An Unexpected Provocation

The morning sunlight slanted across the gravel ground of the training field.

Lin Feng reached the entrance and paused.

In the distance, two clansmen were sparring fiercely. The metallic clash of shuriken grated on the ears, and sweat sprayed through the air. Several other clansmen stood at the edge of the field watching, occasionally calling out in approval.

He took a deep breath and stepped inside.

His purpose today was simple—find a corner to practice the basics and check his physical condition.

He had only taken a few steps when the two sparring men in the distance suddenly stopped.

One of the black-haired clansmen turned his head, his gaze landing on Lin Feng with a teasing look. He put away his kunai and exchanged a signal with his companion. The two shared a brief smile before turning and walking toward him.

Lin Feng's steps slowed slightly, but he continued forward as if nothing had happened.

"Well, if it isn't Lin Feng from the police force, the one who always walks around with his head tucked down?"

The black-haired clansman stopped in front of him and deliberately raised his voice, drawing the attention of the surrounding spectators.

The other chimed in with an indifferent grin. "What, you finally decided to come to the training field?"

Lin Feng stopped and looked at him.

The black-haired clansman would not let it go, sizing him up from head to toe. "Last time on patrol, you didn't even dare question Lord Hokage's orders. What a disgrace to the Uchiha."

Quiet laughter rose from the crowd.

Lin Feng frowned, but his tone remained calm. "Patrolling is a duty. There's no need to make a show of it."

"Tch, listen to him talk." The black-haired clansman glanced at his companion. "Did you hear that? Patrolling is a duty."

"Then what is Mr. Duty doing at the training field today?" the other man asked, lightly tapping the hilt of his kunai. "Don't tell me you came to watch us practice?"

Lin Feng fell silent for a moment.

He did not want trouble, but these two were clearly looking for it.

"Enough talk." The black-haired clansman stepped forward, staring him down. "Since you're here, do you dare spar with us? Or do you not even have the courage to accept a challenge?"

The air fell quiet for a moment.

Lin Feng looked into his eyes without answering immediately.

He weighed his options quickly. If he refused, they would certainly keep mocking him, and worse rumors would spread through the clan. If he accepted, there was a high risk of exposing his strength, especially his Sharingan.

But this was precisely an opportunity to test himself.

He slowly nodded, his voice steady. "It's only practice. We stop at the right time."

The black-haired clansman smiled, his face full of provocation. "Good. That's more like it."

He backed away two steps and tipped his chin at his companion. The two spread out in tacit coordination, taking positions to Lin Feng's left and right.

The onlooking clansmen all retreated, clearing an open space.

Lin Feng remained where he was, his fingers tightening slightly.

"Don't worry. We won't make it hurt too much." The black-haired clansman grinned, then abruptly flicked his right hand.

A shuriken tore through the air, grazing past Lin Feng's ear.

Screech—!

The shuriken buried itself in a wooden post behind him, its tail feathers trembling.

As Lin Feng twisted aside to evade it, his expression darkened.

They were not joking around.

The black-haired clansman was still smiling. "How's that? Awake now?"

Lin Feng took a deep breath, stepped forward twice, and assumed a fighting stance, raising both hands slightly.

"Come on."

The two men across from him exchanged a glance and moved at the same time.

The black-haired clansman charged head-on, his right fist shooting toward Lin Feng's face with brutal speed. The other clansman circled on Lin Feng's right, flipping out a kunai, ready to strike at any moment.

Lin Feng tilted his head aside to evade the punch while kicking at the man's lower leg.

The black-haired clansman shifted lightly out of the way and followed up with a palm strike toward Lin Feng's chest.

Lin Feng had no choice but to block it with both arms, taking the blow head-on.

Bang—!

The palm struck his upper arms with considerable force. Lin Feng was knocked back two steps, gravel slipping beneath his feet.

The man on his right seized the chance, slashing his kunai toward Lin Feng's waist.

Lin Feng twisted aside. The blade skimmed his clothes, leaving behind a long, narrow tear.

After one exchange, he was clearly at a disadvantage.

The smile on the black-haired clansman's face widened. "That's all you've got?"

He stopped wasting words and launched a relentless assault, fists and kicks flying. His companion worked seamlessly with him, using their advantage in numbers to attack from blind spots and force Lin Feng into constant defense.

Lin Feng gritted his teeth and held on. His basic taijutsu barely kept up, but his opponents were clearly seasoned fighters who had spent years honing themselves on the training field. Their strength and speed both surpassed his.

After more than a dozen exchanges, he was already panting, and his openings were becoming more frequent.

The black-haired clansman swept a leg at him. Lin Feng raised an arm to block, but the force threw his body off balance.

The other immediately followed with a kick aimed straight at his chest.

Lin Feng arched backward, barely avoiding it, but his back slammed into a wooden post at the edge of the training field.

There was nowhere left to retreat.

The black-haired clansman walked over and looked down at him. "Is that it? You don't even have a chance to fight back."

Lin Feng did not answer.

He closed his eyes, then opened them again.

A flash of crimson suddenly appeared deep within his pupils.

The One-Tomoe Sharingan activated.

The world instantly became clear.

The figures before him slowed in his vision. Every subtle movement of muscle, every breath, every shift in balance was magnified, broken down, and predicted.

The black-haired clansman was still walking forward, a contemptuous smile at the corner of his lips.

He had not noticed the change in Lin Feng's eyes.

Lin Feng moved.

He slid left along the wooden post, avoiding the frontal attack. At the same time, his right hand shot out and caught the black-haired clansman's incoming ankle, pulling with the momentum.

The black-haired clansman lost his balance and staggered forward.

Lin Feng gave him no chance to recover. He struck the man's back with a palm.

Bang!

The black-haired clansman's face smashed into the wooden post. He let out a muffled groan and crumpled to the ground.

The other man's pupils contracted. Gritting his teeth, he charged forward with his kunai raised.

Lin Feng turned, stepped aside, evaded the thrust, and chopped the wrist holding the blade with a backhand strike. The kunai flew from his hand.

Then came a low sweeping kick, striking directly behind the man's knee.

Aah—!

The man's leg gave out, and he dropped to one knee. Lin Feng followed with a palm strike to his shoulder blade, pressing him flat onto the ground.

The movements were clean and decisive.

Less than three seconds had passed.

The training field fell silent.

Lin Feng withdrew his stance. The Sharingan automatically deactivated. He breathed lightly, a thin sheen of sweat appearing on his forehead.

The black-haired clansman lay face-down on the ground, while his companion was sprawled on his side. Neither had the strength to rise again.

Low whispers began to stir among the surrounding clansmen.

"Damn it... when did he awaken the Sharingan?"

"Those eyes just now... were they real?"

"Wasn't he supposed to be unawakened?"

Lin Feng ignored the voices and merely lowered his gaze, regulating his breathing.

The aftereffects of the Sharingan were gradually setting in. His eyes felt sore, as though part of his mental energy had been drained away, leaving him weak and unsteady.

But there was no time to rest.

He raised his eyes and looked toward the shade at the edge of the training field.

A gentle voice sounded from there.

"Your Sharingan... awakened only recently, didn't it?"

Lin Feng turned his head.

Uchiha Shisui emerged from the shade, dressed in simple dark training clothes. He wore no sword and held a book in his hand, as though he had been reading beneath the tree for quite some time.

His calm gaze swept over the two men on the ground before settling on Lin Feng.

"You controlled it well."

Lin Feng froze slightly, then warily withdrew his gaze and lowered his head a little. "Senior Shisui... it only activated just now."

Shisui walked up to him and looked him over, a faint smile on his lips. "Being forced to awaken it in battle means your instincts are good. Many clansmen first awaken their Sharingan in life-or-death situations. You were fortunate."

Lin Feng lowered his eyes. "Just luck."

Shisui did not press further. He only glanced at the surrounding eyes and lowered his voice. "If you have any questions about using the Sharingan, you can come find me. After all... not many people in the clan can awaken the Sharingan."

Lin Feng's gaze shifted slightly.

He had not expected Shisui to offer that on his own initiative.

He looked up and met Shisui's calm eyes, his expression turning grateful. "Thank you, Senior. I'll consider it seriously."

Shisui nodded and said nothing more. He glanced at the two men on the ground, then continued walking toward the exit on the other side of the training field.

His figure soon disappeared into the sunlight.

Lin Feng stood where he was, watching the direction Shisui had left in, inwardly confirming that he had successfully made contact with his target.

But then, from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the watching clansmen exchanging looks and whispering among themselves.

There was surprise, dissatisfaction, and contemplation.

The hardliners had noticed him.

Lin Feng withdrew his gaze, turned, and walked toward the shade at the edge of the training field. Leaning against a tree trunk, he slowly sat down.

His forehead throbbed faintly, his eyes ached, and his mind felt drained.

Those few short seconds of using the Sharingan had consumed far more energy than he had imagined.

He closed his eyes and steadied his breathing.

Today's objective had already been accomplished.