Shimura Ken landed heavily, staggering back two steps before he could steady himself. His eyes were filled with disbelief as he stared at Uchiha Yuan.
His arms tingled with numbness—just moments ago, he had thrown four rapid punches in succession.
But every single one of them had been blocked. Yuan had met each blow head-on, fist against fist, without yielding an inch.
Seeing Ken forced back, Hatake Seikū couldn't help showing surprise.
He hadn't expected Uchiha Yuan to take all of Ken's attacks—and even seem to have the upper hand.
After all, Yuan was still standing firm, unmoved, while Ken had been pushed back.
That was no small feat. Shimura Ken was a sixth-year student at the Academy. In both chakra reserves and physical training, he should've far surpassed lower-year students like Yuan and Seikū.
Uchiha Yuan's calm, almost disdainful expression only made Ken more furious.
"You little punk!" Ken roared. "Everyone—get him! Beat that Uchiha brat down!"
With that, he charged again, rage in every step.
The other boys hesitated for only a heartbeat before shouting and rushing in from all sides.
For a while, the riverside erupted with the sounds of fists and feet colliding—shouts, grunts, and the sharp thuds of combat filling the air.
A few minutes later, the only sounds left were groans of pain. Shimura Ken and his gang now lay sprawled across the ground.
At the center of them stood Uchiha Yuan, his chest rising and falling heavily as if exhausted—though in truth, it was all an act.
He wasn't tired at all. His stamina was untouched.
"Hey! What did you do to me?" cried Sarutobi Akagi, who had fallen near Ken. Panic filled his face. "My whole body's gone numb—I can't move!"
Uchiha Yuan smirked. "Idiot. Guess you weren't paying attention in class. I just hit your pressure points. That's all."
Akagi blinked in confusion. Pressure points? Did sensei ever teach that?
Then he remembered that he'd spent most of class chatting with Ken instead of listening. Maybe he really had missed something.
As for Shimura Ken, he was gasping for air, his body trembling. His attacks had been the fiercest, which meant he had also taken the hardest hits.
Yuan's final punch had slammed into his chest like a charging bull, sending him flying before he could even react.
And when he'd hit the ground, the shock from that strike had disrupted all the chakra he'd gathered inside, scattering it completely.
Now he couldn't even stand—his limbs were weak, his joints dislocated.
He glared up at Yuan, his face twisted with hatred. "Hmph! Others might be afraid of you Uchihas, but I'm not!"
Then he turned to Seikū and spat, "Hatake brat, you got lucky today."
After that, a few of his lackeys helped lift him up, and the group staggered away.
Before leaving, Ken shot Yuan a venomous look. "Uchiha brat! I'll remember this!"
Watching them disappear down the riverside, Hatake Seikū walked up to Yuan, his face filled with mixed emotions. "Uchiha-kun, thank you. But… now that Ken's got his eye on you, he'll definitely come after you later."
The way Yuan had fought—his speed, his power, his precision—was even sharper than when Seikū had seen him spar with Uehara Isamu.
It made him realize that Uchiha Yuan was far stronger than he had imagined.
Yuan waved off the concern. "Don't worry. I'm an Uchiha. The Shimura clan is nothing compared to us."
Then he smiled faintly. "And besides, you don't need to thank me."
"Just earlier, I happened to run into Kakashi-senpai and had a bowl of ramen he treated me to. Helping you out was only fair."
Seikū's eyes widened in shock. "Wh-what did you say?"
"You know Kakashi-nii?!"
"And he even treated you to ramen? You're not lying, are you? That's impossible—absolutely impossible!"
Yuan laughed. "Why would I lie? Ask Kakashi-senpai yourself if you don't believe me."
Could it be true?
Did Uchiha Yuan really eat ramen with Kakashi-nii?
Jealousy flashed across Seikū's eyes.
Damn it… I wish I could eat ramen with him too.
Hatake Kakashi's reputation as a prodigy had always drawn both envy and admiration.
But for the younger members of the Hatake clan—especially Seikū—admiration was all they felt.
Kakashi was the pride of the clan, their living proof of greatness.
Yet, Kakashi always kept to himself—distant, cold, and withdrawn. Even when he came home, he locked himself away to train, barely speaking to anyone.
To Seikū and the others, he felt completely unreachable.
As Yuan was about to leave, Seikū suddenly called out to him.
"Uchiha-kun! Could you… could you please teach me taijutsu?"
Yuan raised an eyebrow. "You want me to train you? Why?"
Seikū looked straight at him, his tone sincere and pleading. "Because you're strong, Uchiha-kun. And I want to become strong too. I don't ever want to be bullied by them again. Please—help me."
He bowed deeply.
Yuan still wore a faint smile, but his gaze grew thoughtful as he looked at the boy before him.
After a moment of silence, he said simply, "Alright."
The two then headed toward the Hatake compound.
The Hatake clan was small—barely a few dozen people—and their grounds were spacious and quiet.
They stopped at an open courtyard beside a large house. Seikū took his stance, ready to attack.
"Please guide me, Uchiha-kun," he said earnestly.
Yuan raised one hand lazily. "Go ahead."
Seikū sprang forward, leaping high into the air before kicking down at him.
Yuan merely swung his hand up, catching Seikū's ankle with ease and tossing him aside.
Seikū twisted in midair, flipping once before landing on his feet. He let out a shout and charged again, fists flying.
"Too slow, too slow! That kick was way too slow."
"Faster—move faster!"
"Put some power in it! Is that all the strength you've got?"
"Sigh… and that punch—such a huge opening."
"Hmm, that shunshin wasn't bad, though. Timing's decent."
Yuan didn't even move from his spot. With casual motions of his right hand, he parried every single strike effortlessly, all while calmly pointing out every flaw in Seikū's attacks.
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