Hearing that there was a whole month's worth of bento as an appearance fee, Ryoko immediately pushed open the door and walked out without hesitation.
Standing outside the door were two black-haired boys wearing clothing adorned with the Uchiha Clan crest; one had a face full of fury, while the other had a complex expression.
"Come, come, 'One Month Bento' kid. You're the one who wants to fight, right?"
Ryoko extended a chubby finger and pointed directly at Inaho, who was the most enraged. Since he didn't know the boy's name, he simply addressed him by the stakes of the bet.
This strange and contemptuous form of address instantly ignited Uchiha Inaho's rage.
"Bastard, this great one is called Uchiha Inaho! Remember it well!"
He roared, unable to restrain himself any longer, and his figure blurred as he charged toward Ryoko.
Although Ryoko's physique was a size larger than any Akimichi Clan members he had ever seen—even more than two sizes larger than himself—Inaho's inner pride left him without fear.
Before coming here, he had carefully inquired about the details of the combat drills and believed he had devised a counter-strategy.
He must not engage in close-quarters combat; he had to maintain distance, use speed and ninja tools to wear the opponent down, and find a flaw to achieve victory in one blow.
Having made up his mind, Inaho immediately began moving at high speed around Ryoko, occasionally throwing out a testing kick or tossing several shuriken. His attacks were like a torrential storm, attempting to find a weak point in Ryoko's defense.
However, faced with this seemingly fierce offensive, Ryoko remained careless and casual, standing in place like a rooted old pine tree.
He didn't dodge or evade at all, letting the fists, kicks, and shuriken fall upon his body.
"Thud... thud... thud!"
The physical attacks felt like hitting a tough leather drum, easily neutralized by the thick layer of fat.
"Clang... Clink..."
Most of the shuriken and Kunai that struck him bounced off. The few that managed to tear his clothes only left shallow white marks on his skin; even beads of blood struggled to seep out.
What made Inaho even more frustrated was that while Ryoko endured the attacks, he was also busy in his spare moments. He quietly picked up or pulled out the standard Uchiha Kunai and shuriken that had fallen to the ground, stuck to his clothes, or even embedded in the surface of his fat, and skillfully stuffed them into a cloth bag he had prepared behind his waist at some unknown time.
This detestable behavior was undoubtedly looking down on him.
After picking up these weapons, the smile on Ryoko's face could gradually no longer be hidden.
These were ninja tools unique to the Uchiha Clan, originating from the Ninja Cat clan in the Sora-ku district. The materials were solid and the craftsmanship was exquisite; they could be sold for quite a bit of money.
Because of this, he viewed the two little fellows before him as 'Wealth-Bringing Boys' who were delivering money to him.
Facing such good people, Ryoko immediately put his brain to work, a flash of shrewdness passing through his eyes.
"These are top-quality 'leeks' to be harvested; I can't just defeat them casually. I must make them bring me wealth a few more times."
He decided to feign a weakness to lure the opponent into continuous attacks, giving them the illusion that they were 'just a bit away from winning.'
That way, they would come to his door again and again, providing him with a steady stream of bento.
And he would forever be that 'honest man' who 'passively accepted the challenge' and 'helplessly accepted the spoils of war.'
When the Clan Head came later, he would also have a reason to argue: it was all those naturally wicked Uchiha brats pestering him.
Thinking of this, Ryoko felt he was truly a genius.
No sooner said than done!
Ryoko began to move in a fake manner, swinging his fists and attacking Uchiha Inaho with a seemingly menacing momentum.
Compared to the sophisticated and swift Uchiha-style Taijutsu, Ryoko's Taijutsu appeared broad and heavy, and his speed was 'coincidentally' always a fraction slower than Inaho's.
It was precisely this subtle fraction of a difference that made Inaho feel every time that his attack was about to hit Ryoko's vital points, only to be parried or avoided by Ryoko at the last moment with 'extreme danger.'
"Just a little bit more, I'll definitely hit next time!"
This feeling was like a carrot dangling in front of a donkey, keeping Uchiha Inaho's fighting spirit high. He attacked even harder, and his Chakra seemed to boil over.
Watching from the side, Tekka also widened his eyes, staring intently at the battlefield.
He saw Ryoko 'clumsily' responding to his cousin's attacks, and that slightly delayed speed also became a fatal flaw in his eyes.
"As expected, his weaknesses are speed and flexibility. As long as we seize upon this, we will definitely win!"
Hope was rekindled in Tekka's heart, and he even began to formulate a tactic for his own next challenge.
He could even try to wash away his own disgrace after Inaho finished fighting.
"Haha, this great one has completely seen through your flaws! Prepare for defeat!"
On the other side, Uchiha Inaho grew more confident as he fought, feeling that he had completely mastered Ryoko's rhythm.
After a feint, he quickly formed hand seals.
"Clone Jutsu!"
With a soft bang, two Uchiha Inahos suddenly appeared on the field.
Although it was just an illusion created by the simplest Clone Jutsu with no physical attacking power, in the heat of battle, it was enough to disrupt an opponent's judgment.
The two Inahos, one in front and one behind, charged at Ryoko simultaneously, swinging their fists in an attempt to make it difficult for Ryoko to handle both sides, thereby securing victory in one fell swoop.
Ryoko inwardly admired Uchiha Inaho's combat talent; to be able to flexibly use basic Ninjutsu to create an opening at such a young age was impressive.
If facing an ordinary enemy, Uchiha Inaho's maneuver might have already won.
Unfortunately, the flaw they saw was merely bait he had intentionally put out.
The strength he was displaying was only the tip of the iceberg of his hidden power.
Facing the pincer attack from front and back, Ryoko opportunely showed a panicked expression, his hands and feet appearing even more flustered.
In reality, he was rapidly calculating in his mind: how should he string them along so that they lose while feeling like they can win next time?
Facing the bursting confidence and the pincer attack of Uchiha Inaho, Ryoko narrowed his small eyes and instantly thought of a clever trick that could both achieve a reasonable victory and maintain the illusion that'speed is his shortcoming.'
He neither dodged nor took the hit head-on. Instead, he took a sudden deep breath and his massive body dropped to the ground with an agility that defied his size.
His limbs and head quickly tucked in, and his whole person rolled on the spot like an inflated ball, turning into a massive ball of flesh!
This was precisely one of the most basic applications of the Akimichi Clan's secret Taijutsu: Human Bullet Tank.
By wrapping the entire body's fat evenly, one transforms into a defensive sphere with almost no blind spots to strike the enemy.
However, Ryoko was using a simplified version; it had no offensive capability and could only perform the most basic defense.
But even so, it was completely sufficient.
After all, Uchiha Inaho was just a child with not much combat experience. Where would he have seen such a formation before?
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