Indeed, this was the first time Izayoi had been matched against Uzumaki Naruto.
It seemed as though some karmic force was at play between Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke.
Out of ten Taijutsu duels, the two would end up matched against each other almost half the time.
Izayoi had never been able to match up against Uzumaki Naruto before.
Fortunately, the Otsutsuki Bloodline (Red), much like the Sage Body, possessed an immense amount of Chakra. Otherwise, Izayoi wouldn't have known how to even begin to challenge Naruto's Sage Body.
Now that he had finally been matched against Uzumaki Naruto, Izayoi was filled with excitement.
This meant that his luck today was exceptionally good.
With such good fortune, could he perhaps draw out a rare Talent?
Suppressing his excitement, Izayoi stood up and walked to Umino Iruka's right side.
Looking across at Uzumaki Naruto, who was gritting his teeth and refusing to give up, Izayoi raised his right hand, extending his index and middle fingers, and smiled. "Naruto, let's have a good match."
Hearing this, Uzumaki Naruto was momentarily stunned.
His previously tense mood suddenly lightened.
As he looked at Izayoi across from him, a warm feeling surged in his heart.
This guy was different! His eyes were unlike anyone else's.
There was no disgust from adults, no rejection from peers—only an equal and kind goodwill.
Aside from Umino Iruka, who had acknowledged him last semester, Izayoi was the second person who felt special to him.
At this thought, Naruto suddenly felt the urge to cry.
But he held back that emotion, nodded firmly, and grinned. "Yeah, let's have a good match!"
After saying this, Naruto also extended his index and middle fingers.
His blue eyes, the same color as Izayoi's, now shone with determination.
Umino Iruka, who had witnessed this scene, couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.
Then, he took a few steps back and shouted, "Round seven, begin!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Izayoi and Naruto charged at each other.
Naruto's attack pattern was simple, repetitive, and lacked any adaptability.
Once he got close, he threw a punch straight at Izayoi.
Although Izayoi didn't possess the Sharingan, his keen insight allowed him to predict Naruto's moves the moment he raised his shoulder.
Before Naruto's fist could land, Izayoi had already completed his wind-up. With a swift motion of his left hand, the back of his hand struck Naruto's wrist, deflecting the punch, and then he followed up with a right hook.
Thud!
The punch landed squarely on Naruto's left cheek.
The sheer force of the blow sent Naruto tumbling to the ground, his face red and swollen, already showing signs of bruising.
"Ouch, ouch…"
Naruto hissed in pain, but he wasn't knocked out by Izayoi's punch.
He quickly got back on his feet and continued his assault on Izayoi.
However, every punch and kick was anticipated by Izayoi—either blocked, dodged, or countered with a precise strike.
Even Hinata's swift and precise Pressure Point Strikes, each accompanied by a Chakra Aura and the sound of cutting air, were effortlessly handled by Izayoi.
Naruto's chaotic and uncoordinated attacks not only lacked power but were also riddled with openings.
Punch after punch, kick after kick landed on Naruto. The so-called "Child of Destiny" soon found his clothes dirtied and his face covered in bruises, looking utterly disheveled.
In contrast, Izayoi remained unscathed, not even a speck of dust on him.
Even a three-year-old could see the disparity between the two.
Yet, despite being on the receiving end of a one-sided beating, Uzumaki Naruto refused to surrender. At first, he would gasp in pain with each hit, but now he endured in silence, his expression focused, and his attacks gradually became less chaotic.
He was growing, even if he would revert to his old self next time.
But for now, he was indeed becoming stronger in the midst of battle.
Seizing another opening, Izayoi decided to end the fight.
With a quick knee bend, he dodged Naruto's attack, then used the momentum to sweep Naruto off his feet with a low kick.
Before Naruto could get up, Izayoi delivered a punch, stopping just inches from Naruto's face.
Seeing this, Umino Iruka immediately announced, "Uzumaki Naruto is unable to continue. The winner is Izayoi."
Pop! Almost as soon as Iruka's voice fell, one of the purple bubbles surrounding Naruto—visible only to Izayoi—suddenly burst.
A beam of purple light shot toward Izayoi, merging into his body.
Shortly after, a new bubble appeared around Naruto.
This newly formed bubble was tiny, not white or red, but transparent.
Inside, there was no Talent, just emptiness.
Izayoi had seen this scene more than once.
He knew this bubble was in a cooldown state.
Once the cooldown ended, the transparent bubble would turn purple again, and the Talent inside would reappear.
At the same time, Izayoi also had a chance to obtain that Talent again.
Yes, Talents could be obtained repeatedly.
However, Izayoi had yet to obtain the same Talent from the same person.
Recognizing what the purple bubble contained, Izayoi was now filled with excitement.
But he didn't immediately summon his personal panel. Instead, he extended his hand to Naruto and smiled, "Naruto, you're impressive. Let's fight again next time."
Naruto, who had given his all only to be thoroughly beaten, was initially filled with bitterness.
But seeing the genuine look in Izayoi's eyes, without a trace of disdain, Naruto felt a sense of relief.
He grabbed Izayoi's hand, pulling himself up, and grinned, "Izayoi, you're really strong. But next time, I won't lose."
"Your progress is remarkable. I'm looking forward to our next match," Izayoi replied with a smile, extending his index and middle fingers.
Naruto did the same, hooking his fingers with Izayoi's.
This was the Seal of Reconciliation, corresponding to the Seal of Confrontation before the fight, symbolizing that even the greatest rifts between ninja could be mended.
In the original story, Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke used the Seal of Reconciliation to end the thousand-year cycle of conflict between Asura and Indra.
If the reincarnations of Asura and Indra could not reconcile, their Chakra would continue to cycle endlessly.
The millennium-long fated battle between Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke ensured that, even without any conflicts or the involvement of Haruno Sakura, they still couldn't stand each other.
Uzumaki Naruto could naturally shake hands and make peace with Izayoi, but he couldn't bring himself to form the Seal of Reconciliation with Uchiha Sasuke.
However, all of this had nothing to do with Izayoi.
After forming the Seal of Reconciliation with Uzumaki Naruto, Izayoi returned to his team. While half-heartedly responding to his classmates around him, he summoned a light screen that only he could see. At the same time, he acknowledged the notification that echoed in his mind as the light seeped into his body.
"Ding! You have obtained the Talent [Whirlpool Bloodline (Purple)]. Fuse or decompose?"
"Fuse."
In the next moment, a new Talent appeared in the Talent column—Whirlpool Bloodline (Purple).
PS: Whirlpool bloodline is Uzumaki Bloodline