A few months had passed in a haze of structured boredom. The days at the academy had settled into a familiar rhythm: tedious writing lessons, simplified history, and math that strangely always involved ninja weapons. But today, there was a change of scenery that was met with a mixture of dread and excitement by most of the class.
Yuji now stood on the dusty training ground behind the academy building, under the gaze of a midday sun that felt a little too enthusiastic. The air was filled with the scent of dry earth and children's sweat. Iruka-sensei stood before them, demonstrating the basic taijutsu stance with sharp, precise movements.
"Remember, your stance is your foundation!" Iruka's voice echoed across the yard. "Without a solid stance, your attacks will be weak and your defense will be easily broken! Now, everyone, follow me!"
Yuji mimicked the movement with feigned reluctance, bending his knees and lowering his center of gravity. Next to him, Shikamaru Nara let out a soft groan.
"This is a drag," Shikamaru whispered, his voice barely audible. "Why can't we learn taijutsu while lying down? There has to be a way to fight while napping."
"That's called a dream," Yuji retorted in an equally flat whisper. "And even in my dreams, I'd probably still lose."
"At least you wouldn't have to move much," Shikamaru mumbled. "Look at this. Sun, dust, sweat. The three worst things in the world, all in one place."
Yuji nodded in agreement. "You forgot the fourth: other people's enthusiasm."
He glanced across the yard. Naruto, instead of focusing on his stance, was trying to discreetly steal a chip from Choji's bag. Choji, who possessed a sixth sense for his snack's security, slapped Naruto's hand away without ever taking his eyes off Iruka-sensei. The small, silent battle was far more interesting than the lesson itself.
Although he complained along with Shikamaru—it had become a sort of comfortable ritual for them—truthfully, a small part of Yuji didn't completely hate this. Over the past few months, after being soundly humiliated in his first fight with Naruto, something had shifted within him. His pride as an adult man, though hidden in a child's body, had been wounded.
So, he had been training. Secretly. At night, in his room, he would practice the stances he saw in class. He would do push-ups and sit-ups until his small muscles ached. He wasn't training to be a hero or to surpass anyone. His goal was much simpler and much more selfish: he would never again be beaten by a six-year-old. Never again.
"Alright, everyone! That's enough warming up!" Iruka called out, clapping his hands to get their attention. "Today, we'll be doing your first sparring matches. One on one. This isn't about winning or losing. It's about applying what you've learned about stance and balance."
A murmur of excitement and nervousness spread among the students.
"First pair..." Iruka scanned the faces of his students. "Kiba Inuzuka! And... Naruto Uzumaki!"
Across the yard, Naruto, who had been trying to steal chips, immediately stood up straight. His eyes lit up, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Alright! Finally some action!"
Kiba smirked, patting Akamaru's head, who barked in agreement. "Hah! This'll be easy. Get ready to taste the dirt, Naruto!"
"Oh yeah?" Naruto shot back, walking to the center of the yard with a swagger. "You're the one who's gonna be eating dust, you dog-breath!"
"At least I have a cool partner!" Kiba taunted, pointing to Akamaru with his thumb. "Who's your partner? That boring friend of yours?" He glanced in Yuji's direction.
Yuji just gave him a flat stare, not giving him the satisfaction of a reaction.
"I don't need a partner to beat you!" Naruto yelled, sticking his tongue out.
"Akamaru, you just watch from the sidelines," Kiba said to his puppy. "This'll be over quick."
Akamaru barked once more and ran to the side of the yard, sitting next to Choji who kindly offered him a chip.
Naruto and Kiba faced each other in the center of the circle formed by the other students. They bowed awkwardly, as Iruka had taught them, then took their fighting stances.
"Begin!" Iruka shouted.
Kiba was the first to move. He shot forward with surprising speed for a kid his age, his movements low and aggressive, mimicking the beast-like fighting style of his clan. He wasn't trying to punch; he was trying to pounce, to knock Naruto off balance.
