After a brief silence:
Hyuga Himon finally lowered his head and whispered, "Yes... I lost..."
"And?" Mikami Yuu pressed relentlessly.
And... and what else?
Hyuga Himon was bewildered. Was admitting defeat not enough? Did he really have to apologize to the Three Body Technique and a few of the lowest-level E-rank ninjutsu?
This was utterly humiliating!
But Mikami Yuu's expression made it clear he was serious.
Moreover, Mikami Yuu had explicitly stated this condition before they even stepped into the arena.
If Hyuga Himon broke his word in front of so many witnesses, he would not only lose face personally but also tarnish the reputation of the Hyuga Clan.
If someone with malicious intent seized on this, the consequences could be disastrous.
After a moment of agonizing hesitation, Hyuga Himon forced himself to continue, "I-I'm sorry... I shouldn't have looked down on the Three Body Technique."
"That's more like it," Mikami Yuu nodded.
At that moment, a series of notifications flashed rapidly before his eyes:
[ Transformation Technique: As expected of Lord Mikami! His tactics were truly brilliant, dazzling me! It seems that Hyuga brat will be sulking for quite a while after this. ]
[ Clone Technique: Mikami Yuu, you bastard... Fine, I admit I underestimated you before. Seeing how desperately you fought for us sisters, I'll be nicer to you from now on. But let's make one thing clear: you'd better stay away from that red-haired slut in the future! ]
[ Great Fireball Technique: ? ]
[ Substitution Technique: Mikami-kun, you're so gentle... ]
[ Ding! Special Event "Uphold the Dignity of the Three Body Techniques" completed! ]
[ Transformation Technique Affinity +10! Current Affinity: 70/100 (Intimate) ]
[ Clone Technique Affinity +10! Current Affinity: 37/100 (Friendly) ]
[ (Obtained Stage Reward: Constitution +1, Trait: Shared Vision—Your Clone Technique now grants partial visual awareness. By focusing your mind, you can link your primary body's vision with that of one clone, sharing their perspective.) ]
[ Substitution Technique Affinity +10! Current Affinity: 47/100 (Friendly) ]
[ Great Fireball Technique Affinity +4! Current Affinity: 28/100 (Friendly) ]
[ Stage Reward Acquired: Constitution +1, Trait - Spirit of Fire: Your affinity for Fire Release Chakra has slightly increased, and the power of your Fire Release ninjutsu has been enhanced by 30% beyond its current baseline. ]
....
'Holy shit...'
Mikami Yuu's eyelid twitched as he saw the two newly unlocked traits.
[ 'Visual Sharing?!' ]
[ 'Power Amplification?!' ]
'Aren't these the abilities of Pain and Uchiha Madara?!'
'No wonder the affinity for these two ninjutsu was so hard to increase. So their traits were this powerful?'
After a brief moment of astonishment, Mikami Yuu began to consider the implications.
'The Great Fireball Technique's trait might indeed be what I expected, but the Clone Technique is different.'
Pain's visual sharing relies on their six clones, each possessing the strength of an elite Jonin or higher.
The Clone Technique, however, is fundamentally a pure illusion—lacking physical substance and incapable of executing complex commands. This trait is essentially a stationary surveillance point.
But...
'If I could apply this trait to the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique...'
'Then it would truly rival Pain.'
Of course, this thought flashed through Mikami Yuu's mind only for a moment.
After all, what had secured his victory this time was the most basic Three Body Technique.
He couldn't just turn his back on it now... Besides, the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique was a forbidden art from the Book of Seals, not something easily mastered.
Most ordinary ninjas could only learn the Shadow Clone Technique, splitting their Chakra evenly into two or three clones at best.
Until he had the chance to learn the Shadow Clone Technique, he'd better focus on maximizing these fundamental ninja techniques first.
'Three Body Technique, let's see your limits!'
In addition to the two special traits, this upgrade also granted him 2 points of physical constitution.
Instantly, Mikami Yuu felt a warm, revitalizing current surge from within him, flowing through his limbs and bones like spring rain nourishing the earth.
The fatigue from his recent battle against Hyuga Himon quickly dissipated.
He turned and leaped off the arena.
Nohara Rin rushed forward to greet him, extending a hand to steady him with a radiant smile. "Congratulations, Yuu-kun! I never imagined you'd become so strong! I was worried you might lose to him... But you're as clever as ever, Yuu-kun! You were just holding back your true potential before."
"It was just luck," he replied modestly.
Mikami Yuu glanced at Rin's outstretched hand, then at Obito, who was staring daggers at him from a few steps away.
His heart skipped a beat: 'Crap, if Obito sees Rin helping me up, he might get so angry he'll activate his Two-Tomoe Sharingan right here!'
Fortunately, Obito's mental state was relatively stable at this point.
Though he looked visibly displeased, aside from his darkened expression, he showed no other reaction.
Meanwhile, the Ninja Academy students erupted into chaos after witnessing the match and hearing Hyuga Himon concede defeat.
"Oh my god, Hyuga Himon... actually lost? The Byakugan lost to the Three Body Technique?!"
"I just realized how incredibly handsome Mikami-kun is! He's not only gorgeous but also incredibly skilled in ninjutsu. He's practically Kakashi's equal—a perfect husband material!"
"Hehe, if I could marry either of them, I'd gladly fail to become a Jonin for the rest of my life!"
"Uwaaaahh! Even if I have to repeat a year, seeing a battle like this was worth it!"
Of course, not everyone supported Mikami Yuu. A few dissenting voices arose:
"Wait a minute... Hyuga-kun only fell off the arena. He was still conscious and able to fight—shouldn't he be considered the loser?"
"That's not how it works. If Mikami Yuu had used a knife when he stabbed into his heart just now, he would already be dead."
"..."
Amidst the murmuring crowd, Might Guy, clad in his signature green jumpsuit, pushed his way to the front.
With a fervent expression, he gripped Mikami Yuu's shoulder and boomed, "Yuu! You're amazing! I never imagined you'd burn your youth this fiercely! I knew those 200 laps weren't your limit!"
"Yuu, please allow me to challenge you! Let me experience the youth you've come to embody!"
"Guy, what are you saying?!" Nohara Rin interjected. "Mikami-kun just finished a sparring match and needs to rest. Challenging him now is completely inappropriate!"
"Eh?" Might Guy scratched his head, realizing his impetuousness. "My apologies! My mistake. To make amends, I'll run 200 laps on the track right now!"
With a roar, Might Guy charged onto the track, leaving the rest of the group exchanging bewildered glances.
Finally, Teacher Oki stepped forward, clearing his throat. "Ahem, everyone, continue the tests for now. We'll discuss this later... Yuu, please stay behind after the tests. Teacher Himura and I have some questions for you."
"...Alright," Mikami Yuu replied.