It Feels Great to Be in the Spotlight, Doesn't It?

After repelling Hiashi Hyuga, Fugaku Uchiha formed hand seals and used the Great Fireball Technique. A four-meter-wide fireball hurtled toward Hiashi.

Watching the fireball Fugaku spat out, Hiashi's face filled with alarm. He ignored how little chakra he had left and unleashed it all to dodge at high speed.

"Boom!"

The ground was blasted open, leaving a huge crater. If Hiashi had been hit, he would certainly have died.

"Are you trying to kill Hiashi?" Nawaki demanded angrily.

The other students in Class A also glared at Fugaku with hostility.

"Hmph! He was weaker than me. If he died, he'd have deserved it," Fugaku said coldly.

"Tsk, tsk! No wonder you're the Uchiha Clan head's son. You dare use ninjutsu at school. That's pretty badass," Hyuga Shin said, eyeing Fugaku with amusement.

Using ninjutsu without permission was forbidden at the Ninja Academy. If you weren't careful, Anbu might even invite you in for a cup of tea.

"Who are you?" Fugaku frowned. Shin's tone rubbed him the wrong way.

"Young master, he's that useless Hyuga Clan kid who can't awaken the Byakugan," one of Fugaku's lackeys replied.

"So you're the one. You don't even have the Byakugan, yet you dare speak up?" Once Fugaku learned who he was, he sneered.

Unlike the Uchiha Clan, every member of the Hyuga Clan could awaken the Byakugan. That was an advantage the Uchiha Clan didn't have.

In the Uchiha Clan, not awakening the Sharingan just meant you lacked talent. In the Hyuga Clan, it made you a good-for-nothing.

As for Fugaku Uchiha, he had awakened his Sharingan at nine, making him the youngest in Uchiha history to do so, besides Madara Uchiha. He was also widely considered the most talented member of the Uchiha Clan.

Fugaku was even confident he could surpass Madara and lead the Uchiha Clan to unparalleled glory.

Naturally, he looked down on Hyuga Shin, whom he considered useless. He even felt that talking to him was beneath him.

Watching Fugaku's arrogant expression, Shin was thoroughly annoyed. The guy was really putting on airs right in front of him.

"Hmm! You're Mikoto Uchiha? Why are you hanging around with this good-for-nothing, holding hands and all? You're bringing shame on the Uchiha Clan."

Suddenly, Fugaku spotted Mikoto Uchiha holding hands with Shin, and his expression darkened at once.

With everyone's eyes on her, Mikoto lowered her head shyly, feeling terribly embarrassed. She tried to pull her hand away, but Shin was holding on too tightly.

"Get away from that good-for-nothing, or I won't hesitate to kick you out of the Uchiha Clan."

As the clan head's son, he had the authority to expel someone—though that only applied to ordinary members of the Uchiha Clan.

If Mikoto had still been in her former position, Fugaku wouldn't have dared say that. Her grandfather had also been an Uchiha Clan elder, and one with real authority.

But Mikoto's grandfather had died a year ago after an old injury flared up. Her parents had died even earlier, so now she was just an ordinary clan member.

At Fugaku's words, Mikoto's face paled. A stubborn glint flashed in her eyes, but she kept her head down and ignored him.

She didn't know why, but she liked being with Shin. There was no particular reason; she simply felt at ease around him.

So when he told her to stay away from Shin, her instinct was to refuse.

"Fine!" Fugaku roared. "You're no longer a member of the Uchiha Clan."

Though Mikoto's grandfather had left behind some influence, once someone was gone, people stopped caring. That was true everywhere. So Mikoto's expulsion from the Uchiha Clan was all but certain.

Mikoto clutched Shin's hand, her face pale and her eyes brimming with tears, as if a downpour could break at any moment.

Though Mikoto seemed delicate, she was strong inside and forced herself to hold back her tears.

It wasn't that she was especially attached to the Uchiha Clan. Rather, she had been driven out of the place where she'd grown up, and had no idea where to go or what to do. She felt utterly lost and helpless.

Seeing Mikoto looking so pitiful, Shin decided he absolutely couldn't stand by and let this happen. He stepped forward and kicked Fugaku.

To everyone's shock, Fugaku flew dozens of meters like a rag doll before crashing to the ground and raising a cloud of dust.

Hiashi, who was extremely weak and being supported by Hizashi Hyuga, and Mikoto, who was holding Shin's hand and looking lost, both stared with wide eyes.

"Shin, you're that strong?" Nawaki rubbed his eyes, unable to believe it.

Although Shin was quite tall, Fugaku was more than a head taller than him.

Yet Shin, despite being the smaller one, had kicked Fugaku dozens of meters away. No one could tell whether Fugaku was still alive.

The onlookers all mourned Fugaku's fate, then looked at Shin as if he were some kind of monster.

That kind of strength alone was enough to make them fear him like a tiger.

"Seriously, Shin, why are you so strong? Yesterday, you shattered a target with a single kunai throw and shocked us. Now you can kick someone dozens of meters away. You're only five! That's ridiculous."

Nawaki clicked his tongue.

"I was born strong, I guess! Maybe since I don't have the Byakugan, the heavens gave me something else in return," Shin said, half serious and half joking.

"The Sage of Six Paths once said that whenever he closes one door for you, he's sure to open a window."

"Isn't the Sage of Six Paths just a legend? Did he really say that?" Nawaki asked doubtfully.

"Of course. I read it in an ancient book. The Sage of Six Paths really did say it."

Shin lied straight-faced, not at all worried that Hagoromo Otsutsuki, the Sage of Six Paths who watched the Ninja World from the shadows, might hear him.

Nawaki believed him without question and started wondering whether the Sage of Six Paths had left him a window somewhere, too.

Chapter 27: It Feels Great to Be in the Spotlight, Doesn't It?

"Hey, you two, quit chatting and go check on Fugaku Uchiha! If that guy's really dead, Shin's going to be in serious trouble," Shikaku Nara said, shaking his head as he interrupted them.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. At most, I broke seven or eight ribs. He won't die," Shin said nonchalantly.

Shin had been careful when he struck. If he really killed Fugaku Uchiha, there'd be no place for him in Konoha.

Even with Tsunade backing him, being a member of the Hyuga Clan wouldn't save him.

Based on what Shin knew about Sarutobi Hiruzen, if Fugaku really died, he would hand Shin over to the Uchiha Clan to deal with.

To prevent infighting in Konoha, he'd have no choice. The Uchiha Clan at this point was nothing like the clan it would be when it was wiped out.

If the Uchiha Clan rebelled now, even if all of Konoha joined forces to suppress them, the village would be badly weakened. The other villages would surely take advantage of that.

So if Shin didn't want to fall out with Konoha, he'd better not kill Fugaku.

"Don't worry, Mikoto. Maybe it's for the best that you leave the Uchiha Clan. You've been living in the glory of the Warring States period for too long. The Uchiha Clan started declining after Madara Uchiha left, so maybe leaving now is a good thing."

Shin comforted Mikoto.