Chương 8: Fire

The training field erupted into a chaos of astonished and confused voices.

"This is impossible!" someone shouted.

"How can an ordinary fist stop shuriken? Wyatt must have used some kind of ninjutsu, but... which one? I didn't see him form any seals!"

The students looked at each other, searching for answers. Even the master couldn't hide his amazement at what he had just witnessed.

Logic dictated that those shuriken, even without an edge, should have caused considerable damage to Wyatt's skin.

The force with which they were thrown, combined with a child's tender skin, should have resulted in visible wounds. However, Wyatt remained intact, without a scratch.

What no one knew was that Armament Haki was a momentary ability, almost impossible to detect for most of those present.

But there were exceptions.

Minato, with his keen perception, had noticed something. A subtle but significant change at the moment of impact.

Among the crowd, students from the Hyuga clan observed with their Byakugan activated. Their eyes, detecting the flow of chakra in Wyatt's body.

What they saw left them stunned: at the moment of impact, the strength throughout Wyatt's body had experienced an explosive and sudden increase.

"What kind of power is that?" they silently wondered, exchanging confused looks.

"Excellent!" shouted Kushina, her face lit up. "Wyatt-kun, teach that arrogant fool a lesson!"

Her words seemed to break the spell of amazement that had fallen over the spectators.

Weeknd, for his part, struggled to maintain his composure.

Anger began to boil inside him, fueled by the humiliation of seeing his attack so easily neutralized.

"You think you can beat me with a cheap trick?" he spat, his voice laden with disdain. "Arrogant boy! I'll show you the true power of the Uchiha Clan!"

With a fluid movement, he drew a kunai, his hand steady despite his evident agitation.

But the most impressive thing was the change in his eyes. The scarlet pupils of the Sharingan manifested, a single black tomoe slowly spinning in each eye.

Awakening the Sharingan at such an early age was a remarkable achievement, proof of Weeknd's innate talent.

Wyatt, aware of the danger the Sharingan represented, didn't allow himself to lower his guard. With a movement, he drew his own kunai from his ninja pouch.

"In front of my eyes, all your Taijutsu and ninjutsu are just a joke!"

An evil laugh escaped his lips as he launched himself at Wyatt with the speed of a fired arrow.

His confidence was reasonable; with the Sharingan activated, he was sure he would crush Wyatt effortlessly.

However, Wyatt remained impassive. Instead of retreating, he prepared for the confrontation.

This time, he channeled his Armament Haki to the surface of his own kunai.

"Go to hell!" roared Weeknd, with fury as he approached.

At that critical moment, Wyatt activated his Observation Haki.

The world around him seemed to slow down.

Every movement of Weeknd, every tension in his muscles, became visible with astonishing clarity.

Whoosh!

Weeknd's kunai cut through the air where Wyatt had been an instant before. Thanks to his Observation Haki, he had managed to dodge the attack by millimeters.

Without losing a second, he counterattacked. His kunai, reinforced with Haki, described a perfect arc in the air.

Clang!

The metallic sound resonated throughout the field when the two weapons clashed.

The force of the impact was devastating. Weeknd's kunai, unable to withstand the power of the blow, flew out of his hand with a sharp whistle.

"Aaargh!" Weeknd screamed, the force of the impact reverberating throughout his body. The young man was thrown backward, his feet losing contact with the ground.

Thud!

Landing heavily, rolling several times before stopping.

He lay there, stunned and panting, an image that contrasted brutally with his previous arrogance.

The training field fell into an astonished silence.

The spectators, from the students to the master, observed Wyatt with amazement and confusion.

The Armament Haki that Wyatt had used had not only protected his weapon but had also amplified the force of his blow without causing lethal injuries.

But what really left everyone speechless was Wyatt's ability to counter the Sharingan. The Uchiha clan's doujutsu, famous for its ability to predict and see through any movement, had been completely ineffective against Wyatt.

The master, in particular, was stunned. He had always considered Wyatt an average student, with mediocre talent at best.

But today's demonstration had pulverized that perception.

"Well done, Wyatt!" Kushina's enthusiastic voice sounded, deliberately ignoring Weeknd's humiliated expression.

