Helping Sasuke
Without taking a particularly serious stance, Tiandao simply stood there and casually said to Uchiha Sasuke,
"Let's begin."
In the original story, every appearance of Uchiha Sasuke was accompanied by a leap in strength. When he was first introduced, he was merely a Genin. During the Chunin Exams, he was already approaching the level of a Jonin, and after defecting to Orochimaru, he rapidly climbed toward Kage-level combat power. Each turning point in his life came with explosive growth.
However, at this stage—while still studying at the Ninja Academy—Sasuke was very much in a developmental period. Even the basic yet essential chakra control exercises such as Tree Climbing and Water Walking would not be formally taught until after graduation, under Kakashi Hatake.
Tiandao, of course, knew all of this.
But Sasuke did not.
Seeing Tiandao's relaxed posture and indifferent tone, Sasuke felt as though he were being blatantly underestimated.
"You dare look down on me?" Sasuke's expression darkened instantly.
Sure enough, he reached into his ninja tool pouch, drew a kunai, and shot forward without hesitation.
Before he could even get close, Tiandao flicked his finger.
A sharp gust of wind struck Sasuke squarely on the forehead, sending him flying backward. His body tumbled through the air before crashing onto the ground several meters away.
At the same time, Tiandao calmly commented,
"Your attack intent is too obvious. You used too much force, and your movements lack variation."
Hearing Tiandao's steady critique, Sasuke's face twisted with anger. He stomped heavily on the ground to steady himself, then flung three kunai in rapid succession.
The three kunai were not aimed directly at Tiandao. Instead, they collided with one another mid-air, altering their trajectories and sealing off Tiandao's possible escape routes.
"Ah!"
Sakura Haruno cried out in alarm, echoed immediately by the other girls. They had already imagined Tiandao being unable to dodge in time, some instinctively covering their eyes.
But Tiandao did not move.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
His hands blurred into afterimages, accompanied by sharp cutting sounds. When the students regained their senses, all three kunai were already neatly caught in Tiandao's hands.
"Good," Tiandao said lightly. "You understand how to change techniques mid-attack. Your thinking is flexible."
Even as Tiandao spoke, Sasuke—fueled by anger and pride—had already begun forming hand seals. Chakra surged within him as the Great Fireball Technique neared completion.
In the next instant, Tiandao vanished.
Before Sasuke could react, a cold kunai pressed against his neck. Tiandao had appeared behind him, so close that Sasuke could feel his breath.
Sasuke's hands froze mid-seal.
"All right, Sasuke-kun. Let's end this here," Tiandao said calmly.
"This is the first lesson I'm teaching you."
"First, you must learn to choose the right opponent."
"When facing someone far stronger than you—even if that person invites you to fight—the best choice is to retreat."
He lifted his voice slightly.
"Do you all understand?"
"Understood!" the students responded in unison.
Sasuke had always been the top student in their class. Watching him be so thoroughly suppressed gave everyone a vivid understanding of just how powerful Tiandao truly was.
"Tiandao-sensei is incredible!"
"With so many people around, using a technique like the Great Fireball is still too dangerous," Tiandao added softly, directing the comment toward Sasuke.
Sasuke returned to the group without a word. His face was dark, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
After personally fighting Tiandao, the sense of powerlessness he had once felt resurfaced—clear and suffocating.
He kept his head lowered, refusing to look at anyone, as though trying to bury that feeling deep within himself. Yet in the depths of his pitch-black eyes, a flame that had never gone out burned even brighter—the unyielding thirst for power.
Tiandao scanned the class and spoke in a calm, authoritative tone.
"Next, we'll move on to one-on-one practical combat training."
"Form your own pairs. Stop once the point is made."
"Remember this: a ninja is not a performer, and combat is not a game. Always think about how to achieve the greatest effect with the least movement."
The students quickly paired up. Soon, the playground was filled with the sounds of earnest but immature battles. Some students fumbled their hand seals, some were tripped, while others gained the upper hand through clever tactics.
Amid the noise, one figure stood out as particularly quiet—Hinata Hyuga.
Her opponent was Ino Yamanaka.
At this stage, the two were roughly matched in overall strength. In fact, since they were still Academy students, Hinata—who had practiced Gentle Fist since childhood—actually held an advantage over Ino, whose family technique, the Mind Body Switch, was not yet suitable for direct combat.
Yet Hinata hesitated.
Whenever she had an opening to attack, she paused. Whenever Ino pressed forward, Hinata faltered.
Finally, during a crucial exchange, Hinata clearly locked onto Ino's joints—but in the next moment, she was thrown to the ground by a clean turning throw.
"You lost," Ino said, panting slightly as she extended a hand to help Hinata up.
Hinata lowered her head, whispered a soft "thank you," and quietly stepped aside. Her fingers twisted the hem of her clothes, nearly crushing the fabric.
The training continued in this chaotic yet orderly fashion. Tiandao watched closely, occasionally stepping in to stop students from striking too hard or failing to pull back their attacks, which could easily result in injuries.
Although he had spoken harshly earlier, Tiandao knew full well that if the students were seriously hurt, the Third Hokage would not let it slide.
Before long, the whistle signaling the end of training rang out.
Tiandao stood at the center of the field, his voice not loud, yet clearly reaching everyone's ears.
"Your performance in today's first class was very good."
A small cheer rose from the students.
"However," Tiandao continued, "there is still plenty of room for improvement."
After becoming a teacher, he discovered that he oddly enjoyed these dramatic pauses—watching the students feel elated one moment and deflated the next. It brought him a strange sense of satisfaction.
"When you return home, review what you learned during today's combat. Reflect on your mistakes and discoveries. Do not be lazy."
"Yes, Tiandao-sensei!"
The students left one after another.
As Hinata passed by, Tiandao called out,
"Hinata, stay behind for a moment and help me tidy up the training ground."
Soon, only the two of them remained.
The setting sun stretched their shadows long across the playground.
"Do you know where you lost?" Tiandao asked suddenly.
Hinata, who had been silently cleaning behind him, stiffened like a startled animal. She bit her lower lip and answered in a voice barely above a whisper,
"I… I was too weak."
"No," Tiandao said, shaking his head. "You are stronger than Ino."
"Your taijutsu is more refined. Your chakra control is more stable. Your Byakugan sees further."
"You lost because you didn't dare to win."
Hinata looked up sharply, astonishment flashing through her pale eyes.
"Your heart has grown accustomed to losing," Tiandao said gently.
"You're afraid that victory will draw attention. Afraid that strength comes with responsibility. Afraid that you'll disappoint others."
"You've grown used to disappointing people, haven't you?"
Hinata's eyes reddened. Tears welled up, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.
"But have you ever thought," Tiandao continued, crouching down to meet her gaze,
"that maybe you have the ability to succeed?"
Hinata remained silent for a long time.
Tiandao did not press her. He simply reached out and patted her head.
"There's no need to rush your answer. Go home and think about it."
"O-Okay, Tiandao-sensei," Hinata replied seriously.
"Good," Tiandao said as he stood. "Remember—believe in yourself a little more."
After tidying the training ground, Tiandao walked Hinata to the school gate before heading off on his own.
Both of his objectives had progressed smoothly today.
Under the fading sunlight, Tiandao felt unusually satisfied—and in an excellent mood.