Chapter 23: Bullying the Mother and Her Son

So they want me to bully the mother and then her son?

Hearing his name paired with Sasuke's, Zhixiang couldn't help but laugh to himself. With Sasuke's current strength, he probably couldn't even defeat Zhixiang's clone.

The only thing that concerned him was the potential fallout. If he beat Sasuke, would Uchiha Mikoto refuse to let him sleep with her? That would be a significant loss.

Besides, Zhixiang suspected the teachers set up this match on purpose to see who was stronger.

Sasuke Uchiha stepped into the ring first, hands in his pockets, looking cool and collected. His mere presence earned squeals of admiration from the girls.

"Go, Sasuke!"

"Sasuke-kun is so handsome!"

Sakura Haruno led the cheers, which only irritated the boys nearby.

"Shut up!" they shouted. "You're so annoying."

Unable to bear the noise, Sasuke snapped at them. "Enough! Be quiet!"

"Tch, just because he's good-looking..." Naruto Uzumaki grumbled. Being the class clown and failing the first round, seeing his rival Sasuke so adored only fueled his frustration. "Zhixiang, beat that arrogant jerk!"

"Zhixiang-kun, good luck..." Hinata Hyuga whispered, her face reddening as she quietly cheered him on.

Only Ino Yamanaka, standing beside her, heard. "Hinata is so shy. I want to tease her so much," Ino thought mischievously.

She hugged Hinata and whispered in her ear, "You need to cheer louder."

Then Ino raised her voice, "Zhixiang, Hinata says if you beat Sasuke, she'll be your girlfriend!"

The entire class turned to stare at her, jaws dropping. Ino immediately regretted her words but held her ground, defiant.

Zhixiang stumbled slightly as he walked into the ring, turning to look at the two girls. He knew Hinata would never say something like that. It had to be Ino's doing.

Hinata, mortified, turned bright red and fainted on the spot.

"Oh no, I was just kidding, Hinata, don't faint!" Ino panicked, catching her friend.

"She's fine, just fainted," Iruka said, appearing beside Hinata in a flash. Sighing in relief, he knew he couldn't let anything happen to the Hyuga heiress.

Then, glaring at Ino, he barked, "Ino, if you cause more trouble, you'll run ten laps around the school!"

"I'm sorry, Iruka-sensei," Ino pouted, trying to look remorseful.

"Humph!" Iruka turned to Sasuke and Zhixiang. "You two, start now."

Naruto immediately began cheering for Sasuke, "Sasuke, beat that guy with a girlfriend!"

Seeing Zhixiang with a supposed girlfriend was too much for Naruto. He joined the chorus of boys now cheering for Sasuke out of sheer jealousy.

"Sasuke, take him down!"

"Beat that jerk, Sasuke!"

Meanwhile, the girls led by Sakura continued their support for Sasuke, making Zhixiang feel like the world was against him.

With a resigned sigh, Zhixiang glared at Ino, who sheepishly avoided his gaze.

"Fine, let's get this over with," Zhixiang muttered, pulling out a shuriken and throwing it at Sasuke.

Sasuke easily blocked it with a kunai, then pulled out ten shuriken and launched them at Zhixiang while rushing forward, kunai in hand, aiming for a quick finish.

Zhixiang admired Sasuke's tactical acumen but knew he was underestimating his opponent again, a mistake he often made.

As the shuriken approached, a swarm of insects flew out from Zhixiang's gourd, intercepting each projectile with precise coordination. The crowd gasped in awe.

Zhixiang then engaged Sasuke in close combat, blocking his fierce attacks with a single kunai. Despite Sasuke's impressive agility and skill, Zhixiang's insect-enhanced movements kept him on the defensive.

The students watching were amazed at the intensity of the fight. Compared to their matches, this was on a whole different level.

"Go, Sasuke!"

"You're the best, Sasuke!"

Sakura and the girls cheered louder, enthralled by Sasuke's fluid movements.

Despite the support, Sasuke was frustrated. His relentless attacks weren't breaking Zhixiang's defense. With a determined grunt, he leapt back and began forming hand seals.

"Rat - Ox - Monkey - Boar..." 

Zhixiang recognized the seals. "He's using Fireball Jutsu."

Iruka and the teachers tensed, ready to intervene if necessary.

In a split second, Zhixiang's insects formed a defensive barrier, anticipating the incoming fire.

Sasuke unleashed a massive fireball, but Zhixiang's insects absorbed the heat, dissipating the flames harmlessly. The students watched in awe, their cheers silenced by the display of power and strategy.

Iruka and the other teachers relaxed, impressed by Zhixiang's quick thinking and control.

The match ended with Zhixiang standing victorious, Sasuke panting heavily but accepting his defeat gracefully.

"Well fought, Zhixiang," Sasuke said, extending his hand.

"You too, Sasuke," Zhixiang replied, shaking it firmly.

The students erupted in applause, impressed by the sportsmanship and skill displayed by both fighters.

As the day ended, Zhixiang felt a sense of accomplishment. He had proven his strength and learned more about his own abilities.