head of the Hatake Clan—his uncle, Hatake Sakumo—had taken his own life.
He had never understood why his gentle, easygoing uncle had killed himself.
He still remembered how, in the period before and after his uncle's death, the villagers had treated him with malice, hurling vicious curses at him.
It had left him confused. His uncle had been a hero of the village!
He couldn't understand how the villagers, who had always held his uncle in such high regard, could suddenly treat him like a criminal.
"Uchiha Yuan, what did you mean?"
Looking toward Uchiha Yuan at the Training Ground, Hatake Harukaze murmured to himself.
Uchiha Eiji and a group of Uchiha boys headed for the Ninja Academy's gates. The students around them stepped aside as soon as they saw them.
As they passed near the Training Ground, Uchiha Eiji spotted Uchiha Yuan and stopped to watch.
Before long, Uchiha Hayabusa and Uchiha Kotaro came running back from the Training Ground.
"Eiji, looks like someone wants to challenge the good name of the Uchiha Clan," one of the boys standing beside Uchiha Eiji remarked after hearing what the two had found out.
"Hmph. Some nobody from a civilian family. He's got a lot of nerve."
"I hope that kid from outside the main family doesn't bring shame on the Uchiha."
"Haha, as if that guy has any right to represent the Uchiha Clan."
The group of Uchiha boys gathered beside the Training Ground, watching Uchiha Yuan at its center.
By then, Uehara Isami had reached Uchiha Yuan, surrounded by a few of his friends.
A cold, cruel smile appeared on his face. "Uchiha Yuan, if you beg for mercy now, I'll let you off, since we're classmates."
Uchiha Yuan lifted his chin and looked at Uehara Isami with haughty disdain. "You piece of trash, quit yapping at me. Make your move already. I still have to buy the fresh pastries at the Seven Colors Pavilion. They'll be sold out if I'm too late."
Uehara Isami flew into a rage and let out a furious roar before leaping at Uchiha Yuan.
Uchiha Yuan swiftly flipped backward, dodging Uehara Isami's powerful punch.
But almost at the same moment, a gust of air swept over his head.
Uchiha Yuan glanced up and saw Uehara Isami above him, flying down with both hands clasped together to smash into him.
Uchiha Yuan immediately punched upward, meeting Uehara Isami's fists.
Bang!
With a muffled thud, they both recoiled.
Uchiha Yuan staggered back three steps. Across from him, Uehara Isami landed steadily after a backflip.
Uchiha Yuan shook his arm, his expression grave. "I didn't expect you to have already learned the Body Flicker Technique."
Uehara Isami smiled smugly. "You can still admit defeat and apologize."
Uchiha Yuan replied coldly, "So what if you've learned the Body Flicker Technique? Don't underestimate the Uchiha, Uehara Isami."
Uchiha Yuan's words made Uehara Isami feel a little nervous.
What was the Uchiha Clan best known for?
The Sharingan.
Could the other boy have already awakened his Sharingan?
Against the Sharingan, his Body Flicker Technique would probably still be seen through.
The next second, Uehara Isami secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Uchiha Yuan charged forward. Like an arrow, he covered the distance in just a few steps, then swung a punch at Uehara Isami's face.
Chakra could toughen the body and enhance strength. Uehara Isami hadn't sensed any Chakra from Uchiha Yuan, so he arrogantly reached out and grabbed his fist.
What the—this guy's strong.
That was Uehara Isami's first thought as he caught Uchiha Yuan's punch.
Then he felt his wrist dip. Using his punching arm as an axis, Uchiha Yuan twisted his body in midair and whipped a fierce kick toward Uehara Isami's head.
Forced to respond, Uehara Isami let go of Uchiha Yuan's fist and leaned back, retreating a step.
Whoosh!
The powerful kick swept across Uehara Isami's face, making his skin sting.
That was close!
Uehara Isami was secretly shocked. Even with Chakra protecting his body, he probably couldn't have taken that fierce kick.
At the same time, as soon as one foot touched the ground, Uchiha Yuan pushed off hard and shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.
In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Uehara Isami, both fists striking at once.
The spectators then saw a dazzling sequence of Taijutsu, flowing together with graceful precision.
Uchiha Yuan's attacks completely overwhelmed Uehara Isami. His movements were fluid and natural, and every punch and kick disrupted Uehara Isami's attempts to attack.
Uehara Isami looked as if he were trapped in invisible shackles, reduced to a punching bag who could only take a beating.
"How amazing!"
"So this is the Uchiha. No wonder they're Konoha's most powerful clan."
The crowd was stunned by Uchiha Yuan's Taijutsu skills.
Hyuga Kagami stared intently at Uchiha Yuan, unable to hide his shock. He wondered whether he could break through Uchiha Yuan's attacks if he were in Uehara Isami's position.
He couldn't.
After dozens of exchanges, Uehara Isami had burned through most of his Chakra. The repeated blows also made his Chakra flow increasingly erratic.
Suddenly, Uchiha Yuan drove a knee into Uehara Isami's chest, shattering the Chakra he had gathered.
Uehara Isami stumbled backward. Uchiha Yuan followed close behind, darting forward until he was right in front of him. Then he slashed the side of Uehara Isami's neck with the edge of his right hand.
"Uehara Isami, you're already dead."
Uchiha Yuan spoke coldly, looking at Uehara Isami with a proud expression.
Uehara Isami stared at him in shock. His chest felt tight, and as he let out a long breath, a thin red line appeared across his throat.
Only then did the pain register. He touched his neck and saw a faint smear of blood on his hand.
That was when he finally understood what Uchiha Yuan meant.
If his opponent had struck any harder, the cut on his throat wouldn't have merely broken the skin.
At the edge of the Training Ground, Sarutobi Retsu had watched the match the whole time. Looking at Uchiha Yuan, he thought, Not bad Taijutsu.
Then he vanished with the Body Flicker Technique.
"Eiji, his Taijutsu's impressive."
"I'll remember the name Uchiha Yuan."
"Those moves were beautiful. They were like a chain—once you got caught in it, it'd be hard to break free."
"I already copied those moves with my Sharingan."
The group of Uchiha boys continued discussing the fight as they walked out of the Ninja Academy.
Uchiha Eiji had been frowning ever since he left the Training Ground. Something felt off.
He had fought Uchiha Yuan twice and personally experienced his speed and strength.
He'd expected the match to be over almost as soon as it began, but the two had actually exchanged dozens of blows.
Earlier, he had activated his Sharingan to watch and noticed that Uchiha Yuan's punches were slower than they had been when he fought him.
Uchiha Yuan must have been holding back.
But why?
At the Training Ground.
Uchiha Yuan looked coldly at Uehara Isami. "Apologize to me."
Uehara Isami glared at Uchiha Yuan. "I admit defeat, but I won't apologize. My uncle died when the Demon Fox went on a rampage because your Uchiha Police Force backed down."
Uchiha Yuan frowned. "You really are an idiot. That's just a rumor. I want you to apologize for saying I teamed up with my clansmen to bully you."
Uehara Isami turned to the watching students. "Everyone, if a bunch of Uchiha come crowding around you with fierce looks on their faces, wouldn't you be scared? If I hadn't gotten away fast, you would've ganged up on me, wouldn't you?"
Uchiha Yuan frowned and shouted, "Uehara Isami, stop making things up!"
Then he swept his sharp gaze across the crowd. "I accepted your challenge to show you this: if I wanted to bully you, I wouldn't need to team up with my clansmen. My own fists would be more than enough."
Hyuga Kagami and the others remained impassive. As someone from another prestigious clan, he believed Uchiha Yuan.
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