Familiar Face and a Rival?

In the case of Rayzen, the breakthrough had made the fortitude of his body on par with third Raikage's. The overall improvement in his combat power had yet to be determined.

The smell of the stinky water that held the impurities released from his body, woke him up from the euphoria of his breakthrough. After taking a bath again, Rayzen spent the rest of the day adjusting to his new strength.

The next day, the academy welcomed it's students after the vacation. As Rayzen, Mikoto, Shiroka and his sisters walked to the academy, he thought about the technique he had shelved on to the back of his mind.

Flow like Silk technique. It was described in the Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians, Strength Training part.

Strength Training's so called 'Flow like Silk' referred to complete control of one's strength where strength includes the strength of the body as well as the force of true essence. With Flow like Silk, as soon as one punched an object, the exterior would be fine, but the interior of the object would be pulverized.

Even though his mind was occupied by the technique, he saw two people approaching him with Minori.

As they got closer, he noted that it was another two Hyugas, a boy and a girl. And they walked together like a pair in love. Rayzen already gave the two negative marks in his mind. The girl was beautiful and had similar features to Minori and looked younger too. While the boy, his face was...

' Damn! What a handsome face! F*cker! I feel like punching his face. '

The boy spoke: " I presume you are Rayzen Uchiha! I extend my gratitude for protecting my sister in law in my absence. "

Rayzen didn't comprehend as he voiced out: " Sister in law? What do you mean? "

Minori said in frustration : "He meant me, Rayzen!"

Rayzen laughed out loud and said amidst his laughs : " Who is this guy?... Hahaha... He thinks you... Hahaha... you are a girl too. I thought the Hyuga's eyes were... 'incredibly perceptive'. Hahaha..."

The Hyuga boy felt offended as he said coldly: " Mind your manner! I will ignore this insolence since you protected sister Minori once. "

Rayzen didn't like his arrogant tone at all. As he asked Minori in the same cold tone: " Who is this guy again? I will not take your cold tone to heart, since your are related to Minori. But be careful who you speak to. "

Minori had to break the tension between the boys as she shouted: " Calm down, both of you! Rayzen, this is my brother in law, Hyuga Haruka and she is my sister, Hyuga Yumi. Its time for the classes. Let's all head back. We will meet at lunch again."

As the three left, Rayzen and his group walked to their classes. On the way, Sora chimed in :

" Ray, why did you laugh at the Hyuga boy? "

Rayzen giggled as he said : " He thinks Minori is a girl! "

The girls sighed at his stupidity and left him alone as they sped to class.

Rayzen derided the girls in his mind.

'You people don't understand ! Minori might be that... you know... that... a trap!'

As a person who 'staunchly believed' that none of his waifus in his previous life were traps, he felt superiority in his keen sense to identify gender.

...

After getting confirmation from Shiroka that Minori was a girl, Rayzen was depressed the whole time.

At lunch, he and his best friends met again with the Hyuga trio. He apologized to Minori and the two.

" I am sorry, if I have hurt your feelings, Minori. You see... I am an advocate of gender equality! That's why I often ignore gender classification. Its absolutely not because I mistook you for a boy! I- "

He stopped apologising after getting a 'gentle punch' to his stomach.

" Enough! Leave it at that! Now apologize to my brother in law and sister for your rude behaviour. "

Rayzen rubbed his stomach in pain as he went to Yumi.

" Little sister! Forgive me for my rudeness! "

Yumi replied with a sweet sly smile: " Since my sister looks upto you, I'll forgive you. But you should take care of my sister in the future too. "

Rayzen answered with a sigh: " Aye Aye! "

He said out loud: " Now that it's over. Let's meet later. Bye! "

As he hurriedly turned back and tried to slip away. Minori knocked him again and implored him to pacify the situation with Haruka.

He reluctantly faced a Haruka whose arrogance rose. He said as insincerely as possible: " I am sorry, little Haru. Elder bro has a lot on his mind, you know. And when I saw your ugly face, I lost it for a second. For give me, will you!"

" That's the best I could do Minori! "

Minori and the rest facepalmed at Rayzen's usual antics.

Haruka was pissed off as he roared : " You detestable Uchiha! Who gave you the permission to call me Haru! If anything, I am the older one here, given that I am your senior in the academy. Should I call you little Ray from now on! How would you like that? "

Minori and Yumi was shocked. They knew Haru to be a peaceful person and who had a much better attitude than the general Hyuga. But this was the first time, they saw him outburst like that. Even for a Hyuga, this almost never happens.

Meanwhile Rayzen's friends and sisters thought:

' He has done it. His words easily triggered the Hyuga. '

Rayzen even though masked was fuming with anger underneath. The visible eye alone was enough for the kids there to understand that he was angry. He shouted back: " Oh! But, I am far more powerful than you. So shouldn't I be the senior here? "

Minori couldn't take it anymore as she shouted: " Stop it guys! You- "

Haru said to Minori with a guilty face : " Sorry, elder sister! I have to make him understand his place for his own good."

Minori : " But-"

Rayzen cutoff Minori's warning as he said with a sly smile underneath his mask: " Let's begin then! "

Haru didn't even shout as Byakugan was activated within seconds. And just as he was about to move, Rayzen disappeared from the other's view and appeared instantly before Haru, with his fingers touching Haru's forehead ready for a flick.

Rayzen didn't say anything as he flicked Haru just enough to knock him from his stunned state. He moved back and looked at shocked Haru with an 'eye-smile'.

Haru whispered: " Too fast... "

Rayzen said with a smile: " You can see my movements with Byakugan, but your body is weak and hence unable to react on time."

He extended his hand for a friendly shake as he said : " Let me reintroduce myself, I am Rayzen Uchiha! Let's spar and if possible train together in the future, little Haru! "

Haru reluctantly shook his hands as he felt a burning desire to grow stronger sprouting within him.

Yumi on the other hand instantly tended to Haru's forehead looking for injuries to treat. Seeing this made Rayzen all the more jealous and grumpy.

' This lovey-dovey couple! '

Apart from Haru placing Rayzen as his rival, the rest all had talked peacefully and became friends. This was more due to the fact that Rayzen's friends felt a familiar presence in Haru and vice-versa for Minori and Yumi.

Unknown to others, Shiroka's thoughts were fixed on this sense of 'familiarity'.