While Sasuke was reveling in the power of his Sharingan, fantasizing about reading Naruto's every move and securing an effortless victory, an enormous, utterly unexpected force slammed into his face!
Smack!
With a dull thud, Naruto's palm—carrying an irresistible momentum—drove Sasuke's head, and his entire body with it, straight into the ground.
The instant his Leaf Whirlwind was blocked, Naruto hadn't paused for even a heartbeat; relying on muscle memory and fighting instinct, he spun and launched a second strike even faster than the first!
His movements flowed so seamlessly that Sasuke was given no chance to catch his breath, let alone adjust to the Sharingan.
A haze of dust curled upward.
Looking down at Sasuke—pressed to the earth, dazed by the impact—Naruto silently thought:
Sorry, Sasuke. The Sharingan was never a guarantee of victory.
The victor was decided!
The moment Sasuke was slammed to the ground in defeat, the training field exploded into two opposing waves of sound.
Several young girls outside the ring couldn't accept their idol's loss; shrieks of distress and disbelief burst from them:
"Sasuke-kun!"
"Ahhh—how could this happen?!"
"Sasuke-kun, are you all right?!"
In stark contrast, the boys' camp erupted in wild cheers.
They had long been irked by Sasuke's icy aloofness and the way girls fawned over him; seeing Naruto bring him down, they let their jubilation loose:
"Whooooooo!"
"OHHHHHHHHH!"
"Well done!"
"That was amazing, Naruto!"
Never knew you were that strong!"
Cheers, whistles and applause blended into one; in that instant Naruto became a hero in the boys' eyes.
Hinata, hiding at the back of the crowd, watched Naruto help Sasuke up with a shy, apologetic smile; her cheeks warmed and her heartbeat quickened.
Her fingers unconsciously twisted together as she quietly, yet firmly, marveled:
Naruto-kun… you were incredible!
She had known he trained hard, but never imagined his taijutsu could already surpass the ever-top-ranked Sasuke-kun.
Ino, standing nearby, was equally stunned by Naruto's display of strength.
Unlike Sakura, who lamented Sasuke's defeat and felt Naruto had been too rough, Ino's gaze stayed fixed on the blond boy.
When Naruto kindly offered Sasuke a hand only to be brusquely shaken off, she almost stepped forward to speak or act on his behalf—but girlish reserve and the surrounding commotion kept her frozen in place.
Now, watching that golden-haired boy, she couldn't help comparing him with Sasuke:
With those whisker marks hidden, Naruto really was handsome—bright, sunny, outgoing.
And today he had proved himself stronger than Sasuke!
Even more important… his personality was miles warmer than Sasuke's.
While the sidelines still buzzed, Might Guy suddenly released his aura; as the area quieted, he closed the First Gate of the Eight Gates.
"Alright!"
His booming voice rang like a bell, silencing the chatter; every student turned toward their passionate teacher.
"Though you're still academy students,"
Guy's gaze swept over Naruto and the just-rising Sasuke, his tone full of approval,
"in that fight both Naruto and Sasuke displayed the skill and mindset worthy of Genin—especially in taijutsu and fighting spirit."
Then, pointing at Naruto, he shifted: "However, Naruto, your Ninjutsu still needs work."
It was indeed rare for Guy to see Naruto attempt Ninjutsu at all.
Though the attempt had ended in a shabby, half-formed clone, managing even a vaguely human shape amid such intense combat was already a promising start.
"Enough!"
Might Guy grabbed the still-unconvinced Sasuke and the unruffled Naruto, pulling them to the center of the field.
"Win or lose, mutual respect and learning from the fight are the true essence of youth! Now—form the Seal of Reconciliation!"
Under Guy's watch the two boys raised their hands and formed the seal that marked the fight's end and the settling of any grudge.
They then returned to their respective places in the student lines.
Guy stood before everyone, hands on hips, grinning: "I'm a Ninja who specializes solely in taijutsu—my knowledge of Ninjutsu is limited."
"Therefore, in my practical classes I'll teach you the purest taijutsu: how to cope and prevail with your body alone when Ninjutsu fails or is countered. Never underestimate taijutsu—it's an indispensable part of youth!"
While Might Guy's energetic lesson continued on the field,
a detailed report on the duel had already landed on the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi's desk. Puffing his pipe, he studied every detail recorded by the Anbu.
"So young, yet he's awakened the Sharingan on his own?"
Sandaime nodded at the report's description of Sasuke. "Worthy of the Uchiha Clan's rare genius."
Yet, surprising though Sasuke's awakening was, the Third took it in stride.
After all, he had once seen an even more dazzling Uchiha prodigy—one who had unlocked the Sharingan earlier and pushed its power to the limit.
That person was none other than Sasuke's elder brother: Uchiha Itachi.
With Itachi's precedent, Sasuke's performance, though excellent, remained within expectation.
What truly interested him was Naruto's conduct.
The report clearly stated: Naruto had held back at first, unwilling to go all-out against a comrade; even after gaining the upper hand against a Sharingan-empowered Sasuke who had used the Great Fireball Technique, he had repeatedly lessened his force to avoid serious injury.
Such restraint, such care for a teammate, was—far more than a fledgling Sharingan—what the Third valued and expected of Naruto.
By noon, a more thorough record and evaluation of Might Guy's practical lesson had also reached the Hokage's desk.
He read the assessment: "Compared with some veteran instructors strong in theory and experience, Guy's teaching methods and theoretical explanations may fall short."
"But as a battle-hardened Elite Jonin, his grasp of practical combat, pacing, and on-the-spot adjustments far exceed those of the academy's Chunin-level teachers."
Overall, Guy's curriculum was solid and effective—especially his taijutsu instruction, which was outstanding.
At the end of the report the Third gave a wry smile; an observer had appended a teasing note:
"The only drawback… might be Instructor Guy's constant passionate shouts of 'Youth!' and 'Hot-blooded!'—a bit too much enthusiasm for some of the younger students to handle."