Chapter 25: The Honor of the Clan

Kai's expression became quite peculiar.

Based on Kakashi's understanding of Kai, this guy was probably thinking of something.

But now wasn't the right time for Kakashi to ask.

"Sasuke!"

Kakashi's appearance made Sasuke realize there was no point in continuing.

Moreover, if he pushed further, it would truly disrespect Kakashi, and by then, Kai probably wouldn't hold back.

At his current level, Sasuke was no match for Kai.

"Understood, Kakashi-sensei!"

Sasuke slowly stood up, bowed to Might Guy, and nodded slightly in Lee's direction.

"Thank you for your guidance!"

These two simple actions immediately changed several people's impressions of Sasuke.

It felt like Sasuke was being quite polite, but why had he been so arrogant before?

Could it be that he was only acting this way because his teacher was present?

At that moment, the three suddenly noticed Sasuke smiling.

Kakashi and Kai were equally puzzled. Why was Sasuke smiling out of nowhere?

[Congratulations to the host for successfully reaching the level of an average Genin.]

[Reward obtained: Exceptional Physique.]

[Claim reward?]

The system interface was visible only to Sasuke.

Thus, no one could understand why Sasuke couldn't contain his smile at this moment.

Sasuke's joy was simply too overwhelming to hide.

'I actually did it!'

'So it really was my taijutsu holding me back!'

'Exceptional Physique! Last time, it was Perfect Talent!'

The reward for Perfect Talent had already shown Sasuke what it meant to enter the world of geniuses.

Now, with this Exceptional Physique, he wondered if it would allow him to explode with power.

'It should increase my chakra reserves, right?'

'If my chakra keeps up, leveraging this talent, I might just quickly advance to Kage-level!'

However, now wasn't the time to claim the reward.

For safety, it was better to do so after returning home.

As Neji observed Sasuke's inexplicable laughter, he glanced at Lee, then at their teacher.

Neither Lee nor Guy looked particularly pleased.

Sasuke's smile gave off the impression of mocking them, which was something Neji could not tolerate.

Having been recognized as a genius since childhood, Neji had borne the unshakable burden of the Caged Bird Seal simply because he was born into the branch family.

Sasuke's smile now felt to Neji like the mocking gazes of the main family, sneering at a genius born into the branch family.

"Just a mere Uchiha!"

"What right does he have... to mock us?"

After a moment, Sasuke realized his laughter was ill-timed. He quickly stopped and prepared to leave.

But then

Neji suddenly stepped forward, blocking Sasuke's path.

Kakashi frowned. What is this Hyūga brat planning?

Sasuke, too, was puzzled by being stopped. What's gotten into Hyūga Neji?

"Uchiha... Sasuke!"

Neji slowly called out his name.

Guy, standing nearby, reached out to pull Neji away. "What are you doing, Neji? Step aside!"

"Sensei! I absolutely cannot allow someone to provoke and mock us, then walk away so easily!"

Kakashi interjected, "Hyūga, Sasuke hasn't done anything to"

"Kakashi-sensei," Neji cut him off. "I'm sorry, but this time I cannot back down! This isn't just about our team. It's about something far more important."

He then turned to Sasuke, his gaze intense.

"The Hyūga and the Uchiha are considered the two great clans of Konoha, known for their unique bloodline limits."

"Whether it's the Byakugan or the Sharingan, they're abilities other shinobi in the ninja world covet."

"This time, someone from the Uchiha clan has provoked the Hyūga. If I back down, it would bring shame to my entire clan!"

Hearing Neji's speech, Kakashi immediately felt a headache coming on. Even Guy looked a bit exasperated.

"So, Uchiha Sasuke, do you dare stake your clan's honor and face me in battle?"

A challenge?

Sasuke hadn't expected Neji to step forward and challenge him at this moment.

Challenging me after witnessing my strength? Not bad.

However, to Sasuke, clan honor?

Did he even still have such a thing? The Uchiha clan had been annihilated, leaving only him behind. To carry the weight of a clan was nothing but unnecessary suffering.

"I refuse."

Kakashi, initially unsure how to resolve the situation, was shocked to hear Sasuke decline.

After all, Neji had escalated the matter to a level of clan honor, yet Sasuke still turned him down.

At the same time, Kakashi felt relieved. Sasuke clearly understood when to hold back.

"Hmph! Coward!" Neji sneered.

"Uchiha really isn't that impressive after all!"

Sasuke wasn't going to waste his energy on this guy. Did Neji really think such a low-level provocation would work on him?

[The host's clan has been disrespected and challenged.][Please accept the challenge to prove that the Sharingan is Konoha's strongest bloodline limit.]

[Reward: Advanced Sharingan Training Method.]

[This method allows the Sharingan to evolve continuously while achieving perfect progression.]

Sharingan training method?

The system had something like this? Sasuke had been worrying about how to upgrade his Sharingan and was especially unsure about how to evolve it into the Mangekyō Sharingan.

After all, even if he defeated Itachi, Sasuke doubted he could awaken the Mangekyō. He wasn't the same Sasuke as before; his feelings toward Itachi weren't as deep at most, he admired and respected him.

While Neji fumed over Sasuke's refusal, something unexpected happened.

Sasuke, who had already started to leave, turned back.

"Fine! I accept your challenge!"

Neji was stunned. Wasn't he refusing just a moment ago? Why the sudden change of heart in less than three seconds? What was this guy up to?

Not that it mattered.

"Good! Then one month from now, we'll meet at the Konoha Arena for this fight!" Neji declared. "We'll invite all the shinobi in Konoha to witness which clan is stronger Hyūga or Uchiha!"

Hearing this, Sasuke felt a twinge of regret.

Wait, so we're not fighting now?

What a hassle.

"Well, we could just fight now"

"One month. Don't forget. I'll be waiting."

With that, Neji turned and left, not giving Sasuke a chance to say anything more.

Now it was Sasuke's turn to feel frustrated. Why wait a month? Why not just do it now?

But Neji wasn't foolish. He planned to use the month to train hard. He was determined to catch up to Sasuke, and once he mastered that technique, even Sasuke wouldn't stand a chance against him!

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