"Young friend Aokawa, although it was a mission, that Onigumo had practically become my nightmare."
"The fact that you were able to kill him—I will remember this favor no matter what. If you ever face difficulties in the future, just come find me."
"Thank you, Captain Hachidai!" Aokawa said with a happy smile.
A favor from a Jonin was not easily obtained.
For example, when Shirakumo Hayama let a Konoha Shunshin slip into his hands, he was overjoyed.
If, during Village decision-making, he had multiple people willing to speak up for him, things would be even better.
The Ninja World is not just about conflict and bloodshed; it is also a world of social etiquette and favors.
If you don't understand social etiquette, look at the Uchiha Clan: they ran the Police Force and managed to offend everyone they could in the Village.
They put in the most effort, yet when they faced extinction, there was no one to speak up for them.
That night, Uchiha Hachidai gathered the group in an open space, lit a bonfire, and they ate some food together to celebrate.
Drinking was out of the question; whether due to Ninja Prohibition or their location near the border, alcohol was impossible.
Everyone used tea instead of alcohol to deepen their camaraderie.
During the meal, Hyuga Iroha and Aokawa inevitably began discussing the Gentle Fist.
When the two reached an exciting point in their discussion, they even started sparring on the spot.
Hyuga Iroha originally thought that while he lacked long-range attacks, when it came to Gentle Fist Taijutsu, his reputation as a Hyuga Genius was well-deserved, making him the undisputed authority.
However, after sparring, he realized that Aokawa's Gentle Fist was equally terrifying. Not only was Aokawa's foundation in Gentle Fist Pressure Point Technique incredibly solid, but his practical combat experience was also extensive.
He was proficient even in the Eighty Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms, and more frighteningly, he had independently mastered the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.
How could a person like this have ranked last in the Clan Assembly?
Iroha started to doubt his own memory.
Unwilling to concede, he attacked several times in a row, but each time he was completely subdued.
However, the onlookers found it somewhat boring.
Due to the Gentle Fist's characteristic of inflicting damage upon contact with Chakra, the two had tacitly agreed not to use it during the spar.
They were merely fighting using standard Gentle Fist forms, which was the usual custom for sparring within the Clan.
If a strike passed within an inch of a target (outside the hand itself), it was conceded that the Gentle Fist Chakra had struck them.
Therefore, only Hyuga Iroha truly understood the intricacies of the fight.
Every time, it looked like he was narrowly avoiding Aokawa's attacks.
But those hands, which swept past his vitals, would have become lethal blades if they had included an inch of Gentle Fist Chakra emission.
However, the onlookers didn't know this; they only saw the two fighting, stopping, and starting over again.
But some Families are interested whenever there is a fight.
"I'll try too!" Uchiha Inabi shouted, his eyes shining.
That fellow Iroha, having only arrived a few days ago, had already claimed "the Hyuga Clan is Konoha's greatest Clan" no less than three times.
Uchiha Inabi had long wanted to teach him a lesson, but he couldn't find an excuse.
Today, he absolutely had to pin this guy to the ground and see if he dared to boast about being the greatest Clan again.
Thinking of this, Uchiha Inabi grew excited, quickly stood up, and leaped into the arena.
Just as he walked toward Aokawa, preparing to take his place and spar with Hyuga Iroha...
Hyuga Iroha simply walked off the field on his own.
The winner stays, the loser leaves. Iroha had that much self-awareness.
This stunned Uchiha Inabi, but he didn't dwell on it; it was all the same to him.
As long as he rubbed this guy, who was equally matched with Hyuga Iroha, into the dirt, the effect would be the same.
He raised an eyebrow at Hyuga Iroha, who was leaving the field, and then formed the Confrontation Seal with Aokawa in the arena.
The next moment, he stomped his foot hard, and his entire body shot toward Aokawa.
Unlike the purpose of the spar with Hyuga Iroha, Uchiha Inabi wanted to knock Aokawa down as quickly as possible to demonstrate that the Uchiha were Konoha's greatest Clan.
Therefore, he attacked with full force from the start, without any attempt at probing.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The two exchanged several rounds of blows within a few breaths.
The onlookers were startled. Everyone knew Uchiha Inabi's Taijutsu; combined with years of fighting experience and his Sharingan, he was definitely a standout among his peers.
How could this pale, clean-cut newcomer Hyuga, who was also a few years younger than Inabi, be his opponent?
Uchiha Hachidai grew even more anxious.
That brat was causing trouble again! This was a problem that Hokage-sama had specifically sent someone to resolve.
You finish resolving the problem and then immediately prepare to beat the person up? How is that different from slapping Hokage-sama across the face?
"Inabi..." Uchiha Hachidai called out, preparing to stand up and rush onto the field to stop the brat.
A hand next to him pressed him down.
"Sohma?" Uchiha Hachidai was extremely confused.
"Don't worry, he's not that fragile." Shirakumo Hayama gave him a reassuring look.
Ever since he taught Aokawa Swordsmanship, Shirakumo Hayama knew that the boy's close-quarters combat was actually quite good.
Especially his strange Footwork, which was mysterious and unpredictable.
When moving with a normal Body Flicker Technique, one must first step on the ground, using the calf muscles to build up power and generate a reactive force for movement.
During this process, the body's posture leaves traces, and when the legs are used for attack, movement cannot simultaneously occur.
But this boy's Footwork was as if someone instantly transported him to another location.
Sometimes he would be halfway through a kick, and the next moment, he would already be behind you.
Moreover, he could seamlessly complete the attack he had just begun, with no obstruction in the transfer of power.
He had been thoroughly embarrassed by this initially, nearly failing to maintain his image as a teacher.
"However, the Body Flicker Technique this kid is using today is just the standard one, and it's not bad either," Shirakumo Hayama thought as he watched the two fighting fiercely in the arena.
When Uchiha Inabi saw Aokawa attack the opening he had deliberately exposed, just as he had planned...
The corner of his mouth curled slightly: "Finally, he took the bait!"
The next instant, his Body Flicker vanished, and he reappeared behind Aokawa.
Just as he was about to land a heavy blow on Aokawa, a massive force suddenly impacted his abdomen.
His entire body flew backward like a broken sack, slamming heavily onto the ground.
The immense pain almost made him vomit bile.
"That bastard, he activated his eyes!"
Uchiha Inabi propped himself up and angrily looked up, only to see the smooth skin around Aokawa's eyes.
Not activated?
Wait, if you didn't activate them, how were you so certain I was behind you?
The crowd below was astonished. They hadn't expected this newcomer Hyuga to not only fight Uchiha Inabi to a standstill but also counterattack preemptively when ambushed.
Disbelief appeared in Hyuga Iroha's eyes.
This Clan member not only mastered the Gentle Fist well but also cross-trained in the Hard Fist...
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