The kid's blood-curdling scream made every male spectator wince in sympathy, sucking in a sharp breath.
Even Ebara instinctively clamped his legs together.
"Minato, that guy… pulled it off beautifully!"
Minato realized his move was a bit much.
He quickly released the kid's leg, apologizing. "You okay?"
The kid's furious glare answered, as if saying, Try that yourself and see if it's okay.
But Minato had no time to dwell on it.
The first kid he'd knocked down had sneaked behind him while he was distracted.
His arms locked around Minato's chest like chains, pinning him in place.
"Move!" the kid shouted to his teammates.
The remaining five kids rushed Minato.
Minato stomped the ground hard, his lithe body springing into the air.
He looked like he was doing a handstand on the kid's shoulders.
The other kids' attacks missed Minato, landing on their teammate instead.
Minato landed lightly, while the outplayed kids, furious, attacked with all their might.
Faced with their chaotic strikes, Minato moved with ease.
He weaved through their punches and kicks like a stroll in the park.
Most attacks couldn't touch him.
The few he couldn't dodge, he countered sharply.
Soon, the kids were sprawled on the ground, gasping, unable to stand.
Minato was only slightly out of breath.
A flying kick sent another kid down.
Minato's gaze locked on the last one.
The kid glanced at his fallen teammates, then at Minato, not even sweating.
Gritting his teeth, he threw a heavy right fist at Minato.
It was do or die.
Minato didn't dodge, meeting the punch with his own.
Bang!
A small sound echoed in everyone's ears.
The next second, the kid flew back, crashing to the ground, unable to rise.
A complete rout!
Ten kids, handpicked by Shimura Mahaya, were effortlessly crushed by Minato.
Except for Ebara and Shikaku, no one could believe it.
"Impossible! This can't be!" Mahaya shook his head frantically.
This was nothing like he'd imagined.
The one lying like a dead dog should've been the commoner kid, not his carefully selected students.
"What's impossible?" Ebara said smugly. "I told you Minato's super tough."
"My disciple Minato… has the makings of a Hokage!"
Minato: "…"
Please, just shut up!
His little face flushed red with embarrassment.
"It's just beating ten kids his age," Koharu Utatane said, her face ashen. "And you're bragging already? Aren't you afraid of biting your tongue?"
"I'm telling the truth. What's to fear?" Ebara mocked, eyeing Koharu. "Unlike some people, whose faces must sting right now."
"Hmph!" Koharu scoffed. "Just a fluke."
"Great in youth doesn't mean great later."
She refused to back down.
"Just wait. Minato's future achievements will slap your face again," Ebara said, piling praise on himself. "He's my student, after all."
"Can Teacher Ebara have some shame?" Yamanaka Haiichi groaned, covering his face.
He was embarrassed for Ebara's shamelessness.
"Shame? Does Teacher Ebara even have that?" Shino Aburame muttered.
"Haiichi, is this your first day knowing Teacher Ebara?" Choza Akimichi, ever straightforward, found Haiichi's comment absurd.
Everyone knew Ebara's dictionary didn't include the word "shame."
"You said I was ruining the kids. Anything to say now?" Ebara said, nose in the air.
Minato's victory made him look good.
He was basking in it.
"Anything else to say?" The Third's gaze swept over Koharu, Homura, and landed on Mahaya.
Homura stayed silent, not wanting to stick out. Koharu turned to Mahaya.
Mahaya steeled himself, gritting his teeth. "Even so, it doesn't prove you're fit to teach those kids."
Ebara sneered at him. "What, want another round? Though I suggest you send your whole class at once. Minato's in a hurry!"
Minato: "???"
He wanted to strangle Ebara now.
Destroy it all. Quickly.
He was exhausted.
Mahaya didn't take the bait.
If he agreed, it'd be a lose-lose.
Win, and it'd look unfair.
Lose, and his reputation would be ruined.
"I meant a match between us," Mahaya said coldly. "Loser leaves the academy."
His words made Ebara hesitate.
He was just a genin. That's why he became a teacher.
Mahaya, a solid chunin with battlefield experience, would crush him in a fight.
Seeing Ebara's silence, Mahaya smirked. "What, scared?"
"How about I take you on?" a cold voice interrupted.
A graceful figure dropped from the sky.
Boom!
The ground shook, a deep crater forming under her feet.
Only one person in Konoha had such brute strength.
"Tsunade, what are you doing here?" Ebara asked, looking at her.
"Heard someone was bullying you, so I came to check," Tsunade said, glaring at Mahaya.
Her aura was so intimidating Mahaya could barely breathe.
Ebara's heart warmed at Tsunade's bold words.
Forget working hard.
Being a kept man… felt damn good!
"Tsunade, what's this nonsense?" the Third barked, his face darkening.
"How's it nonsense?" Tsunade shot back. "He's picking on Ebara for having no ninja talent, challenging him to a duel. Ebara's not feeling well, so I'll stand in for him."
Her words hit Mahaya like a sledgehammer.
He wouldn't dare fight Tsunade, not with ten times the guts.
Her brute strength, inherited from the First Hokage, was well-known.
Forget her ninjutsu talent—her raw power alone secured her place in the ninja world.
Fighting her was suicide.
"Tsunade, don't think you can act reckless just because you're the First's granddaughter," Koharu scolded.
"And you're not acting reckless as a Konoha advisor?" Tsunade retorted, leaving Koharu speechless.
"Tsunade, stand down!" the Third roared. "Are you trying to disgrace the First, the Second, and your master—me?"
"How's this disgracing you?" Tsunade argued. "Mahaya bullying poor, helpless Ebara isn't disgraceful?"
Poor and helpless?
The Third almost laughed at her words.
Even Ebara felt a twinge of embarrassment.
I hid it so well, yet Tsunade saw through me.
No more pretending—I'm actually super weak.
At that moment, three options appeared in Ebara's mind.
[Option 1: Fight boldly! Reward: 500 chakra points!]
[Option 2: Be a coward, let Tsunade fight for you. Reward: 20 chakra points!]
No need to think.
"Your challenge? I accept!" Ebara declared boldly to Mahaya.
[Choice successful! Reward obtained: 500 chakra points!]
"Great!" Mahaya shouted excitedly. "Let the higher-ups bear witness!"
Though his ninja talent didn't match his cousin Danzo's, he was confident against a battlefield-less genin like Ebara.
"I agree," Koharu said first. "Someone unfit can't teach students."
"No objections," Homura added.
Tsunade looked at Ebara, worried. "You're not talking nonsense, are you?"
She placed her soft hand on his forehead, checking for a fever.
Feeling her cool, smooth touch and eyeing her beautiful face and stunning figure, Ebara thought, If this keeps up, I won't get a fever—I'll get frisky.
He gently removed her hand, holding it.
Cool, smooth, comfortable.
"Kidding? I'm super tough in every way," Ebara said, winking at Tsunade.
Sadly, she missed his innuendo.
"Don't worry, I won't lose to some old fossil," he said, squeezing her hand.
He stepped forward confidently, nodding at the Third.
He wasn't playing hero—he was genuinely confident.
With 500 more chakra points, he wasn't far behind Mahaya in chakra reserves.
But his real confidence?
He was shameless!
Watching Naruto in his past life, Ebara noticed ninja fights were too gentlemanly.
No one used dirty tricks.
There's a saying: no matter how tough a man is, that spot's always vulnerable.
Thousand Years of Death, Monkey Steals the Peach, Groin Kick, Lineage Ender—all lined up.
Even the God of Ninjas, Hashirama Senju, would crumble.
Let alone Shimura Mahaya!