Instant Kill

"...Hm?"

Lu Yu, who had been listless within the ranks, raised a brow slightly; he truly hadn't expected to be the first one called.

The class formation quickly dispersed, leaving a large open space for Lu Yu and Hyuga Hinata.

Iruka approached Lu Yu's side and whispered:

"Are you thinking about surrendering again, you brat?"

"Uh, how did you know?"

"Don't talk nonsense. You are not allowed to surrender. Let me tell you again: if you don't fight to my satisfaction today, I will report the situation truthfully to Yoshino-senpai. Conversely, if I think your performance is good, you can continue to enjoy your life for the next two months."

The next moment, Iruka watched as the look of total apathy in Lu Yu's eyes vanished, replaced instantly by a surge of high spirits, as if he had been injected with adrenaline.

Lu Yu had never dreamed that such a good life could actually continue; this was just too awesome...

Following this, Lu Yu and Hinata walked into the center of the field.

Hinata looked at Lu Yu before her, her head bowed like a startled bird, though she would steal glances at him from time to time.

A few seconds later, as if summoning immense courage, Hinata greeted him in a timid voice:

"Lu... Lu Yu-kun, hello..."

"Hello."

Staring at Hinata's cute, blushing face, Lu Yu nodded slightly, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.

While her courage still held, Hinata hurriedly continued:

"By the way, I still haven't had a chance to thank you for what happened that day."

"Heh, it's nothing, just a small favor."

Watching Lu Yu and Hinata whispering to each other, Ino, standing not far away, inexplicably pouted:

"Hmph, that bad guy..."

Hearing Lu Yu's words, Hinata opened her mouth, but seeing the curious gazes of the surrounding classmates, she lost the courage to say the many other things she had wanted to tell him.

At this moment, Hinata kept her head down, lacking even the courage to look up at Lu Yu again.

The burst of courage she had just shown was something she had painstakingly built up over the long period she hadn't seen Lu Yu.

Iruka watched the two with interest and said cheerfully:

"Alright, the reunion segment ends here. Are you both ready?"

"I have no problem."

"I... I am too," Hinata replied in a panic.

Iruka nodded and waved to the students nearby, signaling them to move back a bit further:

"Then, begin."

Lu Yu and Hinata looked at each other face-to-face. Hinata's pure white eyes reflected Lu Yu's face, and as she met his black pupils, she felt a wave of dizziness.

For the past two months, Hinata had barely seen Lu Yu in the classroom. The long-standing longing made her feel that even being able to look at him like this was a form of happiness.

Thinking about how she had just spoken so much to Lu Yu and how he had responded with a smile, Hinata felt a sense of satisfaction.

Have I finally taken a step forward?

Thinking of this, Hinata couldn't help but lower her head in shyness...

Seeing Hinata like this, Lu Yu scratched his head helplessly and had no choice but to use a provocation:

"Use your full strength, Hinata. Only then will I be able to remember you properly!"

This sentence struck like a heavy hammer against Hinata's chest.

Hinata's mind roared, and she couldn't help but ponder.

Does Lu Yu-kun mean he wants me to fight him with everything I have?

Right, Lu Yu-kun doesn't like timid girls, so I can't be timid anymore!

To make Lu Yu-kun remember me, I must be brave!

A look of determination emerged, quickly dispelling the timidity in Hinata's eyes.

Seeing the change in Hinata, the corners of Lu Yu's mouth curled up slightly.

That's it, this is much more interesting...

"Yes, Lu Yu-kun! I will give it my all!"

Hinata nodded heavily, performed the Seal of Confrontation toward Lu Yu, and then assumed the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist stance with a serious expression.

Without a word of nonsense, Lu Yu performed the Seal of Confrontation and waited for Hinata's attack.

Hinata suddenly took a step forward and rushed toward Lu Yu with incredible speed.

The speed of this moment left the spectating classmates with their jaws on the floor.

"At this speed, that sleepyhead is in trouble..."

"Good heavens, is Hinata actually this strong?"

"It's over, it looks like Lu Yu is going to lose!"

While the vast majority of the crowd did not favor Lu Yu, only Shikamaru let out a bored yawn, looking at Lu Yu with a hint of confusion:

"Strange, why doesn't my brother just surrender? Girls are the most troublesome things of all..."

In the blink of an eye, Hinata's attack arrived. Her movements were incredibly swift, and in a very short span of time, she launched three threatening strikes at Lu Yu.

In truth, Hinata's strength was not as weak as everyone imagined. Although she had lost to Hanabi, who was five years her junior, it was only because the opponent was her own sister, and she hadn't the heart to strike back.

The reason she had been bullied by those three children was also due to her kind nature.

Watching the offensive from the princess of the Hyuga clan, countless classmates looked on in surprise, and even Sasuke's expression turned solemn.

In order to make Lu Yu remember her, Hinata unleashed her full potential.

Her continuous assault lasted for over ten seconds, during which time Hinata launched dozens of attacks at Lu Yu.

However, her opponent was Lu Yu, who possessed the physique of Saitama.

If this had been two months ago, Lu Yu would have had to surrender in such a situation, as he lacked the precision to control his own strength.

But two months of fishing had allowed Lu Yu to master his strength to the point of ease, making any accidental injury impossible.

Lu Yu's seemingly slow dodges miraculously evaded every one of Hinata's attacks, until Hinata made a desperate, all-or-nothing final strike.

Seeing Hinata attack, Lu Yu tilted his body slightly, easily dodging her finishing blow, then grabbed her wrist with his left hand and gave a gentle tug, causing Hinata to instantly lose her balance.

The next moment, Lu Yu placed his right hand on Hinata's neck...

"Lu Yu is the winner! Perform the Seal of Reconciliation!"

Seeing Lu Yu 'subdue' Hinata, Iruka immediately shouted from the sidelines.

The students outside the arena were silent for a moment before erupting.

"My god, is that guy Lu Yu a monster? How could he completely dodge such a dense barrage of attacks from Hinata?"

"Truly terrifying. If it were me, I'd have been finished long ago..."

"And Lu Yu only used one move from start to finish, and just like that... it was over?"

"No wonder he sleeps all day and skips class without anyone stopping him. If someone with this kind of strength actually worked hard, there would be no way for the rest of us to survive..."

"..."

The students outside the arena voiced their exclamations one after another; Lu Yu's performance was simply too terrifying for them not to be shocked.

Watching Lu Yu win, Ino felt as sweet as if she had eaten honey, proudly lifting her chin; she was even happier than if she had won herself.

"Sorry about that, are you alright?"

Lu Yu walked over to Hinata's side, extended his palm toward her, and asked in a gentle voice.

"I... I'm fine."

Hinata replied with a stutter, not daring to take the hand Lu Yu offered. She scrambled up from the ground, lowered her head, and looked dejected, while at the same time, a feeling of admiration for Lu Yu blossomed in her heart.

As expected of Lu Yu-kun, I am simply no match for him.

In fact, Hinata's strength was not weak; at the very least, among her peers, if she could truly let go and fight, she would have very few rivals.

Of course, Lu Yu was an exception. Let alone Hinata, even the Sage of Six Paths would likely fare no better than she did if he stood before him.

The two of them, having decided the outcome, performed the Seal of Reconciliation and walked off the field. Iruka looked at Lu Yu with a mischievous grin and announced:

"Next match, Nara Lu Yu versus Inuzuka Kiba!"