"Next match," Ikuta-sensei called out. "Ino Yamanaka versus Emi."
A brown-haired civilian girl stepped forward. Emi looked nervous, but there was determination in her eyes.
Across from her stood Ino Yamanaka.
Ino adjusted her stance calmly, rolling her shoulders once. She had a small smirk on her face.
Confident.
Very confident.
Ikuta-sensei raised his hand.
"Taijutsu only. Win by knockout, submission, or ring out. Begin!"
Emi attacked first.
A fast straight punch aimed at Ino's face.
Ino tilted her head slightly.
The punch missed by an inch.
Ino stepped inside Emi's guard and tapped her ribs lightly with two quick strikes.
Emi stumbled back, surprised.
The class murmured.
"She's fast…"
Ino circled smoothly, light on her feet.
Emi tried a kick this time.
Ino blocked with her forearm and countered with a palm strike that pushed Emi toward the edge of the sparring circle.
Controlled.
Balanced.
Clean.
Ino was better trained.
More precise.
And she knew it.
That confidence made her relax.
Just a little too much.
Emi rushed forward again.
Ino expected another wide swing.
Instead, Emi stepped in close and threw a short, tight punch straight to Ino's cheek.
Thud.
The sound was sharp.
Ino's head snapped slightly to the side.
The class gasped.
For a second, everything froze.
Ino blinked.
Slowly, she touched her cheek.
Emi stared at her own fist in shock.
"I… I got you!"
Ino lowered her hand.
Her eyes changed.
The smirk disappeared.
"That was good," Ino said calmly.
Then she moved.
First move.
Ino stepped forward quickly and grabbed Emi's wrist before she could pull back. She twisted her hips and redirected Emi's arm across her own body.
Emi lost her balance instantly.
Second move.
Ino stepped behind Emi's leg and hooked it. At the same time, she pulled the trapped arm forward.
Emi fell backward hard.
Dust rose into the air.
Before Emi could recover,
Third move.
Ino dropped smoothly to one knee, pressing it against Emi's shoulder while keeping the arm locked and controlled.
Emi winced.
"I… I can't move."
Ikuta-sensei stepped forward.
"Stop. Match over."
Silence filled the yard for a moment.
Then whispers began.
"She finished that fast…"
"That was clean…"
Ino released the hold immediately and stood up.
She offered her hand.
Emi hesitated, then accepted it.
"You're strong," Emi admitted quietly.
Ino smiled proudly.
"And beautiful."
The girls nearby giggled.
As Ino walked back to her spot, she lightly touched her cheek again. A faint bruise was already forming.
"That's going to leave a mark," I said casually.
Ino glanced over her shoulder at me while rubbing her cheek.
"I know," she replied in a teasing tone. "What can I do? I'm fragile like a flower."
"Hmph," I said. "A flower with thorns."
She smiled slightly.
"Still a flower."
Before the conversation could continue, Ikuta-sensei called out the next match.
"Hinata Hyūga versus Sakura Haruno."
The sparring circle grew quiet. Inside the circle stood Sakura Haruno, fists raised, eyes sharp with determination.
Across from her stood Hinata Hyūga. This was the match I had been waiting for.
In canon, Hinata was shy. Hesitant. Always doubting herself.
But this Hinata?
She was different.
Mute.
Calm.
Unshaken.
She had never shown the nervous behavior of canon Hinata.
Hinata stepped forward into the circle. Then she lowered into a taijutsu stance.
The air changed.
It was subtle.
Her posture was straight.
Balanced.
Centered.
Her pale eyes locked onto Sakura.
Still.
Unblinking.
She did not activate her Byakugan.
I leaned slightly toward Ino and whispered, "Do you know why Hinata is… mute? And how she got that injury?"
Ino kept her eyes on the circle. Her expression shifted slightly.
"It isn't my place to tell," she said quietly.
That answer told me enough. Ikuta-sensei raised his hand.
"Taijutsu only. Begin."
Sakura attacked first.
A sharp jab aimed at Hinata's face. Hinata shifted half a step.
The punch hit nothing but air.
Sakura followed immediately with a kick.
Hinata rotated her hips and deflected it with her forearm.
Smooth.
Controlled.
Sakura pressed forward.
Two quick punches. Hinata slipped between them like water.
Then she struck.
