Chapter 29: The First Display of Strength

~ Push the story forward with your Power Stones

~ Every 400 PS = Bonus Chapter!

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It didn't take long for the flames in the classroom to be extinguished.

Rinjin and Jiraiya, as the instigators, and Ryōta Uchiha, as the victim, were all sternly escorted to the teacher's office by Ōzora Chūryū. Along with them was Tsunade, who had witnessed the incident.

In the office, Ōzora Chūryū's face was icy as he held a palm-sized scroll in his hand.

"Teacher Sōichi, please contact Ryōta Uchiha's parents."

After saying this, Ōzora Chūryū slammed the scroll onto the table and turned his sharp gaze toward Rinjin.

"As for you, Rinjin Sōhō, who is your guardian?"

His cold voice resonated in the room.

Unbothered, Rinjin shrugged and replied casually, "My dad is Hiruzen Sarutobi. Go ahead, call him!"

"Nonsense! At a time like this, you're still lying! Lord Hiruzen's surname is Sarutobi, while yours is Sōhō!" 

Ōzora Chūryū slammed his palm on the desk and stood up, glaring angrily at Rinjin.

"Heh, I took my mother's surname, Sōhō Mizuguma," Rinjin retorted nonchalantly, spinning lies effortlessly. After all, with Ōzora Chūryū's rank, there was no way he could access Rinjin's personal information.

Tsunade attempted to speak up several times but was silenced by Rinjin's stern gaze.

Rinjin was curious to see just how poor the intelligence-gathering skills of these so-called academy teachers were.

Although Ōzora Chūryū had walked into the classroom and witnessed Rinjin grabbing Ryōta Uchiha by the collar, jumping to conclusions based solely on that seemed premature.

Meanwhile, Jiraiya stood beside Rinjin, looking guilty and apologetic, his face bruised and battered.

Ōzora Chūryū's anger flared even more upon hearing Rinjin's words.

"Fine! Fine! I'll summon Lord Hiruzen right now and see what you have to say for yourself!"

With a cold snort, he instructed another teacher to fetch Hiruzen Sarutobi.

At the Hokage's office, a ninja with a peculiar expression approached Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Lord Hiruzen, um... no, Rinjin Sōhō has caused trouble at the academy. Chūryū Ōzora has requested your presence."

The ninja teacher hesitated for a long time, unable to bring himself to repeat Rinjin's claim that he was Hiruzen's son.

Hiruzen's hand trembled upon hearing Rinjin's name, and the brush he was holding fell to the ground. He quickly stood up and grabbed the ninja teacher by the shoulders.

"What happened?"

"Uh, your son—uh, Rinjin Sōhō—got into a conflict with a Uchiha kid at school. Apparently, the Uchiha kid unleashed a Fire Release attack on Rinjin in the classroom."

As someone involved in extinguishing the flames, the ninja teacher had easily gathered the truth from the students. However, he hadn't had the chance to inform the enraged Ōzora Chūryū.

To him, it didn't seem like a big deal—just a teacher being overly strict with a student.

Little did he know, this "small matter" would forever shatter Ōzora Chūryū's dreams of becoming a jōnin.

Upon learning the details, Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately left his office in a hurry, leaving the ninja teacher behind.

He wasn't worried about Rinjin; he was more concerned about Rinjin clashing with the Uchiha clan.

Under normal circumstances, a mere spy wouldn't stand a chance against the Uchiha clan. But Rinjin was different. This kid excelled at setting traps and sowing discord in people's hearts.

His old friend, Danzō Shimura, was a prime example.

Hiruzen still vividly remembered how Rinjin had, with just a few words, planted a seed of distrust in everyone's minds, ultimately leading Tobirama-sensei to abandon the idea of choosing Danzō as the Hokage's successor.

Hurrying, Hiruzen arrived at the Konoha Ninja Academy.

As he entered the school gates, he spotted Kagami Uchiha, who also seemed to be in a rush. Hiruzen's expression turned strange.

"Kagami, what brings you to the academy?"

Kagami Uchiha noticed Hiruzen as well and smiled warmly. "Ryōta, the neighbor's kid, was reportedly bullied at school. His parents asked me to check it out."

Hiruzen's expression immediately became one of pity.

So, you have no idea what kind of person your neighbor's kid has crossed paths with, huh?

Rinjin Sōhō! Once this kid bites, you'll either lose your life or shed a layer of skin.

