Zhou Cheng could clearly feel that some people's gazes toward Sasuke had changed. They looked at him like hunters sizing up their prey.
He shook his head. Human nature couldn't withstand temptation, no matter where you were.
Those people would definitely cause trouble. Fortunately, Sasuke was the son of the Uchiha Clan leader, and Itachi and Shisui were there to protect him. As long as he didn't get himself killed, he should be safe.
Sasuke thanked Zhou Cheng, then stepped off the Arena and walked toward his older brother.
"Brother! Shisui!"
Itachi and Shisui looked grim. They had already forgotten all about Sasuke skipping class again. Now, they were worried about his safety.
"Don't go to school today! Stay here, and we'll go home together when we're done!"
Sasuke wasn't stupid. He could tell that something was off about the two older brothers' expressions. He nodded and stood quietly to one side.
The Arena didn't stop because of what had happened. As soon as Sasuke stepped down, someone else climbed up, and the Shield Breaking continued.
The people who followed were all fairly average, though. None of them managed to deal particularly impressive damage or win rewards that inspired envy.
Soon, it was Itachi's turn.
He glanced at Sasuke standing beside him and smiled as he patted his head.
Then he jumped straight onto the Arena.
"Senior!"
He greeted Zhou Cheng respectfully. He couldn't neglect his manners.
"Mm. I hope you won't disappoint me today!"
Itachi nodded. Without another word, he activated his Sharingan. Three Tomoe appeared in his eyes.
Zhou Cheng sighed inwardly. What a shame he didn't have the Mangekyo. Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi were both devastating techniques; they would definitely deal a lot of damage.
"Fire Style: Great Flame Ball!"
A vast quantity of flames poured from Itachi's mouth, gathering into a fireball about ten meters across. It was twice as large as the Great Fireball Technique, like a miniature sun flying toward Zhou Cheng.
Quite a few people below the Arena gasped in alarm.
The scorching waves of heat reddened their faces, and beads of sweat had already formed on many foreheads.
The people in front instinctively backed away a few steps, only to realize there was nowhere to go. The crowd was packed shoulder to shoulder.
"B-rank Fire Style!"
"That size, that power! It's far stronger than the Great Fireball!"
"As expected of a genius. With that much chakra, he'd be one of the best even among the Jonin!"
Uchiha Tadashi stared at the fireball, which looked just like the sun, his mouth hanging open in shock.
He finally understood just how wide the gap between himself and Itachi was.
The fireball was more than twice as large as the Great Fireball he could produce. If he'd been on a battlefield, he would have been reduced to a charred corpse.
For the first time, he felt utterly powerless. Itachi was already this strong—how terrifying must Shisui be, if he was even stronger?
He didn't dare think about it any further. For the first time, he felt that his grandfather had been terribly wrong.
After his initial shock, Sasuke looked proud. That's my brother, Sasuke Uchiha—unbelievably strong.
Shisui nodded with a smile, watching Itachi's strength. The stronger Itachi became, the more the village would consider their feelings, and the longer they could delay the conflict from erupting.
Kakashi recovered from his shock. The Uchiha Clan really was powerful when it came to Fire Style.
Without using the Sharingan, Itachi still wasn't his match.
Tsunade was only slightly surprised. Not bad, kid. If he weren't an Uchiha, he'd have a high position in the village someday.
Iruka and Naruto had already been left speechless, frozen in place for a long time.
So strong!
Strong enough to make anyone despair. If they encountered an enemy like that, they wouldn't even think of fighting back. They could only wait quietly for death.
Boom!
The fireball struck Zhou Cheng and exploded. The entire Arena shook violently.
The people in the front rows shoved backward in panic, afraid the Arena would collapse under the force.
The blast scattered their hair and made it impossible to keep their eyes open. They raised their hands to shield their faces.
Flames and explosions swallowed Zhou Cheng in an instant. Those seeing it for the first time couldn't help holding their breath.
You were so eager to die that you stood perfectly still and took an attack like that? You really must be dead now.
There wasn't a trace of joy on Itachi's face. He knew an attack like that couldn't hurt Senior.
Sure enough, when the flames vanished, Zhou Cheng stood exactly where he'd been. Even his clothes were completely unharmed.
Hiss!
Gasps of disbelief rose all around.
"How is that possible? He's completely unharmed!"
"With a fireball and explosion like that, there wouldn't even be a body left—he'd be reduced to ashes! But he's fine?"
"Is he even human? He must be a monster!"
Everyone else looked at them with disdain. What ignorant country bumpkins!
You think an attack like that could hurt Mr. Zhou Cheng?
Did you really think his strength was only what it seemed?
For all you know, he was old enough to be your ancestor!
"You're all so easily impressed. Even Lady Tsunade couldn't hurt Mr. Zhou Cheng. What can a Fire Style technique like that do?"
A string of numbers appeared above Zhou Cheng's head: -9888.
[Damage dealt: 9888]
[Shield HP remaining: 9,999,999,961,762]
[Damage tier: Blue]
[Reward obtained: Blue Blind Box]
Zhou Cheng was speechless. The number was pretty lucky, but the damage hadn't reached the Purple-Tier Damage threshold.
"You've improved since last time, but I know you're still holding back. You probably used eighty percent of your strength this time."
An awkward expression appeared on Itachi's face. He thought Zhou Cheng was scolding him for overestimating himself.
"Look. If you attacked with all your strength, this strike would reach the Purple-Tier Damage threshold, and you'd get a different blind box with a higher-tier reward. What a shame!"
"But that was your choice. You'll have to bear the consequences yourself!"
Quite a few people below the Arena looked shocked. That was the highest damage dealt so far.
And he hadn't even used his full strength? He was already so powerful!
How terrifying would he be at full strength?
Still, in front of Zhou Cheng, it was no more than child's play—completely ineffective.
"Here. This is your reward!"
A blue Blind Box appeared in Zhou Cheng's hand. He tossed it to Itachi.
Itachi caught it carefully and opened it without a word.
A book lay inside, its cover showing a cake that looked delicious.
[The Complete Guide to Sweet Desserts]
[A textbook on sweet desserts from the God of Cookery World]
[Now that you have this book, how could you fail to make cakes that are delicious, fragrant, and beautiful?]
[Host receives a critical reward: max-level dessert-making skills]
Zhou Cheng's eye twitched. He wanted to smack Itachi to death.
Of all the things he could have gotten, why did he get a reward that was useless to me?
Cooking skills?
Was it supposed to help me open a restaurant after I failed to break the shield?
Itachi was stunned too, but he soon grew delighted.
He loved sweets more than anything, which was why he liked eating three-color dango.
He picked up the book and leafed through it. Besides some familiar sweets, it also included treats he'd never heard of or seen before. He swallowed as he looked at them.
He put away The Complete Guide to Sweet Desserts and gave Zhou Cheng a grateful look.
"Thank you, Senior!"
But the people below the Arena were getting anxious. They really wanted to know what Itachi had gotten.
If he got something good, they'd be envious and jealous. If he got something bad, they'd gloat.
They were the sort who didn't want you to do badly, but also couldn't stand it if you did better than them.
Sasuke and Shisui also looked at Itachi in confusion. They wanted to know, too.
"You'll find out tonight!"
Itachi smiled and nodded at Sasuke and Shisui. Just wait until tonight, when he made some delicious sweets for them to try.
Zhou Cheng rolled his eyes at him. Eat too many sweets, and you'll get diabetes!
"Go ahead and make your second attack. If you hold back again, I'm going to give you an earful!"
Before you continue