Chapter 57: Chapter 57

AN : Just reached 100 Chapters in my patreon. Check them out to support me. On this occasion, bonus Chapter!!! Enjoy!!!

—————————————————

Ninja Academy Training Ground

The sun shone down on the training field as the students of Class 1A rolled up their sleeves, brimming with anticipation for the special training ahead.

Ino cast a glance at Sakura, who—as usual—was following Sasuke like a loyal retinue.

Despite having trained under Kitazawa recently, Ino hadn’t had enough time yet to fully reap the benefits. Just yesterday, she’d lost to Sakura again during their water-walking exercise.

But even so, she felt a flicker of hope.

Because this time, Sakura had hit her with fewer wooden kunai than before.

A few more days of the training, and Ino was determined to flip the tables.

Meanwhile, Sakura was far too absorbed in fawning over Sasuke to notice the subtle changes in her rival.

Just then, Kitazawa arrived on the field.

Without needing a single word, the students snapped into orderly lines, standing at attention.

“Today’s practical combat class won’t just be training.”

Kitazawa scanned the eager faces before him, a faint smile playing at his lips. “Because today, Class 1A will experience its first real taste of true combat.”

“Combat?!”

Inuzuka Kiba shot his hand up. “Are we fighting one-on-one?”

“That’s right.”

At Kitazawa’s confirmation, cheers rippled through the class.

In the ninja world, talk was cheap. Strength was everything.

They’d been in the academy for almost two months, and finally, they were getting their chance to prove themselves.

“What a drag,” muttered Shikamaru, looking as though he’d rather take a nap.

“No snacks as prizes?” Choji groaned in disappointment.

“I wonder if I’ll get to fight Sakura…”

Ino crossed her arms, deep in thought.

She belonged to the Yamanaka Clan, and her fundamentals were solid. She was confident she could finally beat Sakura in a spar.

“Ah, man!”

Kiba wore a frustrated look. “I still haven’t found my partner!”

As a member of the Inuzuka Clan, his jutsus all relied on working with his ninken partner. But he didn’t have one yet—or rather, he hadn’t bonded with the right pup.

In the original timeline, his partner was Akamaru. But Akamaru hadn’t even been born yet—he’d have to wait another two years.

“I’m gonna win for sure this time!”

Naruto declared, brimming with confidence.

He’d been training under Gai, running daily and learning Leaf Whirlwind and Leaf Great Whirlwind.

For a student who’d only been in the academy two months, knowing two taijutsu techniques was a huge advantage.

Sasuke, standing nearby, scoffed at him with a quiet snort.

He’d been training with Kitazawa for a month, sharpening both his chakra control and his nature transformation skills.

His nine-meter-wide Great Fireball jutsu was sure to leave everyone speechless.

When it came to real combat, Sasuke was convinced he’d come out on top.

After all, the Uchiha Clan were legendary for dominating one-on-one battles.

“Alright—students whose names I call, step forward for your matches,” Kitazawa announced, clapping his hands.

He’d chosen his matchups carefully.

First, pair students of roughly equal strength.

Second, start with the weakest and build toward the strongest.

As a homeroom teacher, he knew the strengths and weaknesses of every kid in the class.

And truthfully?

The skill level of most of them was… well, a little embarrassing.

Other than a handful of standouts, most kids only knew how to throw ninja tools or use the basic Clone jutsu.

The fights were turning out to be rather repetitive and not terribly exciting.

“Sakura Haruno versus Ino Yamanaka,” Kitazawa called out at last, a small glint in his eye.

He loved watching girls fight—especially two as fiery as these two.

“Ino, I didn’t think we’d end up as opponents,” Sakura said in surprise.

“Sakura, I’ll try to go easy on you,” Ino said with a teasing grin, clenching her fists.

“You’ve been my punching bag all week!” Sakura shot back, unable to resist the challenge.

“Actual combat is a whole different story,” Ino retorted sharply, striding confidently to the center of the field.

The two faced each other, forming the traditional Confrontation Seal.

Sakura was first to move, charging in with a wild punch.

But Ino slipped out of range with ease. Spinning on her heel, she used her hips to generate power, twisting into a clean roundhouse kick.

