Umino Iruka was a good teacher

"Go, Sasuke!"

"Sasuke-kun, you have to win!"

"Shikamaru, if you dare win, you're dead!"

Umino Iruka pretended not to hear the little girls' shouts. Once Sasuke Uchiha and Shikamaru Nara had taken their positions and formed the Seal of Confrontation, he immediately announced the start of the spar!

"Begin!"

One minute later, Shikamaru Nara lost!

Amid the cheers of the many girls, Sasuke Uchiha walked back to his previous spot, as aloof as ever, completely ignoring them. Yet this attitude only made the girls like him more.

"Shikamaru, what's wrong with you? How could you lose to that guy?"

Seeing Shikamaru Nara return without a trace of energy, Naruto Uzumaki was frustrated with him for failing to live up to his potential. He could tell that Shikamaru Nara hadn't taken the spar seriously at all. Judging by his attitude, Shikamaru would have forfeited outright if Iruka-sensei had allowed it.

"I couldn't beat him anyway!"

Shikamaru Nara spread his hands helplessly. "Besides, there's no need to take a ninja spar that seriously, right?"

"Hmph! Just watch me later. I'll send that guy Sasuke flying with one punch!"

Naruto Uzumaki pumped his fist, fired up and itching to start sparring with Sasuke Uchiha right away.

"Crunch..."

Choji Akimichi pulled out a bag of potato chips and started eating as he said, "But Naruto, you can't beat Sasuke either, can you? He's the strongest in our class."

Between the top student and the dead last, it was obvious who would win.

"I'm not the same as before." Naruto Uzumaki was brimming with confidence. After three days of tree-walking practice, he felt stronger than before. "Just you wait and see!"

"Crunch..."

Choji Akimichi ate his chips, unable to see where Naruto Uzumaki's confidence came from.

But as his friend, he wouldn't dampen his spirits or mock him.

"Next pair..."

The ninja sparring on the Ninja Academy's training ground drew Shihōin Naraku's and Kakashi Hatake's attention. After all, they had been through this stage themselves.

So the sparring immediately stirred memories in both of them, reminding them of their younger selves.

"Tsk, tsk, this really takes me back. I remember how you always came first in sparring back when you were still at the Ninja Academy."

Watching the sparring on the training ground, Shihōin Naraku recalled those scenes from his memories and couldn't help saying with a smile:

"Just like that Sasuke Uchiha, you were really popular back then. Every time you fought, loads of girls cheered for your stone-faced ass."

"But I wasn't bad either. How many times did I beat you when we sparred?"

Kakashi Hatake unconsciously puffed his chest out slightly and said with apparent nonchalance, "Only three or four times, and you only won because you caught me off guard."

Shihōin Naraku immediately objected. His dignity was at stake; he couldn't let that nonsense stand. "Bullshit! I won fair and square."

"And it definitely wasn't three or four times. I remember at least five or six. Once, I beat you cleanly and decisively, finishing the spar in under three minutes. You lost badly."

Kakashi Hatake cast a dead-eyed glance at Shihōin Naraku. Only after putting away the Icha Icha Paradise in his hand did he speak. "Don't you remember why you won so quickly that time?"

"Oh, right, that time..."

Shihōin Naraku rubbed his chin, racking his brains.

Although both of them had been considered geniuses at the Ninja Academy back then, Kakashi Hatake had indeed been a little stronger.

In their spars against each other, Shihōin Naraku had lost more often than he won.

After all, Kakashi Hatake hadn't yet developed his emotional hang-ups then, and his strength had improved every day. He graduated at five, became a chunin at six, and rose to jonin at twelve. His rate of progress truly eclipsed everyone his age back then, even including some older ninja.

But after reaching his peak came decline. For a long time afterward, Kakashi Hatake's strength had completely stagnated, and that remained true even now.

As those memories returned, Shihōin Naraku suddenly burst out laughing. "I remember now! You lost so quickly that time because I stole a dirty book from a clan elder and gave it to you."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Such bad habits from such a young age..."

Kakashi Hatake pretended not to hear a thing, his eyes still fixed on the sparring on the Ninja Academy's training ground.

"Oh, Naruto's up..."

"Next pair..."

"Naruto Uzumaki!"

"Hinata Hyuga!"

"..."

"Gasp..."

Shihōin Naraku sucked in a sharp breath. Umino Iruka's sparring arrangements were freaking brilliant.

As expected of Iruka-sensei, who cared about Naruto Uzumaki the most. He was already creating opportunities for Naruto to spend time with her at such a young age, arranging a devoted wife for him in advance.

Now that was how to be a teacher. If there were more teachers like him, there wouldn't be so many lonely singles in the world.

Unfortunately, most teachers played the role of breaking couples up.

Shihōin Naraku perked up, staring at the training ground without blinking.

Naruto Uzumaki was sparring with his wife, Hinata Hyuga. This would be a good show.

On the Ninja Academy's training ground, Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga reacted differently upon hearing Iruka-sensei announce their names for the spar.

Naruto Uzumaki was deeply disappointed. He had thought he might get to face Sasuke Uchiha right away. He hadn't considered that Sasuke had already won once, so he wouldn't face him unless he won too.

With both hands behind his head, Naruto Uzumaki sauntered out of the group and took his place on the training ground.

Meanwhile, upon hearing her name paired with Naruto Uzumaki's, Hinata Hyuga's face instantly turned as red as a tomato. She stood there psyching herself up for ages before finally inching forward hesitantly.

Never mind sparring-standing in front of Naruto Uzumaki, Hinata Hyuga didn't even dare lift her head. Like a quail, she tried her best to shrink into herself.

Naruto Uzumaki looked at the strange girl before him, completely baffled by what was wrong with her. He simply formed the Seal of Confrontation on his own, wanting to win quickly so he could fight Sasuke Uchiha.

But even after he waited for ages, Hinata Hyuga was still shrinking back, not looking up at him at all.

Iruka-sensei was helpless too. He knew what was going on, but Hinata Hyuga was the young lady of the Hyuga Clan's Main Family, so he couldn't really say anything.

Hinata Hyuga finally mustered a great deal of courage and was about to raise her head, but Naruto Uzumaki had come closer at some point and was craning his head to stare at her, trying to see what was wrong.

Seeing Naruto Uzumaki so close, Hinata Hyuga turned red all over, as though she had become a steam engine, with steam practically rising from her head.

"Ah~"

Unable to withstand the shock, Hinata Hyuga tipped backward and fainted on the spot.

"Huh?"

Naruto Uzumaki was dumbfounded. He hadn't done anything! What had happened?

What a strange person.

"Hehehe, hahaha..."

Standing in the tree, Shihōin Naraku was beside himself with laughter. Witnessing this scene in person was simply too funny for him to hold it in.

"Is it that funny?"

Kakashi Hatake looked at Shihōin Naraku's exaggerated grin in puzzlement. Wasn't it just that the little girl had a crush on Naruto Uzumaki? Anyone could tell at a glance.

What was so funny about that?

Still, he had recognized her too. One look at the girl's appearance was enough to tell she belonged to the Hyuga Clan.

"She should be from the Main Family. Could that be a bit of trouble?"

"Trouble? No trouble at all!"

Shihōin Naraku waved a hand. Who would dare cause trouble?

Hinata Hyuga hadn't remained the Hyuga Main Family's heir later on, so why had no one dared carve the Caged Bird Seal onto her forehead?

And her daughter, Himawari Uzumaki, had awakened the Byakugan too. Why had no one carved the Caged Bird Seal onto her either...?

Naruto Uzumaki: Come on, then. Aren't you moved by these two Six Paths: Ultra-Big Ball Rasenshuriken in my hands?