A Duel

The cherry blossoms at Konoha Ninja Academy had bloomed and faded again, as if only a few cycles had passed.

The air was filled with a peculiar mix of restlessness and ease.

Uchiha Narong stepped through the school gates as usual, walking beneath the scattered morning sunlight. His pace was steady, his dark eyes carrying the characteristic composure of the Uchiha Clan.

The classroom's din seemed separated from him by an invisible veil. The clan crest—a red-and-white gunbai—was conspicuously embroidered on the back of his clothes. It was a source of pride, but also like a barrier, naturally setting him apart from most of his classmates.

Teacher Akimichi Buza's massive frame was wedged into the chair behind the lectern. As a jonin of the Akimichi Clan, he was only a little less capable than Akimichi Choza. He held a freshly opened bag of snacks, crunching away as his lazy gaze swept over every student in the classroom.

As the jonin in charge of this class, Buza's skill was unquestionably elite. As a result, he knew exactly what each child was capable of. He knew perfectly well who would graduate without trouble and who still needed to go back and start over.

His management style had grown increasingly "relaxed." As long as the children didn't cause any major trouble, he preferred to let them explore and test one another on their own. Real combat was the fastest catalyst for a ninja's growth. Too much theoretical lecturing was more of a hindrance at this stage.

Uchiha Narong sat quietly at his desk. He could feel the occasional glances cast his way: curious, awed, and even tinged with a subtle hostility. He was used to it by now. In Konoha, the Uchiha name had never been an ordinary symbol.

He slowly clenched his fist as chakra coursed through his body. At this stage, there were only a handful of techniques he could use proficiently: the Academy's required Three Body Techniques—Clone Technique, Transformation Technique, and Substitution Technique—as well as the technique his clan took pride in, and the only C-rank ninjutsu he had mastered so far: Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique.

However, the Great Fireball Technique consumed a tremendous amount of chakra. With his current seven-year-old body and chakra reserves, using it at full power just once would leave him nearly drained. That made the technique both his trump card and his weakness. He couldn't afford to use it lightly—not until the critical moment.

The afternoon sun grew hot, and a breeze stirred the dust on the training ground. The moment Akimichi Buza announced the start of the day's combat lesson, the children perked up. It was the best time to test the results of their training—and release all that youthful energy.

"Next pair," Buza called in his deep voice, sounding somewhat distracted. "Uchiha Narong and Hyuga Yutaka."

A small commotion rippled through the crowd. Uchiha versus Hyuga, Sharingan versus Byakugan? A clash between the descendants of two famed clans of ocular jutsu users. Even though they were only children, everyone's expectations were through the roof.

Narong calmly walked to the center of the training ground. His opponent was a boy around his age, perhaps six, dressed in a white practice uniform.

His expression was serious, with a determination and restraint that seemed beyond his years. Narong knew he was a serious opponent. In close combat, the Byakugan's insight gave its user an overwhelming advantage.

"Begin!"

As soon as Buza gave the signal, both boys moved almost at once. There was no flashy clash of ninjutsu; they opened with basic kunai throws and a test of taijutsu.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!" Several shuriken sliced through the air, but Hyuga Yutaka evaded them with precise footwork. The Byakugan gave him a 360-degree field of vision, making the projectiles' trajectories perfectly clear.

Narong's gaze sharpened, and he quickly closed the distance. Uchiha taijutsu had also been honed through countless repetitions, making it fierce and swift. But when Hyuga Yutaka assumed the opening stance of Gentle Fist, Narong felt immense pressure.

Through the Byakugan, every one of Narong's movements was exposed: the way his muscles exerted force, the flow of his chakra—nothing escaped notice. His every attack seemed to be anticipated. Hyuga Yutaka's Gentle Fist flowed like a winding stream. With the slightest movement, he could deflect Narong's attacks and strike his chakra points with precision, trying to block the flow of chakra.

"Bang!"

Their palms collided head-on, and Narong was forced back several steps. His arm went numb. He took a deep breath and rapidly formed Hand Seals.

"Clone Technique!"

Two clones appeared at his sides and charged Hyuga Yutaka with him. But the Byakugan made the distribution of chakra plain to see, revealing the real one at a glance. Yutaka didn't hesitate; he went straight for Narong's real body, striking with a precise palm thrust.

Narong hurriedly used the Substitution Technique to evade, leaving a piece of rotten wood in his place. He reappeared several meters away, already breathing hard. Using both the Clone Technique and Substitution Technique in quick succession had cost him a considerable amount of chakra.

I can't keep this up! Narong's thoughts raced. His taijutsu and basic ninjutsu were completely countered. The Byakugan was simply too perceptive.

At the edge of the training ground, a figure in a green jumpsuit with a bowl-shaped haircut clenched both fists in excitement. His eyes practically blazed.

"Oooh! This is what a passionate battle of youth looks like! Amazing!" Might Guy could barely contain his urge to shout. Seeing hardworking opponents like Narong and Hyuga Yutaka in his class made the fire in his heart roar to life again.

Looks like I'll have to double my training after school! I absolutely can't slack off! Guy silently set himself a new goal. Watching Narong struggle on the field, he felt no contempt for him. On the contrary, he felt a deep kinship—a connection with someone who worked hard.

The situation on the field grew worse and worse for Narong. Hyuga Yutaka's Gentle Fist clung to him like a shadow, steadily eating away at his room to maneuver. Narong could feel his chakra flow growing sluggish, and his movements were no longer as smooth as they had been at the start.

An idea flashed through his mind.

