Chapter 25: Apologize!

"Gentle Fist—Eight Trigrams Two Palms!"

Boom!

In the middle of the school corridor, Hyuga Shinzo sent a short-haired boy flying with a powerful strike, his face twisted in disdain. "Someone like you has no right to use taijutsu!"

The crowd erupted into a buzz of chatter.

"Got beat again, poor guy."

"I heard his dad's that infamous Genin, the one who's only good at taijutsu."

"But doesn't the Hyuga clan only use taijutsu too?"

"That's different. The Hyuga's Gentle Fist is the strongest taijutsu in the ninja world!"

"Humph, so what? Didn't he get beaten up by Uchiha Fūka yesterday and wet his pants?"

"Wait, what? Is that true?"

"Yeah, I heard he wet himself, though I didn't see it."

"It's true. His pants were all wet, and it stank. Fūka didn't even bother doing the reconciliation seal with him."

Shinzo's moment of triumph was cut short as he overheard his classmates gossiping. His eyes widened, and, well, turned even whiter.

"Shut up! You guys don't know anything!" Shinzo screamed, his face turning red as he threatened them. "If anyone mentions that again, I'll shut them up for good!"

As expected, nobody dared to push back. The Hyuga clan had a heavy presence in the village.

Then, Fūka strolled over, unfazed by the tense atmosphere. He reached out and helped the boy up from the ground. The kid's unmistakably thick eyebrows confirmed his identity—it was none other than the future "Green Beast of Konoha," Might Guy!

"Uchiha Fūka!!"

Seeing his rival, Shinzo's blood boiled, or rather, his eyes got even whiter.

"That's me," Fūka replied nonchalantly, turning to Guy. "You okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," Guy gasped, clutching his side. "Thanks."

Fūka did some quick mental math. Guy was Kakashi's age, so he was only about five years old right now. His taijutsu skills were still in their infancy.

"Fūka, you better not think you can get away with framing me by splashing water on my pants! I've been over that trick since I was four!" Shinzo shouted, trying to cover up his embarrassment.

"Wow, so proud of yourself?" Fūka smirked at him.

The crowd burst into laughter.

Shinzo turned beet red again, not sure if it was from anger or embarrassment.

"Quiet, all of you! Shut up!" Shinzo tried to rein in the situation, but the more he shouted, the louder the laughter grew.

Ignoring him, Fūka turned back to Guy. "Hey, what's your name?"

"M-Might Guy," the boy stammered, "But you can call me Guy."

"Guy, huh?" Fūka nodded. "So why did Shinzo pick a fight with you?"

"Are you trying to stand up for this loser?" Shinzo cut in, "Don't think I'm scared of you, Uchiha Fūka!"

Fūka didn't even bother to respond.

Guy glanced nervously between Shinzo and Fūka before answering, "It's because I'm training to be a taijutsu user."

"Taijutsu, huh?" Fūka mused, fully aware that Guy would one day be the best taijutsu master in the world.

"You've got no right to practice taijutsu!" Shinzo shouted. "You don't even understand what taijutsu is!"

"My taijutsu was taught to me by my father!" Guy shot back, his fists clenched in frustration.

"That loser Genin's taijutsu doesn't count!" Shinzo sneered, his sense of superiority returning. "The Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist is the only real taijutsu!"

Guy bit his lip, unable to find a comeback.

Fūka placed a reassuring hand on Guy's shoulder. "Listen, the world is always changing. Just because something's number one now doesn't mean it always will be. Guy, I believe you can surpass the Gentle Fist and create your own taijutsu style."

Guy's eyes lit up with newfound determination. "Yeah! My dad says the same thing! He always tells me that youth is for burning, and passion is for spending!"

He flashed a brilliant smile, and it was almost as if the sun itself was shining behind him.

Fūka's eye twitched. Was this kid already like this?

Then, turning to Shinzo, Fūka commanded, "Apologies to Guy."

"What?" Shinzo couldn't believe his ears. "You want me to apologize to him? You've got to be kidding me! Who do you think you are? Who do you think he is? Do you know what it means to ask a member of the Hyuga clan to apologize? It's impossible!"

Shinzo might have only been a branch member of the Hyuga family, but his attitude was typical of many of Konoha's elite clans.

Konoha had only been around for about forty years, but the noble clans had already become powerful, controlling vast resources and wielding immense influence. For ordinary ninjas, these clans were almost untouchable. The gap between the classes was growing, and it was inevitable. Among these clans, the Uchiha and Hyuga were the most prominent.

Getting a noble to apologize to a commoner? It might seem like a small thing, but it could be a huge deal.

Shinzo knew that if he apologized to Guy, his father would probably beat him half to death and drag him to the main family to beg for forgiveness.

"The Hyuga clan is one of the noble clans that has always provided Konoha with elite taijutsu users. We protect the village and the Land of Fire, making countless sacrifices in the First and Second Shinobi Wars. Our clan has produced many heroes who died defending our future. But..." Fūka looked at Shinzo with sorrowful eyes, his voice heavy with sarcasm, "If those heroes could see what their descendants have become, wouldn't they be heartbroken?"

"You… what nonsense are you spouting!" Shinzo's panic was evident, his usual arrogance shattered.

"Beating up a fellow student in public, insulting his taijutsu, and refusing to admit any fault with pride on your face. Shinzo, do you think you're honoring your ancestors? The heroes of the First and Second Wars? Or is this the Hyuga family's teaching?"

Shinzo was paralyzed with fear. He was just a six-year-old, but even he knew the damage these words could do to the Hyuga family's reputation. If this got out, it could turn the common ninjas against them, tarnishing the Hyuga name.

"No, no, it's not like that! You're lying!" Shinzo tried to defend himself, but his voice was weak, and no one believed him.

Fūka stared at him coolly.

The entire class had fallen silent. Most of them... were from ordinary families.

Finally, Shinzo couldn't hold out any longer. He shuffled over to Guy, shaking, and through gritted teeth, he muttered, "I'm sorry."

"Didn't hear you," Fūka said.

"I'M SORRY!!!" Shinzo bellowed.

Fūka snorted. "If an apology could fix everything, why would Konoha need the Police Force?"

Shinzo felt like his head was about to explode. This was the worst. Fūka made him apologize, and now he was saying it didn't even matter. How was that fair?

Tears welled up in Shinzo's eyes. He turned and bolted from the scene, crying all the way.

"Wow, kids these days are so soft. A few words and they're in tears." Fūka shrugged innocently. "You all saw it, right? I didn't touch him. He cried on his own."

The other students gave him a mix of looks, but many of the commoner kids were now eyeing him with newfound respect.

Especially Guy, who was looking at him like he was some kind of hero.

Fūka didn't feel particularly satisfied. He waved his hand dismissively. "Alright, the show's over. Class is starting soon anyway."