Chapter 20: Ball Beaker/Husband Stealer

Chapter 20 - Ball Beaker/Husband Stealer After the lunch break, the students gathered back at the training ground. Utakata was already standing in place, his usual neutral expression unreadable. Once everyone had settled, he began speaking. "I will be calling one pair at a time. When your name is called, step forward and perform the Seal of Confrontation before the fight begins." The students listened attentively. "The winner is decided when either of the two gives up or when I deem the fight too dangerous to continue." "Only taijutsu is allowed. No weapons, no ninjutsu." "Once the fight is over, you are to perform the Seal of Reconciliation. If any of you happen to forget, I will personally make sure you learn how to do it properly." Ren noted the way Utakata's eyes lingered on some of the clan children, particularly the Uchiha and Inuzuka and he could tellthe warning was directed at certain students who might refuse to acknowledge defeat. Utakata glanced at his roster and called out the first pair. "Eiji Nakamura and Izumi Uchiha." Eiji grinned, practically bouncing forward. On the other side, a young girl with long brown hair and a purple shirt bearing the Uchiha symbol stepped into the ring. Her eyes were calm, but her frequent glances at Itachi did not go unnoticed. Ren smirked. "She's more focused on impressing him than winning the fight." Utakata spoke. "Do the Seal of Confrontation." Both formed the half-tiger seal and clasped hands briefly. "Begin." The moment Utakata stepped back, both fighters instinctively jumped backward, creating distance. Then, at the same time, they rushed toward each other. Izumi struck first, throwing a fast jab aimed at Eiji's chest, but Eiji ducked and countered with a punch to her ribs. Izumi blocked it with her forearm and retaliated instantly with a sweeping kick. Eiji leaped over it, flipping in mid-air, and tried to land a kick on her shoulder. Izumi raised her arms just in time to block, but she stumbled slightly from the impact before quickly regaining her footing. She then closed the distance and pressed forward with sharper, more aggressive attacks. A left hook came first—Eiji dodged. She feinted to the right before launching a spinning back kick, which landed solidly, sending Eiji sliding back. He caught himself before he could fall, his eyes narrowing in focus. Ren observed closely. Eiji isn't just fast—he's unpredictable. Izumi was stronger and more precise, but Eiji relied on footwork and erratic movements to make his attacks harder to read. When Izumi charged again, Eiji had already adapted. He ducked under her punch, rolled to the side, and spun behind her. Before she could react, he delivered a powerful kick to her back, making her stumble forward. Seeing the opportunity, Eiji feinted left and struck from the right, landing a clean punch to her stomach. Izumi gasped, stepping back to recover, but Eiji didn't let up. A second punch hit her ribs, followed by a third strike to her shoulder. Izumi grimaced, trying to counter, but her movements had slowed considerably. Utakata kept a close watch, ready to intervene if necessary. Eiji saw the opening and twisted his body, sweeping Izumi's legs out from under her. She fell backward, hitting the ground hard, and before Eiji could press further, Izumi exhaled sharply and raised her hand. "I... I give up." Utakata stepped forward. "Winner—Eiji Nakamura." Eiji grinned, offering Izumi a hand. She hesitated, but took it, letting him pull her up. Then, without needing to be reminded— They both performed the Seal of Reconciliation. Utakata nodded in approval. "Return to your positions." Eiji jogged back to his spot, a wide smile on his face. As he passed Ren, he whispered— "Told ya I'm fast." Ren smirked. "Not bad, thief. You might actually be worth training with." Eiji scoffed. "Might? I am worth training with!" Their banter was interrupted when Utakata called out— Utakata's voice rang out across the training ground. "Ren Takahashi and Itachi Uchiha." Ren stepped forward, his expression calm and composed. He glanced at Itachi, expecting to meet his gaze, but instead saw him looking at Eiji. A thought crossed Ren's mind. 'Is he actually petty enough to rough him up later?' But then, he shook his head. 'No, he's probably just feeling weird seeing Izumi upset but doesn't really understand what that feeling is.' Itachi stepped into the ring with the same impassive look he always wore. The moment both boys faced each other, Utakata spoke again. "Do the Seal of Confrontation." Ren and Itachi clasped hands, forming the half-tiger seal. "Begin." The second Utakata stepped back, both fighters moved simultaneously. Itachi took the initiative, stepping forward with a sharp jab aimed at Ren's shoulder. Ren sidestepped smoothly and countered with a quick strike to Itachi's ribs. Itachi twisted just enough for the punch to graze him before retaliating with a palm strike toward Ren's chest. Ren met it with his own palm, both of them pushing against each other briefly before disengaging. Neither backed down. Ren launched a low kick at Itachi's shin, but Itachi raised his foot just in time to avoid it and spun into a high kick toward Ren's head. Ren leaned back, avoiding the blow by inches before closing the distance again. He feinted a right hook before shifting into a left elbow strike, but Itachi caught his arm mid-motion and attempted to sweep Ren's legs out from under him. Ren twisted midair, landing on his hands before flipping back onto his feet. The exchange continued at a rapid pace. Their movements were precise, measured, and calculated. Every attack was countered, every strike dodged, and every opening immediately closed off. For the first minute, they were completely even. Then Itachi took it up a notch. He stepped in closer, his movements suddenly becoming sharper and faster. His punches came in quick, controlled bursts—each one aimed at a vital point. Ren managed to dodge, but Itachi adjusted mid-attack, following up with a spinning kick toward Ren's ribs. Ren barely avoided it by twisting his body at an unnatural angle, his feet skimming the ground as he regained balance. Itachi's strikes were now unrelenting, pushing Ren further back. But despite the overwhelming pressure, Ren wasn't getting hit. Every time Itachi thought he had an opening, Ren moved in an unpredictable way. Instead of standard dodging patterns, he twisted his body at odd angles, ducked at strange timings, and maneuvered in ways that seemed almost random. It was frustratingly difficult to land a clean hit. Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly as he adjusted again, stepping up his speed even more. Ren could feel the shift. He's trying to overwhelm me with pure speed now. Itachi suddenly launched a high-speed punch straight for Ren's face. Ren made his move. Focusing a high amount of chakra into his legs, Ren planted himself firmly onto the ground. Just as Itachi's fist was about to hit him, Ren bent his entire upper body backward, arching his spine at a near-impossible angle. Itachi's punch missed by mere inches, cutting through the air just above Ren's face. At the same moment, Ren spotted an opening. With his center of gravity lowered, he shifted his weight forward and thrust his fist toward the open space between Itachi's legs. It happened in an instant. Before either of them could react, a hand gripped both of their arms. Utakata had flickered into the ring. His grip was firm, holding both their attacks in place. His voice, calm as always, echoed through the field. "Stop. The match is a tie." It was only then that Ren and Itachi realized what had just happened. Itachi's fist was inches away from Ren's face. And Ren's fist was inches away from Itachi's balls. A tense silence filled the training ground. Utakata released their arms, stepping back. "Perform the Seal of Reconciliation." Ren straightened his posture, shaking off the adrenaline, and raised his hand. Itachi, unfazed as ever, did the same. Their fingers clasped together briefly before they both took a step back. Utakata nodded once. "Return to your places." Ren walked back to his spot, his mind still replaying the last few moments. Eiji leaned over, whispering, "I swear, if you had hit him there, the entire Uchiha clan would've been after you." Ren smirked. "Yeah, but I bet the boys would've been thankful." Eiji snorted, trying to hold in his laughter. Meanwhile, Itachi had returned to his own spot, his face still unreadable. But for the first time since joining the Academy, Ren swore he saw the corner of Itachi's lips twitch—just slightly. The fight had ended, but one thing was clear. This wouldn't be their last match. With thirteen more rounds left, the excitement from Ren and Itachi's fight faded quickly as the class refocused on the remaining matches. However, that didn't stop a few girls from glaring at Ren like he had stolen their future husband. The fiercest of them was Izumi Uchiha, her expression dark as if she was one second away from declaring war. If Utakata weren't here, she might have jumped him on the spot. At the same time, Ren noticed something else. A few girls were staring at him with admiration instead of anger. It seemed that his performance had gained him some unexpected attention. Eiji, ever the opportunist, leaned in and whispered, "Looks like you have some fans now." Ren didn't respond. Instead, he made a mental decision. Eiji was getting off too easy in their spars. Next time, Ren would make sure he regretted talking. A sudden shiver ran down Eiji's spine, and he quickly shut his mouth. Among the next fights, the one that stood out most was between Takeda Uchiha and Hitoshi Aburame—the only two students besides Ren and Itachi who had level 10 or higher. Takeda started arrogantly, relying on power and speed, but Hitoshi was unshaken. His movements were minimal, his counters precise. In a matter of moments, he subdued Takeda completely, forcing him into a hold. The match ended quickly. Takeda's face was a mix of frustration and disbelief—a classic Uchiha reaction to losing unexpectedly. Ren wasn't surprised. The Aburame fought like strategists, always thinking several moves ahead. Takeda was strong, but not the strongest. Once all the fights were finished, Utakata had the students sit in a semicircle as he stood before them. His gaze swept over the class, and then he began his feedback. His comments were blunt, direct, and merciless. "Eiji, raise your stamina. Your body won't keep up with your movements otherwise." Eiji nodded, clearly expecting this. "Izumi, nobody likes weak girls. Increase your training." Izumi turned red, a mix of anger and embarrassment. Ren smirked slightly, but quickly wiped it off his face when Utakata's attention turned to him. "Ren, increase your strength training." Ren knew exactly what he meant. He had speed and technique, but against someone with raw power, his lack of strength was a clear weakness. He nodded in understanding. Utakata moved on. "Itachi, only the strength you control is your real strength." Itachi gave a slight nod, as if he had already anticipated the advice. Then, Utakata's tone turned sharper. "Takeda, you are not the strongest." Takeda tensed, clearly not happy but too smart to argue. Finally, Utakata's gaze landed on Hitoshi Aburame. Unlike with the others, his tone shifted slightly. "Hitoshi, good work. Keep doing what you're doing." The class blinked in surprise. Utakata had given no direct praise to anyone else. Hitoshi, for his part, remained completely neutral, simply nodding in acknowledgment. With his evaluations finished, Utakata gave them one last piece of advice. "Keep increasing your battle experience as much as you can. It will serve you well in the future." His eyes swept over the students one last time. "Dismissed." The students rose to their feet, some stretching, some whispering amongst themselves, but all clearly thinking about his words.