Naruto, with his indomitable spirit, tried to dodge. But his movements were clumsy and uncoordinated. He tripped over his own feet trying to jump back, and Kiba used the opportunity to sweep his legs. Naruto fell with a thud.
"Told you it would be easy!" Kiba laughed, standing over Naruto.
From the sidelines, Yuji watched with cold analysis. Kiba was faster, more naturally trained. Naruto only had spirit. This wouldn't last long.
But then, Naruto did something unexpected. While lying down, he kicked his legs up, hitting the back of Kiba's knees. It wasn't a taught technique. It was a desperate move from a street fight. Kiba staggered forward in surprise, and it gave Naruto just enough time to roll away and get back to his feet.
"You haven't beaten me yet!" Naruto yelled, grinning despite the dust on his cheek.
"You just got lucky!" Kiba snarled, clearly annoyed that his clean attack had been thwarted.
The fight continued. Kiba kept pressing, using his speed and aggression. He launched a quick series of punches and kicks. Most of them missed as Naruto kept moving back in a chaotic manner, but a few of them connected. A punch hit Naruto's shoulder, another grazed his arm.
Naruto took it all. He staggered, he stumbled, but he never fell. Every time Kiba landed a blow, Naruto would just wince, then grin again, his blue eyes never losing their fire.
"Why don't you just give up?" Kiba asked, starting to pant. He wasn't used to a target that refused to go down.
"Because..." Naruto took a deep breath, his stance wobbly but not broken. "...because a Hokage never gives up!"
"You're not even a Genin!" Kiba taunted. He saw an opening and charged with all his might, a pouncing attack designed to end the fight.
Yuji saw it coming. It was an over-committed move. Kiba was too confident; he was leaving himself open.
And Naruto, with his strange instincts, saw it too.
Just as Kiba leaped at him, Naruto didn't try to dodge. Instead, he did the most unexpected thing. He ducked, letting Kiba fly over him, and with all his strength, he pushed himself up with his head, ramming it into Kiba's stomach in mid-air.
THUD!
"OOF!"
Both boys fell to the ground in a tangled heap. Dust flew everywhere. For a moment, no one moved.
Then, a blond head emerged from the dust pile, followed by a triumphant grin. Naruto had managed to reverse their positions. He was now on top of Kiba, pinning his opponent's shoulders to the ground.
Kiba struggled, but he was winded and surprised. He couldn't move.
"I... win..." Naruto said between gasps of breath.
Silence fell over the training ground. Everyone stared in amazement. The clumsiest, loudest kid in the class had just defeated one of the most naturally talented fighters.
Iruka smiled faintly. "Winner, Naruto Uzumaki!"
Naruto leaped to his feet and raised his arms in the air, cheering for his own victory. "I DID IT! DID YOU GUYS SEE THAT?! I'M GONNA BE HOKAGE!"
Kiba got up slowly, dusting off his clothes with an angry, disbelieving expression. Akamaru ran to his side, barking worriedly.
Yuji watched it all from the sidelines. He didn't smile. He didn't cheer. He just analyzed. Naruto hadn't won because of his technique. His technique was terrible. He hadn't won because of his strategy. He had no strategy.
He won for one simple reason: he refused to lose. His indomitable spirit, his willingness to keep going even after taking hits, that's what gave him the victory.
It was a different kind of strength. A strength that couldn't be taught in a classroom.
"What a drag," Shikamaru whispered next to him. "He's too loud even when he wins."
Yuji didn't answer. He just kept watching Naruto celebrate his victory, an orange sunflower shining brightest in the middle of the dusty field. And for the first time, Yuji thought that maybe, just maybe, there was something he could learn from his friend's foolish spirit.
Naruto's victory cheers slowly subsided as Iruka-sensei managed to calm him down and send him back to the line. Kiba, with a bruised ego and a sour look, was dragged by Akamaru back to Choji's side, where he reluctantly accepted a chip as consolation. A new energy filled the training ground. The first fight had set an unexpected standard.
