Following Iruka to the training grounds, Naruto found it modest in size but more than sufficient for Academy-level training.
"Next up—kunai throwing practice!" Iruka announced loudly.
The students quickly lined up. There were ten practice targets set up, so ten students would throw at a time in groups.
With around twenty students in Class A, it meant two full groups and a small third one.
Uchiha Sasuke was, of course, in the first group, standing confidently at the front. At Iruka's signal, the students hurled their kunai toward the targets.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The sound of kunai slicing through the air rang out. Soon, they were embedded in the targets. Among them, Sasuke's throws stood out—his wrist slightly angled downward with practiced precision. Clearly, he had been trained in the Uchiha clan's throwing techniques. Naruto couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. He's already been practicing seriously?
The others weren't bad either. No one missed entirely; even the least accurate throws hit the inner ring. Some students were clearly throwing for the first time, yet already showed natural talent. As expected of Class A.
But the one who shone brightest was Sasuke, whose kunai landed dead center—bullseye.
"Uchiha Sasuke! Ten rings! Ohno Haru! Three rings!"
"Inuzuka Kiba! Seven rings! Fujii Itsuki! Two rings!"
Iruka called out each student's results. Sasuke lifted his chin proudly, scanning the crowd with a smug look.
Naruto found it kind of funny. Still a kid after all—already showing off.
Inuzuka Kiba, on the other hand, scowled. Watching the girls swoon over Sasuke, he huffed, "Hmph! What's so great about that? I just messed up a little!"
Kiba had thrown kunai before at home, but he never cared much for it—he was more interested in the Inuzuka clan's ninja dogs. In a few years, he'd be partnered with one of his own, and that was something he actually looked forward to.
Naruto was placed in the second group—Hinata was with him as well. He gave her a warm smile and quietly cheered her on, knowing she often needed a little extra encouragement.
Soon, it was their turn. Naruto stepped forward and deliberately threw for the eight-ring.
Thanks to his Heaven Rewards Diligence ability, he had already grasped the fundamentals of kunai throwing and could hit any part of the target at will. These stationary objects were hardly a challenge now.
Back when he'd first gotten hold of a kunai, he'd spent hours throwing them at tree trunks to build his accuracy.
"Uzumaki Naruto! Eight rings! Nara Shikamaru! Nine rings!"
"Sakura Haruno! Five rings!"
Naruto raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. Sakura had never practiced kunai throwing before, yet she still managed to hit five rings.
No wonder she eventually became Tsunade's disciple. She's got some talent.
Though he didn't have particularly fond feelings for Sakura, Naruto never sensed any true malice from her either. Maybe that was why, in the original story, he had a crush on her.
She wasn't unattractive either. With her pink hair and large, expressive eyes, she had a cute, energetic look—aside from the slightly wide forehead, she was pretty adorable, honestly.
More importantly, almost everyone in this class seemed neutral or even friendly toward him. Naruto couldn't help but wonder: Was this class specifically selected to avoid hostility?
"Hyuga Hinata! Nine rings!"
Hinata had done well. Naruto nodded slightly in approval.
The last group took their turn. Two students ended up missing the targets completely, but that wasn't unusual. In fact, hitting the target on the first try was already a sign of promise.
After that, Iruka let everyone practice freely. The initial round had only been meant to gauge everyone's starting ability.
Of course, kunai throwing alone didn't say everything. Iruka knew that clan kids often got early training at home.
As for Naruto… he quickly lost interest. This is such a waste of time, he thought. I'd rather go train on my own.
After about two hours of training, most of the students' arms were sore and heavy from constant kunai throwing.
A few students, however, were slacking off. Nara Shikamaru looked downright bored—these kinds of exercises were too simple for someone like him. Choji, as usual, had pulled out a snack bag and was munching happily, seemingly unfazed by the workout.
At that moment, Iruka clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.
"All right, take a short break. We'll begin sparring practice soon."
His words caused a stir. Several students immediately perked up, their excitement palpable—especially Inuzuka Kiba, who had been gritting his teeth in frustration the entire time.
Uchiha Sasuke again… always hogging the spotlight!
Half an hour passed in a flash.
"Fujii Itsuki versus Ono Jiro! Step forward and form the Confrontation Seal!"
The two students walked to the center of the field. After forming the Seal of Confrontation, they began cautiously sizing each other up before suddenly rushing forward.
Their fight was far from refined, but both channeled chakra into their limbs for enhanced strikes. Though they looked small, the power behind their blows was enough to leave visible dents in the training ground. With chakra reinforcement, even children could strike with the force of grown men—or stronger.
This was exactly why ordinary civilians often feared and revered ninja. Even at this age, they were wielding power that seemed godlike in the eyes of common people.
A few minutes in, both boys began to slow down—their chakra nearly drained. With such limited reserves, they had to rely on brute strength. In the end, Fujii Itsuki emerged victorious, barely edging out Ono Jiro with superior stamina and physical strength.
"Form the Seal of Reconciliation."
The two pressed their hands together once more. The Seal of Reconciliation symbolized that whatever had happened in battle was left behind.
One by one, more students stepped up and fought. During this, Kiba loudly demanded to fight Sasuke, but Iruka firmly refused.
Then came a surprise.
"Uzumaki Naruto versus Uchiha Sasuke! Step forward and form the Confrontation Seal!"
Naruto inwardly groaned.
This is troublesome… I can't go all out—if I beat the Uchiha clan head's son, it'll spread through the whole village by tomorrow.
He had to think carefully. As he hesitated, Sasuke suddenly dashed in, exploiting the opening.
His movements were quick—far quicker than the earlier matches. Naruto immediately countered with a sharp punch of his own.
"Fast…!" Sasuke thought, startled.
Their fists collided with a solid thud. Sasuke's arm shuddered as he felt a jolt of force rush through it. Gritting his teeth, he pushed forward, ignoring the numbness and pressing the attack.
He's holding up? Not bad.
Naruto analyzed Sasuke's movements while carefully regulating his own strength.
As expected of the "Second Pillar," he thought with amusement. He can handle one-twentieth of my power. I need to tone it down even more… I must not expose anything!
They exchanged blows rapidly. Naruto soon noticed Sasuke's arm trembling slightly.
Uh-oh. You're already shaking? Then why act tough?
Naruto instantly switched tactics—he feigned exhaustion. After a few more exchanges, he let Sasuke land a well-timed kick. Naruto flew back dramatically, landing with a thud.
With Naruto's exceptional acting skills, no one suspected a thing.
Sasuke, however, stood there confused. Was he really that tired? But he felt so strong just now… Hmph, probably just lacks endurance.
The classic Uchiha pride kicked in. Sasuke crossed his arms and straightened his back.
"Yay! Sasuke won! Sasuke is awesome!"
His fan club erupted in cheers, their voices shrill and overenthusiastic. The other boys collectively groaned, their envy rising.
Why's he always the one getting all the attention?
...
TN:
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