Ninja Academy, afternoon.
On the training grounds, several classes occupied their designated areas, the sounds of sparring and instruction echoing through the open field.
In the area assigned to Class 9, their instructor, Sarutobi Retsu, was arranging one-on-one combat matches.
Just as he called out Hyūga Kagami's name, he was suddenly interrupted.
Hyūga Kagami stepped out from the line and said respectfully,
"Retsu-sensei, for this match, I would like to compete against Uchiha Gen."
At those words, Sarutobi Retsu's gaze instinctively shifted toward Uchiha Gen, who stood calmly among the onlookers.
Uchiha Gen stepped forward, a faint smile on his face.
"Retsu-sensei, I have no objections. I've also been wanting to experience the Gentle Fist of the Hyūga Clan."
Sarutobi Retsu studied the two for a brief moment before nodding.
"Very well. This match will be Hyūga Kagami versus Uchiha Gen. Prepare yourselves."
"Both sides—form the Seal of Confrontation."
The two students stood several meters apart, facing each other. After forming the seal, Uchiha Gen spoke first.
"Kagami, don't hold back."
Hyūga Kagami's expression grew solemn.
"I won't."
The atmosphere subtly shifted.
Students from Class 9—and even those from neighboring classes—quietly turned their attention toward the match.
A duel between an Uchiha and a Hyūga was not something seen every day.
Ordinarily, instructors avoided arranging one-on-one matches between heirs of prominent clans. The great families had always competed, openly and in secret, and a single loss could easily be taken as an insult to clan honor.
"Begin."
The moment Sarutobi Retsu gave the signal, Uchiha Gen moved first.
He leapt forward, his body twisting midair as he unleashed a sharp, whistling whip kick, the force tearing through the air toward Hyūga Kagami.
"Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm!"
Hyūga Kagami sprang backward, narrowly avoiding the kick while thrusting his palm forward.
Boom!
The compressed chakra wave was shattered by the kick's force, sending turbulent wind sweeping across the field.
Uchiha Gen pressed the attack, his legs blurring as a storm of rapid kicks descended upon his opponent.
Hyūga Kagami's eyes sharpened.
"Eight Trigrams—Two Palms!"
"Four Palms!"
"Eight Palms!"
"Sixteen Palms!"
"Thirty-Two Palms!"
His hands moved with precise rhythm, intercepting every kick, each palm strike disrupting Gen's momentum with controlled bursts of chakra.
With a light tap of his foot, Uchiha Gen sprang backward, his body floating effortlessly through the air as he widened the distance between them.
The spectators erupted into whispers.
"Did you see that? How many kicks was that?"
"I counted eighteen!"
"No—at least twenty!"
"I only saw nineteen…"
The students of Class 9 were stunned.
There had been no probing, no warm-up. From the very start, the exchange had been intense—far beyond the level of their earlier matches.
At the edge of the crowd, Uehara Yu watched with a dark expression, a hint of disdain in his eyes.
Taijutsu alone means nothing, he thought coldly. For a shinobi, ninjutsu is what truly matters. Your chakra reserves can't compare to Kagami's.
Nearby, Senju Gen stared at Uchiha Gen with burning intensity, battle intent radiating from him.
He had counted clearly.
Twenty-eight kicks.
"Byakugan—activate!"
The veins around Hyūga Kagami's eyes bulged as his vision expanded. In the next instant, he vanished, closing the distance in a flash.
He thrust out his palm.
Another Vacuum Palm surged forward.
Uchiha Gen swung his hand downward like a blade, dispersing the chakra wave.
At the same time, Hyūga Kagami appeared directly in front of him.
"Eight Trigrams—Thirty-Two Palms!"
A flurry of palm strikes erupted, targeting Uchiha Gen's tenketsu and chakra network.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A dense series of impacts rang out.
Sarutobi Retsu's expression changed sharply.
If he takes the full force of that…
Just as he was about to intervene, Uchiha Gen suddenly moved.
His figure flickered—then he was already in front of Hyūga Kagami.
Two fingers extended like a blade, he tapped Kagami's chest.
In the next breath, Uchiha Gen withdrew and flipped backward, landing several meters away.
Hyūga Kagami froze.
Several moments passed before his body finally relaxed. He coughed lightly, deactivated his Byakugan, and looked at Uchiha Gen with a complicated expression.
"I lost."
After forming the Seal of Reconciliation, Uchiha Gen said calmly,
"Thank you for the match, Kagami."
Hyūga Kagami studied him silently, then turned and rejoined the crowd.
He understood all too well.
Throughout their exchange, he had never forced Uchiha Gen to reveal his true strength.
What unsettled him most was what he had seen with the Byakugan.
The Gentle Fist was feared because it disrupted an opponent's chakra flow—but Uchiha Gen's chakra had not been flowing at all.
It was like a blazing fire, utterly still, unmoved by the strikes.
In other words, Gen had endured the Thirty-Two Palms with his physical body alone.
And that final finger strike…
It had targeted his meridians with uncanny precision, instantly numbing his entire body—eerily similar to the Gentle Fist itself.
Sarutobi Retsu exhaled quietly in relief.
Fortunately… Kagami's chakra control isn't yet sufficient to bring out the full power of the Gentle Fist.
Just as he prepared to call the next match, Senju Gen stepped forward.
"Retsu-sensei, I'd like to fight Uchiha Gen."
A Senju versus an Uchiha.
Sarutobi Retsu hesitated, then shook his head.
"Gen, he's already completed a match. Choose another opponent."
Senju Gen turned to Uchiha Gen.
"Gen-kun, would you fight me?"
Uchiha Gen gave a regretful smile and shook his head.
"Sorry. After fighting Kagami, I don't have the strength for another match."
Senju Gen was the top student of Class 9—one of the strongest in the entire grade.
A match between them would attract attention from both the Village and their clans.
Winning would invite scrutiny. Losing would invite reprimand.
Neither outcome was favorable.
Hyūga Kagami, watching from the crowd, frowned slightly.
Through the Byakugan, he had clearly seen that Uchiha Gen's condition—and chakra—were virtually untouched.
Then why refuse?
Senju Gen showed a brief flash of disappointment before smiling.
"Then next time," he said. "We'll fight properly."
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