24 Chapter 24: Isao’s Big Brother

"The practical class starts in 10 minutes," the sensei announced before leaving the classroom.

Most of the boys, favoring practical classes, became noticeably more animated at the prospect, filling the room with chatter as soon as the sensei departed.

Mirim occasionally glanced in Nawaki's direction, seemingly eager for their upcoming duel.

The girls, however, looked at Nawaki for different reasons. In recent days, Nawaki had grown taller; his already handsome face had matured slightly, and his smile had become both charming and adorable.

Isao Uchiha also cast a few glances at Nawaki, but his gaze bore a hint of animosity, tinged with something more complex.

Unable to contain himself, Isao slammed his hands on the table. "Humph, Nawaki, you don't know the vastness of the skies!" he declared scornfully, loud enough for everyone in the vicinity to hear.

"Mmm? What's with him?" Kushina asked, gesturing towards the irate Uchiha. "Did a goat hit him on the head?"

The room erupted in laughter at Kushina's comment, except for Isao, whose irritation only grew.

"Pfft," many of the girls muttered, visibly annoyed by Isao's behavior.

Who does he think he is?

Are they all so arrogant just because they were defeated by Nawaki?

And what did Isao mean by saying Nawaki didn't understand the vastness of the heavens?

Isao's face had become so red that even his bald head seemed to glow like a bright cherry.

Undeterred by his flushed appearance, Isao continued to point at Nawaki and declared arrogantly, "Nawaki, just you wait. After class, my brother, who's just returned from a mission, will teach you a lesson you'll never forget in your life!"

Those who knew Isao's brother reacted with surprise and even looked at Nawaki with sympathy.

Isao's brother had been away on a mission for some time. "By the way, Isao's brother is a Chunin."

"Don't you know? I heard he returned without completing his mission."

"Haha, is he frustrated and planning to take his anger out on Nawaki?"

"Man, I hate people like that! Can he still consider himself a Chunin-level ninja after such a failure?"

The discussion grew intense. Those familiar with Isao's brother through their families were aware that his mission had been unsuccessful. It was supposed to be a simple escort mission for a wealthy family to another village, but out of five family members, only one survived...

"This guy is really mean, Nawaki. Why don't you ask your sister to teach his brother a lesson?" Kushina suggested.

Upon hearing the red-haired girl's suggestion, Isao's body trembled. Everyone knew that Nawaki's sister was the most formidable kunoichi in the village.

"You...!" Isao was visibly shaken, his entire body quivering as he pointed his index finger at Kushina. "Outsider, stay out of this!"

"Crystal Ball, who are you calling an outsider, huh?" Nawaki finally reacted, displaying a hint of emotion.

At that moment, Nawaki approached with a calm smile.

"Stay away!" Isao instinctively stepped back.

"What's the matter, crystal ball?" Nawaki continued smiling. "Tell me, why are you calling a guest of the Senju Clan an outsider? You're quite bold, aren't you? Are you suggesting that my grandmother is also an outsider?"

"No… I didn't mean that…! And, I'm not a crystal ball!" Isao tried to maintain a tough facade, but the fear in his heart grew as Nawaki neared him with that seemingly gentle smile.

It was at this moment that the sensei returned.

"What happened while I was away?" The sensei, noticing the odd atmosphere, inquired.

No one seemed eager to respond.

The sensei, whose hair was mostly hidden beneath a cloth adorned with a silver ninja protector, scratched his brown hair and announced, "Okay, I don't know what happened, but it's time for the practical class. Let's head to the courtyard."

"Yes!" The response was unanimous this time.

Nawaki, who had been close to confronting Isao, paused beside him: "Go home and bring a bottle, you scared little boy."

Isao shuddered. He wanted to retort, but the intimidating look in Nawaki's eyes rendered him speechless.

Sensei departed, followed by the other students.

Isao remained in the classroom until Nawaki left. He took a deep breath, his mind brimming with resentment. 'You'll regret this, Nawaki! My big brother will make sure of that!'

Comforted by the thought of his older brother confronting Nawaki, Isao's mood slightly improved. He snapped at his classmates, who were watching him, "What are you looking at? Do you want a beating too?"

"Oh, the crystal ball is getting edgy~"

"Haha, crystal ball, don't be like that."

"Come on, crystal ball, we're all friends here, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, we're all classmates, crystal ball. You're not going to get your brother to hit us too, are you?"

"Seriously, what a coward. He can't win on his own, so he runs to his big brother."

"Tsk, tsk. Typical crystal ball!"

"Don't call me a crystal ball!!" Isao shouted in frustration, but his protests fell on deaf ears.

Feeling suffocated by the laughter and teasing, Isao struggled to breathe.

The classroom erupted in laughter.

Unable to bear it any longer, Isao hastily left the room.

On the training ground, the first duel was between Mirim and Nawaki.

"Let's have a good fight," Mirim said as he extended his hand to Nawaki.

Nawaki shook his hand in agreement: "Yes."

Once the duel began, Nawaki did not use his full strength.

Mirim was proficient in taijutsu, delivering sharp attacks. However, he left many openings, which Nawaki exploited one after another.

Gradually, Mirim began to close these gaps. Nearly 10 minutes into the duel, he showed significantly fewer vulnerabilities.

Nawaki continued to target any openings, not exerting much force, but his strikes were still impactful.

Mirim, though, seemed to appreciate the challenge. Not because he enjoyed the pain, but because he recognized the rapid improvement in his skills.

Even though he was a bit naive, he understood that Nawaki was aiding his progress.

The duel lasted almost 20 minutes before Mirim was finally bested.

"Thanks...!" Mirim bowed respectfully towards Nawaki.

The spectators responded with applause.

"That duel was nice, but a little odd, right?"

"Idiot, Nawaki was holding back. That's why Mirim improved so much in such a short time."

Hearing this, many students turned towards Nawaki with a look of keen interest.

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