LOCATION: Academy Grounds
TIME: Same Day
Sasuke and Benimaru stood across from one another on the academy's sparring grounds. Benimaru's eyes gleamed with hunger—like a predator sizing up prey. His body twitched with anticipation, eager for the thrill of combat.
Sasuke, in contrast, looked uninterested, almost bored.
Let's get this over with, he thought.
Iruka stepped between them, raising his hand.
"The rules are simple," he said. "Fight until one of you is either knocked out, surrenders, or is unable to continue. Understood?"
Both boys nodded.
"Alright then..." Iruka smiled and raised his hand. "You may now... BEGIN!"
FIGHT START
Benimaru launched forward like a missile, fist aimed directly at Sasuke's jaw. Sasuke managed to block, but was immediately overwhelmed by a storm of rapid punches.
"HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT, SASUKE?!" Benimaru shouted, his strikes getting faster and heavier.
Sasuke's guard began to crack under the pressure.
We're the same age, but his physical strength is on a whole different level... Sasuke thought, gritting his teeth.
I need space—if this keeps up, I'll lose!
He leapt back, creating distance between them.
I can't beat him in raw power. I'll have to outthink him.
But Benimaru wasn't done. He darted forward again, trying to close the distance. As he swung a kick toward Sasuke's left side, Sasuke ducked, swept Benimaru's grounded foot out from under him, and countered with a clean punch to the face, sending him skidding backward.
"You're stronger than me, physically," Sasuke said, panting. "But you don't know how to use that strength. That's why you'll lose."
Benimaru wiped a bit of blood from his lip and laughed.
"What's so funny?" Sasuke asked, clearly annoyed.
"Nothing," Benimaru smirked. "Just the fact that you think you can win."
He surged forward again.
They clashed in a flurry of high-speed taijutsu, their movements too fast for the other students to follow. Blow after blow landed, but Benimaru didn't even try to dodge. Sasuke's hits only seemed to make him smile more.
He's insane, Sasuke thought. He's taking real damage—but he's enjoying it.
Meanwhile, Benimaru's mind was on fire.
This is it. This is the kind of fight I live for.
Sasuke tried to land a rising kick, but Benimaru caught it mid-air. He then swept Sasuke's grounded foot and delivered a thunderous punch to his face, slamming him into the ground.
Wait... that was my own move... Sasuke realized, eyes wide. He copied me after seeing it once?
"How did you do that?" Sasuke demanded, voice strained, sweat running down his face.
"Do what?" Benimaru asked with a grin.
"You copied me."
"Yeah..." Benimaru replied casually. "That's kind of my thing."
The fight continued. Each time Sasuke landed a strike, Benimaru used that exact move against him—but sharper, faster, better. He adapted to Sasuke's every tactic, forcing the Uchiha to fall back on the defensive.
From the sidelines, the other students watched in awe.
"They're so strong..." one whispered.
"C'mon, Sasuke! You got this!" a girl shouted, her voice full of conviction.
Iruka stood frozen.
The academy hasn't even started, and these two are already this skilled? He thought. They're prodigies.
Once again, Sasuke crashed to the ground, clutching his stomach after a punishing kick to the abdomen. He gasped for air, his body trembling, his mind swirling with doubt.
But then—he calmed himself.
Slowly, he rose to his feet, still gripping his side.
"You're strong," Sasuke said. "Stronger than me. So here's the deal—if you manage to escape this next jutsu, you win."
Benimaru raised an eyebrow.
"Bring it on," he grinned. "I'm ready for whatever you've got."
Iruka tensed, preparing to step in. A student using jutsu in a spar? Normally that would be a reason to stop the fight.
But then he saw Sasuke's eyes. Determined. Focused. This was his last shot—and Iruka knew it.
Sasuke's thoughts sharpened.
This is it. My final chance to turn this around. If he dodges, I lose... but he won't. I've learned one thing from fighting him—he never dodges.
To be continued...