Sasuke Uchiha tuned out Sakura's cheers, focusing solely on Shinho. He began mentally assessing his advantages.
As an Uchiha, even without his Sharingan, Sasuke had already mastered Uchiha-style taijutsu, while Shinho likely only knew the basic Leaf-style. Moreover, Sasuke was confident in his ninjutsu; he had already mastered the Three Basic Jutsu and was training in the Uchiha clan's signature Fireball Jutsu.
The advantage was his.
Sasuke couldn't see any scenario where he'd lose.
"Begin!" Iruka announced with eager anticipation.
Given the skills both Sasuke and Shinho had shown, he expected an exciting, high-level match. Having two outstanding students in his class was something he was immensely proud of.
Sasuke charged forward, but unlike Naruto's reckless approach, his attack had a clear strategy. He formed hand seals mid-sprint.
With a puff of smoke, two identical clones appeared beside him as Sasuke leaped into the air. The three Sasukes weaved through the air, creating a dizzying display.
"So strong!" Kiba exclaimed, visibly impressed.
Naruto scratched his head, feeling a pang of jealousy. His own attempts at the Clone Jutsu had always resulted in weird, malformed copies of himself.
Both Ino and Hinata straightened up, their faces showing worry. Sasuke's skills were undeniable.
Seeing the furrow in Shinho's brow, Sasuke's confidence soared. This is the strength of an Uchiha! he thought, smirking.
As Sasuke and his clones approached, he threw six kunai from above, the wooden weapons aimed strategically to pin Shinho in place.
The three Sasukes followed closely behind, ready to close in.
In an instant, Shinho was surrounded, seemingly on the defensive.
"Three points," Shinho muttered just before Sasuke struck.
What three points? Sasuke barely had time to wonder before Shinho's fist collided with his face.
The impact was immediate. Blood sprayed from Sasuke's nose as he was sent flying backward, crashing to the ground.
Sasuke lay there, stunned, his mind a blank.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What just happened?
The entire training ground fell silent.
Sakura's jaw dropped in disbelief. One moment, it seemed like Sasuke had the match in hand, and in the next, he was laid out on the ground.
Naruto, who had been sitting on the sidelines nursing his bruises, suddenly leapt up with newfound energy. He had fought Shinho earlier, and they had ended in a draw. But Sasuke—Sasuke hadn't even lasted a full minute!
By Naruto's logic, that meant he was stronger than Sasuke. He burst into laughter.
"Yeah! I'm the best!"
Ino, realizing what had just happened, let out an excited cheer, flashing a victory sign. Hinata, on the other hand, let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. As expected, Shinho-kun is the strongest.
Even Shikamaru, usually too lazy to care, started thinking more deeply. Sasuke wasn't weak; that much was certain. But Shinho was clearly on another level.
Shinho himself was a bit surprised. I only used 30% of my strength and it was this overwhelming? He was glad he had held back the remaining 70%, or things could have gotten ugly. The strength provided by the Black and White Boar Gu was no joke.
"You okay?" Shinho asked, tilting his head as he looked down at Sasuke.
Sasuke, still dazed and bleeding from his nose, flushed red with embarrassment. His long-awaited opportunity to prove himself had ended in total defeat.
If only I had the Sharingan… he thought bitterly. A flood of emotions surged through him, but nothing happened.
"Make the reconciliation sign," Iruka instructed, finally snapping out of his own shock.
Shinho extended his hand toward Sasuke.
But instead of taking it, Sasuke stood up on his own and begrudgingly made the reconciliation hand sign, muttering, "Next time, I'll win."
Shinho nodded indifferently. Sasuke's stubbornness reminded him of Naruto. No wonder the two became such close rivals in the original story.
Sasuke, meanwhile, stood off to the side, clearly upset. His thoughts kept circling back to the match. Something was bothering him.
"If you've got something to say, just say it," Shinho offered.
Sasuke, still holding his nose, asked, "What was that punch called?"
"Just a regular punch," Shinho replied without missing a beat.
"...?" Sasuke was left even more confused by the simple answer. It sounded too strange, but Shinho had already moved on, stepping off the platform.
No achievement yet? Shinho thought, slightly puzzled. Maybe I need to fight Sasuke again.
Just as he was mulling it over, a notification appeared in his mind.
[Achievement Unlocked: Punch Asura, Kick Indra. Reward: Jade Skin Gu.]
[Jade Skin Gu: A more powerful version of Copper Skin Gu, offering superior defense.]
[Jade Skin Gu, White Boar Gu, and Wild Boar Tusks can be combined to form the Two-Turn Gu: White Jade Gu.]
[You currently lack the required Wild Boar Tusks for the fusion.]
Shinho blinked, momentarily stunned. Well, this is a pleasant surprise!
From what he remembered, White Jade Gu would double the defensive power of Jade Skin Gu. He'd have to test its limits once he had a chance. But for now, he needed to find a source of wild boar tusks and stock up on jade, as the Jade Skin Gu would need two ounces every ten days to maintain its power.
Good thing Hinata's money came just in time.
Naruto suddenly threw an arm around Shinho's shoulder, grinning. "I knew it! You really are my eternal rival!"
"Any more challengers?" Iruka called out, bringing everyone's attention back to the training ground. "If not, I'll start calling names."
"I want to challenge Ino!" Sakura stood up, fire in her eyes. The tension between the two had been brewing ever since they cheered for opposite sides.
"Ino," Shinho called, turning to her. "Good luck."
It was only fair, after all. She had cheered for him earlier.
"I will!" Ino responded, beaming with excitement.
Sakura, seeing Ino's interaction with Shinho, felt a surge of jealousy. She was so envious that she nearly activated her Sharingan out of sheer frustration. If only I could get encouragement from Sasuke-kun… But Sasuke, still seething from his defeat, was too focused on his own thoughts, drawing circles in the dirt in deep concentration.
Shinho watched the upcoming match with interest. He had always enjoyed watching girls fight, after all.
Neither Ino nor Sakura used ninjutsu—they didn't know any yet. Instead, the match was a pure taijutsu fight, with both girls using the standard Leaf-style techniques.
In the end, Ino emerged victorious, but only by a margin.
"Damn it!" Sakura grumbled through gritted teeth.
"Better luck next time," Ino teased, throwing an arm around her rival's shoulders.
"Don't get too cocky!" Sakura shot back, turning away with a huff.
As soon as the match ended, Ino dashed over to Shinho, practically glowing with excitement. Sakura, watching from a distance, sighed, having expected this all along.
"Hinata Hyuga versus Kiba Inuzuka," Iruka called out as he resumed picking opponents.
Shinho instinctively glanced over at Hinata. Unlike the Sharingan, which needed strong emotions to awaken, the Byakugan would naturally develop with sufficient training. But at her age, Hinata hadn't yet activated her Byakugan.
Still, her Gentle Fist technique gave her a significant advantage, though her timid nature prevented her from fully unleashing its potential.