One Punch

The classroom was empty—no one else was around. Only the rustling sound of Haruno Sakura's pencil could be heard as she wrote. Iruka and Mizuki sat at the front, observing her as she scribbled away furiously.

Sakura tackled the test questions without hesitation, scanning through them all before she began, and then writing with a fluid, unbroken rhythm. Iruka watched her rapid pace with calm composure, not showing the slightest surprise.

He had been monitoring Sakura's progress daily. Given her already impressive academic performance, liberal arts seemed effortless for her.

"Iruka-sensei, I'm finished," she announced confidently after fifty minutes, placing her pencil down and looking at her answer sheet with satisfaction.

"Alright. In the afternoon, you'll have a physical fitness test and combat training. Remember not to eat too much."

With a whoosh, ten rings hit their targets as Iruka recorded Sakura's shuriken test. He sighed, watching her throw shuriken with practiced precision.

Becoming a ninja is not as glorious as people imagine.

Even for a child, the moment they wear a forehead protector, their hands are destined to be stained with blood. If not, then their blood will surely stain the hands of others.

Meanwhile, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat in the teacher's office, smoking as he watched the young girl attempting her promotion test nearby.

Unlike Iruka, Hiruzen thought differently. Konoha needed new blood, and just as in past wars, the younger generation required a shining example to guide them. After the Third Ninja War and the Nine-Tails attack, Konoha had shown a troubling shortage of successors. Now, he was the last of the old guard, holding things together. He wanted to nurture someone capable of bearing Konoha's burdens before he stepped down.

"Full marks for shuriken throwing," Iruka said, noting down the result. The accuracy of her throws was sufficient even for a graduation exam.

"Next, the obstacle course," Iruka continued.

"Full marks."

"Next, the 500-meter sprint."

"Full marks."

"Now, the 10-kilometer endurance run."

"Full marks."

Sakura panted lightly as she stood on the sparring field, looking at her opponent. The boy had dark hair, a bandage on his forehead, white eyes, and a calm demeanor.

Hyuga Neji.

A genius of the Hyuga clan.

Is getting promoted to the next grade really this challenging? she thought.

They performed the Seal of Opposition, raising their hands in a mutual sign of respect, following Iruka's instruction.

"You're already tired. You can't beat me," Neji stated confidently, his voice steady.

He had been surprised when Iruka approached him. A first-year student aiming to jump to the second year? Why not just pit her against another second-grader?

Without further explanation, Iruka had simply instructed him to defeat her.

"Who can say who'll win?" Sakura responded. She took a red hairband from her pocket, tying her slightly long pink hair back, then looked at Neji with a fierce determination.

Was she challenging him to make the first move? The notion irritated Neji. When did a mere first-year student get so bold?

Neji advanced on her.

In seconds, he was on the ground, staring up at the sky, completely stunned.

He had lunged forward, intending to attack the seemingly frail girl with his Byakugan and acupressure techniques, but she dodged his first strike and delivered a punch to his chest that sent him flying.

How could a six-year-old girl be this strong?

With a nervous glance at her own fist, Sakura realized she had instinctively held back slightly, sparing him from serious injury. She hadn't expected him to be so easily knocked back.

The arena fell into silence. No one could believe that a genius from the Hyuga clan had been defeated with a single punch.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, watching from the teacher's office, rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Did he just see the shadow of his own disciple in that young girl?

Exactly the same... She was like a miniature Tsunade, bringing back memories of the girl who used to scale walls effortlessly.

"The winner is Haruno Sakura!" Iruka announced.

Sakura approached Neji, extending a hand.

"Thank you, Senior."

Neji hesitated but eventually took her hand, and she helped him up. Then, she turned to Iruka, her eyes bright with anticipation.

"Iruka-sensei, did I pass the test?"

"I've tallied up the physical fitness and combat skills. As for the liberal arts, we'll have the results tomorrow."

Iruka gave her a gentle pat on the head, seeing the little girl's eagerness, and sighed inwardly. Hokage-sama, she's truly remarkable.

Time passed quickly. Seasons changed, and a year had gone by since Haruno Sakura had taken the grade-skipping test. Now, she was seven years old, and her academic level was on par with fourth graders. However, Iruka kept her in her original class, allowing her to self-study at her own pace.

Sakura's genius had not gone unnoticed, and her reputation continued to spread.

"The winner is Uchiha Sasuke!" Iruka announced at the conclusion of a match, and cheers erupted from the girls around the field.

"Sasuke is so handsome!"

"Sasuke-sama is invincible!"

"Sasuke, look over here!"

Uzumaki Naruto, the blond boy who had just been defeated, glared at the dark-haired boy in frustration.

"Just you wait! I'll beat you one day!"

Ignoring Naruto's defiance and the squealing fangirls, Sasuke turned his attention to the classroom, where he knew a certain girl sat reading quietly.

She no longer joined in sparring matches, having no opponents who could match her. Only during physical training would her form briefly appear, still and focused in a way that set her apart.