And for something like this, your clan sent you to handle it? 

Kagami, stuck between the village and your clan, you really have it tough.

However, with Kagami present, Hiruzen felt that resolving the matter might be easier.

Kagami, on the other hand, sighed inwardly.

He didn't know the details of the incident, but knowing his clan, if Ryōta's parents had asked him—a direct disciple of the Second Hokage—to intervene, it was likely Ryōta's fault.

After all, everyone knew that when at a disadvantage, the Uchiha would resort to using their influence to suppress others.

"By the way, Hiruzen, what brings you here?" Kagami asked curiously.

"You'll find out soon enough. Brace yourself."

With that, Hiruzen entered the academy building first.

The door to the teacher's office creaked open.

Ōzora Chūryū sat in his chair, his cold gaze sweeping over Rinjin.

Seeing this, Hiruzen's heart tightened.

When Ōzora Chūryū saw Hiruzen and Kagami enter, he quickly stood up.

Rinjin turned his head to look behind him.

"Father, you're finally here. Please, have a seat."

Hearing this, Hiruzen's face darkened instantly.

Who the hell is your father, you little brat? Stop calling me that, or Biwako will kill me!

"No, I'm not your father! I can't afford to be!" Hiruzen shook his head like a windmill, frantically denying the claim.

As for Kagami, his heart sank. He realized the situation had become even more complicated.

At the moment, Ryōta Uchiha had already woken up. He stood with his head lowered behind Ōzora Chūryū, while Chūryū stood in front of him.

In front of them were three children: Rinjin, Tsunade, and Jiraiya.

As the princess of the Senju Clan, Kagami Uchiha had no desire to offend Tsunade.

As for Rinjin, he wanted to avoid confronting him even more. Kagami was well aware of how troublesome this guy could be.

To put it bluntly, he would rather deal with Princess Tsunade than face Rinjin.

Of course, if the person involved were that unfamiliar white-haired brat standing off to the side, things would be much simpler.

As a direct disciple of the Second Hokage, Kagami never intended to rely on authority or strength to suppress others.

However, if the matter only involved the white-haired brat, he might face far fewer complications.

These thoughts flashed through the minds of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Kagami Uchiha in an instant.

Ōzora Chūryū, who had stood up, pulled a long face upon hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi deny any connection to Rinjin.

"Deception! Is this what the Ninja Academy teaches you—to deceive your teacher? You little bastard!" Chūryū pointed his finger at Rinjin and began to curse.

Seeing this, Rinjin was clearly displeased.

He slowly raised his hand and pushed Chūryū's finger aside, his gaze turning sharp.

"Watch your tone. You are a ninja and, more importantly, a teacher."

"See that, Lord Hiruzen, Lord Kagami? This kid—this brat—this is how he treats his teacher!" Chūryū, now desperate, pointed at Rinjin once again.

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned at this scene.

It wasn't because of Rinjin's tone. He had never treated Rinjin as a mere child, so he didn't find anything wrong with what Rinjin said.

Instead, it was Chūryū's behavior as a teacher that seemed overly aggressive.

"Teacher Chūryū, what exactly happened? Can you explain the situation clearly?"

Upon hearing this, Chūryū recounted what he had seen when he entered the classroom.

As he spoke, both Hiruzen Sarutobi and Kagami Uchiha frowned deeply.

They had their own judgment, but what they lacked now was information.

At this moment, Tsunade couldn't hold back anymore. She shot a subtle but disgusted glance at Ryōta Uchiha, who stood behind Chūryū, and began to speak.

As Tsunade recounted the events, Chūryū's expression grew darker and darker, and behind him, Ryōta's head drooped even lower.

On the other hand, Kagami Uchiha's face turned increasingly grim.

Bullying a classmate, using the powerful *Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique* in the classroom, and targeting a fellow student—this was beyond unacceptable.

Even without considering others, Kagami himself felt an overwhelming urge to slap this disgrace to the Uchiha Clan.

Where was the Will of Fire that you were supposed to embody? Is this what the clan elders taught you? Using ninjutsu against your classmates?

At this moment, Kagami's expression was as dark as it could get.

When Tsunade finally finished her account, Ryōta suddenly raised his head, revealing a spinning tomoe in his eyes.

This guy had awakened his Sharingan.

