The Farce

"You bastard... You'll pay for your arrogance."

Seeing Uchiha Gen's contemptuous expression, Hizashi Hyuga's temple throbbed as he spoke in a low voice.

"Arrogance? How could that be? I'm being friendly. After all... who'd be in a bad mood when someone's delivered a bit of fun right to their door? Ready? I'm about to make my move."

Looking at the veins bulging on Hizashi Hyuga's forehead, Uchiha Gen knew he'd activated his Byakugan. But no matter how he looked at those eyes, they seemed nothing special.

Watching Hizashi Hyuga continue to run his mouth, Uchiha Gen raised a hand and reminded him.

"Heh, I'll show you what the Eight Trigrams—so fast!"

Hizashi Hyuga immediately assumed a Gentle Fist stance. Just as he was about to form the Eight Trigrams formation and lock on to Uchiha Gen, he realized Uchiha Gen had vanished from in front of him. When he reappeared, he was already right before Hizashi Hyuga.

Without any attempt at concealment, he charged straight at him. His speed was so terrifying that even with the Byakugan, Hizashi Hyuga couldn't react in time.

Before Hizashi Hyuga could raise his palm to strike Uchiha Gen, a sharp pain suddenly erupted in his abdomen.

In an instant, Hizashi Hyuga understood what Hizashi Hyuga had said.

It hurt! It hurt so much!

Even the body he'd trained since childhood with precious medicinal baths and Gentle Fist practice couldn't withstand the terrifying force that struck his abdomen.

At the same time, the punch sent Hizashi Hyuga flying backward, and he crashed hard into Hizashi Hyuga, who had rushed over, ready to face Uchiha Gen alongside him.

"Tch."

As he stumbled backward, a soft voice rang in Hizashi Hyuga's ear.

[Defeated D-rank target. Obtained 1 draw from the D-rank card pool]

"Brother?!"

Catching Hizashi Hyuga and seeing the pain on his face, Hizashi Hyuga cried out in concern.

As Hizashi Hyuga spoke, five figures appeared beside him in an instant and surrounded him. One of them checked Hizashi Hyuga's condition, then abruptly turned and struck at Uchiha Gen with an open palm.

The man wore white robes and a headband identical to Hizashi Hyuga's, which covered his forehead. He was so fast that he reached Uchiha Gen in the blink of an eye.

Faced with the Hyuga ninja's sudden attack, Uchiha Gen remained calm, watching him impassively.

Whoosh!

Just before the Hyuga ninja's palm strike could hit Uchiha Gen, a hand seized his wrist, stopping him in his tracks.

"What's the matter? Can't the Hyuga losers take a defeat?"

The Hyuga ninja looked up sharply and saw a pair of scarlet Three-Tomoe Sharingan glaring at him.

In the next moment, a surge of ocular power slammed into his mind, clashing with the power of his Byakugan.

Pain exploded in his head. The Hyuga ninja wrenched his hand free from the Uchiha ninja's grip and quickly retreated. The other Hyuga ninjas immediately moved forward and stood with the one who had attacked.

"Trying to win with numbers? Heh, come on out, all of you. Don't let Young Master Xuan think less of us."

Surrounded by the Hyuga ninjas, the Uchiha ninja's expression remained unchanged, still wearing a look of contempt.

In the next moment, several more figures appeared on the Ninja Academy training field, the Uchiha crest on their clothes catching the eye.

"Stop! By order of the Hokage, fighting is forbidden within the village. Let the children settle their own disputes. And make sure nothing like this happens again."

Just as the two sides were on the verge of clashing, a white-haired Anbu Ninja wearing a mask appeared between them. At his arrival, the ninjas on both sides stiffened.

"Stand down. As Uchiha, there's no need to waste our time on losers. That would only lower our standards."

Looking at the Anbu Ninja who had suddenly appeared and sensing the terrifyingly sharp aura radiating from him, Uchiha Gen narrowed his eyes and spoke softly.

That sharp edge, combined with that white hair... It had to be you...

"Yes. You all heard Young Master Xuan. Withdraw."

At his words, the Uchiha ninja smirked and vanished from before Uchiha Gen in a flash. The other Uchiha ninjas followed close behind.

In an instant, only the Hyuga ninjas remained on the field.

Hizashi Hyuga had just caught his breath when he heard Uchiha Gen's words. His pale face flushed bright red.

He was about to speak when he saw the white-haired Anbu Ninja staring intently at them.

"Who told you to get involved? Stand down!"

Straightening up in Hizashi Hyuga's arms, Hizashi Hyuga turned and angrily shouted at the Hyuga ninjas beside him.

The Hyuga ninjas said nothing and used the Body Flicker Technique to leave.

"Uchiha Gen, I'll remember what happened today."

Clutching his chest and stepping past the white-haired Anbu Ninja, Hizashi Hyuga glared at Uchiha Gen and spoke in a low voice.

"Idiot."

Faced with Hizashi Hyuga's utterly unthreatening threat, Uchiha Gen simply tossed out the word before turning and leaving.

The white-haired Anbu Ninja vanished from the field in a flash.

His mission was complete. Now he needed to report back.

That farce at the Ninja Academy ended there.

But another farce was unfolding somewhere else.

The Hokage Office was still hazy with smoke.

Because of what had happened in the Land of Whirlpools, Hiruzen Sarutobi had been smoking more than ever lately. Smoking helped him calm down and gave him room to consider what to do next.

"Hiruzen, I told you long ago that the Uchiha Clan had to be dealt with as soon as possible! Agreeing to release that traitor, Setsuna Uchiha, back then was an incredibly foolish decision.

"A traitor who once tried to assassinate the teacher should have been executed on the spot! And the Hyuga—A clan with a system like theirs shouldn't exist either!

"Do those Hyuga ninjas take orders from the weaklings in the Main Family, or from you, the Hokage? They're already confronting each other at the Ninja Academy. What's to stop them from confronting you at the Hokage Building next?

"Hiruzen! Let me handle them! Just give me enough men, and I can wipe out both of these unstable threats in a single night."

Beside Hiruzen Sarutobi, Shimura Danzō spoke angrily.

"Calm down, Danzō. This is just an incident caused by a conflict between two children. Remember the First Hokage's teachings!

"Konoha must never turn against its own people. As for Setsuna Uchiha, the teacher spared him because he wanted to give him another chance. There's no need to bring it up again.

"Besides, what happened in the Land of Whirlpools is a terrible sign. The scent of war... is already beginning to spread. At a time like this, Konoha absolutely cannot afford any infighting."

At his words, Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced quietly at Shimura Danzō, then lowered his head and continued smoking. He understood his old friend's intentions all too well.

But... that was absolutely impossible.