"Good job, both of you," Iruka said, giving a nod of approval to Naruto and Kiba. "Remember, this is about learning. Kiba, your speed is excellent, but you became overconfident. Naruto, your spirit is incredible, but your technique... needs a lot of work."
Naruto just grinned widely, not caring about the criticism. He had won. That's all that mattered.
"Alright, next pair!" Iruka called out. "Let's see... Yano! Versus... Tomohiro!"
Yuji blinked. Who? He glanced around. A skinny boy with messy hair stepped forward nervously. Yuji didn't know his name. Maybe it was Yami, or Tami, or Yano as Iruka-sensei had said. He didn't know, and he didn't care. The boy was facing another kid whose head was bald and shiny under the sun.
"This fight is going to be a disaster," Shikamaru whispered next to Yuji.
"Why do you think so?" Yuji asked, though he already agreed.
"Look at the way they walk. They look like they just learned how to use their legs yesterday. It's too much of a drag to watch," Shikamaru sighed.
The fight began, and Shikamaru's prediction was proven right in seconds. It wasn't a fight; it was more like two baby birds trying to figure out how their wings worked. They were both clumsy and awkward. They circled each other, reaching out hesitantly as if trying to pat, not punch. Their punches missed by a yard. At one point, they both tripped over their own feet at the same time and fell.
The fight ended quickly when the bald kid accidentally bumped into Yano, making them both fall, and he somehow landed on top.
"Uh... the winner is... Tomohiro?" Iruka said, sounding as confused as everyone else.
"That can't even be called a fight," Yuji said flatly. "It was an accident happening in slow motion."
"At least it was over quickly," Shikamaru mumbled, already looking half-asleep again.
"Alright, next!" Iruka's voice became firmer, as if trying to regain momentum after the anticlimactic bout. His eyes scanned the list. "Sakura Haruno! Versus... Ino Yamanaka!"
Instantly, the atmosphere in the yard changed.
The air, which had been filled with childish competitive spirit, now felt heavy and charged with static electricity. Sakura and Ino, who had been standing on opposite sides of the group, stepped forward. They didn't look at each other as opponents. They looked at each other with the pure hatred only two former best friends could possess.
"Oh, no," Yuji whispered to himself. "This is going to be bad."
"Now this," Shikamaru said, opening one eye, "is way more of a drag than Naruto's fight."
Sakura and Ino's friendship had become a casualty of a cold war that had been raging for the past month. A war whose battlefield was the attention of a boy who didn't even know the war existed. Uchiha Sasuke.
As they walked to the center of the circle, there was anger in their every step. Their chins were up, their eyes narrowed. Both of them, almost in unison, shot a quick glance towards Sasuke.
The Sasuke-kun in question was there, leaning against a tree at the edge of the yard, completely unconcerned. He was busy cleaning dirt from under his fingernails, as if this fight for his honor was as interesting as watching paint dry.
"Who do you think will win?" Choji asked, swallowing a handful of chips.
"No one," Yuji replied. "They've both already lost."
"Huh?" Choji looked confused.
"They're not fighting to win," Yuji explained. "They're fighting for the attention of someone who doesn't care. It's a tragic waste of energy. At least Naruto fought to prove something to himself. They... they're just putting on a show."
"A very stupid show," Shikamaru added.
In the center, Sakura and Ino took their stances. There were no verbal taunts like with Naruto and Kiba. Just a tense silence and glares that could burn holes in their opponent's clothes.
"Begin!" Iruka shouted, his tone slightly wary.
Unlike the previous fights, this one started with an explosion. No hesitation. No tentative moves. Just pure aggression.
Sakura was the first to pounce, a cry of frustration escaping her lips. She threw a wild, unaimed punch. Ino, who was slightly taller and leaner, dodged to the side and tried to counter with a kick.
