Chapter 24 24: Sasuke Vs Kaito.

The Seal of Opposition refers to a symbol used when ninjas prepare to battle one another—standing in contrast to the Seal of Reconciliation. Even the massive statues of Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha in the Valley of the End originated from this tradition. Kaito and Sasuke faced each other and formed the seal of opposition. The ritual was complete. Iruka shouted, "Begin!" Uchiha Sasuke had been waiting for this moment. As soon as Iruka gave the signal, Sasuke jumped back and rapidly formed hand seals. He moved with precision—focused and angry. To him, what happened earlier in the throwing test was a disgrace. Being matched—let alone surpassed—by someone like Kaito, who had always ranked dead last, was nothing short of humiliation. Though both had scored 100 points, anyone with a trained eye could tell who truly dominated. Kaito's kunai had pierced straight through the target and embedded into the wall. The sheer force was beyond anything a typical academy student could produce. That had been the final straw. Sasuke needed to prove that combat was the true measure of a shinobi—not just skill with a kunai. And so, he had issued the challenge. His hand seals completed in a flash. "Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!" Sasuke inhaled deeply, chakra surging in his chest. A massive fireball, nearly a meter in diameter, roared from his mouth. The air grew thick with heat. The grass around the training ground began to wilt and blacken beneath the flame's intensity. Sasuke smirked. "Scared? How disappointing," he muttered, watching Kaito remain still. "I thought I'd at least get to show off a bit." From the sidelines, both Ino and Hinata called out in concern, "Kaito! Be careful!" Iruka's brows furrowed. Was Kaito truly frozen in fear? Is he overwhelmed? Do I need to step in? Just as Iruka prepared to intervene, Kaito moved. One step. And then he vanished. "What?!" Sasuke's eyes went wide. "What speed...!" He scanned his surroundings frantically but saw nothing. Then—his shadow flickered. Another shadow had appeared beside it. Cold sweat broke out across his forehead. Sasuke pivoted hard, rotating with his right foot while swinging his left leg in a whip-like kick behind him. Nothing. His kick met only air. "Sasuke! Behind you!" a girl's voice shouted from the crowd. Before Sasuke could react, pain exploded in his back. His eyes rolled back as his consciousness slipped away. He's... too fast... Silence. The training ground, which had been filled with awe and chatter moments before, fell completely still. Uchiha Sasuke—the undisputed top student of the Ninja Academy—had just been defeated in a single move. No one could believe it. Some students rubbed their eyes, others pinched themselves to check if they were dreaming. But the truth lay clearly before them: Sasuke unconscious on the ground. Kaito, once known as a dead-last student alongside Naruto, had just beaten the academy's top prospect. Expressionless, Kaito lowered his hand and walked calmly toward Iruka. Ignoring the stunned stares from every direction, he said simply, "Teacher Iruka. You can announce the result now." His voice snapped Iruka out of his daze. A crooked grin stretched across his face—though the scar across his nose made the smile look more intense than cheerful. "Congratulations, Kaito! You've defeated Uchiha Sasuke. I now declare the winner of this match: Ayanami Kaito!" Boom! The crowd exploded in disbelief. "Wha—Sasuke lost?! No way!" Sakura cried. "This guy... wow..." Shikamaru muttered, stunned. "Kaito won! That was awesome!" Ino shouted, practically glowing with excitement. Beside her, Hinata said nothing aloud—but her eyes sparkled with admiration. Iruka barely kept his focus through the rest of the practical training. Two hours passed in a blur. The final rankings were clear: First place—Kaito. With Sasuke unconscious, second place went to Kiba. By the time the sun began to set, school was dismissed. At the gates, Kaito said goodbye to Ino and Hinata before heading off on his own. As soon as he returned home, he collapsed onto his tatami mat and entered the training space within his mind. He had no idea that his actions today had already caused waves among the powerful families of Konoha. --- Hokage's Office – Hidden Leaf Village Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in his office, puffing on his pipe as usual. Smoke curled through the air as his eyes scanned the report on his desk. It detailed today's events at the Ninja Academy—clearly written by Iruka. Who would've imagined that his—Zero's boy—would possess such exceptional taijutsu talent? Strong enough to defeat Fugaku Uchiha's own son? "Excellent... truly excellent," Hiruzen muttered. "A child of the Will of Fire... poor, humble, yet full of potential. He must be nurtured. But..." His expression hardened. "...I'll need to warn Danzo." --- Root Division – Underground Base Deep within a dark, stone-lined bunker, Danzo Shimura sat cloaked in shadow. Only one eye was visible—the other hidden beneath bandages. In his hand was a fresh report. "Ayanami Kaito..." He stared at the name coldly. "A nobody with this kind of skill? Recruit him. If that fails—contain him. But first..." Danzo narrowed his visible eye. "...the Uchiha matter takes priority." --- Yamanaka Clan Household That evening, Ino's excitement could barely be contained as she rushed home and recounted everything that had happened—especially how Kaito had humiliated Sasuke in front of everyone. Her parents listened in surprise, wondering just what kind of boy had made such a splash in a single day. --- Join me on p@treon to get exclusive chapters on all my fanfics patreon.com/Zphyr_