A palm to Sakura's ribs.
Sakura staggered slightly.
Her eyes widened.
Hinata didn't smile.
She stepped in again. Another palm.
Lower this time.
Sakura gasped as the air left her lungs.
I blinked.
"She's fast."
Faster than anyone I had seen spar today.
Even I wasn't that fast in close combat.
Running drills measured stamina.
This was pure speed and control.
I had greater stamina.
But she had greater speed.
Sakura gritted her teeth and charged again. Her strikes became harder.
Anger started to show.
Hinata ducked under a wide hook. Her elbow drove into Sakura's side.
Then a knee to the stomach. Sakura dropped to one knee.
The class fell silent.
Hinata did not rush blindly.
She waited.
Watching.
Calm.
Sakura forced herself up again.
"I'm not done!"
She lunged forward desperately. Hinata stepped inside the attack.
One hand caught Sakura's wrist.
The other struck sharply at her shoulder joint.
Sakura's arm weakened instantly.
Before she could react, Hinata pivoted.
Swept her legs.
Sakura hit the ground hard.
Dust rose.
Gasps spread through the yard.
Ino swallowed.
"She's… brutal."
She looked at Sakura. "I don't want to be in her place."
I spoke quietly, cutting in.
"We're training to be shinobi. Not dancers. If you hesitate out there, you lose more than a spar."
Ino didn't respond.
She just watched.
Sakura tried to stand again.
Her breathing was uneven now.
Hinata advanced.
No hesitation.
She struck twice to Sakura's midsection.
A third blow to the collarbone dropped her again.
Sakura rolled weakly. She began to gag.
Hinata stepped forward to continue,
"Enough!"
Ikuta-sensei moved instantly between them.
He placed a firm hand on Hinata's shoulder.
"Match over!"
Hinata stopped immediately.
Her stance relaxed.
The intensity faded.
She stepped back without protest.
Sakura lay on the ground, bruised and struggling to breathe.
Ino ran forward. She knelt beside her.
"You okay?"
Sakura coughed harshly.
"Go away!"
Ikuta-sensei came forward and checked her condition.
"She'll be fine," he said calmly. "Ino, take her to the infirmary."
Ino helped Sakura stand and walked her away.
I glanced at Hinata across the circle. She stood straight.
Silent.
Composed.
No pride.
No emotion.
Just calm strength.
Daisuke, one of the civilian boys, exhaled slowly.
"I didn't know she was that good."
I narrowed my eyes slightly.
She was better than canon.
Much better.
And she was only six.
What happened to her in this world? What shaped her like this?
Before I could think more, Ikuta-sensei called the next match.
"Shino Aburame versus Choji Akimichi."
The day of surprises wasn't over yet.
On one side stepped Shino Aburame.
Calm.
Silent.
Unreadable behind his dark glasses.
His posture was straight and balanced. Every movement looked measured, almost mechanical.
On the other side stood Choji Akimichi.
Solid.
Grounded.
His fists were clenched, but not wildly. There was focus in his eyes.
This was speed versus power.
Ikuta-sensei raised his hand.
"Taijutsu only. Begin."
Shino moved first.
Not aggressive.
Not reckless.
But fast.
He stepped in with a sharp jab aimed at Choji's shoulder.
Choji blocked it with his forearm.
But Shino had already shifted.
A low kick tapped Choji's thigh.
Testing range.
Testing reaction speed.
Choji frowned.
"You're fast."
Shino said nothing.
He stepped in again.
Two quick punches.
One high.
One mid-level.
Choji absorbed the first.
The second hit his side.
Solid contact.
Choji grunted, but he did not step back. Instead, he swung a heavy right hook.
Shino barely ducked under it.
The punch cut through the air with force.
If that had landed clean, It would have hurt badly.
Shino stepped back, reassessing.
Choji was not just strong.
He was sturdy.
They began circling.
Dust shifted under their feet.
Shino darted in again. A palm strike to the chest.
Then a sweep attempt.
Choji planted his feet firmly.
The sweep failed.
Choji suddenly grabbed Shino's sleeve.
For a second, they were locked close together.
Choji drove his shoulder forward.
Shino twisted away at the last moment, but the impact clipped him.
He slid back several steps.
The class leaned forward. This was close.
Shino adjusted his stance.
Then he accelerated.