Their fight had no finesse or technique. It was a brutal, emotional street fight. They pulled each other's hair. They shoved each other with their shoulders. At one point, Sakura managed to scratch Ino's arm, leaving a thin red mark.
"Sasuke-kun is mine!" Ino hissed as they grappled, too quiet for Iruka to hear, but loud enough for the kids in the front row.
"You stole him from me!" Sakura retorted, tears of anger forming in the corners of her eyes.
"This is exhausting to watch," Yuji said, looking away for a moment. "I'd rather watch two cats fight. At least they're honest about their intentions."
"Do you think Sasuke likes girls who can pull hair well?" Choji asked sincerely.
Shikamaru snorted. "Sasuke probably doesn't even know their hair color. He's too busy liking himself."
The fight heated up. Ino used her longer reach to keep her distance, launching kicks that forced Sakura to defend. Sakura, on the other hand, was more like a small bull, constantly trying to push forward and get into close range where she could use her slightly greater physical strength.
"Look at that," Yuji said, pointing with his chin. "Sakura's footwork is a mess. She's relying too much on emotion. She leaves herself open every time she attacks."
"Ino is calmer," Shikamaru said, his sharp observation cutting through his laziness. "She's upset, but she's still thinking a little. A little. It's a drag, but she's using her brain."
Shikamaru was right. Ino was letting Sakura attack blindly. She took a few hits on her arms and shoulders, but she was waiting for her chance. The chance came when Sakura, in another burst of frustration, lunged forward with an over-committed punch.
Ino didn't dodge. She did something smarter. She ducked under the punch, twisted her body, and used Sakura's momentum against her. She hooked her leg behind Sakura's.
It was a clumsily executed leg sweep, but it was effective.
Sakura lost her balance and fell forward with a cry of surprise. Before she could recover, Ino was on top of her, using her weight to press Sakura's back to the ground.
"I win!" Ino yelled, her breath coming in gasps. But she wasn't looking at Iruka or Sakura. Her eyes were locked on Sasuke. "Did you see that, Sasuke-kun?! I won!"
Sakura, her face pressed into the dirt, began to sob softly. Not from physical pain, but from crushing humiliation and defeat.
Under the tree, Sasuke didn't even look up. He had finished with his nails and was now observing an ant crawling on the tree bark. He was completely oblivious to the victory that had been dedicated to him.
Ino's victory felt hollow in the air. She had defeated her rival, but the prize she wanted—Sasuke's acknowledgement—never came. Her triumphant face slowly faded into an expression of confusion and disappointment.
"Winner, Ino Yamanaka," Iruka said with a tired voice. "Alright, Ino, you can let her go."
Ino got up, looked at Sasuke one last time before walking back to her line with a haughty air, though her shoulders were slumped slightly.
Sakura stayed on the ground for a few more seconds, her sobs growing louder. Finally, she got up and ran out of the training ground, tears streaming down her face.
An awkward silence fell over the rest of the class.
"Well," Shikamaru said, stretching. "That's what I call a very, very troublesome fight. Too many feelings. Too much drama."
Yuji just shook his head. Naruto and Kiba's fight was about pride and spirit. It was simple. This fight... this was about something far more complicated and far more stupid.
"At least now we know," Yuji said quietly.
"Know what?" Choji asked.
"That there's nothing more exhausting than a fight with no winner."
The awkward silence left by Sakura and Ino's drama didn't last long. Iruka-sensei, with the professionalism of a teacher accustomed to pre-teen emotional outbursts, quickly took control.
"Alright, class!" he called out, his voice firm, pulling everyone back to reality. "Let's continue. There are many of you who haven't had a turn yet."
The next few fights were quick and unremarkable. Other kids fought, most with more enthusiasm than skill. There were a lot of missed swings, wobbly stances, and more falls from tripping than from an opponent's blow. Yuji watched with half-attention, his mind more focused on how much he wanted this to be over so he could go home and read his book.
