C5 Combat Class

Several days had passed when Sasuke returned to school, having dealt with his family affairs.

Sakura, seeing Sasuke's stern face as he headed straight for his seat, was held back by Hong, who cautioned her against approaching.

"Foolish sister, just look at his face. I suggest you don't embarrass yourself by going over there!"

Sakura wrenched her arm free from Hong's grip. "Bastard, you're only a few minutes older than me. I don't acknowledge you as my brother! And mind your own business!"

With that, Sakura dashed over to Sasuke, offering a warm smile. "Sasuke, why not stay home a little longer? I can help you catch up on the lessons you've missed!"

But she was met with a face of cold disdain. "Scram!"

Sakura hadn't anticipated this reaction. Thinking back to Hong's earlier words, she realized they had come true.

"Sasuke, how can you speak to Sakura like that? You're out of line!"

Naruto, seeing Sakura upset, leaped to her defense, angrily pointing at Sasuke's nose.

Yet Sakura's response took Naruto by surprise. "Back off! It's none of your business!"

Observing the scene, Hong sighed and stepped forward. "Okay, everyone, break it up. The teacher will be here any minute."

Naruto was still visibly upset, dwelling on the recent confrontation. It was clear that Naruto's emotional intelligence was not his strong suit.

As Hong settled back into his seat, Iruka entered the classroom.

He too was taken aback to see Sasuke but remained silent. It was a tough time for Sasuke.

"Today, we have a practical combat lesson. Prepare yourselves, and we'll meet at the training ground shortly."

"..."

"Next, we'll have one-on-one battles. Come draw a number from me to determine your match-up. The pairs with matching numbers will face each other. Remember, the goal is to spar without injuring your classmates!"

Iruka instructed sternly as he handed out slips of paper with the fight order.

Hong's opponent was an unknown extra, which didn't bother him in the slightest. With his current abilities, he could easily handle any of the kids without needing to resort to the Mangekyo Sharingan.

Sasuke, however, was displeased to draw Naruto as his opponent. In his view, sparring with someone at the bottom of the class was a complete waste of time and offered no chance for improvement.

Compared to Sasuke's disdain, Naruto brimmed with a fighting spirit. He wasn't concerned with the reasons behind Sasuke's change; his sole focus was on teaching a lesson to Sasuke for his lack of respect toward his peers.

Hisashi was the first to step up. As he walked past Hinata, she blushed and shyly cheered him on, "Mr. Hirome, do your best..."

Noticing Hinata's shyness, Hisashi affectionately ruffled her hair. "Don't worry, Mr. Hirome is very strong!"

Hisashi took Hinata's encouragement in stride, having never ceased his playful advances toward her. Though they hadn't made their relationship official, they were very close to taking that final step.

Unexpectedly, just before his match, Ino boldly approached and wrapped her arms around Hisashi's arm in full view of everyone. "Hisashi, give it your all. If you beat your opponent, I'll be your girlfriend!" she said, batting her eyelashes at him.

"Ino, what are you doing? Let go of my brother! I thought of you as my best friend, and now you want to be my sister-in-law? That's crossing the line!" Sakura exclaimed, yanking Ino away from Hisashi in a fit of jealousy.

"Sakura, don't be like that. I've realized I have feelings for Hisashi. You can have Sasuke!" Ino retorted.

Hisashi neither accepted nor rejected the offer. Instead, he reassured Hinata with a knowing glance before heading to the arena.

His opponent was no match for him, and with just a display of his Physical Technique, Hisashi effortlessly overcame the challenge without causing any harm.

Hinata, Ino, and Sakura each triumphed over their adversaries in turn.

Soon, it was time for Sasuke and Naruto's showdown.

Although Hisashi and Naruto were on good terms, Hisashi wasn't one to offer training advice, so Naruto continued to progress as he did in the original story, remaining the underdog.

Perhaps in the future, Hisashi could teach Naruto the Physical Technique!

Still, Naruto's lack of strength didn't silence his taunts. Before stepping onto the stage, he relentlessly mocked Sasuke, finally pushing him to the brink of rage.

In the midst of his clan's annihilation, Sasuke had nowhere to channel his rage and unleashed it all upon Naruto.

Poor Naruto suffered a harsh lesson at the hands of Sasuke, but thankfully, Iruka intervened when he saw things going awry, preventing Sasuke from completely losing control.

Witnessing Naruto's battered state, Mr. Hirome felt a pang of guilt. Although he had no hand in Naruto's injuries, he couldn't help but feel remorse for not stepping in sooner to stop Sasuke, especially since he considered himself Naruto's big brother.

He also wondered if Naruto could be a source of points for him. As the protagonist, Naruto often sustained many injuries, which could potentially be a goldmine of points.

Approaching Naruto, Mr. Hirome discreetly used Medicine Ninjutsu as a cover while he performed the God Level Healing Arts.

‘Ding! Healing Uzumaki Naruto's minor injuries, earned the skill Color Replication (Proficient), and gained 5000 points.’

Upon hearing the notification, Mr. Hirome was elated. It appeared his hunch was correct: main characters could indeed be a source of points. He resolved to test this theory on others when the opportunity arose.

After healing Naruto, Mr. Hirome confronted Sasuke with a stern look. "You spoke harshly to my sister before, and I overlooked it, attributing it to the tragedy in your family. But I cannot overlook your bullying, using your strength to harm a classmate. That's something I cannot tolerate!"

"Hmph, if someone is weak, they should focus on getting stronger instead of just talking. Such a person needs to be taught a lesson!" retorted Sasuke.

"Ha, well then, I'll take a page from your book and teach you that lesson! Accept my challenge!" Mr. Hirome declared, his face a mask of seriousness, as if he were seeking justice for his little brother. In truth, he simply wanted to set Sasuke straight and maybe earn some extra points in the process.

Naruto looked up at Mr. Hirome with eyes full of admiration. "Mr. Hirome, you're too good to me..."

Hinata watched Mr. Hirome's principled stance with joy in her heart. To her, Mr. Hirome embodied justice!

Ino's eyes sparkled with admiration. 'Indeed, he's the man I admire—gentle, kind, and unafraid of a challenge!'

If they only knew Mr. Hirome's true intentions, they would surely be in for a shock!

"Hmph, I'm not scared of you. Bring it on, I accept your challenge!" Sasuke responded defiantly.

The two competitors arrived at the arena and took their positions, ready to begin.

Sasuke had observed Mr. Hirome's previous fight and, although he didn't believe Mr. Hirome could defeat him, he approached every battle with utmost seriousness.

Given Mr. Hirome's demonstrated prowess, it was clear he excelled in Physical Technique. With that in mind, Sasuke resolved to avoid close-quarters combat and instead rely on ranged attacks.

Determined, Sasuke launched the first strike, hurling a Shuriken at Mr. Hirome, who effortlessly sidestepped the projectile.

Sasuke hadn't expected to take down Mr. Hirome with just a Shuriken. "Control the Shuriken!" he commanded.

The Shuriken that Mr. Hirome had evaded now whizzed back towards him, guided by a thread, from behind.

"Watch out!" the spectators shouted from the sidelines.

But such an attack was no surprise to Mr. Hirome, who didn't even need the Sharingan to anticipate it. He was well-versed in all the Shuriken techniques that Sasuke knew.

Ignoring the incoming Shuriken, Mr. Hirome closed the distance and, with a burst of speed, threw a punch straight at Sasuke.