Chapter 79: Chapter 79

The scorching flames raged for a few seconds before gradually fading into wisps of heat.

“So huge!” Sakura gasped, then quickly shouted with sparkling eyes, “You’re amazing, Sasuke-kun!”

Her voice triggered a wave of excitement as the students of Class 1A erupted in cheers.

Everyone understood—Sasuke’s Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu had practically sealed the victory for their class.

The difference in power was overwhelming. There was no longer any suspense.

The second years fell into uneasy silence.

“…A worthy opponent,” Neji muttered, his brows tightening slightly.

He had already regarded Sasuke as a real rival, but now, he couldn’t help but feel troubled. That fireball was something he could only dodge—he had no means to counter it directly.

“What youthful energy!” Rock Lee exclaimed, his fists clenched in admiration.

Tenten subtly shifted closer to Neji, ignoring her green jumpsuit-clad classmate. Rock Lee had clearly been influenced—poisoned, even—by Gai’s nonstop talk of youth.

“This can’t be…” Mizuki’s eyes were wide with disbelief.

That fireball… it was the kind of power he’d only ever seen a Jonin wield.

’Damn it. Another cursed genius!’

Jealousy twisted in his chest like a blade.

“A prodigy… another one,” Shikaku muttered, stunned. “He’s only six, yet he’s already stronger than many Genin.”

The Ino-Shika-Cho alliance had always stuck together to make up for their individual clan weaknesses. But the Uchiha were different—brimming with raw talent and elite strength, time after time.

“His Chakra volume, his control, even his mastery of nature transformation… all exceptional for his age,” Hiruzen observed with a deep nod. “At this rate, his future won’t be far behind that of Itachi.”

Shikaku’s gaze sharpened slightly. He recalled how Hiruzen once evaluated Itachi—a child who, at seven, could already think like a Hokage.

’Could the Uchiha Clan truly produce a Hokage…?’ he wondered.

But the thought vanished just as quickly. He understood all too well the complicated politics surrounding the Uchiha—Hiruzen’s efforts to win them over, Danzo’s quiet suppression. It was a precarious balance: protect Konoha’s peace, but never let the Uchiha gain too much power.

Meanwhile, Sasuke basked in the glow of admiration.

“Sasuke, that was awesome!” Kiba called out, impressed despite usually finding Sasuke’s personality irritating.

Sasuke responded with a small, cool nod.

He tried to maintain his calm, aloof demeanor—but inside, he was practically glowing. If only his father and brother had been there to see this moment…

“Sasuke! You’re my eternal rival!” Naruto shouted and threw an arm around his shoulders.

“Naruto, get off him!” Sakura shrieked, panicked.

’Why does Naruto get to touch Sasuke before me?! Outrageous!’

Sasuke squirmed, trying to break free, but Naruto’s grip was surprisingly strong.

That expression of helplessness on Sasuke’s face—caught in Naruto’s hold—sparked a wave of laughter among their classmates.

The tension broke into cheerful chaos.

Hiruzen watched it all with a soft smile.

’This… this is the future I want to see. Konoha, full of life and laughter.’

“Settle down,” Kitazawa called out, noticing Hiruzen walking toward them. The group quieted quickly.

“You all performed admirably,” Hiruzen announced, sweeping his gaze over the students. “But Class 1A was the clear winner of this round.”

“YEAH!” Naruto and the others jumped and cheered.

Mizuki took a deep breath and forced a smile. “That was just the first event. There are still more rounds—if we win the next ones, Class 2A will come out on top.”

His words helped rally second years’ spirits a little.

“Good. Keep up that energy,” Hiruzen nodded in approval. “We’ll take a ten-minute break before starting the second round.”

During the break, two ANBU operatives arrived to help prepare the next trial.

The second test focused on Chakra control.

At Kitazawa’s request, the Hokage had assigned one ANBU with Earth Release and another with Water Release to help set the stage.

There was no need to plant trees for surface-walking—Earth Release created solid stone pillars, and for walking on water, they simply molded an earthen basin and filled it with water using Water Release.

As Kitazawa surveyed the now-ready training ground, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu.

’It’s starting to feel like one of those obstacle-course game shows from my past life,’ he thought with amusement.

Only, here, there were just two rounds—but the stakes were far higher.

“The rules for the second event are simple,” Kitazawa announced as the break came to an end. “Attach Chakra to your feet and race to the finish line. The first to arrive wins.”

“Everyone, take your positions at the starting point,” Iruka called out, quickly organizing the Class 1A students.

