He Has No Time to Play with Me

The Ninja Academy is not a place one can enter at will; every child who applies to join must undergo a test known as the "Entrance Exam."

Only those who pass this test are permitted to enter the Ninja Academy to study and hold the potential to become a ninja.

Of course, this test is only aimed at commoners in Konoha; children of Konoha's ninja clans do not need to take it, as there is simply no necessity.

The leaders of each ninja clan are not fools. If a child in their clan truly lacks the talent to become a ninja, they will be supported by the clan or arranged to manage family businesses to serve the clan's finances, rather than being sent to the Ninja Academy to become a laughingstock for the family.

In the history of Konoha, among the commoners who have taken the exam, the most famous is undoubtedly the man who, in the future, would be hailed as the one who nearly kicked the finale into existence with a single blow.

He could be considered the strongest dropout in the ninja world.

Following the roll call by Sarutobi Ino, everyone reacted differently.

An Uchiha... if I lose, I'll definitely be punished by the elders again... No, I won't lose.

Standing in the crowd, Hizashi Hyuga looked at the calm, black-haired boy, then lowered his head and muttered to himself.

"That's not necessarily true, you know."

Just as Hizashi Hyuga was whispering to himself, a voice filled with amusement came from behind him. The sudden sound made his heart skip a beat.

He turned his head sharply to look in the direction of the voice, only to see Uchiha Gen, who had been far away just a moment ago, now standing right behind him.

"When?!"

Facing Uchiha Gen, who had suddenly appeared behind him, Hizashi Hyuga felt a tightness in his chest.

Such speed...

"A guy from the Hyuga, huh? I'm curious... just how much power can these eyes of yours actually bring you?"

Uchiha Gen looked at the shocked Hizashi Hyuga with a smile and spoke softly.

That smiling face, however, made Hizashi Hyuga feel a deep sense of malice... and an inexplicable expectation.

This guy... he really wants to fight me... what a nasty person.

"You'll find out."

Masking his initial surprise with a change in expression, Hizashi Hyuga looked at Uchiha Gen and spoke in a low voice.

Uchiha Gen's provocative mention of the Byakugan gave this sparring session a different significance.

"Is that so? I'm looking forward to it. But as your opponent, I'll do you the favor of giving you a heads-up: in the fight in a moment... if you can't bring out twelve percent of your strength to please me, you're going to lose very, very miserably. I believe... that is something you wouldn't want to experience."

A smile remained on Uchiha Gen's face; if one ignored the words he spoke, he would actually appear quite amiable.

"Ahem, well... I don't mean to intrude on your conflict, but since we're all classmates, wouldn't it be better if we just got along?"

As Uchiha Gen finished speaking, another person suddenly joined the conversation.

Uchiha Gen turned his head to see the "Little Sun," Minato Namikaze, walking over while scratching his head.

"Do you also wish to dance?"

Looking at Minato Namikaze, Uchiha Gen suddenly spoke.

This abrupt question left Minato Namikaze, who had prepared several lines of mediation, completely stunned.

"Dance? Gen-kun, are they actually having a dance-off?"

"It's nothing, just saying it for fun. Hey, Minato-kun, let's have a match later, too."

Looking at the bewildered Minato Namikaze, Uchiha Gen, having satisfied his own twisted sense of humor, immediately followed up.

"Huh? Shouldn't we just listen to the teacher's arrangements? Fighting on our own like that... that shouldn't be allowed, right?"

Unable to keep up with Uchiha Gen's train of thought, Minato Namikaze awkwardly scratched his little yellow hair and spoke in a low voice.

"Hmph, arrogant!"

Seeing Uchiha Gen ignore him to chat with Minato Namikaze, Hizashi Hyuga couldn't help but snort coldly.

"Next group! Uchiha Gen versus Hizashi Hyuga! Both of you, step forward and form the Seal of Confrontation."

Sarutobi Ino's voice rang out at the right moment.

"Let's go."

Uchiha Gen turned his head toward Hizashi Hyuga, his smile unchanged, and took a step toward the center of the training ground. Seeing this, Hizashi Hyuga followed closely behind.

"Well, Sarutobi Ino-sensei, the purpose of this practical class should be to confirm everyone's strength, right? In that case, can I directly challenge everyone present?"

On the training ground.

Uchiha Gen stood still, formed the Seal of Confrontation with one hand, and looked at Hizashi Hyuga—who was also forming the seal—before asking Sarutobi Ino softly.

"Just as I said at the beginning, Class A's teaching method is completely different from the other classes. This practical class is indeed meant to test your standards. If you wish, I can adjust the schedule, but you need to be mindful of the time. I don't have that much time to play around with you."

Sarutobi Ino frowned upon hearing this. Looking at the smiling Uchiha Gen, his gaze fell on the clan crest on the back of the boy's clothes, and he spoke in a deep voice.

An Uchiha child—it's only natural he'd say something like that.

"Rest assured, it won't take much time. Come."

Hearing Sarutobi Ino agree, the smile on Uchiha Gen's face deepened. He flattened his hands from the Seal of Confrontation, palms facing upward, and beckoned slightly toward Hizashi Hyuga.

"Arrogant!"

Uchiha Gen's dismissive tone caused Hizashi Hyuga's face to flush red, and veins instantly bulged at his temples.

Byakugan! Activate!

Whoosh!

Accompanying the angry shout, Hizashi Hyuga's figure lunged forward with sudden, explosive force.

Hizashi Hyuga's robes billowed as he closed the distance to Uchiha Gen, raising his arm to strike out with a palm.

"Eight Trigrams..."

Bang!

Watching Hizashi Hyuga charge right in front of him, Uchiha Gen curled his lips and swung his hand out.

There was nothing flashy or complicated about it; it was just an incredibly simple strike.

The searing pain that erupted across his face instantly cut off the word "Two" he had been about to shout. As Uchiha Gen's palm connected, Hizashi Hyuga stumbled and collapsed face-first onto the ground before him.

"My apologies. Teacher Sarutobi Ino said he... doesn't have time to play around. There, Teacher, you can bring out the next one."

Looking down at Hizashi Hyuga, who lay on the ground with an expression of utter disbelief, Uchiha Gen smiled faintly and spoke softly, then turned his gaze toward Sarutobi Ino, who was wearing a look of equal astonishment.