This Can't Be Tolerated

Six months later.

In the Small Woods in Konoha, two figures raced around the clearing at high speed.

Might Duy stood off to the side with his hands on his hips, watching the two fighters with a solemn expression.

"Leaf Whirlwind!!!"

While running at full speed, Guy abruptly stopped, bent his left leg slightly, and used his momentum and strength to kick out hard with his right leg.

The Whirlwind Kick was fast and powerful, its fierce leg wind giving the illusion that there was no way to dodge it.

Houka remained calm, a faint smile on his face. He lightly tapped the ground with his right foot and leaped into the air.

"Leaf Great Whirlwind!"

Whoosh!

His leg swept through the air with a sharp cry like an eagle's, instantly overwhelming Guy's Leaf Whirlwind and sending him flying.

Thud!

Guy flew backward into a small tree, snapping it in half.

"So strong!"

Guy sprang to his feet with a kip-up and charged at Houka again.

The two traded blows, their Taijutsu techniques clashing in midair. Their strikes burst through the air, sending strange currents swirling in every direction.

Thud!

Thud, thud!

Guy was sent flying by Houka again and again, but under Might Duy's extreme training, his stamina and endurance surpassed ordinary people's. And since the two weren't using Chakra, Guy kept getting knocked down, then getting back up to launch another "resistance war" against Houka.

Might Duy nodded repeatedly from the sidelines, feeling very fortunate that he had taken Houka on as a student.

Houka's talent is incredible. In just half a year, he's completely transformed, and he's even created powerful techniques like Leaf Whirlwind and Leaf Great Whirlwind based on my Taijutsu!

Might Duy smiled with satisfaction. Houka hadn't kept the techniques to himself; he'd generously shared them with Duy and Guy so they could learn and improve them together. By now, the techniques had the makings of a style that could overcome many with sheer strength.

"There's an opening!"

Guy sidestepped behind Houka and mercilessly launched a Leaf Great Whirlwind.

Houka grinned strangely and kicked out with astonishing speed and strength, executing a back roundhouse kick.

"Leaf Strong Whirlwind!"

Thud!

Their feet collided violently in midair. They held against each other for a brief moment, but in the end, Houka's leg continued its sweeping arc, knocking Guy away. Guy swept across the ground, flattening flowers and grass and wreaking tremendous havoc on Konoha's greenery. His sense of civic responsibility lay in tatters.

"What?!" Might Duy exclaimed in astonishment. "Houka, that move just now...?"

"Yeah, I just came up with that back roundhouse kick recently."

After saying that, Houka felt as if his own dignity had taken a beating.

In fact, all these techniques had been created by Guy in the original story. Houka had simply brought them out ahead of time.

"I see! Houka, you really are a Taijutsu genius!" Might Duy said excitedly.

Guy got up from the ground, his face bruised and swollen, his body covered in red marks from Houka's kicks. But his thick, bushy eyebrows hadn't changed at all; he'd protected them well.

"Houka, you've gotten stronger again." Guy sounded excited. "But that only makes you the lifelong rival I must overcome! I'll get stronger, stronger than you, and surpass you! Youth never admits defeat!!!"

Whoosh!

A furious torrent roared as Might Duy enthusiastically offered up an embrace brimming with youthful passion. Father and son once again cried until they were in tears.

Houka had seen this many times over the past six months, but every time he did, he still got goosebumps.

"Can you two at least consider how the readers feel?" Houka sighed.

After the two had finished crying, Guy suddenly said to Houka, "Houka, I think you should go to school sometime in the next few days."

For the past six months, Houka's Shadow Clone had perfectly taken his place, studying at the Ninja Academy and getting along with Rin, Kurenai Yuhi, and the others. No one had ever discovered the truth about his Shadow Clone.

But even when you didn't go looking for trouble, trouble could still come looking for you.

His classmate Masamune Hyuga had challenged Houka more than once. Uchiha Ronai from another class had also grown increasingly smug after learning about the relationship between Asuma Sarutobi and Houka, and came to pick fights every few days. Now that half a year had passed, the classmates who had once thought Houka was strong had started gossiping again, mostly deciding that he'd neglected his studies and become useless. As for the students in other classes, they'd long since forgotten him.

Houka didn't care, though. "It's fine. My Shadow Clone has half my Chakra and plenty of combat experience. Masamune Hyuga and Uchiha Ronai won't be a match for it."

"I hope so." Guy nodded. Given Houka's current strength, he did have good reason to say that.

At noon, in the Ninja Academy.

Houka's Shadow Clone was eating lunch with Obito, Kurenai, Rin, Asuma Sarutobi, and Guy, whose face was covered in bruises and swelling, when that damned Uchiha Ronai barged in once again with a group of lackeys.

"Hey, hey, Uchiha Houka! How long are you going to hide like a coward?" Uchiha Ronai said with a haughty expression.

His lackeys joined in, shouting arrogantly.

"You're only good at hiding among women. You bring shame to the Uchiha Clan!"

"You don't deserve the Uchiha name. You should be banished."

"Heh, you know you can't awaken your Sharingan, so you keep studying Taijutsu under that useless Eternal Genin. You really are a perfect match for your master!"

Crack!

The chopsticks in Houka's and Guy's hands snapped at the same time.

"You! What did you just say?" Houka stood up, his gaze icy as he stared at the person who had insulted Might Duy.

Guy also got to his feet and shouted, "My father isn't useless! He's an excellent ninja!"

"Excellent? Hahahaha, that's a huge joke." Seeing that Houka had finally responded, Uchiha Ronai wore a deranged smile. "A mere Genin who can't get promoted deserves to be called excellent? What a joke!"

"Bastard!" Guy clenched both fists, ready to charge over and settle things with him hand to hand.

But a hand stopped him.

"Guy, this started because of me. Let me handle it," Houka said calmly.

"But you..." Guy hesitated. He knew that the "Houka" standing before him was only a Shadow Clone. If it used up too much Chakra, it would disappear.

Houka said, "A teacher for a day is a father for life. Uncle Duy's training has saved me five years, so how could I let someone badmouth him right in front of me?"

I can tolerate anything else, but not this!

Might Duy's training had been downright brutal, constantly pushing past the limits and even causing serious damage to the body. But there was no denying that this terrifying training regimen far surpassed anything Houka could have worked out on his own. Saying it had saved him five years was no exaggeration.

"All right." Guy nodded, his eyes shining beneath his thick brows. "Houka, be careful!"

"Obito, should I go get Teacher Shin Kiyono?" Rin was a pacifist, and she watched Houka with concern before turning to Obito.

Uchiha Obito sat there looking completely at ease, chin tilted up as he looked down his nose at Uchiha Ronai. He chuckled slyly. "Don't worry, Rin. This guy got beaten up by Houka half a year ago. It's no big deal."

"Is that so?" Rin frowned.

Beside them, Asuma Sarutobi had been eating Houka's cooking for free for half a year, so he felt bad about standing by and watching. He spoke up. "Houka, if you don't want to fight, you don't have to."

The Fire Second Generation meant what he said.

Uchiha Ronai immediately grew anxious. "Asuma, this is an internal dispute within the Uchiha family. Don't even think about interfering!"

"Hmph." Asuma snorted.

"It's fine. Think of it as a warm-up after lunch." Houka smiled as he walked out. "Let's go outside."

"Fine, Houka. This time, I'll defeat you once and for all!" Uchiha Ronai said with a cruel grin.