"Sasuke-kun."
Yamanaka Ino stepped forward to greet him.
Uchiha Sasuke ignored her, fully focused on maintaining chakra beneath his feet.
Feeling awkward, Ino said nothing more. Instead, she turned her gaze toward Hyuga Hinata.
Hinata was already halfway up the trunk, her small body suspended in midair, blue hair falling toward the ground. Her face was set with determination.
Seeing this, Ino's competitive streak flared.
If Sasuke wouldn't even spare her a glance, then she would be the first to complete the climbing exercise.
She gathered chakra under her soles and rushed upward.
Kitazawa observed silently, faint surprise flickering across his face.
Among the three, Hinata's chakra control was the strongest.
The Byakugan's influence?
The Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist required seeing the flow of chakra within an enemy's body, then striking with precision to cut it off. Once struck, a person lost access to chakra entirely—reduced to a helpless civilian.
To achieve that, the Hyuga had to cultivate an intimate mastery of chakra.
Even so, Sasuke, genius though he was, lagged behind in fine control.
In the original tale, even Sakura had beaten him in the tree-climbing exercise.
A sharp cry broke Kitazawa's thoughts.
Ino slipped, tumbling.
Kitazawa stepped forward, catching her in his arms.
Her body was soft and light, like some finely crafted figurine.
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei," she exhaled shakily.
"It's fine."
Kitazawa set her gently down.
"…?"
Sasuke glanced over, a question mark practically written across his face.
Yesterday I fell too—why didn't you catch me?
What, men don't get that privilege?
"Hinata climbed that high already?"
Ino's voice held genuine awe.
But the next instant, Hinata wobbled and slipped, plummeting downward.
Ino stuck out her tongue sheepishly. I really wasn't jinxing her, I swear.
Kitazawa reacted instantly, steadying Hinata in his arms.
"Th-thank you…" Hinata's pale cheeks flushed pink.
"If you ever feel you can't hold on, it's fine to jump down early. Don't push past your limits," Kitazawa said, ruffling her hair lightly.
Boom!
Before anyone could recover, Sasuke lost his footing and fell hard.
"I'm fine," he said quickly, brushing off dirt as he stood. His voice was steady, though a flicker of embarrassment showed. He turned back toward the trunk with grim determination.
An Uchiha could not afford to lag behind.
Soon all three were climbing again.
Kitazawa stayed nearby, watching closely, offering corrections—and catching anyone who fell.
Time slipped by. The dismissal bell rang.
"You three finish one last climb. I'll let the others know."
Kitazawa left the grove.
"Kitazawa-sensei!"
Naruto bounded over, face bright. "I hit the moving target!"
"Not bad," Kitazawa praised, glancing toward the dummy.
It wasn't a bullseye, but just managing a hit within one lesson was a solid achievement.
"Heh!" Naruto grinned proudly.
"Class is over. Head home safely," Kitazawa clapped his hands. "Dismissed."
"Goodbye, Kitazawa-sensei!"
The students scattered in a rush.
Late to leave school? That's a mindset problem.
"Kitazawa-sensei, what will we do next combat class?" Naruto piped up.
"Next time will be physical conditioning," Kitazawa answered after a pause.
"Running?" Naruto's eyes lit up.
"There will be running," Kitazawa said, curious. "Why, you like running?"
"I'm gonna be the fastest ninja in the world!" Naruto clenched his fists. "That way, I can surpass the Fourth Hokage!"
So that's it, Kitazawa realized. Naruto must've heard of Minato from the Third Hokage.
[Your lifelong rival, Uzumaki Naruto, has challenged you in physical training. You've accepted with spirit.]
[Quest: Place first in the physical training session.]
[Reward: Leaf Strong Whirlwind]
[Accept?]
Kitazawa raised an eyebrow.
This was practically free. As their teacher, he'd be running alongside them anyway.
But wasn't Sasuke supposed to be his rival? Since when did Naruto take that spot?
"See you tomorrow."
Kitazawa waved Naruto off, then headed back toward the tree.
The moment he arrived, he spotted a problem.
Ino was leaning against Hinata, pale-faced, one foot raised slightly off the ground.
"I'm fine," she said quickly. "I just twisted my ankle when I came down."
"Sit. Let me check." Kitazawa crouched beside her. "Sasuke, Hinata—you two go on ahead."
"It's nothing—ah!"
Ino hissed as pain shot up her leg, cutting her protest short.
"No bravado," Kitazawa said firmly, helping her sit. "I'm used to treating these knocks."
Back in his genin days, medical-nin had been scarce. Teams had to fend for themselves—patching injuries with whatever supplies they carried. Unless it was life-threatening, you learned to cope.
"Thank you…"
After a brief hesitation, Ino slipped off her shoe.
A snow-white foot was revealed, dainty toes curling reflexively under Kitazawa's touch.
He poured a bit of liniment into his palm, then gently held her ankle, rubbing the medicine over pale skin.
Her foot was small enough to fit entirely in his grasp.
Ino watched him silently, heart quickening. That thought returned again—if only he were my age.
If he were, she would gladly hand Sasuke over to Sakura.
"All done. Go see a medical-nin later—it'll heal faster," Kitazawa advised, pulling back.
"Mm." Ino pushed stray thoughts aside, gratitude soft in her eyes. "Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei."
"I'll carry you home."
Kitazawa crouched, offering his back.
Startled, Ino blinked—then smiled faintly. Slipping her shoe into one hand, she looped her arms around his neck.
As he carried her toward the Yamanaka flower shop, she thought quietly, what a genuinely good person.
Kitazawa, of course, didn't realize he'd just been handed yet another "good guy card."
At the shop, he set her down.
"Kitazawa-sensei."
Ino held her shoes, smiling brightly. "See you tomorrow."