Soon enough, both classes stood side by side at the edge of the course.

Ahead lay a large pool of water. Across it stood a forest of pillar-like structures that mimicked trees. The final challenge was to scale one and jump down—marking the finish line.

“Neji’s going to take this one for sure!” Tenten said confidently, cheering him on.

Neji gave a calm nod. He agreed.

As a prodigy of the Hyuga Clan—masters of the Byakugan and Gentle Fist—Chakra control was second nature. After all, striking a foe’s Chakra points with precision demanded nothing less than flawless control.

“We’re counting on you, Neji,” Mizuki said, clapping him on the shoulder. Losing the first round had stung, but losing two in a row in front of the Hokage would be humiliating.

Elsewhere, Ino was already stretching. “Sakura, feel like a little friendly race?”

Sakura smirked. “Sure. loser does double homework tonight.”

Naruto, who had been about to join in, froze mid-step.

Double homework?

He immediately retreated.

Thanks to Kitazawa’s special training regimen, Naruto had developed a deep-rooted fear of assignments.

“Naruto!” Rock Lee gave a thumbs-up, “Let’s have a youthful showdown!”

Naruto beamed, full of fighting spirit. “On the name of youth, let’s go!”

“Ready!” Kitazawa interrupted their chatter, voice sharp. “Three! Two! One! Go!”

The students took off.

Naruto and Rock Lee sprinted across the water in unison, full of enthusiasm.

Then came a loud splash.

Rock Lee had plunged straight into the pool.

“Lee?!” Naruto slowed in shock.

“This is my limit!” Rock Lee declared from the water. “Naruto, carry the flame of youth and keep moving!”

“Lee!” Naruto’s eyes welled up with tears. “I’ll do it—for both of us!”

“Go!” Lee gave a teary thumbs-up.

“YOUTH!” Naruto shouted dramatically… and fell into the water moments later.

His Chakra control wasn’t much better.

If not for Kitazawa’s earlier training, he might not have made it even this far.

On the viewing platform, Hiruzen let out a deep sigh. “I’m starting to regret it, Shikaku.”

Nara Shikaku stifled a chuckle. “Regret what?”

“Letting Naruto hang out with Gai.” Hiruzen massaged his temples. “He’s already been infected.”

“It might not be such a bad thing,” Shikaku mused. “A Naruto full of passion and determination could do wonders for the village.”

“Maybe,” Hiruzen said. “But Minato and Kushina will probably kill me again in the afterlife.”

Kitazawa, watching from the sidelines, couldn’t help but twitch at the corners of his mouth. Were these people here for a competition… or a comedy skit?

“That’s Gai for you,” Kurenai chuckled. “Too bad Kakashi isn’t here to witness this madness.”

Kitazawa had a sudden thought: if Naruto still ended up as Kakashi’s student, like in the original timeline…

Poor Kakashi. His peaceful life was about to get very loud.

“At least Gai himself isn’t here,” Kitazawa muttered.

“Thankfully,” Kurenai replied. She imagined a scene of Gai, Rock Lee, and Naruto crying in a group hug. Just the thought made her shiver.

Kitazawa’s attention returned to the course. “Looks like Neji’s in the lead.”

Most of the students had already been eliminated. Walking on water and scaling vertical surfaces were high-level training techniques usually reserved for post-graduation training. It was no surprise that many struggled.

“As expected from a Hyuga genius,” Kurenai commented. “But your four students are right on his heels.”

She meant Sakura, Ino, Hinata, and Sasuke—all keeping pace with Neji.

Their strong performance took many by surprise.

“Is this some kind of Genjutsu?” Mizuki muttered, eyes wide.

Class 1A actually had four students comparable to Neji?

Impossible.

Or so he tried to convince himself.

As the race continued, five students made it to the pillar-climbing stage.

Neji glanced around—and frowned. Four others were still with him. Even Hinata.

Gritting his teeth, he surged ahead with renewed speed.

Hinata and Sasuke faltered, falling behind.

Only Sakura and Ino kept up.

But halfway through the climb, Ino began to lose momentum.

Neji, meanwhile, felt his stamina draining fast. He unconsciously slowed just enough—

—For Sakura to leap past him.

In a burst of determination, she reached the top first, her eyes shining with focus.

“What?!” Neji’s heart dropped. He watched in disbelief as Sakura descended toward the finish line.

He was frozen in place.

He could accept losing the first round. Fire Release: Great Fireball was flashy, and Gentle Fist lacked such spectacle.

But this?

This was a Chakra control competition.

And he had lost. Utterly.

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