Naruto: The Medical Ninja

Chapter 98: Chapter 97: Ready for some action

As the students gathered in the training grounds of the academy for their Taijutsu class, their youthful faces were a mixture of apprehension and excitement.

Standing among his peers, Ryu was still upset about the fact he couldn’t get his hands on the Shadow Clone Jutsu with much ease.

Instructor Hiroshi Tanaka walked to the front of the group and spoke with a commanding voice, ”Alright, class! Today, we’ll be putting your physical abilities to the test. We will have a workout session followed by a break, and then we will have spars among the students.”

”Alright, follow me,” he said as he started running with a file of young students. It looked like some kind of military exercise.

Tanaka-sensei led them through a series of warm-up exercises before setting them off on laps around the playground. The pace was exhausting for a few students, who forced themselves to keep up, breathing in short gasps. However, it was nearly effortless for Ryu. Compared to his workout regime, this kind of exercise was nothing.

At that time Ryu realised that most of his classmates could still keep up with routine and running much more easily than they could on the entrance exam. ”I suppose they were motivated to train more by the results of the entrance exam. I cannot become complacent and stop physical training just to favour my ninjutsu training.”

He looked at Saya, who was sprinting next to him with a resolute look. Her stride was steady, and her breathing was under control. Ryu noted, ”She had also improved.”

Ryu wasn’t the only one to notice the improvement in the stamina of the students. Tanaka, the instructor, also looked closely at the progress of all the students and grinned invertedly.

After the workout session and a short break, Tanaka-sensei gathered the class once more. ”Now, we’ll move on to sparring,” he announced. ”But first, let me teach you about two important seals you’ll be using.”

He demonstrated the hand sign for the Seal of Confrontation, explaining its significance. ”This represents one half of a seal that might be used to activate a ninjutsu. It means- ’I’ve come to face you in battle.’ And after the spar, both participants will make the Seal of Reconciliation.”

Tanaka-sensei’s intense gaze swept over the group as he said, ”Remember, these are friendly matches. We’re here to learn, not to hurt each other. The Seal of Reconciliation shows mutual respect and that there are no hard feelings, regardless of the outcome.”

”Now, for our first match,” the instructor announced. ”Hikari Hyuga and Akira Uchiha, step forward.”

A murmur rippled through the crowd as the two clan heirs made their way to the sparring circle. Ryu watched intently, curious to see how they would perform.

The instructor yelled, ”Begin!” and the two prodigies started moving, their movements a haze of strength and accuracy.

Hikari’s Gentle Fist style, even without the Byakugan, was a sight to behold and was swiftly countering every move of her opponent. Her strikes were fluid and graceful, each movement flowing into the next. Akira also countered with the Uchiha clan’s signature style, which also specialises in countering opponents moves by pridicting their next move. Even without Sharingan, her movements were sharp and decisive.

Ryu watched intently from the sidelines, analysing their techniques in hopes of copying their moves or at least countering them later.

”They’re both so skilled,” he mused. ”However, their primary reliance is on clan techniques, which at their current level is more flawed than academy taijutsu and is susceptible to counterattacks by a taijutsu expert. In that aspect, academy taijutsu is better.”

Ryu has been fighting his grandfather for months now. His [Muscle Memory] helped him pick up jonin-level taijutsu very fast. He still cannot compete with an actual Jonin with his small body, but academy brats were no match for him, except for a few. Hikari and Akira, the top two of the academy, were among the exceptions.

While watching this fight, Ryu noticed the instructor sighing. He could see the slight disappointment in the man’s eyes at the lack of Academy-style Taijutsu, which he taught but was not being used. However, as the match went on, evenly matched until the very end, the instructor’s face softened as he acknowledged that their family’s taijutsu was a lifelong tradition and that they would naturally use it in place of any other recently learnt taijutsu.

”Time!” he called after five minutes. ”It’s a tie. Well fought, both of you.”

”Fumi Suzuki and Hiro Sarutobi, step forward,” he announced. A murmur of confusion rippled through the crowd. Ryu’s eyebrows rose slightly.

’Interesting,’ he thought. ’I expected him to call the 3rd and 4th-ranked students next.’ He probably wanted to show off some of the basic academy taijutsu he had taught rather than Ninja Clan’s special taijutsu.

