The atmosphere in the classroom was as lively as ever, with Naruto Uzumaki being his usual animated self. His exaggerated movements and dramatic flair had long since become a familiar sight to everyone around him. But today, something was different.
Sasuke Uchiha, usually the picture of cool indifference, sat nearby with his arms crossed. His sharp gaze flickered towards Naruto, who was completely absorbed in his ridiculous antics over a piece of fried chicken.
Seriously? Sasuke thought, narrowing his eyes. Is that stupid piece of fried chicken more appealing than me?!
His ego couldn't accept this. Absolutely unforgivable.
Just as Naruto's fingers, shaped into a tiny walking man, were about to reach for the crispy golden drumstick, a hand shot out faster than lightning.
The chicken leg—vanished.
Naruto froze. His humming came to an abrupt stop, his outstretched fingers still hovering above the empty space where his prized meal had once been.
"Huh? Wh-Where did my chicken leg go?!" Naruto stammered, his eyes darting around in disbelief. His voice cracked as he mumbled the last lines of his ridiculous song.
Then, he found the culprit.
"YOU!!!" Naruto bellowed, pointing an accusing finger at Sasuke, who sat there smugly, chewing on his chicken leg.
Sasuke took another slow, deliberate bite, looking Naruto straight in the eye. Then, with a cocky smirk, he mimicked Naruto's odd singing voice.
"This fried chicken is indeed beautiful... Baby...!!"
Naruto's face turned red—not from embarrassment, but pure, unfiltered rage.
"BASTARD SASUKE!!! GIVE IT BACK!!!"
Sasuke, however, only smirked and took another big bite.
"You snooze, you lose, idiot."
"YOU FREAKIN' THIEF!!! FIGHT ME RIGHT NOW!!!" Naruto jumped onto the bench, fists clenched, his whole body trembling with frustration.
Sasuke's eyes gleamed.
Oh? Was Naruto actually calling his name now? He had to admit—he kind of liked the sound of it.
"Bring it on!"
"Sasuke, give it!!!"
"Bring it on!"
"Sasuke, give it!!!"
And so, the absurd shouting match between Naruto and Sasuke resumed, leaving the rest of the class bewildered but mostly unfazed. This kind of nonsense was just another Tuesday for them.
Shouta Kazuki, on the other hand, sighed deeply as he rubbed his temples. He had expected this chaos when he dragged Sasuke over, but even he underestimated just how insane these two could get when together.
"Let's just ignore them," Shouta advised, shaking his head. "Those two are beyond help. Let's just eat in peace."
Before he could think further, Iruka-sensei entered the classroom, his brows furrowed as he glanced around suspiciously.
"…Why do I feel like something ridiculous just happened?"
The class fell silent.
"…Anyway! This afternoon, we'll be heading to Training Ground No. 3 for a combat training session. You all know the drill, so let's get going!"
Training Ground No. 3 – The Battle Begins!
Students lined up as Iruka-sensei read off the battle pairings one by one.
The matches proceeded as expected—small scuffles between students of varying skill levels. But as the fights continued, one name caused a noticeable stir among the class.
"Uchiha Sasuke versus Shouta Kazuki."
The moment those words left Iruka-sensei's mouth, an excited murmur spread through the students.
The top two in the class. The genius of the Uchiha clan versus the mysterious but undeniably talented Shouta Kazuki.
Everyone knew this was going to be a fight worth watching.
Sasuke stepped forward, his dark eyes gleaming with anticipation. His usual arrogance was replaced by something deeper—determination.
Shouta, on the other hand, remained calm. He had sparred against Sasuke many times before. But after the changes he had gone through, he was curious—just how far had he come?
The two locked eyes.
Neither of them spoke, but the tension between them was palpable.
Iruka raised his hand. "Begin!"
Sasuke wasted no time. He dashed forward, his body a blur of movement. In one swift motion, he leaped into the air, delivering a powerful spinning kick aimed at Shouta's head.
Shouta, however, barely moved. With a single arm, he effortlessly blocked Sasuke's strike.
What?!
Sasuke's eyes widened in shock.
How did he stop that so easily?!
The impact sent Sasuke flipping back, landing gracefully a few feet away. He clenched his fists.
"You've gotten stronger, Shouta."
Shouta smirked. "You're not too bad yourself. But…" He rolled his shoulders, loosening up. "You're still a bit too predictable."
Sasuke grit his teeth.
"Then let's see if you can handle this!"
He lunged forward again, this time feinting a punch before shifting into a low sweeping kick. But Shouta saw through it. He leaped over Sasuke's leg, twisting midair, and countered with a swift kick to Sasuke's side.
Sasuke barely managed to block, skidding backward from the force.
The watching students were stunned.
Their movements—their speed—it was beyond what any of them had expected.
Even Iruka was caught off guard.
"These two… They're already at Genin level…"
Back in the fight, Shouta narrowed his eyes.
Too slow.
Sasuke had raw talent, there was no denying that. But he lacked real combat experience. His attacks were strong, but his openings were too obvious.
He still has a long way to go.
Sasuke lunged again, but this time, Shouta sidestepped effortlessly, twisting behind him in a blur.
Before Sasuke could react—
BAM!
A clean palm strike hit his chest, sending him stumbling backward.
The crowd gasped.
Sasuke clenched his fists, frustration bubbling inside him.
Shouta lowered his stance. "Come on, Sasuke. You can do better than this."
Sasuke grit his teeth.
He knew it too.
I have to be stronger...!
But in this moment, he was forced to admit—
Shouta Kazuki was ahead of him.
For now.