Now he moved in sharper angles.
Left.
Right.
In.
Out.
A flurry of controlled strikes. Three quick hits landed across Choji's arms and ribs.
Choji staggered slightly.
But he did not fall. He exhaled slowly.
Then he charged.
Straight forward.
No hesitation.
Shino aimed to sidestep, but Choji anticipated it.
Instead of swinging wide, Choji stepped forward and cut off the angle.
His fist shot straight.
Clean.
Heavy.
It connected with Shino's torso.
Thud.
The sound echoed across the yard.
Shino's breath left him instantly. He stumbled backward.
Choji did not give him space.
He pressed forward using his weight.
A second strike, short and powerful, hit Shino's shoulder.
Shino tried to regain balance.
Choji stepped in one final time.
A strong punch drove into Shino's midsection.
Shino dropped to one knee inside the circle.
Silence.
Even the wind seemed to pause.
Ikuta-sensei stepped forward.
"Stop. Match over."
Choji stepped back immediately, breathing heavily. Shino remained still for a moment.
Then he slowly stood up.
He adjusted his glasses calmly.
Though his breathing was heavier now.
Choji rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.
"You're really fast."
Shino gave a small nod.
"And you are… stronger than expected."
The students began whispering.
"That was intense…"
"They were almost even…"
"Choji actually won…"
Choji looked down at his fists quietly.
He did not cheer.
He did not boast.
He just nodded to himself.
After that, there were a few civilian matchups.
They were messy.
Clumsy.
Nothing worth analyzing.
Then, finally, the last names were called. "Naruto versus Shinji."
The whispers started immediately.
"The demon kid…"
"Let's see if he's actually strong…"
Ino had come back from the infirmary and stood with the others now. She gave me a small nod and a thumbs up..
That was nice of her but we barely knew each other and I didn't need support.
I stepped into the circle.
Across from me stood Shinji, a civilian boy slightly taller than me. He walked with confidence, shoulders back, chin raised.
Determined.
I rolled my shoulders once.
Calm.
This is nothing compared to the black panther I fought.
We both stood ready.
Ikuta-sensei looked between us.
"Begin."
Shinji smirked.
"This is perfect," he said loudly. "Time for you to pay, demon."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
"Once I beat you, everyone will praise me," he continued. "The girls will notice me instead of that Sasuke."
Ah.
So that was it.
Glory.
Attention.
I almost forgot how much I was disliked in this village.
It's easy to forget when you barely interact with anyone.
Hiroji buys my things.I rarely go shopping.
The only places I visit are Ichiraku Ramen, the library, the academy, empty training grounds… and home.
And the only person I truly talk to is…a middle-aged librarian.
For a second, that realization hit me.
That's kind of sad.
Before I could think more, Shinji laughed.
"What? Already scared?"
He rushed forward and threw a straight punch at my face.
I sighed internally.
Every single spar today started like this.
A straight punch.
Or a basic jab.
Do they not learn by watching?
As his fist came toward me, I shifted slightly to the side.
Just enough.
His punch cut through empty air.
His eyes widened.
He really thought that would work. I didn't give him time to recover.
I stepped in.
Twisted my hips.
BAM.
Uppercut.
My fist connected with his chin.
His head snapped back.
He staggered.
Before he could regain balance, I grabbed his punching arm and pulled him back toward me.
Then, a sharp kick to his stomach.
Thud.
He dropped to all fours, gasping for air.
Breathing uneven.
I glanced at Ikuta-sensei.
Our eyes met.
He didn't stop the match.
Why?
Was he testing me?
Did he know who my parents were?
Did he receive orders from the Hokage?
Or maybe, he just believed in letting the fight play out fairly.
Whatever the reason.
I turned back to Shinji.
He was trying to push himself up.
Before he could stand fully, I stepped back slightly.
Then swung my leg forward like kicking a ball.
BAM.
The kick connected with his face.
He fell flat onto the ground.
Unconscious.
Silence spread across the yard.
Ikuta-sensei stepped forward.
"Match over."
I stood there for a moment.
Then slowly looked up at the students watching.
I made eye contact with as many as I could.
Some looked curious.
Some looked angry.
Some looked afraid.
A small smirk formed on my face. I tilted my head slightly.
"Anyone else want the glory of beating the demon?"