Then, Iruka called the next pair, and Yuji was pulled back in.
"Shikamaru Nara! Versus... Daichi Suzuki!"
Shikamaru, who was nearly asleep on his feet, groaned softly as his name was called. He glanced at his opponent. Daichi was one of the biggest kids in the class. Not fat like Choji, but big and solid, with arms that already showed a hint of muscle. He looked like the type of kid who could win an arm-wrestling match just by staring at his opponent.
"This is going to be a massacre," Naruto whispered next to Yuji. "Shikamaru's going to get crushed!"
"I wouldn't be so sure," Yuji replied quietly, his eyes narrowing. "Brains are sometimes stronger than brawn."
"But you have to move to use your brain!" Naruto said. "And Shikamaru hates moving!"
Shikamaru walked to the center of the yard with the laziest steps Yuji had ever seen. He looked like he was walking through honey. Daichi, on the other hand, strode confidently, cracking his knuckles.
"I'll make this quick," Daichi growled, smirking. "So you can go back to sleep."
"Thanks," Shikamaru replied sincerely. "I appreciate your consideration. It's a drag."
They took their positions. Daichi in a strong, aggressive stance. Shikamaru... just stood there, hands in his pockets, shoulders slumped.
"Begin!"
Daichi charged immediately, like a released bull. He threw a powerful, straight right punch. It was a punch that, if it connected, might have sent Shikamaru flying.
But it didn't connect.
At the very last moment, Shikamaru, without taking his hands out of his pockets, just slightly tilted his body to the side. Daichi's fist flew past where his head had been milliseconds before. Shikamaru's movement was so fluid and minimalist it was almost imperceptible.
Daichi lost his balance from his own momentum and staggered forward. He turned around, his face slightly red with annoyance. "Stand still!"
He charged again, this time with a wild series of punches. And the show began. Shikamaru didn't even hide his laziness. He didn't dodge with leaps or quick movements. He just moved as little as possible. A small step to the left, a lean back, a lazy turn of the shoulder. He turned the fight into a strange dance, where he was the reluctant dancer and Daichi was his angry, uncoordinated partner.
Everyone could even see that Shikamaru was deliberately letting himself get "hit." A slow, telegraphed punch from Daichi headed for Shikamaru's shoulder. Instead of dodging, Shikamaru just stood still, and as the fist lightly touched his shoulder, he reacted as if he'd just been hit by a cannon.
"Ugh!" he groaned dramatically, staggering back a few steps.
Daichi frowned, looking confused. He knew his punch wasn't that hard.
Shikamaru, seeing his opponent's confusion, seemed to decide that this show was already too long and troublesome. As Daichi charged again with a shove, Shikamaru didn't dodge at all. He just let Daichi push him.
Then, with the most theatrical movement, he fell to the ground. It wasn't a quick, hard fall. He fell slowly, as if he were sinking into quicksand. He landed on his back, stretched his arms out to the side with a loud sigh, and stared at the sky.
"I give up," he said clearly. "It's too much of a drag."
Silence fell over the yard. Daichi stood over Shikamaru, panting, his face red with a mixture of exertion and anger. He had won, but it didn't feel like a victory.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Daichi yelled, his frustration finally exploding. "You didn't even try! You were looking down on me!"
Shikamaru just opened one eye. "I wasn't looking down on you. I was just really appreciating your effort. You won, right? What's the problem? Now I can rest. Congratulations." He closed his eye again.
Yuji couldn't help it. A small, amused smile touched his lips. He leaned over to Naruto and Choji.
"He didn't give up because the fight was a drag," Yuji whispered. "He gave up because winning is a drag. If he won, maybe, he'd have to fight someone else in the next round. By losing now, he can go back to his nap. It's... genius in the laziest way possible."
Naruto giggled softly behind his hand. Choji, busy chewing, just said, "I'd like a nap too."
