Classes were over for the term, and parents crowded the Academy halls to pick up their children.Tōma sat alone in the now-quiet classroom, watching one student after another leave.He could have gone home earlier, but today he had something else planned.
Naruto had tried to stick around once he noticed Tōma wasn't leaving, but Tōma practically shoved him out the door.
That was when Tōma felt it—a sharp, clean gaze sliding across his skin like a kunai's edge.He looked up.
Uchiha Itachi.
He wasn't hiding his presence at all. Standing beside him was Sasuke, practically glowing.Seeing them together in person, the difference between the two brothers hit Tōma hard.Their gap wasn't "a few years"—it felt like entire worlds.
Tōma studied Itachi for a moment, then casually looked away.Sure, he wanted to ask questions about the Uchiha massacre someday… but right now?He'd die before finishing the first sentence.
Itachi, meanwhile, examined him with quiet curiosity. Sasuke's rare admiration for another student had already surprised him, and now that he saw the boy himself—alert, steady, perceptive—Itachi understood why.
When their eyes met, Itachi noted the subtle awareness in Tōma's posture.
A promising talent, he concluded before turning away.
Moments later, Itachi walked off with Sasuke trailing behind him—Sasuke insisting he didn't need escorting, even while smiling like a kid who absolutely did.
Once the classroom emptied, Tōma rose and headed for the Academy training field.
He waited there, loosening his shoulders, checking his breathing.Preparing.
At last, Iruka arrived.
"Sorry for the wait, Tōma," Iruka said, rubbing the back of his head.
"The last day of term must be busy. Thank you for agreeing to this," Tōma replied politely.
Iruka chuckled. "Still the top of the class, huh? But… are you sure you want to spar with your teacher? I am a chūnin."
"I'm sure," Tōma said, eyes sharpening. "I want to know where my current limit is. So please… take this seriously."
Iruka nodded—but inwardly, he had no intention of going all out against a child.
Tōma knew that, of course.But he also knew he'd force him to fight seriously soon enough.
His chakra had grown significantly.He could now afford a few uses of Wind Cutter or Gale Palm—nothing extravagant, but enough to test his edge.And physically, his Lightning-infused conditioning had propelled him forward fast.
"Here I come, Iruka-sensei," Tōma warned.
"Alright. Show me what our class's number one can do," Iruka answered lightly.
Tōma sprinted.
Iruka's eyes widened—this speed… he was holding back during the exam?!
Before Iruka could finish the thought, Tōma was already in his blind spot, fist swinging with ruthless efficiency.
A few exchanges told Iruka what he needed to know:This boy wasn't training alone.His form, timing, angles—these came from real sparring experience, not just punching trees.
And the kid's strikes hurt, too.Not enough to faze an adult shinobi—but enough to sting.
If it stays like this, the match will end quickly, Iruka thought.
He absorbed Tōma's next kick, grabbed for his arm—
And froze.
Tōma's hands blurred.
Three seals? In that time?
Before Iruka could process it, the boy's body puffed into smoke.
A wooden training post thudded against Iruka's chest.
"Substitution…?!"
Iruka spun, eyes scanning.That wasn't a five-seal, Academy-standard technique.That was a streamlined, high-speed variant.
He finally spotted movement—
Not one Tōma.
Three.
Clone Technique…?
Iruka regrouped, instantly shifting into serious mode.He might've lost initiative, but he was still a chūnin.
Another wooden post exploded where Tōma should have been.
Tōma wasn't surprised.Of course Iruka would escape the counterattack.His goal was never to land that blow—it was to force Iruka to stop holding back.
Now the real fight began.
From the opening exchange, Tōma confirmed several things:
Iruka's strength was too high to overcome without Wind Release techniques.His speed was close to Tōma's—close, but not faster.His sealing speed, however… was slow. Five full seals for the standard technique, just as textbooks demanded.
Tōma's own seals?Three in under a second.
That was his greatest edge.
It won't be easy, Tōma thought, excitement flickering in his chest.But that's exactly why it's worth doing.
Iruka, watching the boy's sharp eyes and focused stance, finally understood:
If I underestimate him even a little… I really might lose.