Single-handed hand seals?! Suiton ninjutsu?!
Especially the single-handed seals—those weren't something just anyone could pull off. And yet Natsuki could do it?
Even Iruka was left speechless. He never imagined there was a hidden genius like that in his class.
Sure, he'd always thought Natsuki was pretty capable. After all, Natsuki had often beaten up Sasuke, the so-called genius of the Uchiha. But because Natsuki always claimed his chakra reserves were low, Iruka had simply assumed it was unfortunate.
Turns out... Natsuki was just pretending! And not only that, he was actually more talented than Sasuke.
Especially the single-handed seals—that was a hallmark of a genius among geniuses. Even someone like Kakashi, known throughout the village, probably couldn't do that!
"No, this can't be kept quiet. I need to report this to the Hokage right away. A talent like Natsuki must not be overlooked!" Iruka resolved, planning to head straight to the Hokage's office after class.
Meanwhile, Sasuke stood back up slowly.
His side still ached. Clearly, that kick from Natsuki had some serious force behind it.
But rather than angry, Sasuke looked excited. He knew Natsuki had been holding back, but he hadn't expected this—single-handed seals?! He hadn't even heard of them before.
All the better. He'd defeat this hidden prodigy and bring glory to the Uchiha name!
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"
Sasuke swiftly formed hand seals and spat out a massive fireball, several meters wide. It sent a shockwave of heat that stunned the younger students.
But everyone knew—even though it looked scary, the Gōkakyū no Jutsu often wasn't lethal.
Natsuki didn't dodge. He quickly formed a few seals, then let the fireball swallow him whole. Several students screamed, but the more clear-headed ones didn't panic—they didn't believe Natsuki would just stand there and take the hit. Iruka hadn't moved either.
Sasuke knew this too, so he looked left, right, even up—but couldn't find Natsuki.
"Below you! Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu!"
Natsuki's voice rang out. Two hands burst from the earth, grabbed Sasuke's ankles, and yanked him down—leaving only his head sticking out of the ground.
Then Natsuki emerged from the dirt, holding a kunai to Sasuke's neck.
"Damn it... I... I lost!"
Sasuke admitted defeat, unwillingly. The blow to his pride was clear—he hadn't realized the gap between their true abilities was this big. And seeing Natsuki so composed afterward made it even worse—Natsuki hadn't even used full strength. He was on another level.
Iruka quickly stepped forward. "The match is over! Natsuki wins!"
The class fell into stunned silence—then burst into applause.
Even the girls couldn't help but clap. Natsuki had won so flawlessly, so decisively. The so-called genius Sasuke didn't even stand a chance.
This was a textbook case of a "civilian" upending a noble genius.
Impossible not to admire!
Even Sasuke's usual cheer squad had nothing to say now. All they could do was quietly worry about their precious prince.
Natsuki reached out, pulled Sasuke from the ground, exchanged the seal of reconciliation, and turned to leave.
Sasuke suddenly asked, "Natsuki... why are you this strong?"
Natsuki paused and looked back seriously, meeting Sasuke's gaze. "I trained to protect Tenten, and also to protect friends like Shino, Shikamaru, and Chōji. I pushed myself to grow stronger. I didn't inherit any special family jutsu, so I had to study and think harder than everyone else. I practiced precision chakra control. I even borrowed ninjutsu scrolls from Shino to learn more. I grew strong to protect. What about you?"
Me? I... I want revenge...
Sasuke's expression darkened, but he said nothing.
Instead, he asked, "How did you do single-handed hand seals?"
Natsuki didn't hide it. "If your chakra control is precise enough, single-handed seals aren't that hard. I heard the First Hokage could just clap and summon anything he wanted—he didn't even need seals. What I did is nothing compared to that."
Everyone fell silent.
Yeah, the logic made sense, but comparing yourself to the First Hokage? That was a bit thick-skinned, don't you think?
Sasuke, however, suddenly had a spark in his eyes. "So precise chakra control... that's trained through tree-walking and water-walking, right?"
"...How'd you know that?"
Natsuki was surprised. He was looking forward to seeing Sasuke embarrass himself during Team 7's early training.
But Sasuke didn't answer. He wasn't going to admit he'd secretly watched Naruto train. Now that he had what he wanted, he left the field without another word.
Natsuki didn't press the issue either. It didn't really matter.
Plus, what he'd told Sasuke just now was heartfelt—but also said intentionally for Iruka's ears.
He was sure Iruka would pass it on to that old geezer Hiruzen. Given how scarce talent was in the village these days, the Third Hokage would likely be very willing to cultivate a young prodigy who could do single-handed hand seals.
After class, Iruka rushed to the Hokage's office and delivered his report about Natsuki.
Hiruzen was stunned. He immediately pulled out Natsuki's file, scanned it top to bottom, then questioned Iruka in detail about Natsuki's past performance.
Only after a long silence did Hiruzen sigh. "I misjudged that boy..."
"This kid is smart—he knows how to hide his talents. Maybe he understands the saying, 'the tallest tree catches the most wind.' Or maybe he was just trying to keep his girlfriend safe. But his background checks out. He's a positive influence—spreading the Will of Fire through his card game, befriending many clan heirs... even if he's hiding something, I don't believe he'd harm the village."
"To grow strong to protect... Heh. Well said."
"It's been a long time since a talent appeared. We must nurture him—he'll be a key asset to the village!"
As Hiruzen pondered, he pulled out a draft of team assignments he'd been mulling over.
Originally, he was going to assign Natsuki to any random jonin. But now? That'd be a waste. He needed a good teacher—someone who could truly help Natsuki grow.
Of course, Hiruzen also had reasons he didn't say aloud.
For one, Natsuki's relationship with Tenten was a bond—a tie to the village. And Tenten's family were wealthy merchants with major holdings across the Land of Fire. If Natsuki married into that family, his future would be set. As long as he wasn't an idiot, he'd never betray Konoha.
A genius loyal to the village? That's someone you invest in.
Naturally, just in case, he still ordered the ANBU to conduct a deep investigation—to rule out any chance that Natsuki was a spy.
"Oh, and make sure someone keeps an eye on him. Don't let Danzo make a move."
Hiruzen knew his old war buddy all too well. If Danzo found out about this kind of talent, he'd definitely want to snatch him away.
But this time, Hiruzen was wrong.
When Danzo received Natsuki's file, he just cursed under his breath and put it away.
Not because he'd changed...
But because he had concerns.
[Check Out My For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][/zaelum]
[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[Thank You For Your Support!]