One Condition

The next day.

When Hyuga Satoru arrived at school, he noticed that the looks his classmates gave him had changed.

Shock, envy, admiration, jealousy... all kinds of emotions were mixed into their gazes, all directed at Hyuga Satoru.

Hyuga Satoru saw Iroha looking at him with a complicated expression. When she noticed him looking back, she immediately turned her head away, unwilling to meet his eyes.

He had just sat down in his seat when he saw Anko beside him curiously lean her face in close.

"Hey, Satoru, are you really what they're calling a Dual Bloodline Limit?"

"Of course." Hyuga Satoru shot her a glare.

"I never thought someone could have two kinds of Kekkei Genkai at once. It's unbelievable. I thought one was already the limit."

"Are you getting stupid from eating too many sweets? The Hidden Mist Village has had Dual Bloodline Limit ninjas before. Rare, sure, but not extinct. Read more books, will you?"

If it were before, being mocked like this by Hyuga Satoru would have made Anko immediately retort in dissatisfaction. But now that she knew he was a Dual Bloodline Limit genius, she just quietly nodded and said, "Oh."

Just then, Hyuga Satoru noticed someone walking toward him. He looked up and saw Uchiha Rin.

"Is something the matter?"

Hyuga Satoru's voice wasn't loud. After all, given what happened that night by the Naka River, he was worried Uchiha Rin might still hold a grudge and was coming to pick a fight.

Uchiha Rin spoke flatly: "Fight me after school."

Hyuga Satoru: ???

No way? No way?

Seriously?

An elementary schooler asking for a fight after class???

Seeming to realize her wording was off, Uchiha Rin chose her words more carefully: "I wasn't satisfied losing to you last time. I've learned some new jutsu. Let's have a rematch after school."

Hyuga Satoru breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help grumbling inwardly: Bro, if you want a match, just say match. What's with "fight me after school"?

"Compared to Kakashi, you're a more suitable person to make into an opponent."

Uchiha Rin stared straight at him.

She wants to make me into a sparring partner?

Hyuga Satoru smiled bitterly to himself.

What a tryhard!

First she was grinding against Kakashi, and now that she realizes I'm stronger than Kakashi, she's switching to grind against me?

After thinking for a moment, Hyuga Satoru looked at her and said thoughtfully: "You want to make me into a sparring partner? Interesting idea. It's not impossible..."

Uchiha Rin's face lit up.

"So you agree?"

"Don't get happy so fast." Hyuga Satoru shot her a glare. "I can have a rematch with you, but if you lose, you have to agree to one condition of mine."

One condition???

Uchiha Rin frowned.

"Can I know what condition it is?"

"No!" Hyuga Satoru shook his head. "That's what makes it a bet!"

Uchiha Rin furrowed her brow.

"Then if you ask me to do something weird, I'd have to agree too?"

Hearing this, Hyuga Satoru's expression froze. If he had been drinking water just then, he might have sprayed it right in Uchiha Rin's face.

"Uh..."

Then he put on a thoughtful expression.

Uchiha Rin clenched her fists, gritted her teeth slightly, and a vein seemed to bulge on her forehead.

"You bastard... don't actually consider it!"

"Ahaha... just kidding, just kidding..."

Hyuga Satoru laughed awkwardly.

He could feel the icy aura gathering around Uchiha Rin, as if she might pounce on him at any second and devour him alive.

Anko looked back and forth between Hyuga Satoru and the silent Uchiha Rin.

A slight grin spread across her face, revealing a hint of anticipation and amusement.

"Don't worry, I can guarantee the condition won't involve anything weird. If you think it's too much, you can even refuse outright."

Hyuga Satoru said seriously.

Uchiha Rin thought for a moment, then raised her head.

"Fine! It's a deal!"

After school, Uchiha Rin followed Hyuga Satoru to a small grove on the Back Mountain. The Naka River's stream gurgled peacefully through the trees, and the remnants of sunset filtered through the gaps in the treetops, falling onto the dead leaves below—a scene of utter tranquility.

Since she had been defeated by Hyuga Satoru by the Naka River last time, Uchiha Rin insisted on fighting him by the Naka River again.

Of course, this spot was still a considerable distance from the Uchiha territory.

No one would come to disturb them.

"Is this where you usually train? Why don't you use the clan's training ground?"

Uchiha Rin swept her gaze across the surroundings, a hint of curiosity in her eyes as she stared at Hyuga Satoru.

Hyuga Satoru sighed. "You know, for an old, established clan like the Hyuga, there are always countless rules and restrictions inside. Here, I can be a bit freer instead."

Uchiha Rin thought of some of the stubborn elders in her own clan and nodded in agreement.

"That's true. It's also for that reason that I chose to train by the Naka River."

She looked at Hyuga Satoru before her and suddenly felt that the two of them had some similarities.

The remnants of sunset spread across the Naka River beside them, golden fragments flowing along with the gurgling current.

In the silence, Uchiha Rin spoke first.

"Let's begin!"