Chapter 20: You Lost Again
"Alright, I accept!"
Tsuruma Nobuyuki's response came faster than he had expected.
Logically, as a modern-day transmigrator, he should have hesitated—calculating risks, weighing gains and losses. But instead, he agreed without a second thought.
And, strangely enough, he was excited.
It seemed he had a stronger fighting instinct than he had imagined.
Sasuke, however, wasn't surprised at all by Nobuyuki's reaction. He simply gave a curt nod before turning on his heel and walking away, maintaining his usual aloof demeanor.
"Nobuyuki, aren't you being a little reckless?"
"You may be strong for your age, but ninja tool combat is different from taijutsu. It's much more dangerous," Iruka cautioned, concern evident in his voice.
In the distant Fourth Great Ninja War, kunai and shuriken had become little more than relics—practically useless against godlike foes. Danzo's infamous attempt to stab through Susanoo with a kunai had been nothing short of laughable.
But for most ninjas, traditional weapons remained deadly, especially for younger ones with fragile bodies and underdeveloped internal organs.
Nobuyuki, however, just grinned.
"Iruka-sensei, don't worry! The fight is happening right here at school, so you'll be watching. If things get too dangerous, you can step in and save me!"
Iruka blinked, momentarily speechless.
For a traditional shinobi like him, duels were serious affairs. He had never met anyone who openly planned on being rescued before the fight had even begun.
Eventually, he sighed and shook his head with a wry smile.
"You really are something else…"
Kiba and Shino exchanged odd glances, while Naruto—his brain always operating on its own wavelength—seemed to have an epiphany.
---
The Next Morning
The sun barely hung over the horizon when Sasuke arrived at the academy, carrying a massive collection of ninja tools.
For once, his older brother, Uchiha Itachi, had personally accompanied him. Not only that, but he was helping carry an extra bag of weapons.
Itachi rarely showed up at the academy, which made his presence today all the more significant.
When Nobuyuki first saw him, he didn't immediately recognize who he was. It wasn't until Sasuke muttered a stiff "Brother…" that realization struck.
Uchiha Itachi.
Nobuyuki couldn't help but glance at him a few more times.
Unexpectedly, Itachi noticed and turned his head, offering a polite nod and a warm smile.
It was surreal.
No matter how many times he read about Itachi in his past life, he still struggled to reconcile this gentle, doting older brother with the man who would one day massacre his entire clan.
Sasuke, however, immediately noticed Nobuyuki's gaze and scowled.
"Hey, what are you staring at my brother for?!"
His expression darkened.
"You… you bastard! You're not interested in him, are you?"
Sasuke quickly moved to block Nobuyuki's line of sight, as if shielding Itachi from potential corruption.
Unfortunately, the seven-year-old Sasuke was half the size of his thirteen-year-old brother, making his efforts utterly useless.
"Enough, Sasuke," Itachi chuckled, ruffling his little brother's hair. "Don't be rude to your classmates."
"Stop messing with my hair!" Sasuke swatted at Itachi's hand, though his protests were more playful than serious.
Realizing his slip, he immediately straightened his back and glared at Nobuyuki with newfound hostility.
By now, most of the first-year students had gathered to watch.
Sasuke looked around, his irritation mounting.
"Why are there so many people here?!?"
His outburst only excited the crowd further.
"Sasuke, good luck!" someone cheered.
"Nobuyuki, don't hold back this time!" another shouted.
Iruka, standing amid the chaos, looked visibly uneasy.
Unlike the casual sparring they'd had in class, today's match involved real weapons. A single misstep could result in serious injury.
Even worse, the students were dangerously close. In ninja history, there had been countless accidents where bystanders were struck by stray weapons during a duel.
"Everyone, back up! Now!" Iruka ordered, his voice booming over the chatter.
The students hesitated before slowly shuffling backward. But the excitement was too much—those in the back kept pushing forward, nearly toppling the ones in front. The entire scene was barely under control.
From the far side of the academy, a few second-year students—including Hyuga Neji and Rock Lee—watched the commotion with quiet interest.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage sat back, pipe in hand, observing the academy through his crystal ball.
---
The Duel Begins
After much effort, Iruka finally managed to clear enough space for the fight.
"Form the Seal of Confrontation!"
Nobuyuki and Sasuke stood face-to-face, forming the traditional pre-battle seal.
Then—
Sasuke flipped backward.
Nobuyuki instantly extracted chakra, shifting into Genin mode.
The battle was on!
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
Five shuriken flew through the air, cutting toward Nobuyuki.
He dodged, rolling to the side.
But the moment he landed—
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Three more shuriken whistled toward him from a different angle.
"Using shuriken to control the distance and drain his opponent's stamina, huh?"
From the sidelines, Hyuga Neji analyzed Sasuke's tactics with keen interest.
"Now, how will you respond?"
Nobuyuki's response was simple.
Close the distance.
Without hesitation, he charged straight at Sasuke.
"Hmph! Just as I expected," Sasuke smirked.
He threw another pair of shuriken.
Then—
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
A sudden storm of shuriken filled the air.
Nobuyuki swiftly dodged, weaving through them.
But something felt… off.
The shuriken were slower than before.
The moment the realization hit, Sasuke grinned and clenched his fists—
And suddenly, the shuriken changed direction!
Steel wire!
Nobuyuki's eyes widened.
Before he could react, the wires wrapped around him, tightening in an instant.
Trapped.
Sasuke smirked triumphantly.
"How's that? This is a technique I learned from my brother! It's specifically for dealing with ninja who rely on taijutsu!"
Nobuyuki let out a small sigh, but remained silent.
"Hah? Not admitting defeat yet?"
Sasuke's smirk faded.
Fine. If he wouldn't surrender, then—
Sasuke grabbed a kunai and hurled it straight at Nobuyuki.
But—
Roll!
Nobuyuki twisted his body at the last second, narrowly dodging the blade.
Now Sasuke was frustrated.
"Alright, let's see you dodge this!"
He rushed forward, kunai in hand, aiming to end the fight.
But just as he closed the distance—
Nobuyuki smirked.
"Sasuke… you lost."
A faint click echoed.
Sasuke's expression froze.
"One Thread Binding Formation!"