At that moment.
The attention of the other students nearby, as well as Teacher Oki and the others, was drawn over.
Nohara Rin hesitated, wanting to mediate, but she had no idea where to begin—everything had happened too fast. Even she, who had been standing right there, could not make sense of it. How had Yu suddenly ended up about to fight a Hyuga student?
Nearby.
Obito, Genma Shiranui, and Asuma and the others farther away all wore blank expressions. They could only grab the people beside them and whisper among themselves:
"Hey, hey, what happened?"
"No idea. It looks like Mikami and Kaimon Hyuga were arguing about the Will of Fire..."
"I support Mikami! He's so handsome, he has to be innocent! The Hyuga Clan is using their status to bully people. That's awful!"
"Oh? Are they fighting? Fight already, fight! I want to see blood flowing like a river!"
"..."
As one of the parties involved, Kaimon Hyuga was still a little bewildered, but he no longer had the mind to think. Under everyone's watchful eyes, he only felt that the dignity of his prestigious clan had been challenged. His face flushed red on the spot. "Fine, a duel it is! Come on!"
Kaimon Hyuga leaped straight onto the arena.
Mikami Yu immediately followed.
"Hey, don't fight here..."
Nohara Rin wanted to stop them, but in the blink of an eye, both had already mounted the arena. She could only go find Teacher Oki.
Oki was somewhat troubled.
Logically speaking, students were certainly not allowed to fight each other.
But...
What did it mean to say that "denying the Three Techniques is denying the Konoha Ninja Academy's educational principles and the Will of Fire"?
At first glance, it sounded utterly absurd, but upon closer thought, the logic actually seemed rather sound?
In fact, Kimura and Himura were exactly the sort of people Kaimon Hyuga had described as "only capable of learning low-level Ninjutsu." Born as civilians, although they had already been promoted to Chunin, they knew very few C-Rank Ninjutsu. The techniques they used most often really were basic Ninjutsu like the Three Techniques and the Body Flicker Technique.
So, out of personal feelings, they were somewhat displeased by Kaimon Hyuga's words.
"Ahem, Rin," Oki said with a cough. "The formal combat exercises haven't begun yet. Private sparring between students is perfectly reasonable. There's no need to be so nervous..."
"Don't worry. If anything really goes wrong, Teacher Himura and I will step in to stop them."
In just a few sentences' time.
Mikami Yu and Kaimon Hyuga had both taken their positions, glaring fiercely at each other.
Mikami Yu rapidly formed hand seals. "Clone Technique!"
Bang—!
At that instant, three clones appeared around Mikami Yu at once, then charged toward Kaimon Hyuga.
This sort of tactic was the opening move for most Ninja Academy students. Against opponents of roughly equal skill, it could easily confuse them, but...
"Byakugan!"
Kaimon Hyuga also formed hand seals with both hands and gave a low shout. The veins on his forehead instantly bulged as he activated the Hyuga Clan's Kekkei Genkai. The chakra pathways within his field of vision became crystal clear.
"Hmph, a cheap trick! Before these Byakugan eyes of mine, such a low-level Clone Technique is meaningless!"
With the Byakugan, Kaimon Hyuga merely swept his gaze over them before seeing through the clones' blurry outlines and somewhat illusory chakra. He precisely locked onto the figure among them whose chakra flow was most real and presence most solid—Mikami Yu's true body!
"Found you!"
A cold smile curled across Kaimon Hyuga's lips. He pushed off the ground, shooting forward like an arrow released from its bow toward the exposed real body! At the same time, his palms shifted apart as he assumed the opening stance of the Gentle Fist, the wind from his palms faintly whistling through the air.
"Gentle Fist!"
Facing the palm strike that tore through the air, Mikami Yu's eyes narrowed. Rather than sidestepping as Kaimon Hyuga expected, he lowered his stance, planted his feet, and threw a punch to meet it head-on!
Bang!
Fist and palm collided with a dull, heavy thud!
"This guy..."
A flash of shock crossed Kaimon Hyuga's eyes. This civilian brat's strength... something's wrong! He actually took one of my Gentle Fist strikes?
During their ninja hand-to-hand training more than a month ago, he clearly had not been this strong!
Opposite him.
Mikami Yu's heart also tightened. As expected of the Hyuga Clan, specialists in Taijutsu. Even with my improved physique, that exchange still made my blood churn. If I'd taken that move with the body I had half a month ago... one of my arms would probably have been crippled.
The difference between children of ninja clans and civilian children truly could not be erased by a mere three points of physique.
Bang! Bang!
After several brief exchanges of fists and kicks, Mikami Yu immediately sprang back, opening a short distance between them and temporarily breaking contact. He lowered his center of gravity slightly, placed one hand on his ninja tool pouch, and stared at his opponent.
Competing in Taijutsu with someone from the Hyuga Family was obviously not wise. If the Gentle Fist struck his chakra points, it would interfere with his chakra flow, leaving him unable to use even Ninjutsu. Moreover, the mission Mikami Yu had triggered meant that he had to place the decisive move on the Three Techniques.
And he had to win beautifully!
"Phew..."
With that exhale, Mikami Yu had already devised his entire plan.
Opposite him.
Kaimon Hyuga was in somewhat better condition. He deliberately puffed out his chest, trying to regain some ground verbally. "What happened to all that momentum? You 'civilian genius' who only knows the Three Techniques? Don't tell me you can't even stand anymore?"
"...Quit barking."
Mikami Yu said.
"?!"
Kaimon Hyuga's face flushed red again.
He gave a low shout and pushed off the ground once more, even faster than before. His Gentle Fist stance also became more solemn. "Someone who can only wag his tongue... this ends here! I'll show you the ultimate meaning of the Gentle Fist, Eight Trigrams Palm..."
Watching the rapidly approaching figure,
Mikami Yu drew several wooden training shuriken from the ninja tool pouch at his waist and sharply flicked his wrist!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several shuriken sliced through the air with fierce whistles, flying in a triangular formation toward Kaimon Hyuga's face and both sides of his chest and abdomen!
"Too slow!"
Kaimon Hyuga had long seen the shuriken's trajectories clearly. With a shift of his feet, his body moved like a swimming fish as he effortlessly slipped sideways through the gap between two shuriken, displaying the Hyuga Clan's composed Taijutsu.
"Is that all your tricks amount to? How laughable!"
Before his words had even faded, Kaimon Hyuga had already closed to within two meters of Mikami Yu. His palms shot out in alternating patterns like butterflies dancing among flowers, chakra gathered at his fingertips. "It's over... Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms!"
"First Palm!"
A palm containing the power to seal chakra points slammed viciously toward Mikami Yu's chest.
Below the arena, Nohara Rin could not help crying out, "Yu, watch out!"
Yet, at the very instant Kaimon Hyuga's first palm was about to touch Mikami Yu—
Bang!
A soft sound rang out as smoke billowed up!
"Mikami Yu's" body instantly turned into a... wooden shuriken?!
"What?!"
Kaimon Hyuga's smug expression froze, then his pupils shrank sharply as warning bells blared in his mind!
At the same time, behind him, one of the shuriken he had already dodged sideways, which had landed in an empty patch beside them, also burst into smoke with a bang, then "transformed" into Mikami Yu's true body!
—Substitution Technique!
And it was Seal-less Instantaneous, a limit swap in 0.2 seconds!
"Hah!"
Appearing behind Kaimon Hyuga, Mikami Yu did not hesitate in the slightest. He immediately twisted his waist and hips, pouring the strength of his entire body into his right leg. A powerful side kick whipped fiercely into Kaimon Hyuga's back before he could turn around!
Before you continue