Naruto: Reincarnated as a Demon King

----

Shing! Shing! Shing!

A total of six shuriken flew through the air, tracing six arcs that formed a fan-like formation, sealing off Raiden's escape routes!

The Hyūga Clan was renowned worldwide for its Byakugan and Gentle Fist techniques.

However, shuriken throwing was a fundamental skill for all ninjas, and every child in a shinobi family was required to master it.

There was no denying that Shuu lived up to his title as a prodigy of the Hyūga Clan. Both the power and speed of his shuriken were unparalleled among his peers.

The six precisely-aimed shuriken completely blocked Raiden's ability to retreat.

At the same time, Shuu himself was not idle. The shuriken were merely a diversion, meant to prevent Raiden from escaping.

His real finishing move lay in the chakra condensed at his fingertips.

A direct strike to the heart injecting chakra straight into it!

Even if he didn't die, he'd be left crippled!

It was hard to imagine that such a ruthless and lethal attack could come from a mere six-year-old.

"A shuriken blockade, followed by a close-range assault?"

Raiden didn't have the Byakugan or Sharingan, yet he saw through Shuu's strategy at a glance.

The sound of shuriken slicing through the air grew louder as they rapidly closed in.

Raiden, unhurried, extended both hands…

This was the perfect opportunity to test the so-called strongest defence!

The six incoming shuriken sealed off all escape routes, but in reality, only two were truly capable of hitting him. Raiden adjusted his stance, his hands forming a loose grip as he faced the two closest ones.

A flicker of pure black flames ignited at his fingertips.

"Is this bull-headed idiot for real?"

"He's planning to catch Shuriken with his bare hands? Does he think he's a Jōnin?!"

Shuriken attacks relied on rotational force to enhance their cutting power. Against a true master, ordinary shuriken techniques were almost ineffective.

Jōnin were even capable of catching shuriken mid-flight by inserting two fingers into the central hole.

However, Raiden wasn't at that level yet. Even the Chūnin instructor observing from the sidelines wouldn't dare to attempt catching high-speed shuriken with their bare hands.

As everyone watched in shock, Raiden moved his fists.

With a slight flick of both index fingers...

The black flames at his fingertips danced.

Clang! Clang!

The crisp sound of metal striking rang out.

The shuriken… had been deflected?!

Four of the shuriken continued past Raiden, embedding themselves into the ground behind him. However, the two that had been aimed directly at him were sent flying with a mere flick of his fingers!

"What just happened?!"

"Genjutsu?"

"I must be dreaming!"

"How could he—?! He repelled Shuu's shuriken with just two fingers. That's impossible! Shuriken are sharp enough to slice through flesh with ease!"

"And they were spinning at high speed!"

The group of young academy students watching from the sidelines was left utterly dumbfounded.

Even the Chūnin instructor, who had been calmly observing, couldn't hide his shock. He had seen Jōnin perform barehanded blade-catching techniques before but never had he seen a first-year academy student flick away shuriken with such ease!

Among the spectators, only one person had noticed the faint flicker of pure black flames at Raiden's fingertips at the exact moment he deflected the shuriken.

"Was that a Fire Release technique? But… Fire Release isn't supposed to work that way, is it?"

Itachi tilted his head, deep in thought, his usually composed expression momentarily perplexed.

Nearby, Izumi stared at Raiden in astonishment. She knew he had never given up on becoming a ninja, constantly training his body every day.

But this… this was ridiculous!

He flicked away shuriken… with his fingers?!

Those were steel shuriken! Even if they had been made of wood, it would still be enough to break fingers!

"What kind of monster are you?!"

Inside the arena, Shuu was both shocked and furious. If Raiden had merely dodged his attack, he wouldn't have been this shaken.

After all, the shuriken was just a setup, a feint to stop Raiden from escaping.

But to deflect them with nothing but a flick of the fingers?! That was something else entirely!

Raiden flexed his wrists. The Heavy Metal Flame technique was surprisingly useful.

His chakra reserves weren't large, but as long as he concentrated chakra into key areas, he could ignite the black flames when needed.

"Now then… it's time to end this little farce."

Raiden took a sideways step, widening his stance to shoulder-width, firmly grounding himself.

His right hand clenched into a fist at his waist assuming a textbook Straight Punch stance!

Shuu's eyes darkened, a cold glint flashing in his pupils.

"Tch! Does he really think that just because he's fat, he can block my attacks? The Gentle Fist of the Hyūga Clan isn't something mere flesh can withstand!"

Without hesitation, Shuu charged forward. The shuriken had failed to serve their purpose, but so what?

His real attack was now in motion.

In a blink—

Shuu closed the gap, now only three steps away from Raiden.

Their gazes clashed in midair, invisible sparks flying between them.

"Die, you monster!"

A low hum resonated.

Shuu's chakra-infused fingers stabbed directly toward Raiden's heart. He didn't even need to activate his Byakugan or carefully aim so long as his fingers connected, his chakra would do the rest.

Just as Shuu's fingers were about to pierce Raiden's chest, A flicker of pure black flames appeared in the corner of his eye.

A Straight Punch!

A fist aimed directly at his nose!

The pure black Flame coiled around Raiden's knuckles, carried by a burst of whistling wind pressure.

BOOM!

Fist met nose.

A sickening crack echoed the unmistakable sound of bone shattering. Shuu's face collapsed inward as his nose shattered instantly. Blood and snot sprayed into the air.

His body lurched forward from momentum yet his head snapped backwards from the force of the punch.

It was a bizarre sight.

Shuu's body continued forward, but his face was being violently forced back.

Like a sheet of paper caught in a storm, his entire body was lifted off the ground.

Raiden's eyes narrowed. His muscles tensed.

The force of the punch erupted!

"Stay down!"

BANG!

With a downward swing of his arm, Shuu's airborne body was slammed into the ground.

His skull was buried in the dirt upon impact.

Though the arena wasn't made of solid stone, embedding someone's head into the earth was still an outrageous feat.

The force of the impact sent cracks spiderwebbing outward, reaching all the way to the feet of the watching Chūnin instructor before finally stopping.

The entire audience fell silent.

This was far more shocking than the shuriken deflection.

"Is this… the true power of an animal-type physique?"

Even Raiden himself was stunned as he examined his fists.

Hard work never lied.

He had never given up training until he collapsed, over and over again.

And now, finally, the payoff had arrived.

ROAR!

The crowd erupted.

"That loser just one-shot a Hyūga prodigy?!"

"I must be dreaming! Someone slap me!"

"Ninja Academy is terrifying, Mom, I wanna go home!"

---

Don't forget to drop some PowerStones!💎💎💎

For early access to advanced chapters on p@treon.

P@treon/iamxeno

Thank you so much for your support and for reading!