Chapter 17: I Lost.

Hyuga Sora!

The name spoken by Teacher Yinsui resonated clearly in the ears of every student present. Almost simultaneously, everyone's attention was focused on a student standing at the front of the line.

This student, named Hyuga Sora, wore a white Daoist robe. Their black long hair was casually tied behind their back, and a white cloth was wrapped around their forehead. However, the most striking feature was their pale eyes without irises, as if unable to focus.

Hyuga Sora belonged to the Hyuga clan.

One could tell from the name alone.

What shocked these students was that Hyuga Sora possessed formidable strength, ranking among the top three in the class. Most of the time, they were second only to Namikaze Minato, a presence no one wanted to face in simulated battles.

Originally, these students thought Hyuga Sora's opponent might be Namikaze Minato, but they didn't expect it to be the almost inconspicuous Araki.

In that instant,

These students breathed a sigh of relief.

Such a situation meant that they wouldn't have to face Hyuga Sora in the simulated battle, which was considered a very fortunate outcome for them.

Correspondingly...

Many students felt regretful that they didn't have the opportunity to encounter Araki and earn a chance to showcase their abilities.

In their eyes, Araki was an easy target, someone they could easily take down.

"Yes."

Hyuga Sora calmly spoke and then took a step forward. In their pale eyes, there was a profound and meaningful gaze.

In fact,

Hyuga Sora also had a favorable impression of Kushina, even before class started. He had noticed Kushina's gaze and wanted to teach Araki a lesson, but he had no chance.

If it were any other student in the class, they could have confronted Araki after class or at the end of the day. But as a member of the Hyuga clan, a prestigious and renowned family in Konoha, he couldn't afford to do such a thing.

However...

What Hyuga Sora didn't expect was...

He had the rare opportunity to engage in a simulated battle with Araki!

This was simply the best thing that could happen!

Not only could he vent his dissatisfaction with Araki, but he could also showcase his skills under Kushina's gaze and let the entire class see it.

This opportunity was too rare!

Hyuga Sora stepped forward from the line, his gaze fixed on Araki. He felt no nervousness in his heart; he already regarded Araki as a lamb to be slaughtered.

"Let's get started."

Teacher Yinsui nodded towards Hyuga Sora. He had his own plans regarding the current simulated battle.

After all, he wasn't very clear about Araki's strength and couldn't confirm it precisely, but he knew Araki had some mental issues.

According to this reasoning, he still had to consider Araki's emotional state and avoid causing too much inner turmoil.

In that case...

He thought it was the most suitable choice to have one of the top three students in the class be Araki's opponent. As long as he was present, there wouldn't be any unexpected incidents in the simulated battle.

This way, Araki would be in a stable losing situation.

He believed that this would, to some extent, preserve Araki's dignity.

It wouldn't be embarrassing for anyone in the class to lose to Hyuga Sora.

Teacher Yinsui had put a lot of thought into this simulated battle, which led to the current situation.

...

Under the students' watchful gaze,

Araki stood facing Hyuga Sora, side by side, without any expression on their faces.

"Araki, let me see what kind of strength you have now!"

A slight smirk appeared on Hyuga Sora's lips. He was very satisfied with the current situation and could take the opportunity to teach Araki a lesson.

If you have to blame someone, blame yourself!

You've just offended Kushina!

Even if it's not me facing you in this battle, anyone else would teach you a lesson!

Hyuga Sora silently muttered to himself in his mind, then raised his right hand. He extended his index finger and middle finger, forming a hand seal—it was the Opposing Seal.

Hyuga Sora had finished forming the seal.

However, Araki remained motionless.

Araki wasn't interested in this kind of battle. In the past, he had always been dismissive and did his best to go through the motions. The process of going through the motions was just a bit troublesome.

He had to control his power and accurately gauge his opponent's strength, keeping himself at a moderate level.

This is a technical task!

Araki must ensure that he doesn't lose to weaker opponents and can't defeat stronger opponents either, or it would disrupt the hierarchy and raise doubts about his fighting ability.

The simplest and most straightforward rule is that if A's strength is greater than B's, Araki can make sure his fighting ability falls between A and B. However, he cannot defeat A but lose to B, as that would undermine his displayed fighting ability.

However...

Facing Hyuga Sora...

Araki didn't have such worries!

After all, Hyuga Sora was a member of the prestigious Hyuga clan in Konoha and one of the top three students in the class. Araki's displayed strength was nowhere near enough to defeat him.

There was no need to put on an act.

Just be straightforward.

Araki wasn't interested in this simulated battle that might expose his true strength. Now, with Hyuga Sora as his opponent, it was actually the best choice for him.

At that moment,

under the watchful eyes of the students,

Araki didn't form the Seal of Confrontation that he should have before the simulated battle. Instead, he directly formed the Seal of Reconciliation, which would be displayed after a fight.

Araki made a hook-like gesture with his hand, aiming it towards the fingers of Hyuga Sora, who was forming the Seal of Confrontation. The entire process left everyone in the audience dumbfounded.

Every student, including Hyuga Sora, Teacher Yinsui, and Uzumaki Kushina, stared in astonishment at Araki, not knowing what he was up to.

"I surrender."

Araki's voice sounded calm as his finger hooked onto Hyuga Sora's. He didn't deliberately portray any difficulty in speaking at this moment. That aspect would eventually be abandoned, and he could start gradually.

"What?!"

Hyuga Sora was dumbfounded. He was still just a child with limited life experiences. He only knew that a simulated battle meant fighting, but he had never seen someone declare their defeat before the fight even began. He was a bit bewildered.

"I'm not your opponent."

Araki added another statement before releasing his hooked hand from Hyuga Sora's. He then turned and walked back towards the line, his expression unchanged. He showed no signs of sadness or shame after losing, as if he didn't care about the simulated battle at all.