Chapter 39: Victory or Defeat

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Natsuro and Iruka stared at each other, seemingly recognizing that the other was ready, and moved simultaneously.

However, in the next moment, Iruka's figure vanished from Natsuro's sight, leaving him momentarily stunned. The seal Iruka used was unfamiliar to him. If it wasn't the Three-body Technique...

"Boom!"

Iruka once again knocked down a wooden stump and quickly searched for Natsuro's figure. Even though he had seen it once before, he couldn't help but marvel at the skill of the Substitution Technique. He hadn't noticed when Natsuro performed the hand seals. While staying vigilant, Iruka reached for his ninja tool pouch.

He originally thought he wouldn't need to use this step, but it seemed he had underestimated the situation.

Soon, the faint sound of stones slicing through the air alerted Iruka. He retrieved the stones he had prepared earlier and threw them, colliding with Natsuro's projectiles.

The reason for using stones was simple. Since this was just a sparring match and Natsuro was still young, injuring him might be problematic. Moreover, Natsuro didn't have shurikens.

Initially, Iruka had planned to prohibit the use of shurikens in this match. However, Natsuro mentioned he had practiced throwing stones as a substitute for shurikens, so he agreed to this adjustment.

Iruka considered that stones had limited power. Even if hit, they would only cause pain, unlike shurikens which could cause serious injury. Therefore, using stones seemed to be a good choice.

Iruka felt he had been overconfident, as he didn't prepare many stones. While there were some scattered on the training ground, they were prone to breaking, and even specially prepared stones could easily shatter.

Although Natsuro's throwing technique was accurate, it still seemed somewhat immature. Iruka felt somewhat relieved that Natsuro had some weaknesses.

The previous jutsu was likely the Body Flicker Technique. Indeed, most Chunin-level ninjas would know this technique. Natsuro looked at the stones that had been knocked down and wasn't surprised. He hadn't expected his throwing technique to have much effect.

However, it wasn't entirely useless.

His eyes flickered. He didn't know how many stones Iruka had in his ninja tool pouch, but he was well-prepared himself. He wasn't going to waste his resources, especially since simple throwing wouldn't be enough to defeat his opponent.

Natsuro took a silver kunai from his ninja tool pouch, knowing that with his strength inferior to Iruka's, a weapon would be his best choice.

Meanwhile, Iruka also drew a kunai. While kunai were sharp, they were easier to control and less likely to cause unintended injury compared to shurikens.

Iruka's plan was to use the kunai to block any further stones and, if necessary, use ninjutsu to evade. Since Natsuro seemed to have stopped throwing stones, Iruka breathed a sigh of relief.

The next moment, the two combatants clashed, and within a few exchanges, Natsuro found himself at an absolute disadvantage.

As Iruka had mentioned before the battle, he was a Chunin, and his skills far surpassed Natsuro's current level.

Despite Natsuro's decent agility, the difference in strength made him extremely passive.

It seemed the battle might end here.

But was Natsuro willing to accept that? Didn't he realize he was at a disadvantage in almost every aspect? Close combat would only make him lose faster.

If he just wanted to drag out the time, maintaining distance and engaging in a throwing contest would be the best option. However, his goal wasn't to stall for time; he was thinking about how to achieve victory.

The key to winning lay in his hidden trump cards. If these trump cards were revealed too early, Iruka, having prepared, would be ready for them, making victory extremely difficult. Thus, even in such a passive situation, Natsuro didn't rush to use them.

"It's over, Natsuro. Although you are a genius, your growth has been too short." Iruka said. Despite being in combat, he wasn't using his full strength, which was evident from his ability to speak.

At that moment, Iruka gripped his kunai tightly, preparing to deliver the final blow to decide the outcome of the match!

And this was precisely the moment he had been waiting for.

Electric arcs crackled around his legs. Natsuro felt a different sensation—greater strength and faster speed.

Indeed, after a semester, Natsuro had managed to learn how to temporarily enhance his physical abilities with Lightning Release, though not to the extent of Lightning Release Chakra Mode. This method was tailored specifically for his body, and though not applicable to others, it was his own way of using Lightning Release to stimulate his body.

He hadn't used this enhancement earlier because the gap in physical condition between him and Iruka was so great that even with this enhancement, it wouldn't have made a significant difference, and using it would have been a waste of chakra.

Now, Natsuro had only enhanced his legs, not for greater power but for... greater speed!

This sudden increase in speed caught Iruka completely off guard. He missed his final strike, realizing he might be in trouble.

Sure enough, after dodging Iruka's 'final strike' Natsuro seized the opportunity to thrust the silver kunai he had given Iruka earlier.

Iruka, unable to react quickly enough to his increased speed, found himself struggling to avoid what seemed like a simple thrust. His previous attack had left him somewhat uncoordinated, making it hard to evade.

