The moment Sasuke and Senju Haruto formed the Seal of Confrontation, the entire training field fell silent.
The girls especially held their breath, eyes wide, not daring to blink for fear of missing even a second of Sasuke's performance.
"This is what you asked for," Sasuke said coldly. Then he moved—legs coiling, body surging forward toward Haruto in a sudden burst of speed.
Iruka and Mizuki immediately stepped back to give them plenty of space.
"As expected from the Uchiha clan… one of the strongest of the younger generation in the village," Mizuki muttered, a flicker of jealousy in his eyes.
Especially over their clan's unique kekkei genkai—the Sharingan. Once awakened, it was the greatest boost a shinobi could hope for.
"That's right," Iruka agreed. "If Senju-kun underestimates Sasuke, he'll pay for it."
Still, a spar in the academy was far safer than the kind of real battle—or killing—that awaited them later in life. If necessary, Iruka would step in.
But before he could think further, Sasuke was already in front of Haruto, his speed blurring.
"Has Sasuke gotten even faster?" Iruka murmured in surprise.
"Faster than most genin…" Mizuki added.
Fast?
From Haruto's perspective, Sasuke's charge looked perfectly ordinary—just a straightforward rush and a tightly clenched fist aimed right for him.
After all, this Sasuke hadn't awakened the Sharingan yet, nor had he been drilled in taijutsu by Rock Lee.
So Haruto simply targeted Sasuke's neck and brought his palm down hard.
Thud!
With a dull impact, Sasuke's balance was shattered, and he toppled.
Whump!
He landed flat on his back, staring upward in shock and confusion.
What… just happened?
One moment he was attacking, the next he was on the ground.
It wasn't just Sasuke—silence swept across the entire training field.
No one had expected Sasuke to be put down in a single move.
"What did Senju-kun just do?"
"I didn't see clearly."
"Too bad Hinata's absent today—if she'd been here with her Byakugan, she could've told us exactly what happened."
"Sasuke-kun…"
Sakura stared wide-eyed, unable to believe it. The top student in their class… beaten in a single move?
"That was…"
Iruka inhaled sharply. His vision was far keener than his students'. Just before Sasuke's strike could land, Haruto had moved faster—seizing control, disrupting Sasuke's center of gravity in an instant.
It was simple, but brutally effective.
"Senju-kun's taijutsu is… incredible," Iruka thought, deeply shaken.
"This ground's slippery," Sasuke muttered as he pushed himself up. His head was still ringing, like he'd just taken a heavy blow; the world spun, and a faint buzzing filled his ears.
"I knew it! There's no way Sasuke-kun would lose in taijutsu to the new guy—it's just the ground!" one of Sasuke's fans declared like it was a great discovery.
"Too bad," Sasuke said evenly, though he took a careful step back. On the surface, he looked calm, but inside he was rattled.
He hadn't even seen Haruto's attack. All he'd felt was a crushing force bearing down on him.
As much as he hated to admit it, this guy's speed and strength were beyond his own.
If I had the Sharingan now, this wouldn't have happened…
The Uchiha clan's most famous trait—the Sharingan—was a dōjutsu more powerful than the Byakugan, able to read movements, spot weaknesses, and turn a fight in their favor.
But he hadn't awakened it yet.
Even so, the Uchiha weren't defined by the Sharingan alone.
A slow smile tugged at his lips, as if victory were already in sight.
The watching students grew tense.
"Ah—Sasuke-kun's going to use that move!"
"A real ninjutsu!"
Envious murmurs rippled through the class. Many of them had enrolled in the academy to learn ninjutsu, but Sasuke had already studied it before ever setting foot in school. It was said to be the Uchiha's natural talent.
Naruto, on the other hand, didn't bother hiding his annoyance. "Always showing off…"
Fire Release, huh… Haruto's gaze sharpened, watching the change in Sasuke's hands as he formed seals.
From Sasuke's point of view, Haruto was new—he wouldn't understand what these hand signs meant. Just like he didn't understand what the name Uchiha truly carried.
But Sasuke would make sure he learned.
This was the strength he'd gained through years of relentless effort.
"Sasuke!" Iruka called sharply, recognizing the seals.
This was supposed to be a taijutsu spar—throwing in a jutsu like that could seriously injure Haruto.
Mizuki's expression, however, turned strange. He'd heard rumors about Sasuke, but for a mere student to use such a technique? He shouldn't even have the chakra reserves for it.
"So this is what they call a genius," Mizuki muttered bitterly, clenching his fists.
Sasuke's seals flowed like water, smooth and flawless. Before Iruka could stop him, the sequence was complete.
He took a deep breath.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Fwoosh!
A roaring mass of flame burst from Sasuke's mouth, forming a huge fireball that surged toward Haruto.
But then Sasuke froze—Haruto was… copying his hand seals? And clumsily, at that.
What was this idiot doing? Trying to mimic the Great Fireball? Impossible.
Did he have any idea how long it had taken Sasuke to master it? This wasn't something you could pick up just by imitating the hand signs.
And yet—
In the very next second, Haruto completed the seals and inhaled deeply.
Fwoooosh!
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A blinding wave of heat erupted, a fireball easily ten times larger than Sasuke's surging forward with a roar.
Sasuke's eyes went wide; he stumbled backward in shock until his legs gave out and he dropped to the ground.
And it wasn't just Sasuke.
Iruka and Mizuki—both seasoned chūnin—stood frozen, dumbstruck.
Is this guy… even human?
"M-Mizuki…" Iruka swallowed hard. "C-could you… do something like… that?"