The confrontation between Naruto Uzumaki and Iruka attracted the attention of several parents who had come to pick up their children. Seeing the two standing in the middle of the playground, the crowd stopped, and soon, onlookers filled the area.
"This feels great!"
Standing in the center of the playground, surrounded by a crowd, Naruto reveled in the attention. He enjoyed being in the spotlight.
"Iruka-sensei, shall we begin?"
Naruto's blood surged with excitement as he clenched his fists, eagerly calling out to Iruka.
"Alright, let's get started!"
"Get ready, Naruto!"
Iruka nodded, watching as Naruto took a stance, reached into his ninja pouch, pulled out a few shuriken, and casually threw them at his teacher.
The speed at which Iruka launched the shuriken wasn't particularly fast—slow enough for Naruto to clearly track their trajectory and dodge with ease.
But Iruka's attack wasn't just limited to the shuriken. The moment he released them, he swiftly began forming hand seals. His speed was remarkable. After completing five simple seals, a water bullet formed in front of him and shot toward Naruto.
"As expected of Iruka-sensei, his seals are so fast!"
"But the Water Bullet Technique is too slow!"
While Naruto was dodging the shuriken, the water bullets had already been fired. However, their speed wasn't high enough to pose a real threat. Naruto remained still, analyzed their trajectory, and quickly formed hand seals. In an instant, a shadow clone appeared beside him.
The clone immediately grabbed Naruto's arm and threw him into the air, propelling him above Iruka.
A second later, the shadow clone was struck by a water bullet and dispersed into white smoke, but Naruto had already found an opening.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Naruto, now airborne, pressed his palms together, summoning more shadow clones. In the blink of an eye, a large number of them filled the space above Iruka, cutting off all possible escape routes and forcing him into close combat.
"Oh! Hokage's son already knows the Shadow Clone Technique! He's only seven, right?"
"Incredible! That teacher's escape route is completely blocked. Is this kid planning to fight up close?"
The parents watching gasped in amazement. Many were seeing Naruto for the first time and were astonished that a ninja school student could already perform B-rank ninjutsu.
"Impressive, the Shadow Clone Technique is really handy!"
Naruto's timing was perfect. Even Sasuke couldn't help but admire his strategy.
Meanwhile, in the field, Iruka faced the incoming clones with an unshaken smile.
"Water Release: Water Bullet Technique!"
Iruka formed seals rapidly, generating multiple water bullets in front of him and firing them into the air. With a series of splashes, Naruto's clones were struck and vanished into puffs of white smoke.
Still, a few managed to evade the attack and closed in on Iruka.
"Alright, time to engage!"
Naruto's real body descended from the sky, and as his four remaining shadow clones landed around Iruka, an excited grin spread across his face.
No words were needed between Naruto and his clones. The moment they hit the ground, they rushed toward Iruka, aiming to exploit the brief gap in his attacks and restrain him.
Close-quarters combat was Naruto's specialty. The synergy between his clones and himself was his favorite fighting style.
Two shadow clones reached Iruka first, one on each side, grabbing his arms. Meanwhile, Naruto himself appeared behind Iruka, leaping up to deliver a kick to his back, while another clone lunged at Iruka with a kunai.
In an instant, Iruka seemed to be trapped, surrounded by attacks from all directions.
However, even in this dire situation, Iruka remained calm. With his hands forming seals, he muttered, "Naïve."
"What's the point of forming a water bullet seal now? You won't have time to avoid my attack!"
Naruto had noticed Iruka's hand seals but, upon recognizing the pattern, felt reassured. He believed the jutsu Iruka was preparing posed no threat.
The next moment, Naruto's kunai struck Iruka's body, and his kick landed squarely on Iruka's lower back, sending him flying.
"Yes! I did it!"
Naruto cheered, thrilled by his success. His clones dissipated in a mist of white smoke.
But just as he was celebrating, Iruka's fallen body suddenly transformed into a wooden log with a loud thud.
"A Substitution Technique? When?!"
Naruto's expression froze. Realizing something was off, he quickly turned his head—only for a water bullet to slam into him, drenching him completely.
"Naruto, you lost."
Iruka's voice came from behind as he gently placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder.
"No way! Sensei, when did you use the Substitution Technique? I didn't see you form the seal at all!"
Naruto's face was filled with disbelief. He couldn't accept that he had lost in what he thought was a sure-win scenario.
"That's why you need to improve your knowledge of hand seals."
"I formed the Substitution Technique's seal right in front of you—right after the Water Bullet Technique."
"You noticed me forming seals for the water bullet, but you didn't realize that I made more seals than necessary for just that technique!"
Iruka smiled. He had indeed been struck by Naruto's attack, but right after casting the water bullet, he subtly continued his hand seals, channeling chakra into the Substitution Technique while keeping his movements hidden. First, he used the technique to escape Naruto's attack, then timed his water bullet perfectly.
It was a simple but effective strategy—one that completely fooled Naruto.
"Damn it! I didn't notice! If I had, I could have countered it!"
Naruto bit his lip, frustrated as he stared at Iruka.
"You did well. But make sure to pay attention in class!"
"Naruto, don't underestimate D-rank jutsu!"
Iruka patted Naruto's head before tossing him a towel from seemingly nowhere.
His gentle tone softened Naruto's frustration. The boy grabbed the towel and declared, "Next time, I'll definitely win!"
He quickly wiped his head and left the playground, his face red with embarrassment. Even with his thick skin, being outplayed like that stung.
