Author's Note:
...Hi, you miss me? Okay, I'll stop. To put it simply, I've been studying—like, really hard—for my exams. I wanna ace and I know I can, so I'm putting in tons of effort. But by the end of November, expect more updates, since exams will be done by then. See ya 👏
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Sasuke's POV
"Don't underestimate me, Sasuke."
Her white eyes narrowed as she stared me down—and I froze.
What the hell? I thought only blondie would give me trouble.
Whatever. I'll just take her out before she can do anything else.
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3rd Person POV
Sasuke shot forward, swiping at Hinata's head—but she slipped beneath the strike with ease. That only irritated him. She looked too comfortable... too used to fighting people faster than her.
With a grunt, Sasuke followed up with a kick aimed at her shin. Hinata moved to block—
But it was a feint.
He twisted his body mid-motion, slamming an elbow toward her temple—
Poof.
His smirk dropped. A replacement jutsu?
Suddenly—
BAM!
He was slammed into the ground from above, the air knocked clean from his lungs. He scrambled up, chest heaving, but she was already on him.
They clashed in a blur, fists and feet flying—
Blow for blow. Neither backing down.
But then... Hinata started slowing. Her breathing deepened. Her guard loosened.
'Now!' Sasuke thought, eyes glinting. He surged forward, striking more aggressively, landing clean hits.
"Got you..."
A cold whisper brushed his ear.
She vanished.
'Genjutsu?!'
Too late.
Hinata appeared behind him and launched a high kick at his jaw. Sasuke barely blocked—
Only for her to spin and land a solid kick to the back of his head.
He staggered forward. Dizzy. Vision hazy.
Hinata jumped back, giving him space out of respect.
"...How?"
His voice was low, frustrated.
"Hm?"
"How're you this strong?! I train harder than every single person here... yet I'm still not the strongest. So how?!"
Hinata frowned slightly. "How childish..."
Then, without a hint of hesitation, she struck—sending him out of the ring just as his body gave out. Unconscious.
She bowed respectfully to Iruka before walking off silently.
Iruka sighed, half-proud and half-exhausted. He called for a short break before the next match.
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Moments Later
Naruto walked up to Hinata, hands in his pockets and a soft grin on his face.
"You were awesome today, Hina. I'm really proud."
Hinata blushed and looked away, voice small.
"Thank you, Naruto."
But Naruto's face turned a bit more serious.
"That said... keep training. You've gotta be able to overwhelm your opponent in every way. Speed, power, unpredictability... everything. If Sasuke had fought smarter, things might've ended differently. No getting complacent, 'k?"
Hinata's heart skipped. 'Ah—Naruto is so caring...'
She nodded, cheeks pink. "M-mhm."
He chuckled and ruffled her hair gently.
Just then, they were called to the center of the sparring field.
"Right," Iruka announced, "I need the reconciliation seal from both of you, then the match begins."
Naruto and Hinata nodded, forming the seal together before stepping apart.
They faced off, tension humming in the air.
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Naruto's POV
'Nice. All that effort wasn't for nothing. She actually wants to fight me. Not like those shy, mute fanfic versions of her...'
He nodded to himself approvingly—
Only to find her right in front of him.
A palm strike shot toward his chest.
Naruto calmly flipped back, evading.
"Someone's eager~ Didn't know you disliked me that much," he teased lightly, watching her reaction.
She didn't flinch. Didn't blush.
She stayed focused, rushing again.
But—
Poof!
A clone intercepted her.
"Ah~ Ah~ Ah~" the clone grinned, mimicking Naruto's smug tone.
"We're just getting started."
The clone launched a hook kick toward Hinata's jaw. She blocked, tried to counter with an elbow—
Only to be swept clean off her feet.
Naruto hummed from the sideline, watching closely.
'It's better to let her fight the clone first. I want to see just how much she's improved...'
If he had to rank her now, she was definitely low to mid-Genin. Impressive for her age.
As for him?
He grinned.
'I'm obviously a walking cheat. Somewhere between low-Chūnin and mid-Chūnin. Broken, I know.'
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Author's Note:
Yo, sorry for the short chapter! Exams got me in a chokehold. 💀
I'm finishing up on Monday, so expect more updates soon.
Bye and ily ❤️
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