Chapter 46: A Minute's Work
"Hmph, you're an interesting one. Very well, I'll test your skills," Uchiha Sasuke said, a confident curve at the corner of his mouth. He took a fighting stance opposite Rock Lee.
"Let me witness the famed power of the Uchiha clan," Rock Lee replied calmly, his own hands held loosely at his sides.
"Hey, Sasuke," Kamikawa Hiraoka interjected with a lazy yawn. "Just a reminder, we have about thirty minutes left before the registration deadline. Try to wrap this up."
"Don't worry, Hiraoka. It won't take ten minutes to deal with him. Five minutes is the absolute limit," Uchiha Sasuke declared with utter certainty.
Pfft. Hiraoka nearly laughed aloud, barely managing to stifle the sound. Internal sarcasm flooded his thoughts. Do you even know your own current strength level?
Watching Uchiha Sasuke emanate such a supremely confident aura, Hiraoka could only be amused. The King of Pretense, indeed. Even a casual line is dripping with it.
…
Uchiha Sasuke lunged forward, his fist aimed squarely at Rock Lee's abdomen. But in Lee's eyes, the attack moved with frustrating slowness.
"Is that all the strength the Uchiha possesses?" Rock Lee taunted, his body flowing effortlessly around the punch.
Unfazed, Sasuke planted his hands on the ground, using the momentum to kick his legs upward in a powerful arch aimed at Lee's head. Lee, however, was far from helpless. He crossed his arms, blocking the kick solidly, and immediately countered by driving his knee hard into Sasuke's exposed midsection.
The force of the blow sent Sasuke stumbling backward, a trickle of bright red blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
"Come on!" Lee encouraged, settling back into his stance, his voice firm.
Sasuke wiped the blood away, his eyes narrowing. Then, the iconic crimson pupils of the Sharingan swirled to life.
"So, this is the Uchiha's Sharingan," Rock Lee murmured, his expression turning more solemn.
Empowered by his doujutsu, Sasuke's confidence returned. He charged again, his movements now more refined under the Sharingan's predictive guidance. Yet, his renewed confidence was short-lived. He soon made the shocking realization that while his eyes could track Lee's movements, his body simply couldn't react fast enough to counter them.
Bang!
Another heavy impact echoed as a kick landed on Sasuke's side, sending him flying to crash against the hard floor.
"Your Sharingan can see my attacks," Lee stated, his hands once again behind his back. "But your own speed cannot keep up with what your eyes perceive."
From the sidelines, Kamikawa Hiraoka watched Sasuke get thoroughly dominated, mentally confirming a core trait of the Uchiha. Get carried away, show off, get beaten up, and then need to be rescued. He would never forget this classic cycle. It seemed that every time Sasuke tried to act pretentious, he paid for it with his well-being.
As Uchiha Sasuke struggled to his feet, trembling slightly, Hiraoka walked over to him. "And this is what you call 'five minutes'?" he asked, his voice flat.
Having had his overconfidence thoroughly shattered, Sasuke had no retort.
Ahem. Hiraoka turned his attention to Rock Lee, clearing his throat.
Lee, who had remained still, now fixed his intensely fiery gaze on Hiraoka. For some reason, the ever-calm Kamikawa Hiraoka gave him the most unnerving feeling. Is this an illusion? Lee wondered briefly before dismissing the thought and refocusing.
"Next... it's you!" Lee declared, his fighting spirit blazing anew.
"Huu—" Hiraoka let out a long, slow breath. "To deal with you," he said calmly, "I think three minutes will be sufficient."
"Hmph! Such arrogance!" Rock Lee retorted, unconvinced.
Up on the second floor, Hyuga Neji immediately rejected Lee's assessment. He knew better. At the same time, a thrill of anticipation ran through him. The battle he had been waiting for was about to begin.
"Well, since you've injured both of my juniors," Hiraoka said, raising a hand to his forehead and shaking his head with a sigh, "It's time for me, as their senior, to restore a little face for them." He looked directly at Lee. "I hope you won't be too badly injured."
In his heart, Hiraoka offered three seconds of silent mourning for Rock Lee.
Ding! Please host, make a choice.
Option 1: Defeat Rock Lee!
Reward: Taijutsu proficiency increased tenfold!
Option 2: Persuade Rock Lee to surrender!
Reward: Taijutsu proficiency increased sixfold!
Option 3: Admit defeat!
Reward: Taijutsu proficiency increased threefold!
Without a moment's hesitation, Hiraoka chose Option 1. A sudden, incredible vitality surged through him, energizing every cell in his body. His physical power felt immense.
"Huu—" He took another breath and offered Rock Lee a soft, almost apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. I just said it would take three minutes to defeat you. That was a bit... inaccurate."
Everyone who heard him was momentarily stunned, then began to inwardly scorn him. He talks big, and now he's taking it back? Getting cold feet?
Hyuga Neji, however, did not share this thought. He could sense intuitively that Hiraoka's previous statement wasn't mere bravado. He felt that Hiraoka genuinely believed three minutes was more than enough to deal with Lee.
And then, Kamikawa Hiraoka confirmed Neji's suspicion.
"What I meant was," Hiraoka continued, his smile turning sharp, "that it won't take me three minutes to deal with you." He paused, letting the words hang in the air before raising a single finger.
"One minute. That's all I'll need to deal with you."
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