Thus, the playful battle between teacher and student came to an end. News of the duel, slightly exaggerated by word of mouth, soon reached Kushina and Minato. As high-ranking figures in the village, they often received reports about Naruto's school life—especially from teachers looking to curry favor.
That evening, when Naruto returned home with Hinata, he had barely taken off his shoes at the entrance when he saw his pregnant mother walking out of the house.
"I'm back," Naruto mumbled, removing his shoes. Beside him, little Hinata also bowed her head slightly and greeted Kushina softly.
"You're both back? Naruto, why are your clothes wet?"
Kushina asked knowingly, stroking her belly with her right hand.
"Uh, I accidentally stepped into a puddle after school."
Naruto hesitated, pressing his cheek nervously. He didn't want his mother to know he had argued with his teacher. Hinata, standing quietly beside him, fidgeted slightly upon hearing his lie. She neatly placed her shoes aside and lowered her head, not daring to meet Kushina's gaze.
"Hmm?"
Kushina frowned, her expression turning sharp. She hadn't expected Naruto to lie to her.
Naruto immediately felt a sense of danger as he saw her expression darken. He lowered his head, avoiding her eyes.
"Hinata-chan, tell me."
Kushina bent down slightly, took Hinata's hand, and asked softly.
"Naruto-kun trained with Iruka-sensei today and got hit by Iruka-sensei's Water Bullet Technique."
"But Naruto-kun is really strong! He almost beat Iruka-sensei!"
Little Hinata clasped her hands tightly and replied timidly. Kushina immediately understood that the little girl was trying to protect Naruto. She gently patted Hinata's head and said softly, "I see."
"Alright, Hinata-chan, go inside, wash your hands, and get ready for dinner."
"As for you, Naruto—think about what you did wrong today before eating!"
One moment, Kushina was speaking gently to Hinata, and the next, she was yelling at Naruto. Then, with a swift chop to Naruto's head, she grabbed his ear and dragged him inside.
"It hurts! It hurts!!!"
Naruto cried out as Kushina pulled him to his room, threw him inside, and slammed the door shut.
"Damn it, that hurt!"
Naruto rubbed his ear, glaring at the closed door. He grumbled in frustration before plopping down at his desk.
His room wasn't very big—just a simple bed with a bookshelf beside it, cluttered with scrolls, all of them filled with ninjutsu techniques. A desk sat by the window, scattered with more scrolls.
Despite acting indifferent in class, Naruto had a strong sense of pride and had never slacked off when it came to studying ninjutsu. However, the ninjutsu he focused on wasn't the D-rank techniques taught at school.
Naruto's only goal in learning ninjutsu was to surpass Sasuke!
"Damn it, it's just a D-rank jutsu. Iruka-sensei only won because of his fast hand seals."
"As long as I can master this technique, neither Sasuke nor Iruka-sensei will be able to dodge it!"
Naruto bit his lip, took a deep breath, and focused on the scroll, completely ignoring the fact that it was time for dinner.
Iruka's encouragement had a strong effect on Naruto. Since that battle, Naruto's attitude in class had improved significantly. Though his test scores remained average, his enthusiasm for learning had grown considerably.
Days passed peacefully, until one afternoon when Kushina, who was resting at home, suddenly felt a sharp pain in her abdomen.
"This is..."
The pain hit Kushina all at once. She was in the middle of doing housework when she clutched her belly and crouched to the ground.
"My due date came early?!"
The strange sensation and sharp pain made sweat drip from Kushina's forehead.
"Lady Kushina!"
Just then, the window suddenly swung open. Several Anbu noticed Kushina's distress and rushed inside.
"Hurry, take me to the hospital!"
Kushina clutched her swollen belly, her voice urgent. The Anbu quickly set up a transport formation and escorted her to the hospital.
"Premature birth?"
Minato Namikaze, sitting in his office, was taken aback when he received the report from his subordinates. In an instant, he vanished from the room.
The next moment, Minato reappeared in front of Konoha Hospital.
Sensing Kushina's location, he rushed inside without hesitation.
Outside the delivery room, Kushina's cries of pain echoed down the corridor. Minato sat anxiously on a bench, his expression tense.
He hadn't expected Kushina to give birth early. Though it wasn't his first time becoming a father, the situation was different from when Naruto was born. Back then, Konoha was under martial law, and Minato had been on a mission.
This was his first time experiencing the agony of waiting outside a delivery room.
Time dragged on unbearably, until finally, a loud wail filled the air, followed by the joyful voices of the medical staff.
"It's born! It's born!"
"It's a boy! A baby boy!"
The nurses' excitement reached Minato's ears. He immediately stood up and moved to the door.
But suddenly, the cheerful chatter inside came to an abrupt stop.
The eerie silence made Minato's heart clench. A sinking feeling crept into his chest—had something happened to Kushina?!
After a moment, the door opened. A nurse stepped out, removed her mask, and spoke hesitantly.
"Minato-sama, congratulations! Lady Kushina has given birth to a baby boy!"
"But..."
"Go in and see for yourself."
The nurse seemed hesitant to say more. Seeing her expression, Minato's face darkened.
Entering the delivery room, his eyes immediately landed on Kushina, lying weakly on the bed. Beside her pillow, wrapped in a blanket, was a tiny newborn.
The baby's skin was wrinkled, and a few wisps of red hair covered his head.
But what caught Minato's attention the most were the fiery red flame-like markings extending from the corners of the baby's eyes to his forehead. Similar markings adorned the child's right cheek, forming a large birthmark that almost covered his entire face.
"This..."
(End of this chapter)