Teacher Ibuki's Self-Doubt

The older students nearby joined in the jeering.

"Is that all the Uchiha Clan has for courage?"

"Looks like he's afraid of embarrassing himself."

"He's only five. How good could he be?"

Uchiha Toru clenched his fists.

Hyuga Kazuki stood nearby, watching the scene. A sense of unease suddenly crept over him, and he found himself looking at the child in red.

That brat was crouched on the ground, studying ants, as if he hadn't heard a thing.

But Hyuga Kazuki had seen with his own eyes just how strange that brat could be.

He couldn't help tugging on Yamashiro Taiga's sleeve and lowering his voice. "Taiga, that's enough..."

Yamashiro Taiga looked back at him, frowning.

"What? Are you scared?"

"No..." Hyuga Kazuki hesitated. "There's... someone in this class you don't want to mess with."

"Who? The Uchiha?"

"No." Hyuga Kazuki didn't know how to explain. "The one in red."

Yamashiro Taiga followed his gaze.

A brat in a red shirt was crouched on the ground, butt sticking up as he watched ants. He looked pretty dim-witted.

Yamashiro Taiga scoffed.

"That one? Kazuki, have you lost your mind?"

"No, he really is..."

"Enough, enough." Yamashiro Taiga impatiently cut him off. "Since when did you get so scared?"

With that, he turned around and fixed his gaze on the crowd again.

"Uchiha brat, are you going to fight or not?"

Hyuga Kazuki opened his mouth, then closed it again. He'd already tried to warn them. Whatever happened next had nothing to do with him.

Uchiha Toru stood among the crowd with his head lowered, his hands clenched tight.

Those words pricked at his heart like needles.

The Uchiha Clan was nothing special.

A bunch of cowards.

Uchiha Toru slowly lifted his head and walked step by step into the middle of the field.

"Finally decided to show yourself." Yamashiro Taiga beckoned him over. "Come on. I'll let you have the first move."

Uchiha Toru stopped and began forming Hand Seals.

Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger.

Yamashiro Taiga's smile froze.

The older students beside him froze, too.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

A huge fireball burst from Uchiha Toru's mouth and hurtled toward them.

"Waaaaah!"

The older students screamed and scattered, scrambling to dodge.

The fireball exploded among them, and a wave of heat swept through.

Yamashiro Taiga staggered back to his feet. Smoke curled from his clothes, and a lock of his hair had been singed.

Uchiha Toru lowered his hands and looked at him.

"Want to keep going?"

Yamashiro Taiga's face turned red, then white.

The older students exchanged glances, none daring to step forward.

Hyuga Kazuki had already backed away several steps when Uchiha Toru started forming Hand Seals. Now he stood far off, with no intention of coming closer.

He should've backed down at this point.

But Yamashiro Taiga couldn't swallow his pride.

He was an upperclassman. If word got around that a first-year brat had scared him off with one move, how could he ever show his face again?

So he gritted his teeth and said, "Come on."

Uchiha Toru looked at him, his expression unchanged.

"You're no match for me."

Yamashiro Taiga's face flushed red.

"What did you say?"

Uchiha Toru's gaze swept over the older students behind him.

"Come at me together."

Yamashiro Taiga froze.

The older students beside him froze, too.

"A-arrogant!" Yamashiro Taiga's voice trembled. "Who do you think you are?"

Uchiha Toru didn't answer. He simply stood there, beckoning them to attack.

Yamashiro Taiga clenched his teeth and waved a hand.

"Get him together. He's only one person."

The older students hesitated.

"But..."

"What are you afraid of? There are five of us. We can take one kid!"

They hesitated a little longer, then slowly started to surround him.

Hyuga Kazuki remained where he was, unmoving.

"Kazuki!" Yamashiro Taiga called out. "What are you doing?"

Hyuga Kazuki shook his head, his voice firm. "I'm not joining in."

Yamashiro Taiga's face twisted with anger, but he had no time to scold him. Uchiha Toru was forming Hand Seals again.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"

Small flames burst from Uchiha Toru's mouth, scattering like flower petals in every direction.

The three older students charging at the front had no time to react. The flames grazed them, burning holes in their clothes.

"Ah!"

"That's hot!"

They screamed and stumbled backward.

But the flames kept flying.

One shot straight toward Yamashiro Taiga's face.

Yamashiro Taiga's eyes widened. His legs felt nailed to the ground.

I'm done for.

That was the only thought left in his mind.

Just as the flame was about to hit his face, a transparent shape suddenly flashed in from the side.

"Smack."

The flame stopped in midair.

It seemed to be wrapped in something. It struggled for a moment, then went out with a soft puff.

Yamashiro Taiga stared blankly at what hung before him. Something had drooped down from above.

It was transparent, sticky, and faintly reflective.

It looked like snot.

At the edge of the crowd stood an unfamiliar boy, his hands joined in Hand Seals. "Secret Technique: Snot Whirlwind!"

The entire field fell silent.

Teacher Ibuki lowered his hands, still joined in Hand Seals, his face full of astonishment. He'd actually been slower than his own student.

Adai withdrew his snot. His expression didn't change, and his voice was flat. "That was dangerous. Someone nearly got hurt."

"Y-you... who are you?" Yamashiro Taiga asked, trembling.

"Adai."

And that was all.

The edge of the field fell silent.

Uchiha Toru slowly lowered his hands and looked at Adai, his gaze complicated.

"Your Fire Style is strong," Adai said slowly. "But you didn't control it well."

Uchiha Toru was silent for two seconds.

"Yeah."

Adai nodded, turned, and walked back to the edge of the crowd, where he stood quietly again.

As if nothing had happened.

The edge of the field fell silent.

The other students' jaws nearly hit the ground.

Might Guy trembled with excitement. "Youth! This is the power of youth!"

Obito sat on the ground with his mouth hanging open, unable to close it for ages.

Hyuga Kazuki stood far away at the edge of the field. He hadn't come any closer the whole time.

He glanced at the Red Figure crouching on the ground and watching ants, then at Uchiha Toru beside him.

Then he silently took two steps back.

Thank goodness I didn't join in.

The field gradually grew quiet.

The older students had left, and the jeering had stopped.

Teacher Ibuki stood at the edge of the field, having witnessed the whole thing from beginning to end.

From Might Guy and Obito getting beaten, to Uchiha Toru stunning everyone with one Great Fireball, to the Phoenix Flower Fire nearly causing a disaster, and finally to the new kid defusing the danger with snot.

Throughout the whole thing, he, the teacher, hadn't done a thing.

He'd just stood there like an idiot.

Teacher Ibuki slowly lowered his head. His voice was a little hoarse. "Line up."

The children came over one after another and formed a line.

Teacher Ibuki looked at them, suddenly feeling hollow inside.

"I'm the teacher... How can I not even keep things under control...?"