Minato, for his part, observed Wyatt intensely, "That evasion wasn't a coincidence," he murmured. "It was the most perfect attack. A truly powerful combat intuition."

His eyes shone with admiration. He was convinced that the way Wyatt had dodged the attack was not a product of chance. It had been a calculated move, based on a perception of danger that went beyond normal senses.

With wounded pride and fury burning in his eyes, Weeknd suddenly stood up.

"The Uchiha clan cannot be humiliated!" he roared.

Despite the trembling in his hands, he began to form seals at a rapid speed. The eyes of the spectators opened in horror as they recognized the sequence.

"Fire Element: Great Fireball Jutsu"

Fwoosh!

Suddenly, his chest swelled like a balloon, and his cheeks puffed out. With a deafening roar, a huge fireball, almost a meter in diameter, shot out of his mouth.

Whoosh!

The scorching heat of the technique made the temperature of the field instantly skyrocket. The air rippled with heat waves, and the closest students instinctively backed away.

The Great Fireball was a C-level ninjutsu, a technique that was supposed to be beyond the reach of Academy students.

It was a skill reserved for Chūnin.

Jutsu levels are classified as follows:

S, A, B, C, D, and E.

Level E: Basic techniques taught at the Academy.

Level D: Jutsus commonly used by Genin.

Level C: More advanced techniques, generally mastered by Chūnin.

Weeknd, still being an Academy student, has managed to master a C-level ninjutsu, an impressive feat for someone his age. However, this doesn't imply that he possesses the overall strength of a Chūnin.

The use of this advanced technique almost completely depletes his chakra, leaving him exhausted after executing it.

But here at the Academy, Weeknd isn't concerned about his own safety at all!

On the other hand, Wyatt, a refugee from another village, finds himself in a vulnerable position.

What did it matter if he was burned to death?

"Impossible!" someone in the crowd murmured.

The master, his face pale with horror, realized too late. "Damn it, this brat!" he exclaimed, moving to intervene, but knowing in his heart that he wouldn't make it in time.

"Wyatt-kun!" Kushina's desperate cry sounded in everyone's ears.

Tears of fear fell from her eyes as she watched the fireball approach her friend.

"Do I hide... or not?" Wyatt thought calmly.

He knew he had the speed to dodge the attack, but something inside him rebelled against the idea of backing down.

With a determination that surprised all those present, he adopted a firm stance.

His feet separated slightly, like an archer tensing his bow. His arms flexed, moving closer to his body, while his fists closed with determination.

"What is he going to do?"

"He's going to face a C-rank ninjutsu head-on!"

"He's crazy!"

Murmurs of disbelief and amazement spread among the spectators.

Wyatt took a deep breath, his pupils dilating as he concentrated intensely.

In his mind, a single phrase resonated strongly:

"Let's fully release the Haki!"

With a roar, he launched his two fists directly at the Great Fireball.

Weeknd, sure of his victory, mocked, "Hahaha, ignorant! It's too foolish to resist the Great Fireball with your physical body!"

But his laughter was abruptly cut off when he saw what happened next.

The flames enveloped Wyatt's young and slim body. For a moment, it seemed that the fire had consumed him completely.

But then, something incredible happened.

From among the flames, a fist emerged. It wasn't an ordinary fist; it seemed to be made of shiny black iron.

This fist pierced through the fireball as if it were paper, dispersing the flames in its path.

"WEEKND!"

A shout resonated throughout the field.

Like a fire god emerging from the flames of hell, Wyatt appeared.

His body was covered in a metallic black glow, the Armament Haki protecting him from the scorching fire.

His intensely glowing eyes were fixed on his target.

Before Weeknd could react, a fist connected with his abdomen.

Crack!

The crunch of breaking ribs resonated, followed by a choked cry from Weeknd.

The Uchiha was thrown backward, his eyes blank with pain and surprise.

He fell to the ground, unconscious, a thread of saliva escaping from his lips.

The silence that followed was absolute. No one moved, no one spoke. All eyes were fixed on Wyatt, who remained standing, surrounded by the scattered remains of the Great Fireball.