Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka's Battle

Naruto heard this and was so happy he didn't know which way was up.

He scratched his head and giggled twice, then, as if afraid the feeling would vanish, immediately pulled a kunai from his pouch, took a stance, and aimed at the target.

He threw it.

Another hit.

"Hahaha!" Naruto laughed first, "Again!"

One after another.

Qiushui stood by and watched, occasionally saying to flick the wrist a bit more or not to rush the force.

[Talent cultivation complete]

[Overall evaluation: A]

[Obtained cultivation reward: Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu (Max Level)]

Although the Fireball Jutsu was only a C-rank ninjutsu, it was one of the most classic techniques in Naruto and could be called the signature move of the Uchiha Clan.

The user gathers chakra in their throat and releases it in one breath, forming a massive spherical flame several to over ten meters in diameter.

However, because Qiushui had seen someone in his past life compile statistics on the seven hundred and twenty episodes of Naruto, noting that not a single person had died from a Fireball Jutsu—most only suffering burns—he felt the technique was somewhat lackluster.

Still, he had no intention of complaining; after all, it was a freebie that required neither arduous training nor the expenditure of contribution points.

Yet, as Qiushui looked at the information popping up before him, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, and he felt a sense of helplessness.

Why were the ninjutsu provided by the system always things he had already mastered?

The moment this thought crossed his mind, a vast amount of unfamiliar memories sprouted like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, all consisting of training scenes for the Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu.

He saw himself forming seals time and again, adjusting the way chakra gathered in his throat, and repeatedly refining the timing and angle of the release.

Qiushui felt that the Fireball Jutsu he could perform now surpassed that of many Uchiha clansmen or even other ninjas skilled in Fire Style.

Because the system provided max proficiency, the Fireball Jutsu, which originally required four seals to perform, could now be released with just a single seal.

After Qiushui announced the end of class, all the students vanished in the blink of an eye.

Sakura Haruno, Ino Yamanaka, and several other girls immediately surrounded Uchiha Sasuke with lightning speed, chattering incessantly.

Choji Akimichi lay spread-eagled on the lawn, his chest rising and falling slightly; from a distance, he looked like a ball of meat.

It wasn't that he didn't want to leave, but he felt that after these few sessions, his bones were about to fall apart, and he was too tired to even move a finger.

Choji glanced sideways toward Naruto and said softly, "Naruto seems pretty hardworking."

He didn't really understand why the people in the village shunned and insulted Naruto, but after spending these years together, he found that although Naruto often played pranks, he never did anything particularly annoying, and he always had a smiling face whenever he greeted anyone.

Shikamaru Nara lay lazily beside him with his hands clasped behind his head and a blade of grass in his mouth. He stared at the clouds drifting slowly across the sky, wondering what he was thinking, and responded listlessly, "Yeah."

If it were him, he certainly wouldn't waste his time training during a break.

What kind of normal person trains during their break?

Qiushui returned to his office at noon to continue writing his novel. It wasn't until the bell rang for class that he put down his pen and walked unhurriedly toward the classroom for Class 1, Year 4.

Standing at the classroom door, he scanned the students inside and announced, "This afternoon's class will continue outdoors for practical training."

As soon as he spoke, the atmosphere in the classroom instantly livened up.

For these energetic children, nothing could stir their interest more than practical combat.

Inuzuka Kiba grinned; this new teacher was becoming more and more to his liking.

Naruto Uzumaki didn't even bother to hide his excitement, squirming in his seat, eager to rush out and show off his skills right now.

Where there is joy, there is naturally sorrow.

Ino Yamanaka's expression stiffened slightly.

She had eaten little in the morning and had gone through a high-intensity training session all morning, only managing to choke down a rice ball and half an apple at noon. Her stomach was empty, and she felt weak all over.

If it were a normal theory class, it would be fine, but it was practical combat. If she encountered a strong classmate, wouldn't she lose face in front of Sasuke-kun?

She snuck a glance at Sakura Haruno not far away and found that the girl's expression was equally indescribable; clearly, she wasn't the only one harboring such worries.

Outside the window, the noon sun scorched the earth without obstruction. Looking through the glass, the scenery in the distance was distorted by heat waves, and a faint, shimmering haze floated in the air.

Qiushui didn't take the students to the open-air training ground; instead, he took a turn and led them into the training hall. It was much cooler inside, and light slanted down from the high windows, cutting the floor into patches of light and shadow.

"Follow the order of the draw, two to a group for sparring," Qiushui said, taking a list from his robes and sweeping his gaze over the crowd. "Stop when you've made your point; I will be recording from the side."

The draw began.

Ino clasped her hands in front of her chest, closed her eyes, and muttered, "Sage of Six Paths protect me, Sage of Six Paths protect me... I must draw a weak opponent, please."

When she opened her eyes and saw the name Sakura Haruno written on the slip of paper in her hand, a look of joy appeared on her face.

Although Sakura consistently ranked first in the grade for theory classes, she often ranked in the bottom few for practical combat. She had a high chance of winning against her.

The moment she thought of Sakura losing the match and losing face in front of Sasuke-kun, the corners of Ino Yamanaka's mouth couldn't help but curl upward.

The combat style was identical for everyone: first, they threw shuriken at each other from a distance, most of them clattering and missing; once the distance closed, they wrestled in a disorganized mess, trading punches and kicks. It was less like a ninja duel and more like a street brawl between children, with the occasional student attempting to use the Body Flicker Technique, only to end up full of openings.

"Next group," Qiushui flipped the list and read two names, "Sakura Haruno and the student who drew her, take the stage."

Sakura Haruno's expression was somewhat unsightly; the last person she wanted to encounter was Ino. Losing to other classmates would be embarrassing, but it wouldn't leave much of a grudge in her heart. However, if she were to lose to Ino, she would undoubtedly be teased about it for the entire following week.

In a corner of the training hall, the friends of Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka split into two camps, with cheers erupting from both sides almost simultaneously.

"Sakura, go for it!"

"Ino, go for it!"

Before the match began, Qiushui performed a quality assessment on the two of them.

[Name: Sakura Haruno]

[Chakra: 600]

[Quality: S]

[Evaluation: Solid foundational knowledge, suitable for practicing medical ninjutsu and taijutsu. Binding is recommended.]