He formed Hand Seals again, this time using a much more complex sequence than before: Snake—Ram—Monkey—Boar—Horse—Rooster!

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

Narong puffed out his cheeks and unleashed a torrent of scorching flames. It formed a huge fireball that roared toward Hyuga Yutaka, radiating incredible heat! It was the Uchiha Clan's signature ninjutsu, and its power was not to be underestimated.

The spectators gasped. Hyuga Yutaka's Byakugan narrowed. He didn't dare meet the attack head-on, and darted to the side and back. The Great Fireball skimmed past his clothes, and its searing wave of heat brought sweat to his brow.

The fireball slammed into a target in the distance, blasting up a cloud of scorched dirt.

After releasing the Great Fireball, Narong's face turned deathly pale, and his body swayed. His chakra was almost completely depleted. He forced himself to stand firm, eyes fixed on Hyuga Yutaka, who had dodged the attack.

Now! Yutaka didn't let this perfect opportunity slip by. The instant Narong's strength was spent and he hadn't yet recovered, Yutaka closed in like a phantom.

"Gentle Fist: Point Strike!"

His fingers struck several points on Narong's chest with pinpoint accuracy. Narong felt a wave of numbness surge through him. His already depleted chakra stopped flowing altogether, and his body went limp. He dropped to one knee, unable to muster any strength.

The match was decided.

Akimichi Choza nodded and announced, "The winner is Hyuga Yutaka."

Narong gasped for breath as sweat ran down his cheeks. He looked at Hyuga Yutaka, who was standing before him and breathing slightly hard as well. His Byakugan had returned to normal, and there was no smugness in his eyes—only the calm of someone who had finished a fight.

"I lost," Narong said frankly. He hadn't activated his Sharingan, and with his current abilities, losing to a Byakugan-wielding genius from the Hyuga Branch Family was no disgrace. He really had given it everything he had.

Hyuga Yutaka nodded. "You're pretty good."

Seeing Yutaka's smug expression, Narong froze for a moment and thought, As if I need some little brat like you to tell me that. Then he sprang to his feet. The grueling match hadn't gone his way, but it left him with a strange sense of fulfillment. At least he had proved his worth—not by relying on the Uchiha name, but through his own training and perseverance.

Meanwhile, in the Hokage Office, Third Sarutobi Hiruzen watched everything happening at the Ninja Academy through a mysterious crystal ball. Wisps of smoke from his pipe blurred his wise, deep-set features.

The entire clash between the Uchiha and Hyuga heirs had just played out before his eyes.

Nearly ten years had passed since his teacher, Tobirama Senju, died, but Sarutobi Hiruzen had never forgotten the warnings he gave back then. The stern Second had been deeply wary of the Uchiha Clan. He had declared that the Sharingan, awakened by their intense love, could easily lead them toward obsession and extremism. They were a "born evil" clan and the greatest source of instability within Konoha.

By comparison, other ninja clans such as the Hyuga and Ino-Shika-Cho possessed powerful Kekkei Genkai and secret techniques, but their behavior was relatively predictable, and their clan interests were more closely tied to the village's. Only the Uchiha were so deeply unpredictable in both power and temperament.

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep breath of smoke. As Third, he had to balance the various forces within the village. Promoting and training large numbers of civilian ninja was a key strategy for counterbalancing the great clans, especially for keeping the Uchiha Clan in check. He wanted Konoha's strength to rest on a broader foundation instead of being concentrated in the hands of a few powerful families.

Of course, this "balance" wasn't entirely fair either. His own Sarutobi Clan, along with Shimura, Mitokado, and the other adviser clans that served as the Hokage's right and left hands, naturally didn't fall within the category of forces that needed to be strictly "balanced." Politics had always been a practical and complicated affair.

The image in the crystal ball settled on Uchiha Narong calmly accepting defeat and Might Guy's excitement at the edge of the training ground.

"Uchiha... Narong..." Sarutobi Hiruzen murmured. The boy seemed to have a good disposition: tenacious in battle, and gracious in defeat. But Uchiha blood ran through his veins. Would the seed of that latent "evil" one day take root?

He would need to keep watching him, guide him more carefully...and monitor him. For Konoha's stability, any potential risk had to be contained before it could take root. The crystal ball flickered, reflecting the Hokage's inscrutable thoughts.

The dismissal bell rang, and the students poured out of the school gates.

Uchiha Narong walked home alone, repeatedly replaying every detail of his fight with Hyuga Yutaka. The Byakugan's insight, the precision of Gentle Fist, his own shortcomings...these were all things he needed to overcome and improve. His chakra reserves were his biggest weakness right now, and he would have to make up for them through even harder training.

Meanwhile, Might Guy had already thrown himself into an extra training session, running around the field on his hands and doing grueling physical exercises far beyond what anyone his age could imagine.

"Keep going, Guy! Today's sweat will help me fulfill my promise to youth! Even though Kakashi is already here, I absolutely can't fall behind! Narong and Hyuga Yutaka are precious rivals, too!"

The setting sun stretched his shadow long across the ground. His energetic figure and repeated shouts became the training ground's most distinctive sight. He had seen the bright sparks in his classmates, and they inspired him to charge forward with even greater determination.

Uchiha Narong returned to the clan compound and headed for his usual training ground by the Naka River. He needed to reflect on what he had learned from today's battle and further hone his skills. His clan's reputation was both a source of motivation and a burden. He couldn't afford to stand still.

His Hand Seals for the Great Fireball Technique still weren't fast enough, his chakra control could be more precise, and his taijutsu needed to be more adaptable to face special ocular jutsu like the Byakugan...