Iruka’s hand fell.
“Start!”
The playground fell silent for two seconds.
Sasuke stood in place without moving, hands in his pockets, chin slightly raised, looking at Naruto with his usual coldness and disdain.
“I thought you’d be different today.”
“Turns out you’re still the same as always, completely unable to recognize the true gap between you and me.”
Naruto stood opposite him without responding, bending slightly as if he were a beast ready to pounce.
He had things he had to prove.
If he returned to the Magic World and told her that back in Konoha, he was still the tail-end of the class who couldn’t even beat Sasuke, Master would definitely sigh.
Naruto didn’t want to lose face for her.
“I have a reason I must defeat you.”
The tone of his voice was very light, not shouting at the top of his lungs like before.
This instead made the few classmates standing nearby freeze for a moment.
Sasuke snorted coldly, pulled his hands out of his pockets, and assumed his starting stance.
“You tail-end, all you know every day is pranks and making trouble, what kind of reason could you have?”
“You can’t win against me.”
As soon as the words fell,
A neat burst of shouting suddenly erupted from the sidelines.
“Sasuke-kun, do your best!”
“Go for it!
Defeat that tail-end!”
Sakura stood at the very front, cupping her hands around her mouth, shouting the loudest: “Sasuke-kun is the most amazing one!”
The few girls around also echoed along, their voices blending together and spreading across the entire playground.
Naruto didn’t turn his head to look, exerting force with his feet.
His whole body shot out like an arrow leaving the bowstring.
Sasuke’s pupils shrank abruptly.
Too fast.
Yesterday, when the opponent rushed over, there would still be a charging-up movement.
His footsteps were also sluggish, and his whole body was full of openings.
But today’s move arrived right in front of him almost instantly.
Sasuke crossed his arms to protect his chest.
“Bang!”
Naruto’s fist smashed into his forearm, producing a muffled sound.
Sasuke was pushed back half a step by this force, his brows furrowing fiercely.
This strength wasn’t right.
Before he could think carefully, Naruto’s second punch had already arrived.
Sasuke dodged sideways, sweeping his right leg horizontally, wanting to kick Naruto’s knee.
Naruto crossed his steps, shifting his whole body half an inch to the side, and that sweeping leg brushed past his trouser leg, missing completely.
Then taking advantage of the momentum to step forward, the tip of his elbow crashed toward Sasuke’s chest.
Sasuke hurriedly raised both hands to block.
It was another “Bang” sound.
This blow was even heavier than the previous punch.
Naruto’s footwork, punches, dodging…
Every single movement was clean and neat, without any surplus things.
Sasuke adjusted his breathing while searching his mind for the source of this style.
Konoha-style taijutsu?
That’s not right.
Naruto’s movements were tighter, more tricky, with every move hitting the vital spots.
Completely targeting the fragile parts of the human body.
This fighting style didn’t look like any known school of thought in Konoha.
“You guy…” Sasuke said through gritted teeth, “Where did you learn this taijutsu?”
Naruto didn’t answer, kicked off the ground, and rushed up again.
Sasuke had no way to think about anything else, and could only throw punches to meet him.
The fists and feet of the two people crossed and collided in the air, emitting a dense series of muffled sounds.
The surrounding classmates watching the battle stared straight with wide eyes.
“Is that Naruto?” Kiba opened his mouth, his voice trembling, “When did he become so good at fighting?”
“That guy Sasuke is actually being beaten into retreating continuously…” Choji forgot to chew the snack in his mouth.
Sakura stood at the very front, her two hands already unconsciously clenched tightly.
Her gaze closely chased the two constantly shifting figures on the field, her brows furrowing tighter and tighter.
That’s not right.
How could Sasuke-kun be beaten while being suppressed?
This is impossible!
On the field.
Naruto’s fist smashed into the spot where Sasuke had just been standing.
“Bang!”
The body that was hit instantly turned into a piece of wood, splitting in half and falling to the ground.
“This is the Substitution Technique…” Naruto withdrew his fist, not rushing to turn around.
When he was in the Magic World, that warrior big brother had taught him a principle.
In a real battle, there would be situations where demons used mental-type magic, causing blindness or even falling into dreams.
But hearing and sense of smell wouldn’t.
The sound of wind, footsteps, breathing, none of these would lie.
Naruto tilted his head slightly, his ears twitching gently.
On the rear left.
A tiny sound of breaking wind.
Sasuke materialized from it, the Kunai in his hand thrusting straight at Naruto’s back neck.
His attack was fast and vicious, and the location was also tricky.
Under normal circumstances, this blow would be enough to end the battle.
But just at the moment the Kunai was about to touch Naruto’s collar.
Naruto turned around, his right hand already stretched out, five fingers spread open, accurately grabbing the wrist holding the Kunai with Sasuke’s grip.
This set of movements was clean, neat, and smooth like flowing water.
Sasuke’s eyes widened sharply, the sharp pain coming from his wrist instantly causing the strength in his entire hand to disperse.
The Kunai slipped from between his fingers and dropped to the ground.
“Straight punches lacking strength, loose footwork…
Can you really be considered a genius like this?”
“Bang!”
This punch hit Sasuke’s chest solidly, producing a dull sound.
His whole body leaned backward, both feet leaving the ground.
He fell heavily onto the sandy ground, kicking up a small patch of dust.
Sasuke panted, instinctively wanting to prop up his body and stand back up.
But as soon as he moved, he found Naruto pressing down on his body, a cold touch pressing right against his throat.
The distance between the two was very close.
Sasuke could clearly see the expression on Naruto’s face that was calm to the point of coldness.
It was as if this battle wasn’t exhausting for him at all.
“Uchiha Sasuke.” Naruto said softly, “You lost.”
Sasuke lay on the ground, staring at Naruto’s face for three seconds, then turned his head away and closed his eyes.
Naruto retrieved the Kunai and stood up.
He stepped back two steps, turned around, and his gaze crossed the dumbfounded classmates, landing on Iruka.
“Iruka-sensei.”
“Can you announce the match result?”
Iruka was still clutching that group roster in his hand, his mouth open, his whole person falling into a state of stupor.
“Of…
of course…” Only after being asked did he suddenly snap back to his senses, nodded forcefully, and announced, “The winner, Uzumaki Naruto!”
Naruto strode toward the direction of the line.
Walking back to his position unhurriedly, he stood in place amidst everyone’s straight-gazing looks.
Kiba’s open mouth finally closed, twitching the corners of his mouth, wanting to say something but unable to utter it.
Is this still Naruto?
Where is that tail-end brother of mine?
How did he suddenly become so formidable?
Shikamaru stood in the back row, narrowing his eyes to look at Naruto for a glance, then showing a thoughtful expression.
Ino poked Sakura’s arm with her elbow: “Hey…
Did you see that just now?
That guy Naruto just now…”
Sakura didn’t reply.
Her gaze still fell upon that patch of dust in the center of the playground.
Sasuke was still lying on the ground, one hand resting on his forehead, delaying in getting up.
She had never seen Sasuke like this before.
That Sasuke-kun who was always high above and the top student of the grade, after being knocked down to the ground by someone, didn’t even have the strength to stand back up.
And the person who knocked him down…
Was the previous tail-end.
Naruto stood in the line, facing the gazes coming from all directions, slightly raising his chin, and said softly:
“Facts have proven.”
“I am also a genius, not a tail-end.”
What he thought of in his mind wasn’t just that battle.
What he thought of was the way Master sat cross-legged in the high-backed chair looking at him.
The next time he went back, he must tell her.
Master.
I defeated Sasuke, the number one student in the whole school, in Konoha.
Just as you said, I really am a genius.