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"Uchiha Rukawa, don't you think you've gone a little too far?!"
Iruka took a deep breath, his voice heavy.
"Too far? I don't think so. On the battlefield, these weaklings would've lost their heads already."
Rukawa's face stayed calm.
"Honestly, Iruka-sensei, the real problem is you. You haven't taught these brats the respect they should show to the strong."
"If they can't read the situation properly, when they graduate and go on missions, they'll just end up dead."
"So really, you should be thanking me—for teaching them that lesson about respecting strength."
Iruka: "..."
He never imagined there'd come a day where a teacher like him got lectured by his own student.
"Wha—?! What the hell, why is there a huge hole in my pants?!"
"Damn it! It's gotta be Uchiha Rukawa, humiliating us like this!"
That was when the kids finally noticed what had happened.
One after another, they grabbed at their pants, faces burning red, all glaring at Rukawa.
"Oh? Looks like you still haven't learned enough of a lesson."
Rukawa narrowed his eyes, a dangerous pressure rolling off him.
Iruka's face darkened. He quickly shouted at the kids:
"What are you doing?! Hurry up and apologize to Rukawa!"
"If his shuriken had been aimed at your heads just now, do you think you'd still be standing here?!"
"But… Iruka-sensei—"
One boy, brimming with defiance, tried to speak up, but Iruka cut him off immediately.
"No buts! I said apologize, so apologize! One day you'll understand why I made you do it."
Putting on the authority of a true teacher, Iruka's stern expression finally got through.
A chorus of sulky apologies followed, every kid holding their torn pants while bowing their heads.
"S-sorry, Rukawa… we shouldn't have doubted you!"
Of course, not a single one of them really meant it.
Having their pants shredded and then being forced to apologize—it was enough to make anyone choke with frustration.
Rukawa didn't even spare them a glance. He just turned and walked away, leaving only the cool silhouette of his back behind.
The moment he left, screams erupted from the girls.
"So handsome! Rukawa-kun is just way too cool!"
"He's so domineering! That makes me love him even more!"
"Don't any of you dare fight me over him! Rukawa-kun's mine!"
"Bitch, what did you just say? He's mine!"
"..."
Iruka ignored the shrill arguing of the girls.
Instead, he stared at Rukawa's fading figure, his heart still unsettled.
So this is the power of the Uchiha…?
Truly a clan of geniuses. To show this much strength at such a young age…
Could it be that Rukawa's talent has already surpassed even his older brother, Itachi?
Iruka asked himself: whether it was that overwhelming speed when Rukawa instantly floored Hyūga Shishu, or his perfect shuriken technique—even as a Chūnin, Iruka couldn't match that.
Which meant Rukawa's strength was already beyond the Chūnin level.
A Chūnin at only seven years old… terrifying.
Still, he was a child of Konoha. When Rukawa grew up, the village would only become stronger.
That thought finally gave Iruka some comfort. After all, Rukawa was his student.
He really ought to report this good news to the Third Hokage—surely it would make the old man happy.
Just as Iruka was about to head toward the Hokage's office, a tuft of messy blond hair caught his eye.
"Iruka-sensei! Iruka-sensei! Where's Rukawa? Lord Naruto is here to challenge him!"
Naruto darted about, searching for Rukawa.
The sight of him made Iruka's face harden. His voice turned sharp.
"Uzumaki Naruto! Where the hell did you run off to earlier?! Why are you only showing up now?"
"Uh…"
Scratching the back of his head, Naruto laughed awkwardly. "Last night I ate too much instant ramen, so… I kinda had an upset stomach. Got held up in the bathroom."
"And why didn't you report it to me ahead of time?"
"I forgot!"
Naruto answered with full confidence.
"You—ugh!"
Iruka sighed helplessly at the boy's shamelessness.
But Naruto didn't care. He puffed out his chest and shouted excitedly, "Iruka-sensei, hurry up and bring out Rukawa! Lord Naruto is gonna challenge him!"
"Rukawa went home already."
"Heh! Then it's obvious—he must've been scared of Lord Naruto's power and ran away!"
"Hahaha! Tomorrow at school I'm totally gonna rub it in his face!"
Hands on his hips, Naruto stood tall, brimming with pride—like he had really scared Rukawa off.
"Yeah, sure, whatever…"
With the strength Rukawa had just shown, fighting Naruto would be like swatting a fly.
So Iruka didn't bother explaining. Let the boy learn the hard way.
"....."