"Alright, students who pulled number two—your turn!"
Kitazawa called out after finishing the scores for Hinata Hyūga and Shino Aburame.
"Don't lose, Ino," Sakura said with a cheeky grin. "If you get wiped out, I'll feel bad making you buy me that skirt tomorrow."
"I'm not gonna lose!" Ino shot back, full of energy. "And for the record, you're paying tomorrow!"
"Yeah, no chance."
Sakura confidently put her hands on her hips. "First place is totally going to me or Sasuke-kun."
"Sigh…"
Shikamaru slouched. "Losing sucks, but winning isn't much better either."
"You both got this!" Chōji said, staying neutral as always.
Hinata, meanwhile, wasn't paying attention to their back-and-forth.
After beating Shino, she was still riding high. If it weren't for the strict upbringing from her clan, she probably would've been grinning like an idiot by now.
It wasn't just that all her hard work over the past month had paid off—it was the fact that she hadn't disappointed Kitazawa.
She was feeling more confident than ever.
Even sparring with Neji next term didn't seem so impossible anymore.
Especially with Kitazawa's summer training lined up.
Hinata was practically bursting to go home and tell her dad and little sister the good news.
Sasuke wasn't paying attention to Ino and Shikamaru either. His focus was entirely on the next match: him vs. Naruto.
He was already visualizing the fight in his head.
Ino and Shikamaru stepped into the ring, looking like total opposites—Ino full of fire, Shikamaru just dragging his feet.
"Shikamaru," Ino said, staring him down, "you've gotten stronger, sure—but if you're this out of it, there's no way you're beating me!"
"Sorry, Ino," Shikamaru sighed and took a deep breath. "But I have to win."
"You're not the only one who's improved, you know."
Ino huffed and crossed her arms.
Mind Body Switch Technique?
Shikamaru was already thinking a few steps ahead.
Compared to Shadow Imitation, Mind Body Switch had way more weaknesses.
1. If the target gets hurt or dies, so does the user.
2. If it lands, the caster's body becomes a sitting duck.
3. If it fails, the user's consciousness can't return for a bit.
"Eat this!"
The second the match started, Ino charged in fast.
Aside from her signature jutsu, all she had was basic Konoha-style taijutsu—so close combat was her only option.
Shikamaru wasn't much different.
They clashed up close with hand-to-hand moves. Thanks to Kitazawa's special training and Shikamaru's physical strength, he quickly took the upper hand.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Ino suddenly backed off and threw several kunai.
Shikamaru immediately picked up on her plan and gave chase, dodging kunai while starting hand signs.
"No way!"
Ino came to a hard stop and aimed a kick at his hands to interrupt his jutsu.
Caught mid-run, Shikamaru couldn't dodge and had to drop the jutsu and block with his arms.
Thud!
Ino's kick slammed into him, knocking him off balance.
Perfect setup.
Ino twisted and followed up with a punch straight to his shoulder, sending him stumbling backward.
Mind Body Switch Technique!
Ino quickly formed the seal and launched her consciousness toward Shikamaru.
But just when he was supposed to be wide open, Shikamaru suddenly leapt out of the way.
He dodged the mental strike, dashed in, and held a kunai to her neck.
"You're done, Ino."
His tone was flat but final.
A few seconds later, Ino's mind snapped back—and her face dropped.
Total setup.
Shikamaru had faked being out of it to bait her, then flipped the fight by exploiting the exact weaknesses of her jutsu.
"I'll buy you barbecue next time," he said, pocketing the kunai.
"Now you're talking."
Ino smiled as she walked off the field.
Losing didn't bother her—he really was stronger.
"I feel like I got the worst end of the deal," Shikamaru muttered. "Put in the effort and have to pay."
Still, with the finals over, he'd given it his all—both in theory and combat—just to protect his summer break.
Please, no more combat bootcamps next term, he silently prayed, glancing at Kitazawa.
"Winner: Nara Shikamaru!" Kitazawa announced.
"Next up, number threes—please enter the ring!"
Here it comes.
Naruto Uzumaki vs. Sasuke Uchiha.
Whether Kitazawa's plan succeeded or not was riding on this match.
"Who do you think's gonna win?"
"My money's on Sasuke. Kid's six and already tossing out advanced Fire Jutsu—it's ridiculous!"
"I dunno... Naruto's taijutsu is better, and don't forget about his Shadow Clones."
Even the rest of Class 1-A got hyped, and a debate broke out fast.
After all, power level arguments had always been the most fun—whole forums used to explode over them.
"Ino," someone asked, "what about you?"
"I have no idea," Shikamaru answered instead. "They've both been training with Kitazawa-sensei. Who knows what they're capable of now?"
"Good point," Ino said. "No one expected you to pop off like that either."
"That was nothing," Shikamaru replied, then glanced at Hinata. "Hinata's the one who's really changed."
"M‑me...?"
Hinata blushed hard.
"You're about to say it's all thanks to Kitazawa-sensei," Ino teased, giving her a knowing look.
Hinata's face lit up red like a tomato.
"Still," Sakura sighed, "Kitazawa-sensei is amazing. Why wasn't medical ninjutsu part of the practical, though?"
"Oh come on," Ino groaned. "We're first-years. Who tests that stuff now?"
"I think you all—"
Shino began adjusting his glasses—but was cut off.
"Sasuke!"
Naruto beamed with excitement.
