Uchiha Han was sent flying backward, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
This was the price of underestimating Yuya's vibrational force—
the cost of trying to confront him with taijutsu alone.
Even a chūnin was no exception.
"This… this is impossible! Impossible!! What—what kind of power is this?!"
Han struggled to regain his balance, but his body was still numb from the violent vibrations. His legs gave out.
Thud!
He crashed heavily onto the ground, his body trembling uncontrollably.
The scene fell silent.
Then—uproar.
"This has to be a joke!!"
"An Uchiha chūnin… beaten by a kid?!"
"How is that even possible?! What kind of power did that child use?!"
Countless eyes stared back and forth between the fallen Uchiha Han and Yuya, who calmly withdrew his fist.
No one could process what they were seeing.
If Han had blown Yuya away with a punch, that would've been normal.
But the opposite?
It was unbelievable.
Han lay on the ground in a daze.
He still hadn't fully accepted the fact that he had been sent flying by a single punch.
The moment reality caught up—
He snapped.
"Damn it… DAMN IT! You little bastard, you dare—!"
Being blasted back by a mere child, coughing blood in public—
This was the ultimate humiliation.
After today, he would never be able to hold his head high in the Uchiha clan again.
Driven mad by shame and rage, murderous intent finally surfaced in Han's eyes.
At first, he had only meant to "teach Yuya a lesson."
But now—
He wanted the boy dead.
Completely consumed by fury, Han finally abandoned taijutsu. His hands flew into seals as he unleashed a true killing technique—
One meant to erase Yuya entirely, regardless of the fact that they were on a Konoha street.
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
A B-rank Fire Release ninjutsu!
This was far beyond the Great Fireball.
The roaring flames condensed into a tangible form—
a blazing fire dragon that surged forward, intent on incinerating everything in its path.
The ground itself cracked and dried under the intense heat.
"Are you insane?!"
"He's actually using that kind of jutsu here?!"
The crowd recoiled in shock, retreating rapidly. Most of them were shinobi and managed to evade in time.
Yuya inhaled sharply.
Against a technique of this level, he had no way to block it—and no time to escape.
If Han had used ninjutsu from the very beginning, Yuya would have been defeated instantly.
Yet facing this overwhelming Fire Release, Yuya showed no fear.
Instead, his expression remained calm as his gaze flicked subtly across the surroundings.
It's about time you showed yourselves…
Whoosh!
In the very next instant, a black figure flashed into existence directly in front of Yuya.
Hands moving at blinding speed—
Water Release: Water Formation Wall!
Crash—!!
A surging wall of water rose like a fortress.
Fire and water collided violently. Steam exploded outward, filling the street with white mist.
Moments later—
The fire dragon vanished without a trace.
The water dispersed just as quickly.
"Uchiha Han!"
A cold voice rang out.
"Do you know the crime you've committed by engaging in private combat within Konoha?!"
Standing before Yuya was a masked shinobi—
An ANBU operative.
ANBU—
the Assassination and Tactical Special Unit.
A force that answered directly to the Hokage. No one else could command them.
They handled assassinations, intelligence, and internal village security.
Konoha's true elite—
Even above the Uchiha-controlled Military Police Force.
Using a wide-area B-rank ninjutsu like Fire Dragon Flame Bullet inside the village was strictly forbidden—regardless of the target.
Han's killing intent raged, but in front of ANBU, he didn't dare act recklessly.
"What crime have I committed?" he demanded coldly.
"Private combat is forbidden within Konoha," the ANBU replied flatly.
Han forced his fury down. His eyes brimmed with hostility as he glanced at Yuya.
"I am a squad leader of the Konoha Military Police Force," he said icily.
"There is reason to suspect Yuya is connected to enemy village scouts. I was merely attempting to detain him for questioning."
…What?!
The crowd froze.
Yuya cursed inwardly.
Shameless.
No wonder Han had dared to attack so openly—
the Military Police Force was essentially the Uchiha clan's private domain.
This was blatant abuse of authority.
The onlookers showed looks of disgust, yet none dared speak out.
This was the Uchiha clan's dominance.
The ANBU asked coldly, "Do you have evidence?"
"That's none of ANBU's concern," Han replied.
The masked shinobi's expression darkened beneath the mask.
"Even so, detaining a civilian requires authorization from the Hokage."
In truth, both Danzō's Root and Hiruzen's ANBU frequently suppressed the Uchiha clan, openly or otherwise.
This operative was one of Hiruzen's watchers—assigned specifically to keep an eye on the Uchiha.
Yuya himself had no background worth protecting.
ANBU wasn't here for him—
They were here to check Uchiha power.
The crowd understood this well; scenes like this weren't rare in Konoha.
"Emergency circumstances," Han sneered.
"If he's truly a spy, delaying could let him escape."
Invoking the Military Police Force meant invoking the Uchiha clan itself. His tone hardened even toward ANBU.
The ANBU frowned.
"I can't allow this," the operative said coldly.
"This matter is suspicious. It must be decided personally by the Hokage."