Her foot slammed into Sakura’s side, sending her stumbling and dropping to the ground.

Kitazawa raised an eyebrow, not the least bit surprised.

Sakura was all brute force with no technique. Meanwhile, Ino had been training in Konoha-style taijutsu.

Konoha-style taijutsu wasn’t flashy or packed with killer moves, but it laid the solid groundwork for any ninja looking to master close combat.

Of course, even if it was common in the village, not everyone could pick it up.

And as for more advanced styles like the Eight Gates or Uchiha-style taijutsu—those were on a completely different level.

“I won, Sakura.”

Ino offered her hand with a satisfied smile.

“Just wait until water-walking practice,” Sakura snapped, grabbing Ino’s hand and pulling herself up. “I’ll beat you there!”

“That’s not so certain,” Ino said with a smirk, glancing over at Kitazawa.

“Nara Shikamaru versus Akimichi Choji,” Kitazawa announced after a moment’s thought.

“So it’s students of similar strength facing off?” Shikamaru mused aloud, already looking bored as he strolled lazily toward the center of the training ground.

“Watch yourself, Shikamaru!” Choji called, charging forward with surprising speed for his size.

But before Choji could even get close, Shikamaru abruptly collapsed to the ground.

“???”

Choji froze mid-step, utterly bewildered.

“Did Shikamaru just… throw the match before it even started?” he blurted, scratching his head.

“I forfeit, Choji,” Shikamaru mumbled from where he lay, sounding utterly drained.

“But… I didn’t even hit you yet,” Choji protested, half exasperated.

“Doesn’t that just prove how precise your punches are?” Shikamaru replied, not bothering to get up.

Kitazawa twitched at the corner of his mouth. “Enough, both of you. Get off the field.”

He cleared his throat and announced, “Next match—Inuzuka Kiba versus Shino Aburame!”

“Kiba, don’t lose!” Naruto shouted from the sidelines, flashing a big thumbs-up.

“That’s my line!” Kiba shot back with a grin. “This time, I, the mighty Kiba, will crush you personally!”

Shino silently adjusted his sunglasses. With his hands buried in his pockets, he stared at Kiba with a calm, unreadable expression.

“Four Legs jutsu!”

Without warning, Kiba dropped to all fours, chakra surging through his limbs. A ripple of surprise spread through the crowd—many of them were seeing an Inuzuka clan jutsu for the first time.

The Four Legs jutsu enhanced chakra flow to the arms and legs, boosting speed, grip, and attack power to beast-like levels.

“Here I come!”

Kiba sprang forward in a blur, tearing across the ground like a wild animal, leaving afterimages in his wake.

The spectators gasped, shocked at his explosive speed.

“He’s way stronger than I thought…” Naruto murmured, eyes wide with excitement.

“No threat at all,” Sasuke commented coolly—though a second later, his eyes narrowed.

Because suddenly, the field filled with a low hum.

Hundreds of parasitic insects poured out from under Shino’s jacket, swirling through the air like living smoke.

The crowd erupted in commotion.

Before Kiba could even react, the insects latched onto his limbs, wrapping around him like living ropes and freezing him in place.

“So strong!” Naruto exclaimed, jaw dropping.

“That’s… so gross…” Sakura said, shuddering as she watched the seething mass of insects.

“I seriously hope I don’t have to fight Shino in the next round,” Ino muttered, her face pale. She, too, hated bugs.

Sasuke remained silent—but in his eyes flickered the briefest glint of wariness.

“Winner: Shino Aburame,” Kitazawa announced, raising his voice over the buzz of conversation.

The Aburame Clan’s secret jutsus were legendary: controlling insect swarms for offense, defense, reconnaissance, and even healing. Their versatility made them one of Konoha’s most enigmatic clans.

And Shino Aburame, in particular, was earning a reputation among his classmates as the so-called “Enigma”.

————————

AN : To keep the Chapters coming – Support with POWER STONES.

For Every 100 power stones – 1 BONUS Chapter.

For Every 10 5-star reviews – 2 BONUS Chapters.

For getting to Top 10 Power ranking- 3 Extra Chapters.

AN: Check out my P@treon For extra Chapters.

Thank You For your Support!!

[email protected]/noviceauthor777

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep