Battle

"Go, Houka, beat that jerk from the Hyuga clan!" Uchiha Obito hollered at the top of his lungs.

"Good luck, Houka!" little Kurenai Yuhi, having just enjoyed a free Chinese meal, also chimed in with a sweet, soft cheer.

Asuma Sarutobi looked left and right, his expression entirely indifferent.

Rin stood nearby, looking worried, and tugged on Uchiha Obito's sleeve: "Obito, can Houka really do this?"

"No problem, Rin, you can rest easy. Houka has been reborn; he's definitely going to shock you!" Uchiha Obito was incredibly pumped, seemingly even more excited than if he were the one being recognized.

"Tch, who doesn't know Uchiha Houka is an idiot? If it weren't for the Uchiha name, he would have been expelled long ago."

"I still remember him challenging Kakashi last semester like it was yesterday."

Aside from Uchiha Obito and his group, the rest of the watching students didn't think much of Houka.

"Masamune Hyuga will have Uchiha Houka pinned to the ground in a minute!"

"Half a minute is enough; you're giving Uchiha Houka too much credit."

"Hahaha, I can't wait."

In the arena, Shin Kiyono stood in the center with Houka and Masamune Hyuga on either side. He recited a few rules of the duel, then said solemnly: "Now, the duel begins!"

As he spoke, Shin Kiyono vanished from the center of the arena using the Body Flicker Technique.

Masamune Hyuga reacted quickly, retreating two steps the instant Shin Kiyono disappeared, then settling into the starting stance of the Gentle Fist.

It looks a bit like Tai Chi.

Houka blinked, still standing there without moving an inch.

"Hey, hey, has Uchiha Houka been scared stupid?"

"Maybe he hasn't reacted yet?"

"Idiot, he must be too scared to move his legs, haha."

Masamune Hyuga narrowed his eyes and scoffed: "Uchiha Houka, if you let me strike first, you won't have a single chance left."

"Do you know how the bad guys always die in the end?" Houka suddenly asked.

"How do they die?" Masamune Hyuga replied instinctively.

"They die from talking too much."

Then, Houka kicked the ground, sending several small stones whistling toward Masamune Hyuga.

"How disappointing, Uchiha Houka. Do you really think being a ninja is like children fighting? You're actually kicking pebbles!"

Masamune Hyuga swiped his hands left and right, batting the small stones away.

"Ah! Watch out!" someone suddenly shouted from the sidelines.

Masamune Hyuga was stunned, thinking to himself that he hadn't even attacked Uchiha Houka yet, so wasn't it a bit too early to be shouting "watch out"?

But the next instant, he realized Houka had vanished from his spot, and at the same time, a rush of wind came from his left cheek.

"When?!" Masamune Hyuga reacted with lightning speed, immediately rolling to dodge the side kick.

"Those stones from before... hmph, was that the Substitution Technique? How childish!"

Just as Masamune Hyuga steadied himself, another rush of wind came from his right.

"Bastard!"

Masamune Hyuga had been learning the Gentle Fist since he was a child, and his body was exceptionally agile. With a few rolls and tumbles, he dodged all of Houka's kicks.

"Not bad, Uchiha Houka. It seems you really did work hard over the break, but, hmph, don't you think it's a bit arrogant to use Taijutsu in front of the Hyuga clan!"

Masamune Hyuga channeled his inner Saiyan, let out a roar, and with Chakra surging through his body, he closed the distance to Houka in an instant.

"Gentle Fist - Eight Trigrams Two Palms!"

BOOM!

Masamune Hyuga slammed a heavy palm, infused with Chakra, toward Houka's shoulder.

"I got him!" Masamune Hyuga felt as sweet as if he'd eaten honey, but the next instant, he suddenly stumbled, nearly falling over.

"What... is going on?"

His palm strike had landed on nothing, as Houka was no longer in front of him. An ordinary person would have fallen after putting their full strength into a punch that hit empty air, but Masamune Hyuga managed to stop himself through sheer physical conditioning. However, from behind him, a wicked foot reached out and delivered a fierce, merciless kick right to his backside.

"AH!!!"

Masamune Hyuga was sent flying, tracing a graceful arc through the air before crashing heavily to the ground.

The surroundings fell into a sudden silence.

"What just happened?"

"Must be my eyes playing tricks on me!"

"Masamune Hyuga couldn't beat Uchiha Houka? How is that possible?!"

"Heh heh, I told you so, hahaha!" Uchiha Obito stood with his hands on his hips, laughing triumphantly.

"Using a continuous string of Substitution Techniques to shift his position and launch an assault, easily crushing Masamune Hyuga with a speed advantage—that was truly impressive." Asuma Sarutobi narrowed his eyes, replaying the combat scene in his mind over and over, becoming momentarily mesmerized. "The speed at which Uchiha Houka used the Substitution Technique was so fast it almost rivaled the Body Flicker Technique. Even I couldn't keep up with his speed."

"Damn it, Uchiha Houka, you bastard!" Masamune Hyuga scrambled to his feet, his face twisted into a grimace.

"If you can't beat me, just admit defeat. I won't mock you, hahahaha..." Houka stood with his hands on his hips, laughing in an exaggerated manner that looked exactly like Stephen Chow.

The surrounding classmates all had black lines running down their foreheads: you're already mocking him, you know!

Masamune Hyuga couldn't take it anymore, his Byakugan rolling back in his head... even though they were already white, they were even whiter now, weren't they?!

Hum...

After a surge of Chakra, hideous veins began to bulge around Masamune Hyuga's Byakugan!

"Byakugan... did he activate his eyes?"

"Masamune Hyuga actually activated his eyes, that's amazing!"

"Activating them at only six years old, Masamune Hyuga is truly a genius of the Hyuga Clan!"

The surrounding classmates immediately began to shower him with flattery.

Shin Kiyono stood to the side, his expression shifting as well.

"Masamune Hyuga was provoked by Uchiha Houka, so he activated his eyes early. It's a pity, though; since you were born into the Branch House, no matter how high your talent is, you'll still... sigh."

"This is bad, Houka is going to lose." Rin and the little girl Kurenai Yuhi were extremely nervous.

"Uh, well, Houka should be fine. It's just the Byakugan, right? Our Uchiha Clan's Sharingan is no worse than the Byakugan!" Uchiha Obito's voice grew quieter as he spoke, since everyone knew Houka hadn't activated his eyes yet.

"Hehehehe, Uchiha Houka, thank you. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to activate my Byakugan!" With his fierce Byakugan wide open, Masamune Hyuga's aura climbed once more, looking as if he could ascend to the heavens and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Kaguya Otsutsuki. "Admit defeat! In front of these eyes, you don't have the slightest chance of winning!"

"Is that so?" A cold smirk tugged at the corner of Houka's mouth. He kicked a few pebbles into the air again, then used the Substitution Technique to close in on Masamune Hyuga.

However...

"I already told you, in front of these eyes, any move you make is meaningless!"

Masamune Hyuga saw through the flow of Houka's Chakra and the movement of the air, easily predicting his next landing spot. He stepped forward in advance, his hands already gathering a massive amount of Chakra.

"Gentle Fist - Eight Trigrams Two Palms!"

"Then, feel free to give it a try." The instant Houka's figure appeared, his hands shifted with lightning speed.

Snake-Ram-Monkey-Boar-Horse-Tiger!

"Fire Style - Fireball Jutsu!!!" (To be continued)