However, being a Chunin, Iruka managed to dodge the thrust at the last moment, though he was forced to retreat and began forming hand seals.

Natsuro immediately pursued, as this was his final chance. If he missed, Iruka would know his burst of speed, making it nearly impossible to win again. The outcome of the match was at stake!

Although his speed was comparable to Iruka's, the Lightning Release enhancement made him faster.

This forced Iruka to change his intended Body Flicker Technique to the Substitution Jutsu.

However, Natsuro wouldn't give Iruka time to complete his seals. Although he couldn't break Iruka's seals directly, Natsuro's right hand and arm crackled with electric arcs as he threw a few stones, which were faster and more accurate than any he had thrown before.

Having observed Iruka's hand seal speed, he knew that even if Iruka could perform hand seals faster, if he wanted to continue his hand seals, it would result in the stones hitting his arm almost guaranteeing victory for Natsuro, especially since Iruka still had his kunai, which would slow his sealing speed even more.

Realizing this, Iruka immediately stopped forming the seals and braced himself with his kunai against the stones.

While blocking, Iruka realized that Natsuro would close in quickly. Although he had lost the initiative, the Lightning Release enchancements mostly affected Natsuro's speed, not his power, so he still had a chance.

But time seemed to drag on. Given Natsuro's speed, he should have been closing in by now. He had disappeared; looking up he saw Natsuro finishing his final seal and surrounding himself with wind...

It was Wind Release: Gale Palm. But something seemed off.

Iruka soon realized what was wrong. Natsuro had vanished from view, not using the Body Flicker Technique but his speed enhancement had made him appear directly above Iruka. All Iruka could do was block with his arms.

Using kunai would have been more appropriate, but his instincts told him not to. The kunai wouldn't be very effective against the enhanced Gale Palm, Iruka preferred to use his arms to avoid any potential mishap.

Clearly, Gale Palm wasn't the right name for this jutsu now. 

The Lightning Release enhanced Natsuro's physical strength, and Gale Palm further amplified this. The combined effect was a devastating blow Iruka couldn't avoid, forcing him to face it directly.

"Boom!!"

Despite being a first-year student, Natsuro's extensive training, combined with Lightning Release enhancement and the C-rank Gale Palm jutsu, delivered a blow that exceeded limits.

Iruka was thrown back, unable to even briefly resist.

At this moment, if Iruka were an enemy, Natsuro would have followed up with Wind Release: Wind Cutter. But facing Iruka, he chose to follow up with his remaining strength from the Gale Palm.

Iruka, looking at Natsuro and his kunai, realized he had likely lost this match. Despite knowing Natsuro was a genius, he hadn't anticipated losing to him like this.

How quickly had he reached this level?

Considering what Natsuro had used, the increased speed was due to Lightning Release, as evidenced by the electric arcs. Iruka hadn't expected Natsuro to master Gale Palm, especially so proficiently, and adapt it to his legs. The combined power far exceeded Iruka's ability to counter.

"Natsuro, you won." Iruka said, his feelings mixed. He had lost to his own student, who was just in his first year.

"Yes, I won this time. But if we fought again, I wouldn't win." he replied, observing Iruka's expression. He added comforting words.

He had spoke the truth. If they fought again, Iruka would know Natsuro's tactics and be prepared, making it very difficult for him to win. The gap between them would remain significant.

Although Natsuro's chakra had increased, it was still limited. The Lightning Release enhancement was temporary, and Gale Palm was short-lived and still required full hand seals requirement. Knowing this, Iruka would be able to counter any future attacks.

Natsuro had barely managed to win this match, exhausting his chakra almost entirely, and could have only managed one more Wind Cutter.

Iruka, the Chunin teacher, was formidable, but if it were a combat specialist Chunin, the result might have been different.

"Don't worry, you won. On the battlefield, you won't get a chance to understand your opponent's abilities." Iruka said with a hint of a smile, "Let's talk for a moment."

"Sure." Natsuro said, relieved. He didn't want to demoralize Iruka; he only aimed to test his current abilities.

Soon, Iruka handed him a scroll.

"What's this?" Natsuro's eyes brightened. It felt similar to when he received the three basic jutsus. Could it be?

"Body Flicker Technique. Consider it a reward for defeating me." Iruka said, reflecting on how the Third Hokage had urged him to teach more. He didn't expect to give out this scroll until at least the second year, but circumstances had changed.

Natsuro was thrilled to receive the Body Flicker Technique!

Although it was a basic jutsu, it was incredibly useful. He had long desired to learn it, as the Substitution Jutsu was too passive. The Body Flicker Technique would make him more proactive. It was an essential jutsu in his plans!

Unbeknownst to Natsuro and Iruka, their battle had been observed in its entirety by someone using a crystal ball.

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