Upon hearing Iruka's warning, both Ino and Hinata let out a visible sigh of relief.
But Sasuke?
He didn't seem the least bit surprised. In fact, he gave a smug, almost theatrical chuckle before speaking with a trace of arrogance:
"Ah, of course… ninjutsu is a bit too dangerous for them."
Then, after a perfectly timed pause, he added:
"But it doesn't matter. Even without ninjutsu, I can still defeat Yoruha of the Yamanaka Clan!"
There it was.
He had planned this all along.
Asking about fire-style ninjutsu had never been about actually using it—it was just a clever excuse to flex on the class and let them all know he'd already mastered chakra nature transformation.
"God, I'm a genius," Sasuke thought proudly.
—
On the sidelines, Ino leaned closer to her brother and muttered cautiously:
"Be careful, Yoruha. That guy's acting really confident."
Yoruha simply smiled, lowering his voice to reply:
"Relax. I know this guy too well. Sasuke's always like this—one second full of confidence, the next second getting smacked around."
"It's a universal law. Unbreakable."
—
"I want both of you in position! Time to perform the seal of opposition," Iruka announced formally.
Sasuke smirked and stepped forward.
"Yoruha," he said dramatically, "today I'm going to show you the results of the special training my brother personally designed for me."
"Try not to go down too fast—I'd like a little warm-up first."
He struck a faux-casual pose, trying to come off effortless, almost cocky.
Yoruha chuckled lightly.
"Special training, huh?"
Interesting.
Yoruha knew his presence had already changed the storyline of this world. If Itachi Uchiha was really giving Sasuke personalized training at this stage…
Then Sasuke's starting point might be way higher than it had been in the original timeline.
But that just made this more fun.
—
Sasuke noticed the slight smirk on Yoruha's face and immediately bristled.
"What's that supposed to mean?! You mocking me? Wipe that smug look off your face, Yoruha!"
But before Sasuke could finish his rant, Yoruha was already in motion.
With a single explosive step, he closed the distance—his arm slicing through the air in a flash of speed.
Though it wasn't a real blade, the motion mimicked a sword technique perfectly. It carried power, speed, and precision.
SWISH!
The strike came down.
And Sasuke—so proud just seconds earlier—forgot all about his "special training."
Too fast!
His reflexes couldn't catch up.
His mind screamed for him to dodge, but his body locked up. He couldn't move.
His heart pounded in panic. His pupils widened in disbelief. His mouth hung open, stunned.
Yoruha's "blade" hovered just an inch from his neck, perfectly aligned with the artery.
—
Yoruha's half-smile deepened.
"So… this is the result of all that 'special training,' Sasuke?"
"You sure your brother wasn't just trolling you?"
Humiliation.
Raw, absolute humiliation.
Sasuke's teeth clenched. His fists shook. Rage burned in his eyes.
But it was at that moment…
His mind clicked back into gear.
"Right! What did nii-san teach me? Counter if cornered. Commit to the strike. Don't let emotion cloud your execution…"
He shoved Yoruha's hand aside, leapt into the air, and swung a roundhouse kick directly toward Yoruha's temple.
A classic setup.
That leg wasn't meant to land—it was a feint.
If Yoruha raised his arms to block the kick, Sasuke would twist mid-air and strike his now-exposed chest with a powerful follow-up jab.
And that was where Sasuke would land the real blow.
Everything was going perfectly.
Until—
WHAM!
Pain exploded through Sasuke's leg the moment it collided with Yoruha's arm.
It felt like he had just kicked a wall made of steel.
His eyes bulged. The veins in his forehead bulged. He nearly screamed.
The next thing he knew—
BOOM!
Yoruha's counterpunch slammed into Sasuke's stomach, sending him flying across the training field.
He crashed to the ground, coughing and stunned.
Yoruha casually stepped forward and tilted his head slightly, frowning in mock concern.
"Seriously, Sasuke? I thought your brother gave you special training?"
"Are you sure you didn't just get scammed by him?"
—
He let the words hang in the air like a blade.
But then again…
Yoruha thought to himself.
Knowing Itachi's lifestyle—the man juggling seven secret identities, infiltrating organizations, and pretending to be a traitor—it's not like he had a lot of free time to be Sasuke's personal coach.
At most, he probably threw a few lines of advice at Sasuke during a tea break, and that was it.
And Sasuke, being Sasuke, had taken those vague crumbs and convinced himself he'd had elite-level training.
"Uchiha delusion syndrome. Tough case."