Yama stared at the small pouch containing 1,000 ryō with a puzzled expression.
He looked at the money, then at Yuji, before looking back at the pouch.
"...I can really keep this?"
Yuji nodded casually.
"Of course. Thanks for being my sparring partner."
Yama fell silent for a moment.
Normally, the winner would brag about their victory.
But the kid standing before him was thanking him while handing him money instead.
"...Now I feel like it’s hard to stay mad."
Satoshi patted Yama on the shoulder and laughed.
"Congratulations! This might be the first time in Konoha’s history that someone lost a duel and got paid for it."
Yui giggled as she joined in.
"If you got a thousand ryō every time you lost, Yama would become rich in no time."
"Hey! Stop cursing me to keep losing!" Yama protested.
"Don’t worry," Satoshi replied with a fake serious expression. "You’ll still have plenty of chances to lose."
"You jerk!"
Watching his three students joking around, Iwabe simply shook his head with a smile.
The tense atmosphere from earlier quickly melted into a much more relaxed one.
Yuji simply observed them without saying much.
...How strange.
We only just met, yet they’re surprisingly easy to get along with.
Maybe it was because he still looked like a little kid.
Or perhaps...
This was simply how ordinary shinobi interacted with one another.
Not everyone was as reserved as the members of the Uchiha Clan.
"Alright."
Iwabe clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention.
"Today’s training is over."
His three students immediately stood up straight.
"Before we head home, there’s one thing I’d like to explain."
All three instantly put on serious expressions.
"Many people believe that a shinobi’s strength is determined by how powerful their ninjutsu is."
"That’s true..."
"But only partly."
Iwabe picked up a small stone from the ground.
"Watch carefully."
He tossed the stone into the air.
When it reached the highest point—
Tap!
Iwabe caught it between two fingers.
"The moment your opponent makes even the smallest mistake, a shinobi must be able to seize that opportunity."
He looked at Yama.
"Your attacks are powerful."
"Then why did I lose?" Yama asked.
Iwabe pointed at Yuji.
"Because every one of your movements was too easy to predict."
"You rely on strength."
"While Yuji relies on observation."
Yuji gave a slight nod.
In battle, reading an opponent’s movements was indeed far more important than charging in recklessly.
"Speed doesn’t mean being the one who runs the fastest."
Iwabe continued,
"Speed means being the one who makes decisions the fastest."
Those words made Yuji pause to think.
Interesting...
The advice was simple, yet surprisingly valuable.
"Then, Sensei."
Yui raised her hand.
"If I make the wrong decision when choosing a restaurant for lunch, does that count as speed training?"
Iwabe looked at her expressionlessly.
"...No."
"What a shame."
Satoshi immediately chimed in.
"That’s not training."
"That’s just Yui’s natural talent."
"Hey!"
Yui immediately chased Satoshi around the training field.
"Get back here!"
"Help! A rampaging kunoichi!"
"You brought this on yourself!"
Watching the two students run around while shouting, Iwabe rubbed his temples.
"You two..."
"I just gave a pretty cool piece of advice."
"So why does it suddenly feel like a marketplace?"
Without realizing it, Yuji smiled faintly.
They really were... lively.
Completely different from the calm and serious atmosphere of the Uchiha Clan.
A little later, Yama walked over to Yuji.
"Yuji."
"Hm?"
"Next time..."
"Let’s fight again."
"Next time, I won’t lose."
Yuji smiled faintly.
"Alright."
"I’ll become stronger too."
Yama nodded firmly.
Without either of them realizing it, a healthy rivalry had begun to grow between them.
Iwabe watched the scene with a satisfied smile.
This kind of rivalry is exactly what helps a shinobi grow.
The sun slowly drifted toward the western horizon.
Its orange glow bathed the training ground.
Yuji bowed politely to them.
"Well then, I’ll be going."
"Take care on your way home!" Yui called while waving.
"Don’t forget to keep training!" Yama shouted.
"And if you get bored, come back. That way Yama can earn more money," Satoshi added.
"HEY!"
Everyone burst into laughter once again.
Yuji left the training ground with calm, steady steps.
However, he didn’t realize that from atop a tall tree...
A pair of eyes had been watching him ever since the spar began.
The figure wore the standard green flak jacket of a Konoha shinobi.
His gaze was sharp, yet filled with curiosity.
"...That child."
"His talent far surpasses his age."
After murmuring those words, the figure disappeared from the treetop with the Shunshin no Jutsu, as though he had never been there at all.
Meanwhile, Yuji continued walking home, completely unaware that his performance today had caught the attention of one of Konoha’s more influential shinobi.