Without bothering to adopt a serious stance, Heavenly Dao just stood there casually and said to Uchiha Sasuke, "Begin."
In the original story, every appearance of Uchiha Sasuke was accompanied by leaps and bounds in growth—from the Genin at his debut, to near-Jonin level by the Chunin Exams, and then near-Kage level after following Orochimaru. Every time, it was a rapid progression.
However, Sasuke during his Ninja Academy days was still in a developmental phase; even the divine skills for training Chakra control like "Tree Climbing" and "Water Walking" had to be taught by Kakashi Hatake after graduation.
But seeing Heavenly Dao's casual demeanor, Uchiha Sasuke didn't think that way; he only felt that he was being looked down upon.
"How dare you look down on me." As expected, Uchiha Sasuke's expression changed. He drew a Kunai from his tool pouch and lunged at Heavenly Dao.
Before he could even get close, Heavenly Dao flicked his finger, and a gust of wind struck Uchiha Sasuke on the forehead, sending him flying backward.
Along with the strike came Heavenly Dao's commentary: "Your attack intent is too obvious, you're using too much force, and there's a lack of variation."
Hearing Heavenly Dao's incessant chatter, Uchiha Sasuke's face hardened. He stomped his feet to halt his momentum and immediately threw three Kunai from his hand. The targets of the three Kunai didn't seem to be Heavenly Dao, but after they collided in mid-air, their changed trajectories locked off Heavenly Dao's path of evasion.
"Ah!" Sakura Haruno let out a cry of surprise, which triggered a chorus of echoes from the other girls. They seemed to have already envisioned the scene of Heavenly Dao failing to dodge and getting hit; some couldn't help but cover their eyes.
Heavenly Dao didn't move. "Swish! Swish! Swish!" His hands blurred into afterimages amidst the sound of wind. By the time the students regained their senses, all three Kunai had appeared in Heavenly Dao's hands.
"You know how to change tactics; your mind is reasonably flexible."
Heavenly Dao was still offering commentary while Uchiha Sasuke, hot-headed, had already begun weaving hand signs, his Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique about to be unleashed. But in the next instant, Heavenly Dao appeared behind him, a cold Kunai held against his throat, causing Uchiha Sasuke's hand signs to falter.
"Alright, Sasuke-kun, let's end our spar here," Heavenly Dao said. "This is the first lesson I'm teaching you: first and foremost, you must choose a suitable opponent."
"Against an opponent as strong as your teacher, even if I were to challenge you, your best choice would definitely be to run away."
"Do you all understand?" "Yes!" the students responded in a roar. Uchiha Sasuke had always been the top student in their class, and only now did they have a true sense of Heavenly Dao's strength.
"Teacher Heavenly Dao is so strong!"
"With so many students watching, a technique like Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique is still too dangerous." Heavenly Dao gently admonished Uchiha Sasuke.
Uchiha Sasuke walked back to the group without a word, his face as gloomy as water, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. After personally clashing with Heavenly Dao, a sense of powerlessness he had once felt was reawakened within his heart.
Uchiha Sasuke didn't look at anyone; he just stood there with his head lowered, as if trying to bury that sense of powerlessness deep in his heart. But deep within those pitch-black eyes, a flame that had never been extinguished—and was instead burning ever brighter—ignited. That was a thirst for power.
Heavenly Dao swept his gaze over the entire class, his tone calm yet unquestionable: "Next, one-on-one combat training. Form your own teams, and stop at the appropriate point. Remember, a Ninja is not a performer, and battle is not a game. You need to think: how to achieve the greatest effect with the fewest movements."
The students quickly paired up, and the group of Konoha's young talents began a series of youthful yet earnest contests on the training ground. Some fumbled their hand signs, some tripped, and others gained the upper hand through clever tricks. Amidst this clamor, the figure of Hinata stood out as exceptionally quiet.
Her opponent was Ino Yamanaka. The two were evenly matched in strength; in fact, since they were still at the Ninja Academy stage, Hinata, who had been practicing Gentle Fist from a young age, actually had more of an advantage compared to Ino Yamanaka, who had been practicing her clan's Mind Transfer Jutsu since childhood.
However, whenever she had the opportunity to attack, she would always hesitate for a moment; whenever Ino launched an attack, she would be at a loss. In the end, during a critical exchange, even though she had already locked onto Ino's joints, she was thrown to the ground by the opponent's turning throw.
"You lost." Ino panted as she reached out a hand to pull Hinata up from the ground.
Hinata lowered her head and whispered a thank you, then silently retreated to the side, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes, almost shredding the fabric.
The sparring continued in a chaotic yet orderly fashion. Heavenly Dao watched from the field, occasionally intervening to prevent some students from using too much force or failing to pull back their attacks in time, which would lead to injuries.
Although he had talked a big game earlier, if the students were truly injured, Heavenly Dao estimated that he would be severely sanctioned by the Third Hokage.
Soon, the whistle for the end of training sounded. Heavenly Dao stood in the center of the field, his voice not loud, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears: "Your performance in this first lesson—was very good."
The students let out a small cheer.
"However, there is still a lot of room for improvement." After becoming a teacher, Heavenly Dao discovered that he also enjoyed these sudden twists. Watching the students shift between being happy and dejected, he inexplicably felt a sense of pleasure.
"After you go back, remember to familiarize yourselves with the techniques you discovered during the actual combat, and do not slack off."
"Understood, Teacher Heavenly Dao."
The students left one after another. When Hinata passed by Heavenly Dao, he spoke up: "Hinata, stay behind for a moment and help me clean up the training ground."
Soon, only Heavenly Dao and Hinata remained on the training ground. The setting sun slanted down, casting their shadows long.
"Do you know where you lost?" Heavenly Dao suddenly asked.
Hinata, who had been silently tidying up behind Heavenly Dao, was suddenly questioned. She immediately became flustered, like a frightened little beast. She bit her lower lip and replied in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz: "...I... it's because I'm too weak."
"No." Heavenly Dao shook his head. "You are stronger than Ino. Your Taijutsu is more refined, your Chakra control is steadier, and your Byakugan sees further. You lost because you didn't dare to win."
Hinata looked up abruptly, a flicker of shock flashing in her eyes.
"Your heart has become accustomed to losing, Hinata." Heavenly Dao's tone softened slightly. "You are afraid that victory will invite attention, afraid that being strong means responsibility, and even more afraid that you will disappoint others."
"You've grown accustomed to disappointing others, haven't you?"
Hinata's eyes turned red, tears swirling in them, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.
"But have you ever thought—" Heavenly Dao squatted down to look her in the eye, "perhaps you have the ability to do it."
Hinata remained silent for a long time. Heavenly Dao didn't press her; he just patted her head: "No need to rush your answer. Go home and think about it carefully first."
"O...Okay, Teacher Heavenly Dao." Hinata looked up at Heavenly Dao and answered earnestly.
"Very good." Heavenly Dao stood up. "Remember to believe in yourself more, understand?"
After cleaning up the training ground and saying goodbye to Hinata at the school gate, Heavenly Dao turned and left the school as well. Both tasks were progressing very smoothly, and Heavenly Dao was in a very pleasant mood.