NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 9: ch9
As the saying goes, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," and Kurenai Yuhi is no exception.
Ethan Uchiha's words, meant as casual bravado, sounded like motivation to Kurenai, inspiring her to try harder.
The two were like different channels, unable to connect properly.
For Ethan, Kurenai's interpretation was irrelevant.
He felt a twinge of melancholy as he completed his display of bravado, surprisingly earning 666 pretending points in the process.
Could it be he had been mistaken about how his surroundings impacted his gains from pretense?
The crowd was just a group of students, with the strongest being Teacher Seikou Kamikawa, a Chūnin.
As he contemplated this, Asuma Sarutobi stood up.
"Ethan Uchiha, I challenge you."
His anger flared when he noticed Kurenai's gaze on Ethan. As the son of the Hokage, he felt he should be the center of attention, not someone like Ethan.
Feeling unsatisfied, he confronted Ethan.
"Are you even worthy?"
Ethan's dismissive response made Asuma feel mocked.
It was too much to bear.
"You owe it," he snapped, charging at Ethan.
Ethan observed Asuma's approach, ready to counterattack, recognizing the flaws in Asuma's technique.
Instead of ending the fight quickly, he dodged Asuma's attacks with ease, viewing it as an opportunity to showcase his skills.
"You call that strength?" Ethan taunted, effortlessly avoiding punches and kicks.
This only fueled Asuma's anger, especially since he couldn't land a hit while Kurenai watched.
Despite being the son of the Hokage, Asuma had a lot to learn. His technique, even if taught by his father, was no match for Ethan's skill.
Asuma was just a five-year-old, and the difference between his abilities and those of his father was glaring.
Meanwhile, Obito Uchiha secretly cheered for Asuma, motivated by his own feelings for Rin Nohara, who admired Ethan.
Though he wanted to confront Ethan, he recognized his own limitations, especially since he had seen Ethan activate his Two Tomoe Sharingan.
So, he chose to support Asuma from a distance instead of risking a direct confrontation.
After dodging numerous attacks, Ethan seized the moment and executed a flawless over-the-shoulder throw on Asuma.
As Asuma fell, Ethan raised his hand to the sky and proclaimed, "My grandfather once said that anyone I want to defeat will be defeated by me, even the son of the Hokage."
This declaration, paired with the sight of Asuma being thrown down, made him appear extremely pretentious.
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In the shadows, Isaac Uchiha and Hiruzen Sarutobi observed quietly.
"Unexpectedly, you actually said something like that, Isaac," Hiruzen remarked, puffing on his pipe.
Isaac responded firmly, "No, I'm sure I never said that. It must be something my grandson made up."
This realization frustrated Isaac, as he felt the urge to reprimand his grandson.
He had seen sons deceive their fathers and vice versa, but this was the first time he encountered a grandson undermining his grandfather.
What was worse, he was being implicated in the process.
Not only did Ethan defeat the son of the Hokage, but he also invoked his grandfather's name. Wasn't that just asking for trouble?
Isaac decided he would have to teach his grandson a lesson when he returned home.
Otherwise, he couldn't fathom why his grandson would say, "My grandfather once said..." and create unnecessary complications.