At this moment, Ryōta's bloodshot eyes glared fiercely at Rinjin. Pointing at him, he roared:

"It was him! He called me an evil brat from the Uchiha Clan! He said the Uchiha Clan were all traitors! He said we betrayed Madara Uchiha!

He's the one who betrayed us!"

His hysterical voice echoed, and the entire office fell silent.

After a long pause, Kagami Uchiha turned his serious gaze toward Rinjin.

"Rinjin-kun, did you say those things?"

In response, Rinjin nonchalantly nodded.

"It's actually quite simple. I enrolled in the academy but didn't want to attend practical classes. This guy mocked me. I ignored him the whole time, and then he kept harassing me. Later, he even beat up Jiraiya."

Before Rinjin could finish speaking, Ryōta shouted, "It wasn't me! It wasn't!"

"Oh, wasn't it?" Rinjin smirked, but his smile carried a chilling killing intent.

"And if it was related to you?" Rinjin said slowly, enunciating each word.

As his words fell, a series of mechanical unlocking sounds echoed.

"Clank, clank, clank."

Then came three heavy thuds as weights hit the ground.

In an instant, Rinjin's figure vanished.

"Stop!"

Both Kagami Uchiha and Hiruzen Sarutobi shouted at the same time.

But before their voices faded, Rinjin had already appeared behind Chūryū, grabbing Ryōta with one hand while placing the other near his eye.

Cold sweat broke out simultaneously on the backs of Hiruzen and Kagami.

Fast. Too fast!

Although his speed hadn't surpassed the Sharingan's ability to track, their bodies simply couldn't react in time.

Moreover, this terrifying kid's physical strength alone had already reached the level of a Chūnin.

This wasn't just any ordinary Jōnin. Chūnin-level strength accounted for a combination of ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, and various special skills.

Yet Rinjin, relying solely on his physical prowess, could match the overall score of a Chūnin.

To put it simply, Rinjin's physical strength alone was equal to the combined scores of a Chūnin's various abilities.

...

"Ryōta Uchiha, if you're lying, I'll take your eyes."

Rinjin stared blankly at Ryōta, his beast-like killing intent engulfing the entire office.

In an instant, everyone felt a chilling coldness in their hearts.

Hiruzen Sarutobi finally understood what his teacher had said—why this guy could never be allowed into Konoha's higher ranks, and why they should abandon any hope of redeeming him.

Just how much suffering had Rinjin endured, how many lives had he taken, and how much darkness dwelled in his heart to possess such terrifying killing intent?

Dangling in Rinjin's grasp, Ryōta was already trembling like a leaf. A yellowish liquid trickled down his pants.

"I... I... It was... It was me... I told someone... to do it."

Hearing the answer he wanted, Rinjin sneered and let go, causing Ryōta to collapse to the ground.

Turning back, Rinjin looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi and spread his hands helplessly.

"See? From start to finish, I wasn't the problem."

"This kid, who has no trace of the Will of Fire, not only set fire in the school but also secretly ordered others to bully unrelated classmates."

Hearing this, Hiruzen sighed heavily in his heart.

How could he not know?

But what could he do?

At this point, Rinjin's lips curled into a sinister grin, and the tone shifted as he turned his gaze to Kagami Uchiha, whose face had turned ashen.

"Of course, he's still a child and has the potential to be shaped. As a member of the village, I'm naturally willing to give him a chance.

But!"

"But what?" Kagami's eyes lit up as he pressed for an answer.

"One million ryō. I promise never to bring it up again."

Damn you, Rinjin!

Hiruzen couldn't help but curse inwardly. He should have guessed it. With Rinjin's personality, it would inevitably come down to money in the end.

So his initial hunch was spot on. Anyone entangled with Rinjin would either die or lose a layer of skin.

A million ryō, the reward for the most elite A-rank mission completed solo, was no small amount.

For the vast Uchiha Clan, it wasn't unaffordable.

After a moment of thought, Kagami slowly nodded.

If money could resolve the issue, it wasn't a bad solution.

After all, ever since losing Madara Uchiha, the Uchiha Clan could no longer withstand major turmoil.

Honestly, if not for this incident, Kagami might have even sought Rinjin's advice on how to resolve the tension between the village and the clan.

Having gotten his answer, Rinjin's expression instantly turned sly. He leaned toward Kagami with a shameless grin.

"Big brother, card or cash?"