After an hour, Hiroshi came back, his headband glinting in the sunlight as he clapped his hands sharply. "Lunch break's over, class. Now it's time for the taijutsu class. Follow me to Training Ground 8," he said, his tone brisk as he motioned for the students to follow. Some children cheered softly, while others, including Kazuki, perked up, their eyes bright with anticipation as they grabbed their bags and hurried after him.
Everyone followed Hiroshi and reached Training Ground 8, a small open field surrounded by tall trees, the grass worn from years of training. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, carrying the faint scent of earth.
When everyone was in the field, Hiroshi announced, his arms crossed and his voice firm, "Today, I will teach you the basic taijutsu style, and everyone will learn it regardless of having a taijutsu style from their clan. Understood?"
Everyone nodded, some standing straighter while others shuffled nervously.
Hiroshi nodded back, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Good. Now, I will show you the basic stance and actions, and everyone will follow me."
For the next hour, Hiroshi demonstrated the basic stance—feet apart, knees slightly bent, fists raised—along with simple punching and kicking actions. He moved with precision, his movements fluid, as he corrected the students' stances and actions. "Keep your elbows in, Izumi," he said, adjusting her arms, then turned to another student, frowning. "No, your weight should be on your back foot for balance." Most of the students, being from ninja clans, performed the stances and actions well, their movements sharp and confident. But the person struggling the most was Kazuki, his punches awkward and his kicks unbalanced, yet he remained calm and tried to keep up.
Some children smirked at him, their eyes glinting with amusement, while others whispered taunts. "Can't even throw a punch right," one boy muttered, rolling his eyes. Among them was a student named Hayato Uchiha, a tall boy with a cocky grin and sharp features, his dark hair tied back in a short ponytail. Being a bully, Hayato had started the taunting, snickering loudly as Kazuki stumbled during a kick. "What a disgrace to the Uchiha name," Hayato sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. Kazuki ignored the taunts, which left Hayato frustrated.
Half an hour later, Hiroshi clapped his hands, his expression neutral as he said, "That's it for today's practice. Now, we will spar to see what you've learned. Any volunteers?"
Hayato immediately raised his hand, his eyes gleaming with mischief as he spoke up, "Sensei, I would like to challenge Kazuki to a spar." He shot Kazuki a mocking grin, his posture oozing confidence.
Hiroshi raised an eyebrow, glancing at Kazuki. "Kazuki, huh? Well, I have no problem if he agrees." He turned to Kazuki, his gaze steady but curious.
Caught off guard, Kazuki froze, yet his expression remained composed as he thought, 'Why does he want to have a spar with me? Should I refuse? No, I also want to see where I stand in this class in terms of taijutsu, and a little friendly spar won't hurt.' He straightened up, meeting Hiroshi's gaze with a determined nod.
"I accept the challenge, Sensei," Kazuki said, his voice firm despite the nervous flutter in his chest.
Hiroshi nodded, his expression serious. "Very well, then, let's start the spar. But before that, I need both of you to know that this is just a friendly spar. You are not allowed to injure your opponent. The match will be over when I say it."
Both of them nodded, though Hayato's smirk didn't waver. They took their positions in the center of the field, facing each other. Kazuki shifted into the basic stance Hiroshi had taught, his fists raised, while Hayato stood more casually, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp.
"Begin!" Hiroshi called, stepping back with his arms crossed.
Hayato immediately closed the distance between them, his movements swift as he aimed a quick fist at Kazuki's chest. Kazuki's easily sidestepped just in time, his reflexes sharp, and threw a quick jab at Hayato's shoulder.
Hayato blocked the jab with his forearm, his smirk widening as he showed off his superior skill. He countered with a low kick aimed at Kazuki's knee, his leg snapping out with precision. Kazuki leaped back, his footing slightly off, stumbling as he landed. The crowd murmured, some kids snickering at Kazuki's clumsiness.
