One Condition

The next day.

When Hyuga Satoru arrived at school, he found that the way his classmates looked at him had changed.

Shock, envy, admiration, jealousy... all sorts of emotions mixed in their gazes as they turned toward Hyuga Satoru.

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

He had barely sat down when Anko beside him curiously leaned her face closer.

"Hey, Wu, are you really the Dual Bloodline Limit everyone's talking about?"

"Of course." Hyuga Satoru rolled his eyes at her.

"I never thought someone could possess two Kekkei Genkai at once. That's unbelievable. I thought one was already the limit."

"Have you gone dumb from eating sweets every day? The Hidden Mist Village had Dual Bloodline Limit ninja before. They were rare, but not extinct. Read more books, will you?"

If Anko had been mocked like that by Hyuga Satoru before, she would have immediately argued back in displeasure. But now that she had discovered he was a Dual Bloodline Limit genius, she merely nodded quietly and said, "Oh."

Just then, Hyuga Satoru noticed someone walking over. When he looked up, he saw Uchiha Rin.

"Is something wrong?"

Hyuga Satoru did not speak loudly. After what had happened by the Naka River that night, he worried that Uchiha Rin still held a grudge and had come looking for trouble.

Uchiha Rin spoke evenly. "Fight me after school."

Hyuga Satoru: ??? No way. No way.

Was it really necessary?

Elementary school kids arranging a fight after class???

Perhaps realizing her wording was inappropriate, Uchiha Rin considered her words. "I'm unwilling to accept losing to you last time. I've learned some new ninjutsu, so let's compete again after school."

Hyuga Satoru let out a sigh of relief, unable to stop himself from grumbling inwardly. Brother, if you want to compete, then say so. What did you mean by fighting after school?

"Compared to Kakashi, you're a more suitable opponent."

Uchiha Rin stared straight at him.

Does she want to use me as a sparring partner for training?

Hyuga Satoru smiled bitterly inwardly.

She really is a grind king.

First she was grinding Kakashi, and now that she'd found out I was stronger than Kakashi, she was switching to grind me?

After pondering for a moment, Hyuga Satoru looked at her and said thoughtfully, "You want to use me as a sparring opponent? Interesting idea. It's not impossible..."

Joy appeared on Uchiha Rin's face.

"So you agree?"

"Don't get happy so quickly." Hyuga Satoru rolled his eyes at her. "I can fight you again, but if you lose, you have to agree to one condition of mine."

One condition???

Uchiha Rin frowned slightly.

"Can I know what the condition is?"

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

Uchiha Rin frowned.

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

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

"Um..." He then put on a thoughtful expression.

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

"Bastard... don't seriously consider it!"

"Ahahaha... just kidding, just kidding..."

Hyuga Satoru laughed awkwardly.

He could feel the icy aura gathering around Uchiha Rin, as though she would pounce on him the next second and tear him apart.

Anko looked at Hyuga Satoru, then at the silent Uchiha Rin.

The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, revealing an expectant, teasing smile.

"Don't worry. I can guarantee that the condition won't involve anything strange. If you think it's too much, you can even refuse it 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 the small woods on Back Mountain. The stream of the Naka River flowed gently through the trees, while the afterglow of the setting sun fell through gaps in the branches onto the dead leaves on the ground. It was quite peaceful.

Because she had been defeated by Hyuga Satoru beside the Naka River last time, Uchiha Rin insistently proposed fighting by the river again.

Of course, this location was still quite far from the Uchiha territory.

No one would come and disturb them.

"Do you usually train here? Why don't you go to your clan's training ground?"

Uchiha Rin swept her gaze around, staring at Hyuga Satoru with curiosity in her eyes.

Hyuga Satoru sighed. "You know how it is. In an old, powerful clan like the Hyuga, there are always countless rules and restrictions. I'm freer here instead."

Uchiha Rin thought of certain stubborn elders in her clan and nodded in agreement.

"Indeed. That's also why I chose to train beside the Naka River."

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

The afterglow of the setting sun spread across the Naka River beside them, golden fragments flowing along with the rippling water.

Amid the silence, Uchiha Rin spoke first.

"Let's begin!"