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If the other guy wanted to end up flattened and humiliated, Akira had no problem granting that wish.
He shook his hand, a flicker of surprise crossing his mind. He hadn't expected his own strength to have reached this level.
Just now, he hadn't even used one percent of his power, and he had sent the guy flying over ten meters with a single slap.
If he had gone all out… well, the guy probably wouldn't even be recognizable anymore.
Hinata Hyuga was slumped against a tree, his head lolling to the side, mouth caked with blood. He was clearly out cold.
Of course, no one really seemed to care.
At that moment, Iruka's eyes went wide, round as saucers.
His mouth hung open like something was stuck in it—he couldn't close it.
Too fast.
Way too fast.
Even as a Chunin, he hadn't been able to track Akira's movement.
The speed Akira had just shown… it was shocking, beyond anything he could have anticipated.
If the positions were reversed, Iruka would have been the one sent flying with a single slap.
The thought struck him so suddenly he nearly jumped.
Could it be… that Uchiha Akira's strength had already surpassed that of a Chunin?
Iruka stared at the boy, hands in pockets, and for the first time felt like he didn't understand him at all.
"Sneak attack! You definitely ambushed Hinata Hyuga! You cowardly bastard!"
"Is this what it means to be an Uchiha? I can't believe you didn't even dare a proper duel, and had to cheat to win!"
"You're so disappointing, Akira. You've shamed the entire Uchiha clan!"
"…"
The kids who couldn't stand Akira started shouting again.
Unlike Iruka, they had no perspective.
All they saw was a blur, and suddenly Hinata Hyuga had smashed into a massive tree.
That outcome was completely beyond their understanding.
That Akira had killed him with a single move? They didn't even consider it.
In their minds, ninja battles were nothing more than a messy slugfest. A one-hit KO? Impossible.
So, in their eyes, Akira had simply ambushed his opponent. They yelled and complained even louder.
"Cheating! Teacher Iruka! Akira won by cheating! He doesn't deserve the win!"
"We won't accept such shameless behavior!"
"…"
Akira's hands stayed in his pockets, his gaze coldly sweeping over the noisy kids.
"What a bunch of clueless rookies. Their constant chirping is enough to drive anyone crazy."
Swish. Swish. Swish.
Suddenly, he pulled a dozen shurikens from his system backpack.
His expression turned lethal as he stared down the still-yelling kids.
"Here's a lesson for you losers," he said, voice ice-cold. "When weaklings get reckless in front of the strong… they pay a very steep price."
He grinned suddenly, a sharp, unsettling twist of his lips.
"And the price I'm demanding from you," he said, voice low and menacing, "is a one-way ticket to hell to confess your sins."
Seeing the shurikens and hearing his words, Iruka felt his heart lurch.
"Akira, calm down! Don't be impulsive! These are your classmates! Put the weapons down!"
After witnessing the speed Akira had just shown, Iruka knew he could not stop him if the boy's intent turned murderous. All he could do was shout.
"Uchiha Akira, stop! Do you want to bear the guilt of killing your classmates and become a rogue ninja at your age?!"
Akira didn't slow down. Iruka panicked, rushing toward him.
After all, "Uchiha" was practically synonymous with "madman." Every Uchiha had a streak of it. He couldn't take Akira's words as a joke.
"Hmph," Akira scoffed. "Funny… you didn't stop the little brats from yelling earlier, but now you want to stop me?"
With a flick of his wrist, the dozen shining shurikens spun and flew toward the kids.
"No!"
Iruka's scream caught in his throat as the shurikens sliced precisely between the kids' legs.
The little brats, still yelling, suddenly felt a cold shock.
Their pants were split down the middle, leaving each with a gaping tear. It was an unexpected, mortifying scene.
"A-Akira, you—"
Iruka froze completely, stunned by what had happened.
At the same time, a sense of relief washed over him. Akira hadn't actually gone insane and tried to kill them.
If there had been blood on his watch, he didn't even want to imagine how he would explain it to the Third Hokage.
"Teacher Iruka," Akira said, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
But to Iruka, it felt more like mockery than anything else.
"..."
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