Uchiha Ryo flipped his hand, revealing several shurikens and kunai.
Under the noon sunlight, the black blades of the shurikens glinted sharply.
The Uchiha clan is renowned in the ninja world for their Sharingan and Fire Style jutsu. Additionally, their shurikenjutsu is also a notable skill, passed down through the generations.
Swish, swish!
Ryo Uchiha skillfully waved his arms, and the shurikens and kunai in his hands became nothing more than black afterimages. They flew toward Uchiha Tatsumi, striking from several tricky angles.
Not bad. He's smart enough to lock onto my position first.
The trajectories of Ryo's shurikens and kunai were expertly calculated, making it nearly impossible for Uchiha Tatsumi to escape unscathed.
This technique was something the Uchiha clan prided themselves on.
No matter which direction Tatsumi tried to dodge, there was almost always one shuriken or kunai coming at him.
From a distance, Ryo's cold expression revealed his pride.
This was a technique his father had taught him, one he spent a long time learning. Despite Uchiha Tatsumi's apparent talent, Ryo believed it was impossible for someone without a teacher to master such skills.
Uchiha Tatsumi's eyes narrowed. Ryo's shurikenjutsu was indeed impressive, but the true power of the Uchiha clan's throwing techniques could only be fully unleashed with the Sharingan.
Moreover, Ryo's speed and strength were lacking, and his skills were still not fully mastered.
Though his throwing techniques were strong, they were still second-rate compared to someone who had the Sharingan.
Calmly, Uchiha Tatsumi reached into his ninja pouch, pulling out several shurikens of his own.
Swish, swish!
He threw them with remarkable speed. His movements were fluid and precise, and the shurikens followed different, unpredictable trajectories.
Clang! Clang!
The sounds of metal striking metal rang out as Tatsumi's shurikens deflected most of Ryo's, knocking them out of the air.
But one kunai was still on a collision course with him.
Ryo's eyes widened in surprise.
"This kid…"
Before Ryo could react, Uchiha Tatsumi backhanded the kunai with expert precision, redirecting it toward Ryo with such force that it spun through the air.
The kunai flew through the air, striking the ground with a thud—but Ryo wasn't there.
Boom!
A log replaced Ryo's form as he used the substitution technique.
Sweat beaded on Ryo's forehead. That substitution technique was one of his trump cards.
It was a basic E-rank jutsu that he and his father had mastered, something he thought would be enough to handle most situations.
He had prepared for Uchiha Tatsumi's physical prowess, but he hadn't expected such mastery over shurikenjutsu.
"...It's here!" Uchiha Tatsumi shouted, suddenly zeroing in on Ryo's location.
With the speed of a shadow, Tatsumi appeared in front of Ryo in an instant.
Before Ryo could even blink, Tatsumi threw a powerful kick to his stomach.
Boom!
Ryo was sent flying from the tree, crashing into the ground like a ragdoll.
"Ugh... it hurts!" Ryo groaned, clutching his abdomen as he lay sprawled on the ground.
Uchiha Tatsumi landed on the ground with ease, brushing off his clothes as if nothing had happened.
Ryo's followers, Uchiha Toyoda and Uchiha Rei, rushed forward.
"Boss, are you alright?" Toyoda shouted.
"Damn it, Uchiha Tatsumi! What a cowardly sneak attack!" Ryo gritted his teeth, his face flushed with embarrassment.
He rubbed his stomach, saying, "I'm fine! It's nothing..."
In truth, if this had been Uchiha Tatsumi before the previous night, he would've had a much harder time. But after gaining more strength and speed, Tatsumi's abilities had grown drastically.
"Let's go all out!" Ryo said through clenched teeth.
"I was careless before. Once I get serious, he won't stand a chance against us, the three geniuses!"
Toyoda and Rei exchanged hesitant looks. They were clearly frightened by Tatsumi's speed.
After all, their boss had just been knocked out of the tree. They didn't want to be the next ones to get pummeled.
But their pride as Uchiha pushed them forward.
Toyoda tossed a few shurikens at Tatsumi. They were poorly thrown and lacked the precision of Ryo's, flying straight and predictable.
Rei didn't even bother with shurikens, instead charging directly at Tatsumi.
"Uchiha Wave Fist, First Form!"
Rei threw a massive punch, intent on landing a hit. He poured all his strength into it, but his movements were slow.
Tatsumi simply sidestepped the attack, sending a swift kick to Ryo's exposed side.
Ryo, now struggling with the speed of Tatsumi's counterattack, realized he had made a grave mistake.
In a panic, he tried to throw a few shurikens, hoping to force Tatsumi into a corner where he couldn't escape.
Swish!
Tatsumi dodged effortlessly, continuing to move with fluid speed.
"Surrender! I surrender!" Ryo cried, collapsing to the ground in defeat.
"...Boss, no!" Toyoda shouted, eyes wide in disbelief.
"Don't give up! We haven't lost yet!" Rei tried to rally his team, though his voice wavered.
Uchiha Tatsumi, on the other hand, couldn't help but feel a sense of detachment as he watched his defeated classmates.
He glanced at the defeated trio, their bodies lying on the ground, and a strange feeling rose within him.
No, I'm not a villain. How could I be the villain?
Tatsumi shook his head and walked off toward the forest.
Behind him, Ryo and his followers continued to cry out in frustration.
"Feng, I'm so useless… I couldn't protect you. I let you get beaten." Ryo's voice cracked with emotion.
"...Boss, it's not your fault. He's just too strong," Toyoda reassured him, though his own voice betrayed his fear.
"We can't give up. We'll keep training. Next time, we'll defeat him!"
"We're geniuses, right?" Rei added, his voice soft.
"Yeah... We'll win next time."
The trio remained in the dirt, silently acknowledging their defeat.