Iruka-sensei let out a long sigh, looking like he had aged ten years in the last five minutes. "The winner... is Daichi Suzuki," he said without enthusiasm.
After a few more fights, the name Yuji had been waiting for and dreading was finally called.
"Yuji Yamashita! Versus... Kiyoshi Tanaka!"
Yuji felt a small jolt of adrenaline. He glanced at his opponent. Kiyoshi was an average kid. Not too big, not too small. No reputation as a great fighter or a genius slacker. He was just... a kid.
But the Yuji of now no longer underestimated the children of this world. He had learned his lesson in the most humiliating way possible.
As he walked to the center of the yard, he could feel the eyes of his friends on him. Naruto was looking at him with an encouraging smile. Choji gave him a nod while chewing. And Shikamaru, now sitting against a tree, actually opened both his eyes to watch.
This was it.
Yuji took a deep breath, clearing his mind of everything but one goal: get it over with quickly. He would not be humiliated again.
He bowed to Kiyoshi, then settled into his stance. Not the lazy stance he had shown at the beginning of the lesson. This was the stance he had practiced in his room every night. Low, solid, balanced.
Kiyoshi looked a little surprised by Yuji's seriousness, but he also settled into his stance.
"Begin!"
Kiyoshi was the first to move, just like Daichi. He attacked with a simple, straight punch, a standard move they had learned. It was an honest, but telegraphed, attack.
For the old Yuji, it might have hit. But not now.
Time seemed to slow down. As Kiyoshi's fist approached, Yuji didn't retreat. He shifted his weight, rotated his hips, and parried the punch to the side with the back of his hand, redirecting its momentum.
The movement left Kiyoshi's defense wide open. For a split second, the boy's chest was completely exposed.
Yuji didn't hesitate. He stepped forward into the gap, closing the distance. He didn't use a fist. That felt too brutal. Instead, he pushed with the heel of his palm, a strike designed to shove, not to injure. All his power—the power from his legs, the rotation of his hips, and the thrust of his arm—was focused on a single point on Kiyoshi's chest.
BANG!
The contact made a dull, solid sound.
Kiyoshi gasped, the air knocked out of his lungs. The force of Yuji's strike, amplified by his solid stance, was more than enough. The boy was thrown back as if he had just hit an invisible wall. He stumbled a few steps, then fell sitting on the ground with a thud, his eyes wide with shock.
The fight was over. It had probably lasted three seconds.
A total silence fell over the yard. Everyone, including Iruka-sensei, stared in shock. They had expected another clumsy fight. They had not expected such swift, clean efficiency.
Yuji stood there, his breathing steady. He had won. He had proven his point. But as he looked at Kiyoshi sitting on the ground, staring at him with a mixture of fear and confusion, the wave of victory was quickly replaced by a strange feeling of guilt.
He had just hit a kid. Sure, it was a sparring match. But still, it felt strange. And Yuji had hit him pretty hard. He didn't feel proud. He didn't feel like a hero. He just felt... a little empty.
Ignoring Iruka's yet-unspoken command, Yuji walked over to Kiyoshi. He held out his hand.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice calm.
Kiyoshi looked at Yuji's hand hesitantly, then took it. Yuji pulled him to his feet.
"The winner, Yuji Yamashita," Iruka said finally, his voice sounding a little surprised.
Yuji didn't celebrate. He just nodded at Kiyoshi before walking back to his line, avoiding everyone's gaze.
But the important thing was, he had won.
He had proven to himself that he was no longer the same kid who had been humiliated months ago. He might feel guilty, but underneath that guilt, there was a cold, hard satisfaction. He would not be a victim. He would not be a laughingstock.
As he returned to his spot next to Shikamaru, he met his friend's gaze.
"That," Shikamaru said quietly, "was not troublesome at all."
Yuji just nodded, his eyes fixed forward. The show was over. The point had been made.
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