The Uchiha clan's group of onlookers were destined to wait in vain that morning.
Many used the situation to praise Fugaku and belittle Ryun, but Uchiha Fugaku himself couldn't feel proud. This duel was already undignified from the start.
If he hadn't heard from Uchiha Kazuhiko that the other party had the intention to challenge him, and even explicitly demanded a direct fight… he wouldn't have been fooled by Uchiha Kazuhiko into writing a challenge letter to an elementary school student…
In the afternoon.
Just as Ryun was about to leave home to head to the training grounds, two familiar faces from the Uchiha clan came to visit him.
"Seimaru, Senya, what brings you two here to see me?" Ryun greeted them with a smile.
"Ryun, were you planning to go out?"
"Ryun..."
The two smiled and nodded, their attitudes very friendly.
Ryun invited them inside, and the three sat in the living room. Uchiha Seimaru took the initiative to explain their purpose:
"To be honest, Fugaku sent us to find you."
"Oh? What's the matter?" Ryun poured tea for the two and then sat down on the sofa.
"He wanted to ask why you stood him up this morning." Uchiha Senya asked awkwardly.
"Stood him up?"
A strange expression appeared on Ryun's face.
"What makes him think he's so important? If he tells me to go somewhere, I have to go? If he says a time, I have to show up?"
Hearing this, the two were stunned.
After a moment of shock, Uchiha Seimaru burst into laughter:
"Hahaha… Ryun's right. For a chūnin to challenge a student who hasn't even graduated yet is truly lacking in grace and dignity. I overestimated him before…"
"Heh…" Uchiha Senya forced a smile, his expression stiff.
"Ryun, Fugaku is very strong. It's said he's already on par with an average jōnin. Fighting him would put you at a huge disadvantage…"
Uchiha Seimaru didn't believe Ryun stood a chance against Uchiha Fugaku. As a friend, he felt obliged to remind him.
"True, I also don't recommend fighting him… How about we mediate for you? If you apologize, this matter shouldn't be hard to resolve…"
Uchiha Senya suggested.
Ryun couldn't help but roll his eyes at him.
"Have you ever seen me bow my head and apologize to anyone?"
"..."
"..."
Uchiha Senya really wanted to say that a few months ago (before the transmigration), he had often bowed his head and apologized…
"Since Fugaku sent you two, I'll give you some face. Go back and tell him that in one hour, at Konoha's Public Training Ground No. 1, I'll give him a proper fight."
"Oh, and remind him—I'll only wait ten minutes. If he's late, I won't stay."
"!!!"
"!!!"
Ryun's words shocked the two. They hadn't expected this Little Brat to be serious.
He really dared to fight Fugaku head-on!
They tried to persuade him, but Ryun remained stubborn. Left with no choice, they could only follow his instructions and return to the clan to deliver the message to Uchiha Fugaku.
"Good. Very bold. I underestimated this little bastard before!"
Upon receiving the news, Uchiha Fugaku stood up angrily, his voice low.
The next moment, he grabbed his ninja tool pouch and immediately set off to keep the appointment.
Uchiha Seimaru and Uchiha Senya exchanged glances before quickly following him.
One hour later.
As soon as Ryun arrived at Konoha's Public Training Ground No. 1, he saw Uchiha Fugaku and the others already waiting.
"I didn't expect you to actually show up. It seems you're not just all talk after all…"
Uchiha Fugaku sneered at the newcomer.
"I didn't expect you to show up either. I thought you were just a spoiled rich kid relying on your grandfather's power…"
Ryun grinned and fired back.
"Sharp tongue. I hope your skills are as tough as your mouth."
Uchiha Fugaku's face darkened as he waved off the people beside him.
There weren't many spectators present, and all were Uchiha clansmen.
Aside from the two combatants, there were Uchiha Seimaru, Uchiha Senya, an elite Uchiha chūnin, and… Uchiha Kazuhiko.
Uchiha Kazuhiko had been slapped hard by his older brother Uchiha Fugaku at noon, and his face was still slightly swollen. But his dear brother hadn't forgotten him and had brought him along.
This time, facing Ryun, he wasn't as arrogant as before. He was behaving very meekly now…
Though he really wanted to taunt a few words, given his past painful experiences, he decided to wait.
After Fugaku won and Ryun was thoroughly beaten, then he could curse out his ancestors all he wanted…
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Ryun flipped his hand, and three shuriken appeared in his palm before being hurled straight at Uchiha Fugaku.
The battle officially began with his attack.
Uchiha Fugaku raised his hand and threw out shuriken of his own. The six projectiles collided with perfect accuracy.
The fallen shuriken seemed to act as a signal. Like magicians, the two simultaneously produced a large number of weapons and engaged in an intense shurikenjutsu battle.
While rapidly throwing projectiles, they also moved and dodged at high speed. Their red and black eyes darted within their sockets as they focused on tracking the trajectories of each other's attacks.
Their shurikenjutsu belonged to the same school. The unpredictable paths of the weapons after collisions made them extremely hard to defend against. Without sharp eyes, one could easily be hit and injured.
"So strong!!!"
The spectators widened their eyes in shock.
Both combatants attacked at an incredibly high frequency, going all out from the very start. The fact that they were evenly matched was unbelievable. The Little Brat's display of power was truly astonishing!
After the intense shuriken exchange, both of their ninja tool pouches were nearly empty. Ryun's clothes had three torn spots, but he wasn't injured.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Fugaku had a clear cut on his arm!
In this round, the two were evenly matched. Ryun's eyesight was superior—even without activating the Sharingan, his perception was enough to handle Uchiha Fugaku.
Having gained a slight advantage, Ryun decided to press it further. He took the initiative again, gripping a kunai and charging at Uchiha Fugaku like a cannonball.
"So fast!"
Uchiha Fugaku was startled by the sudden acceleration, but thanks to the Sharingan's dynamic vision, he didn't hesitate to raise his kunai and clash with the incoming strike.
What incredible strength!!!
The moment their weapons met, Uchiha Fugaku's expression changed.
The force behind Ryun's high-speed kunai slash was terrifying. Fugaku instinctively took a big step back to disperse the impact.
Sparks flew as the two kunai ground against each other. Both gritted their teeth in a contest of strength, and the battle reached a stalemate.