Hayato lunged again, launching two precise punches—one aimed at Kazuki's chest, the other at his shoulder—forcing Kazuki to block clumsily. Kazuki raised his arms, his stance defensive, but his movements were slow and awkward. A jab slipped through his defenses, grazing his cheek, and he winced, his head jerking back from the impact.
Hayato pressed his advantage, his eyes glinting with malice. He feinted with a high punch, then dropped low, sweeping his leg toward Kazuki's ankles. Kazuki jumped to avoid the sweep, but Hayato was already moving, rising with a swift uppercut that caught Kazuki off guard. The punch landed cleanly on Kazuki's jaw, a solid thwack echoing through the field as Kazuki staggered back, his vision blurring for a moment, his hand flying to his face in pain.
"Match over!" Hiroshi barked, stepping forward with a frown, his voice sharp. "That's enough!"
But Hayato didn't stop. His smirk turned into a sneer as he lunged forward again, his fist cocked back for a brutal strike aimed at Kazuki's stomach, clearly intending to do real harm. Kazuki's eyes widened, his arms too slow to block as he braced for the impact.
Hiroshi moved in a flash, appearing between them and grabbing Hayato's wrist mid-strike, his grip like iron. "Enough!" Hiroshi roared, his eyes blazing with anger as he yanked Hayato back, forcing him to stumble. Kazuki exhaled shakily, his jaw still throbbing.
Hiroshi glared at Hayato, his voice low and dangerous. "What were you doing, Hayato? Kazuki could have been seriously injured! I told you this was just a friendly spar." His brow furrowed deeply, his headband glinting ominously in the sunlight as he tightened his grip on Hayato's wrist.
Hayato yanked his arm free, smirking as he shrugged carelessly, his tone dripping with arrogance. "It's not my problem he's so weak." Some kids started laughing, their mocking giggles ringing in Kazuki's ears as Hayato crossed his arms, his chin raised in defiance.
Hiroshi's glare intensified, his jaw clenching, but he shifted his attention to Kazuki, his expression softening with concern. "Kazuki, are you alright? Do you want to go to the nurse?" he asked, his voice gentler as he stepped closer, his eyes scanning Kazuki for injuries.
Kazuki rubbed his jaw, wincing slightly but managing a small, shaky smile. "I'm alright, Sensei. I don't need to go to the nurse. Thank you for caring so much," he said, his voice steady despite the lingering pain. He straightened up, brushing off his clothes.
Hiroshi nodded, giving Kazuki a reassuring pat on the shoulder before turning back to the class, his expression stern again. "Let's continue with the spars. Next pair, step up."
While others were having their spars, Kazuki sat on the sidelines, his head lowered as he sighed internally, his expression darkening. 'Huh! Looks like I have a long way to go,'
He thought, his brow furrowing in frustration. 'I'm not even strong enough to beat a cannon fodder character. How am I going to survive the Uchiha Massacre?'
He clenched his fists, his eyes narrowing with determination. 'Looks like I'll have to focus more on taijutsu for now. And it seems I'm getting bullied… Well, I don't care as long as it's not physical bullying. But if they go that far, it'll become difficult because I don't have enough strength to face them myself, nor enough power or authority to do something about these kids from ninja clans. But I know one thing I am going to do in the near future.'
He smirked internally, 'I am going to beat the shit out of that Hayato. While I wouldn't have cared but that punch was really something, my jaw still hurts, but leaving that aside, For now, I should focus on these spars and learn as much as I can.' He lifted his gaze, watching the next spar intently, his eyes sharp with focus.
After some more spars—some students showing off impressive moves while others stumbled like Kazuki—and an hour of Chemistry that left Kazuki doodling in his notebook, the first day of the academy finally ended. The students started to leave the class, their chatter filling the air as they grabbed their bags. But Hiroshi raised a hand, his voice cutting through the noise. "Hold on. I need four students to stay behind—Kazuki, Haruto, Noboru, and Aiko. Wait until everyone else leaves." He crossed his arms, his expression unreadable as the other students filed out, casting curious glances over their shoulders.