A tall and a short figure stood in a standoff for a while. Gradually, the disadvantage of Ryun's young age and weak physique began to show.
Uchiha Fugaku slowly gained the upper hand. Ryun, pressured by the immense force, turned red in the face and was forced to retreat repeatedly.
"After all, he's still suffering from being too young..."
In a patch of grass at Training Ground One, three pairs of eyes were fixed on the battle. They were the only spectators aside from the Uchiha clan members.
The three had originally come to Training Ground One to train, but before they could get close, they heard Uchiha Kazuhiko cursing loudly. They immediately decided to hide and observe what was happening.
The arrival of a "little brat" and the subsequent battle completely surprised them. They hadn't expected to witness such a fierce fight here. One of them, a chubby boy, pulled out a bag of chips, and the three began snacking while enjoying the show.
"You little bastard, I admit you're quite impressive. You've even mastered chakra control... But you're not the only one who knows how to use chakra!"
"Today, I'll teach you the consequences of blind arrogance."
Uchiha Fugaku sneered, his face twisted with malice.
"Shut up!"
Ryun shouted, suddenly exerting force with his arms to push Fugaku back. Then, he swung his kunai again, engaging in another round of taijutsu combat.
The clanging of metal echoed across Training Ground One as sparks flew. The two moved rapidly, their forms shifting constantly.
Seizing a brief moment of separation, Ryun hurled his kunai straight at Fugaku's forehead. However, the attack, no matter how fast, couldn't escape the Sharingan's perception. Fugaku swiftly deflected the kunai with his blade.
Seeing that taijutsu wasn't giving him an advantage, Ryun freed his hands and began forming hand seals rapidly.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"
After completing the seals, Ryun spat out a series of high-temperature fireballs.
Seeing the little brat resorting to ninjutsu, Fugaku was only briefly surprised before retreating quickly.
While backing away, his hands moved swiftly through seals.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
After dodging a few small fireballs, Fugaku steadied himself and launched a powerful counterattack.
A massive fireball shot from his mouth, obliterating all the smaller fireballs in its path. The Great Fireball overwhelmed the Phoenix Flower Jutsu and engulfed Ryun completely.
"Ryun!!!"
Uchiha Seimaru and the others gasped in shock. If Ryun were killed by the Great Fireball, things would take a disastrous turn...
Boom!!!
The figure in the flames turned into a charred log.
"Substitution Jutsu! So cool!!!"
The three hidden in the grass couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. The three Uchiha spectators also sighed in relief.
Damn it, this little bastard is way stronger than I thought!
Uchiha Kazuhiko broke out in a cold sweat. Ryun was far more formidable than he had imagined.
This guy had hidden his true strength all these years at the academy, letting himself be bullied for so long... Such cunning was terrifying!
Had he known Ryun was this strong, he wouldn't have dared provoke him even with ten extra lives!
"Substitution Jutsu! Where is he now?"
Uchiha Fugaku panted heavily, his eyes filled with wariness.
"Lightning Style: Falling Thunder Jutsu!"
From a patch of grass at the edge of Training Ground One, Ryun's voice rang out.
As his words faded, a bolt of lightning formed directly above Fugaku's head.
With a deafening crack, the lightning struck Fugaku squarely!
"Is it over?"
Watching the motionless figure on the ground, Ryun gasped for breath and muttered to himself.
Boom!
The figure suddenly exploded into a puff of smoke.
"A shadow clone?!" Ryun's eyes widened in disbelief.
"So exciting! Inoichi, quickly sense their positions! We need to follow them!"
A boy with a pineapple head urgently whispered to a boy with a ponytail.
"Got it!"
The ponytailed boy closed his eyes and activated his sensory abilities.
"Over there!"
He pointed in a direction, and the three immediately moved to follow.
"You're right. It really is over..."
A cold voice came from a tree above Ryun's head.
"When did he...?"
Ryun murmured to himself. He didn't turn to look at Fugaku, but his eyes instinctively flicked upward.
The next moment, Fugaku descended from above, stomping hard on Ryun's back.
For over a month, Fugaku had dreamed of crushing Ryun underfoot. Now, he had finally "gotten his wish."
The boy beneath his foot let out a muffled groan, and Fugaku's face twisted into a triumphant sneer.
But before his joy could last, another boom sounded, and Ryun's body exploded into smoke.
"Shadow clone?!"
Fugaku's pupils contracted sharply.
Before his shock could settle, the deep purple orb at his feet detonated.
The smoke from the shadow clone's disappearance had obscured his one-tomoe Sharingan, preventing him from noticing the purple orb.
A setup!
The thought flashed through Fugaku's mind as thick purple smoke swallowed him whole.
Ryun had been setting this up since using the Lightning Style jutsu. If the smoke bomb at Fugaku's feet had been an explosive tag... he would have died instantly, with no time to react.
But Ryun couldn't kill him, so the explosive tag was replaced with a smoke bomb.
Swish!
A kunai shot out, aimed at where Fugaku had been standing.
Thunk!
The faint sound of metal embedding into wood reached Ryun's ears, making him frown.
"As expected, too slow..."
That sound could only mean one thing: it had hit a substitution log.
The smoke bomb had no lethal power, giving Fugaku a chance to escape.
Ryun sighed and jumped down from a tree.
As he stepped into the clearing, reappearing before the crowd, Fugaku also emerged shortly after.
Both were panting heavily. By now, their stamina and chakra were nearly depleted.
Fugaku was running low on chakra but had some stamina left. Ryun's stamina was failing, but he still had a bit of chakra.
"Still fighting?"
Ryun asked coldly between breaths.
"The match isn't over. Why stop?" Fugaku retorted.
Ryun chuckled but said nothing more.
The next moment, Fugaku charged at him with a kunai.
Ryun's weapon pouch was empty, but even bare-handed, he wasn't afraid of Fugaku!