Soon, Naruto and Satsuki engaged in a taijutsu exchange that could be described as ninja-level.
Their figures moved swiftly across the open ground, the dull thuds of their fists and feet connecting echoing intermittently, their movements dazzlingly fast yet always maintaining a delicate balance, exchanging blows back and forth.
The exciting match drew gasps and cheers from the classmates watching nearby.
Of course, in the rising and falling cheers from the sidelines, nine out of ten were directed at Satsuki.
The little boys in the class, their faces red, shouted, "Go, Satsuki!" trying to attract her attention in this direct way, though Satsuki completely ignored them.
In truth, this seemingly evenly matched taijutsu bout had, from the very beginning, traces of Naruto's deliberate control.
Under the taijutsu enhancement brought by the system, his positioning was more like a "hardworking cheat" than a "hardworking genius."
Although Naruto's Flying Thunder God Technique was obtained through the system's lottery, he gradually discovered that he seemed to have inherited some of his father Minato Namikaze's reactive talent.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to suppress the Raikage back then.
During their first sparring session, the moment Satsuki used the Substitution Jutsu, he clearly had the chance to interrupt it directly, rendering her technique ineffective, but he deliberately slowed down his movements and chose to go easy on her.
Why deliberately control the pace and make this sparring session appear to be an even exchange? The answer is actually very simple—to consider Satsuki's feelings.
Although the Uchiha Clan is warlike and carries an unyielding arrogance in its bones, they do not like battles where they are overwhelmingly suppressed.
Once the power gap becomes too large, making her feel an insurmountable chasm, with her proud personality, she might be severely disheartened by it.
What if? What if Satsuki, due to this huge disparity, started to doubt herself, felt there was no room for improvement in Konoha, and was ultimately taken advantage of by Orochimaru, running off with him?
However, rationality told Naruto that this situation was highly unlikely to happen.
Satsuki is emotional and has a strong attachment to those around her, not to mention that he had already made up his mind to prevent the tragedy of the Uchiha massacre—as long as that event didn't happen, Satsuki had no reason to defect.
Yet, even so, Naruto still wanted to be thorough.
Why? He himself couldn't quite explain it; perhaps subconsciously, he didn't want any accidents to happen, only wanting to add layer after layer of insurance for Satsuki staying by his side, ensuring absolute foolproofness.
The confrontation on the field continued, and Iruka, seeing this, finally called a halt.
"Alright, this sparring session ends here!" If it dragged on any longer, the other classmates wouldn't be able to train.
Ultimately, the match ended in a draw.
Hearing this result, both Naruto and Satsuki showed clear signs of dissatisfaction—of course, Naruto's expression was mostly faked.
They performed the Hand Seal of Reconciliation as instructed, and then, they walked back to the spectator area together, leaving behind the training ground, which became lively once more.
——————
By the time all the sparring sessions ended, the sun had already begun to set in the west.
Iruka clapped his hands, announcing the end of school, and the children immediately cheered as they packed their things, the clamor rushing towards the school gate like a tide.
Most of the children were quickly picked up by waiting parents at the school gate; some snuggled into their parents' arms, while others excitedly recounted interesting things that happened at school, their laughter drifting into the air with their receding figures.
Iruka stood in place watching this scene, and a faint sense of loneliness suddenly welled up in his heart, carrying an indescribable emptiness.
Just then, the corner of his eye caught sight of figures at the school gate—Naruto was still standing there, his back to him, seemingly talking to Uchiha Satsuki beside him.
Satsuki had her head slightly tilted, and they were standing very close, clearly engrossed in their conversation.
Is it because no one came to pick him up, so he's chatting with a friend? Iruka's heart stirred slightly.
This child, like himself, must also return to an empty home.
Thinking this, he started walking towards the school gate, having already made up his mind—he would invite Naruto to eat a bowl of Ichiraku Ramen, just like last time.
At least, it could let the child feel a bit more liveliness before going home.
As he gradually approached the two with their backs to him, Iruka faintly overheard their conversation.
"Seriously, Iruka Sensei is being too overly cautious.
Not being able to use Ninjutsu makes it not fun at all."
"Exactly! He won't even let us use ninja tools. Doesn't he know that throwing techniques are an Uchiha specialty? Otherwise, you might not have been my opponent."
"Huh? That's a pretty big boast.
You should know, I've almost learned all the Ninjutsu scrolls the Third Hokage gave me.
Even the Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu, which usually only Jonin know, I can now use proficiently."
"With your turtle-like hand seal speed?"
"What, Nizhu Zi? You're not convinced, are you? How about we find a place and go all out in a match? Let's see who's stronger?"
"Hmph, I was thinking the same thing.
Then let's find a place…"
Listening to their conversation, Iruka felt like something was stuck in his chest, almost making him choke—these two guys hadn't listened to a single word he said!
"Hey, you two!"
Iruka's voice suddenly boomed beside them, filled with suppressed anger.
Naruto and Satsuki were both startled, hastily turning around, their faces still showing unvanished surprise, meeting Iruka's angry glare.
"I-Iruka Sensei?" Naruto shrank his neck, and Satsuki, for once, reined in her arrogance, her eyes a bit shifty.
"You two big idiots! Didn't you hear a single word I said?!"
Iruka's voice suddenly rose, "I told you, those Ninjutsu are too dangerous for your age! And you want to use real ninja tools? Do you want to become ninjas with irreparable scars? The meaning of being a ninja isn't about whose Ninjutsu is more powerful or whose ninja tools are sharper! It's about knowing how to control your strength, about protecting important people, not about seeking momentary satisfaction!
If something goes wrong during sparring, how will you carry out missions in the future? Do you think a ninja's growth relies on such reckless contests? It's absolutely ridiculous!"
Iruka's nagging continued, seemingly endless.
Perhaps he was indeed suited to be a teacher; his patience was beyond what most people possessed.
However, Naruto suddenly interrupted Iruka.
"Ah, this is so annoying, I know… but."
He flashed Iruka a brilliant smile, "Playing house won't make you a strong ninja, goodbye, Sensei."
With that, Naruto grabbed Satsuki's wrist and ran, Satsuki also complied readily, not struggling free.
The two rushed out of the school.
"Hey! You two, stop right there!"
"No way! See you tomorrow, Sensei!" Naruto shouted without looking back, not stopping his steps; Iruka didn't see the "plan successful" expression on Naruto's face.
"You brats! You're asking for it!"