Sikong lunged at him.
Straight punches and sweeping kicks came one after another, all aimed at Uzumaki Hayashi's face and body. From the look of it, he had decided to use this talkative "girl" who refused to heed his advice as a punching bag and beat him senseless.
Unfortunately, he had picked the wrong person.
Uzumaki Hayashi stood where he was, barely moving his feet.
When a fist came at him, he tilted his head aside. When a side kick followed, he raised an arm and brushed the attack away.
He did not even use much force. He casually blocked, then gave Sikong's arm and shoulder a couple of light pats, as though dusting them off.
Sikong put every ounce of strength he had into his attacks, until he was panting.
Yet Uzumaki Hayashi's breathing had not even changed. He even had time to critique him inwardly.
Those punches are limp, like he hasn't had enough to eat. His side kicks have a bit of power, but his aim is way off. Is this small fry cross-eyed?
Against someone this bad, how many hits did Naruto take earlier...? Ah, that kid really doesn't have much talent yet.
As the fight went on, Sikong himself began to realize something was wrong.
He put all his strength into every punch and kick, yet the person facing him had barely moved his feet. That relaxed expression made it look as though he were dealing with something utterly boring.
It felt as though he were straining with all his might to scratch someone's itch, only for them to complain he was missing the spot.
"Aaaaah!"
Sikong roared in frustration, jumped back a step, and formed that crooked hand seal in front of his chest.
Here it comes again. The Body Flicker Technique.
Uzumaki Hayashi recognized it at once. This was the very move Naruto had fallen to earlier.
He had already made up his mind: the moment Sikong flickered away, he would dodge too, then give him a couple of hits for good measure-
Suddenly, his thoughts took a turn.
Wait.
Crushing him effortlessly would feel great, sure, but what comes afterward?
The spectators would just think, oh, this transfer student can fight. Then the fight would end, and that would be that. It wouldn't make any real waves.
But what if I took a hit first, then got back up and fought back?
Endure the humiliation, then turn the tables against all odds-wouldn't that send their favorability soaring?
With that thought, Uzumaki Hayashi summoned every bit of his acting talent. He watched Sikong's figure flicker and vanish with a stumble, yet forced himself to stand perfectly still, leaving his back wide open.
Thud.
The next instant, Sikong's foot landed squarely on his back.
He went along with it, stumbling forward a few steps, lowering his head, and taking a few ragged breaths. His shoulders rose and fell in time with them.
It did not really hurt. It was just a little embarrassing.
At the edge of the field, Sasuke Uchiha's pupils suddenly contracted.
The kick landed?
"How is that possible?"
That night, on the training ground, that chakra had pinned me down so completely I couldn't move... How could someone with that kind of power get hit by an ordinary student who had never stood out at school?
He stared fixedly at the center of the field, replaying the entire exchange in his mind.
Every move Sikong made had targeted a vital spot-striking the face, grabbing the throat, kicking the joints. Every attack had been meant to do serious harm.
Yet Linshi had only blocked his attacks, then casually brushed him away. He had had countless chances to exploit Sikong's openings and land a vicious blow, but he had not taken a single one.
Not even once.
Even against someone like this, even when every attack is aimed at taking his life, does he still refuse to strike hard?
Sasuke Uchiha's hands slowly tightened against his crossed arms.
-No one has any right to humiliate others at will.
Can he really put his words into practice just like that...?
Naruto Uzumaki was not thinking that deeply.
The instant he saw Uzumaki Hayashi get kicked, his chest began heaving again, and his clenched fists cracked.
He turned toward Sasuke Uchiha beside him and gritted his teeth, ready to swallow his pride and ask Sasuke to go help-
Sasuke Uchiha kept watching the field without turning. As though he had sensed Naruto's thoughts, he shook his head.
"Don't rush," he said. "He has his own plan."
Naruto Uzumaki stamped his feet anxiously, but seeing how certain Sasuke looked, he could only swallow his words.
In the center of the field.
Uzumaki Hayashi bent over and put on a show of panting for a few breaths. Then he slowly straightened.
The panting has to look real, and straightening up has to look difficult too.
If you're going to act, commit to the whole performance.
Then he raised his eyes to Sikong, his expression as calm as though he had suddenly come to understand something.
"If you," he began, his voice quiet and even, "can be this vicious toward a fellow student from Konoha-"
"Then don't blame me!"
The instant those words fell, Uzumaki Hayashi moved.
There was no Body Flicker Technique, just a single, simple step forward. It was so fast that Sikong had no time to react before he was right in front of him.
His leg swung in a full arc, cutting through the air with a fierce whistle!
A whipping kick, returned in kind!
Bang!
Both of Sikong's feet left the ground. He flew sideways, slammed into the grass, and rolled a long way.
At the edge of the field, Naruto Uzumaki's eyes went wide.
He knew that move!
That was exactly the sort of kick that had sent him flying earlier!
"Yes!" he shouted, unable to stop himself from pumping his fist.
Sasuke Uchiha's pupils contracted again, then slowly relaxed.
So... his bottom line was never getting hit himself. It was "being vicious toward fellow students"...
On the field, Sikong lay sprawled on his back in the grass, seeing stars. He struggled to prop himself up, his arms shaking like leaves.
Uzumaki Hayashi lowered his leg and began forming hand seals in front of his chest.
Since I've taken the act this far, I have to look like I utterly reject what he's done.
Still, there was no need to worry. He knew how far to go. He would only knock the guy over and give him a taste of rolling around in the grass too.
His fingers moved swiftly, and a moment later, the hand seals were complete.
He drew a deep breath, puffing out his cheeks-
"Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere!"
Three translucent air bullets shot out with piercing whistles, hurtling straight toward Sikong on the grass.
Sikong had just managed to lift his upper body. When he looked up and saw the three air bullets flying toward him, his face went deathly pale. His legs gave out, and he dropped back onto the grass, forgetting even to dodge.
It's over.
Those words had only just flashed through everyone's minds-
Boom!
The grass shuddered. With a muffled boom, a thick earthen wall rose from the ground in front of Sikong without warning!
All three air bullets struck the earthen wall, exploding with three dull bangs and sending clods of dirt flying.
The earthen wall trembled. Three deep craters appeared on its surface, but it remained standing firm.
A deathly silence fell over the entire field.
Uzumaki Hayashi froze where he stood, still holding his hand seal.
That earthen wall was fast and solid. Whoever could pull that off was on a completely different level from a "beginner" like me.
Then a languid voice drifted unhurriedly from behind the earthen wall.
"No matter what you've done-"
"Using ninjutsu of this caliber is never okay."
Before you continue