Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Six shurikens instantly departed from Ruri's palm without delay, attacking Hakushi from different angles.
Throwing shurikens and kunai has always been a specialty of the Uchiha Race.
Even Hakushi, who has put in a lot of effort in this aspect, can't guarantee surpassing Ruri here.
However, having fought Ruri countless times over the years, he's familiar with many of her attack methods.
Taking out a kunai for quick defense, sparks burst in the somewhat dim forest.
Then, six more shurikens flew over.
Without letting the second round of shurikens get any closer, he deflected them all and charged forward, closing the distance with Ruri for close-quarters combat.
The speed at which they swung their kunai was like lightning, tearing through the air, bringing a heavy and menacing atmosphere.
At that moment, Ruri suddenly started to form a seal with one hand.
Hakushi was slightly surprised, instinctively reacting.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
One-Handed Seal!
Hakushi couldn't help but be astonished that Ruri was capable of this skill.
Hakushi had only seen one-handed seal in textbooks, but very few people could actually do it.
However, considering the accumulated wisdom of the Uchiha Race, while not everyone might master it, surely there are related training techniques.
After all, Ruri's ninja talent is the best Hakushi has seen so far.
This is not only reflected in combat but also in learning.
Before this battle, Hakushi did not know that Ruri could perform one-handed seal or suddenly activate Fire Style Ninjutsu at such close range, throwing a massive fireball, causing Hakushi to scramble to dodge it.
The trees hit by the fireball burned in fierce flames, crackling and eventually crashing down with a boom.
"That was dangerous, fortunately..."
Hakushi breathed a sigh of relief, instinctively looking at Ruri, just about to speak when his body trembled involuntarily and his world began to spin and turn upside down.
He saw Ruri's pupils quickly rotating, turning from black to a crimson color, with two tadpole-like black magatamas in each crimson pupil.
Such mysterious and dangerous pupils spun in Ruri's eyes, releasing an Illusion Technique that Hakushi couldn't physically defend against, directly penetrating all of his defenses, trapping him in a powerful illusion.
Hakushi dryly swallowed, revealing a bitter smile.
Ruri had learned how to perform one-handed seal and release ninjutsu—a surprise to Hakushi—but even more unexpected was that Ruri, like Ayane, had awakened their Uchiha Race's Kekkei Dojutsu—the Sharingan.
And it's in the state of two tomoe.
Seeing Ruri's extremely skilled illusion technique release, one could tell she had mastered her Sharingan thoroughly.
In Konoha Village, it is widely recognized that the difficulty of opening the Sharingan far exceeds that of the Byakugan.
The Byakugan in battles focuses more on assistance and strategy, whereas the Sharingan represents power and strength.
There's a saying in the Ninja Realm: encountering a Sharingan Ninja from the Uchiha Race, one-on-one, flee immediately.
It means that fighting alone against a ninja from the Uchiha Race offers no chance of victory.
At this moment, one shouldn't consider how to win but rather focus on escape.
The awakening of the Sharingan not only means the Uchiha Race ninja can more easily use powerful visual illusion techniques, but also significantly enhances their dynamic vision.
According to the scientific training methods provided by Hakushi, Ruri has already achieved significant results in her dynamic vision.
Now, with the Sharingan activated, even those Sharingan Ninja in the state of three tomoe might not surpass Ruri in dynamic vision.
Enhanced dynamic vision means Ruri can see through all enemy attack patterns.
If she enhances her nerve responses, even a Jonin couldn't easily defeat her.
Originally thinking he was evenly matched with Ruri, Hakushi now felt the ratio had shifted to one to nine in her favor.
Hakushi realized that facing the illusion of the Sharingan, if unprepared, it was nearly impossible to counter.
"I admit..."
The word "defeat" hadn't slipped out yet.
Ruri stepped forward, lifted her foot, and mercilessly stepped on Hakushi's face.
"..."
Hakushi felt his face hurt.
A bit defeated.
Even if not a protégé, he's still somewhat of a concealed genius.
Yet now he's become so vulnerable.
Reality is indeed cruel.
"Ruri, next time you step on my face, could you take off your shoes first? Your soles just hurt my face."
Upon hearing Hakushi's complaints from lying on the ground, Ruri looked at him with disdain, as if he were a worm.
Asking her to take off her shoes before stepping on his face—pervert!
"Honestly, you really frustrate me."
Hakushi frustrated Ruri not just because he shifted excess energy to research, but more because he continuously hid his strength, underestimated and mocked by the useless classmates.
Entering his third year, Hakushi hasn't changed his covert style.
Facing weaker people, he willingly accepts defeat, then endures their mockery and ridicule, ultimately acting indifferent and letting it pass with a smile.
This is the root of Ruri's frustration.
If Hakushi were to reveal his true strength, even facing their homeroom teacher Fujimura Daiga, a Chunin, he might have a chance of victory.
She didn't know why Hakushi kept hiding his strength, but his attitude towards life instinctively angered and frustrated her.
"Well, it's just kids playing around, no need to take it seriously. You should know that adults don't argue with kids."
Hakushi sat up from the ground, Ruri lifted the illusion from him, and he casually explained with a smile.
Ruri was speechless.
He spoke as if he himself wasn't a kid.
"By the way, when did you awaken the Sharingan?"
Hakushi asked with interest.
"The day clan members returned from the battlefield, I felt uneasy and suddenly awakened it."
Ruri spoke expressionlessly, as though awakening the Sharingan was an insignificant matter, devoid of any complex process.
"Is that so? I heard that awakening the Sharingan requires intense emotions as a trigger; seems this idea isn't unfounded."
She must have thought about many close clan members who didn't return alive from the battlefield, and even those who did became disabled ninjas, hence the emotional upheaval unexpectedly opened the Sharingan.
Ruri did not deny it, she withdrew the Sharingan, restoring her normal black pupils.
Maintaining the Sharingan during battle now poses some burden to her.
"Uh, Ruri..."
Hakushi stood up from the ground, moved towards Ruri, showing a pleasing smile.
"Speak, what's up?"
Ruri instinctively stepped back.
In her view, Hakushi's demeanor indicated nothing good would follow.
"Well… I've run out of money for research and can't even afford food. Could you support me for a while? It won't be long; I'll repay you slowly after graduation when I start doing missions..."
Hakushi shamelessly hoped Ruri would support him.
Ruri silently extracted a kunai from her ninja tool bag.
"If you're looking to die, I could oblige you right now."
...
Eventually, after signing a series of indentured agreements, Ruri reluctantly agreed to support Hakushi.