"I've been waiting for this! Let's go!"
Hiruzen watched the boy's smile, briefly stunned.
So much like Minato... but more raw and open.
If Minato and Kushina were here, they'd be beaming with pride.
Sasuke was a prodigy.
Naruto wasn't far behind—just weaker on paper.
Fire Style: Great Fireball!
Sasuke wasted no time, blasting a massive fireball from his mouth.
But his eyes widened in surprise.
Naruto had already moved before the jutsu went off.
He weaved around the fireball like he saw it coming.
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
Naruto yelled, fired up.
He had seen it coming—thanks to Kitazawa.
After taking dozens of Fireballs during training, he could recognize the hand seals for Sasuke's three go-to fire jutsu.
Sasuke reacted instantly, dashing to the side to dodge. He'd sparred with Guy and Naruto enough to know the Whirlwind series well.
Leaf Great Whirlwind!
Naruto's next kick came in like a bullet.
Sasuke didn't dodge this one—he blocked.
Boom!
Legs clashed, and both of them staggered from the impact.
"You learned Whirlwind too?" Naruto blinked.
"It's a basic move. Just had to watch a few times," Sasuke replied, backing up two steps—Naruto clearly had more raw power.
"You really are my eternal rival!"
Naruto grinned wide. "Let's go all-out in taijutsu!"
"I'm not an idiot."
Sasuke jumped back and immediately went into seals:
Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu!
The air flared with heat as a storm of small fireballs rained toward Naruto.
"Whoa, whoa—!"
Naruto dodged, but two fireballs clipped his back. He quickly ditched his jacket.
Leaf Adamantine-Strength Whirlwind!
Spinning mid-air, blue chakra gathered on his leg.
He swept it outward, extinguishing the rest of the fireballs around him.
Sasuke didn't notice—the jacket hit the ground with a heavy thump.
"Is Sasuke winning now?" Chōji asked, worried.
He was closer with Naruto.
"Well, yeah," Sakura said. "Taijutsu can't beat ninjutsu."
In the modern ninja world, taijutsu users didn't get much respect.
"I think Naruto's just a bit slower," Ino observed.
"Not quite," Shino said. "Sasuke's fire jutsu just has huge range."
He was quietly wondering if he could beat Sasuke.
So far... not looking good.
…
Shadow Clone Jutsu!
Naruto didn't hesitate—he formed a seal, and two clones popped into existence with a puff of smoke.
Here we go.
Sasuke didn't look surprised. In fact, he'd been waiting for this.
Naruto had used Shadow Clones in their last sparring match, so Sasuke already had countermeasures in mind.
This wasn't just a test of power—it was a battle of intel. And Sasuke still had one card left:
Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu.
B‑rank. Massive power. But he could only fire it once with his current chakra reserves.
"Leaf Double Whirlwind!"
The two Narutos came in from opposite sides, charging full-speed.
Sasuke frowned slightly.
Huh. Only two? He figured Naruto would rush in with all three at once. Still—
He flicked his arms, launching two shuriken in perfect arcs.
Among all of Class 1-A, his aim was top-tier.
The blades spun straight for the heads of the two clones.
"Dodge!"
The clones had no choice but to break formation and scatter sideways.
"Leaf Great Whirlwind!"
From the flank, the third Naruto blitzed into range and launched a surprise roundhouse kick.
Sasuke had been tracking him and reacted fast—they clashed mid-air, legs colliding with a sharp crack.
Sasuke was forced back again.
"Leaf Double Whirlwind!"
The two clones who had dodged the shuriken closed in at the perfect time.
Now or never.
Sasuke saw the three Narutos closing in fast—and moved.
"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Jutsu!"
A massive surge of chakra erupted from his mouth—three enormous fire dragons roared forth, each aimed at a different Naruto.
The two in front were instantly engulfed in flames.
Screams rang out as they were incinerated.
Sasuke smirked. That had to be it.
But then—his smirk vanished.
Wait… where's the third one?
The last Naruto had suddenly disappeared right in front of him.
No—he didn't vanish. He moved so fast, all that was left was a flickering afterimage.
What the hell—!?
Sasuke's heart skipped a beat.
"Dynamic Entry!"
The real Naruto came soaring through the air like a missile.
Sasuke barely had time to raise his arms.
CRACK!
Naruto's kick smashed into his guard with ridiculous force, sending him flying backward like a ragdoll.
Sasuke hit the ground hard, bouncing once before skidding to a stop. His vision blurred. His ears rang. His brain tried to make sense of what just happened.
Why…?
He turned his head—and that's when he noticed.
Naruto had ditched his jacket... and his leg weights.
And both of them hit the ground like they weighed a ton.
"You were wearing weights this whole time!?" Sasuke stared at him, wide-eyed.
"Yeah, Guy-sensei made me wear them," Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head, smiling sheepishly.
"…Then why didn't I get any?" Sasuke looked genuinely stunned.
"Because, Sasuke," Naruto said honestly, "you can't even finish normal training. If you wore weights, you'd just collapse."
He wasn't wrong.
Even Lee didn't wear weights yet. But Naruto's body had ridiculous stamina and durability, so Guy had fast-tracked him for heavier training.
"Damn it!"
Sasuke slammed both fists into the ground, furious and embarrassed.
"Hey, Sasuke!"
Naruto rushed over and knelt down beside him.
"You okay? That last hit didn't mess you up, right?"
~~~
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