Fumi Suzuki, a civilian-born girl, and Hiro, from the Sarutobi clan, made their way to the centre. Although they were both ranked lower than 20th in the class, their attitudes clearly differed. One was from the famous Sarutobi Ninja Clan. Hiro was quietly confident, while Fumi appeared anxious.

”Begin!” Tanaka-sensei called.

The two launched into action, both using the Academy-style Taijutsu. At first glance, their physical builds seemed similar, but as the match progressed, the disparity in their skills became evident.

Despite using the same academy style Tanaka-sensei taught, Hiro’s technique was sharper and more refined, and his reaction speed was also superior. Fumi, on the other hand, struggled to keep up, her movements more rigid and predictable.

Before the five-minute mark, Hiro had managed to sweep Fumi’s legs out from under her, pinning the civilian-born student to the ground.

Tanaka-sensei called out. ”Winner: Hiro Sarutobi.”

As they forged the Seal of Reconciliation, Ryu reflected, ”Same style, same build, but such different results; experience and training matter. It is obvious why being raised in a ninja clan has advantages. However, that does not imply that it cannot be overcome.

It turned out that the next match was more evenly matched. ”Minoru Inuzuka and Takeshi Yamamoto,”

Tanaka-sensei announced. Again, both students were ranked below 20th, but this time, the match was closer. Minoru, true to his clan’s reputation, fought with feral intensity, while Takeshi, another civilian-born student, also showed remarkable resilience. The fight stretched on, neither boy willing to give an inch.

As the five-minute mark approached, Minoru seemed to find an extra reserve of energy. With a burst of speed, he switched from academy-style taijutsu to Inuzuka’s four-legged taijutsu. He closed in on Takeshi and took the boy to the ground.

Tanaka-sensei declared. ”Winner: Minoru Inuzuka.”

Ryu watched intently as the two boys formed the Seal of Reconciliation. ’Takeshi held his own much better than Fumi did,’ he noted. ’It goes to show that individual effort can narrow the gap, even if it can’t always close it completely.’

As the excitement from these matches died down, Tanaka-sensei’s voice cut through the chatter. ”Ryu Hamura!”

Ryu stepped forward, but before the instructor could announce his opponent, a voice cut through the air.

”Sensei,” interrupted Akira Uchiha, ”I want to spar with him.”

There was a murmur among the spectators. Tanaka-sensei raised an eyebrow; the Hokage had tasked him with monitoring Ryu’s development, and this unexpected challenge presented a perfect opportunity to test the boy’s close combat skills.

”Are you sure, Akira? You’ve already had your match,” Tanaka-sensei said, maintaining his stern demeanour while inwardly curious about how this match would unfold.

”I’m sure,” she replied, her voice filled with confidence. ”I’ve heard praise about Hamura’s skills from Kenji. I want to put his abilities to the test for myself.”

Ryu’s eyes narrowed slightly, studying Akira’s face.

”This is not just a spontaneous challenge,” he realised, ”she has been waiting for this opportunity.”

Tanaka-sensei nodded, having made up his mind. ”Very well. Ryu, do you accept this challenge?”

Ryu’s lips formed a tiny smile as he said, ”I do.”

As they took their positions, Tanaka-sensei reminded them, ”Remember, this is Taijutsu only fight. You may use whatever style you can, but no weapons and no ninjutsu.”

He then glanced at Akira. ”Unless your opponent agrees to allow training weapons.”

Akira’s eyes narrowed slightly, but her smirk remained. ”He is free to use any weapon he chooses. The outcome will remain the same.”

”Are you sure about that?” Ryu asked confidently, raising an eyebrow.

”I’m not Kenji,” Akira replied. ”You’ll find I’m a very different kind of opponent.”

Ryu smiled and said, ”We will see about that.”

When Kenji heard this, his face contorted in rage, and he thought, ”This bitch.”

The air seemed to crackle with tension as Ryu and Akira faced each other. Ryu could sense the pressure of all eyes on them, and the background of suspense was created by their classmates’ quiet murmurs.Across from him, Akira stood poised like a coiled spring, her eyes never leaving Ryu’s face.

The rest of the class seemed to fade away as Ryu’s world narrowed to his opponent. He could hear his own heartbeat as he readied himself for some action.

##PoWeR StOnEs##

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