Naruto: The Sarutobi Who Can't Spark

Today marked the first official sparring session at the Academy. The past year and a half in the academy had laid the groundwork – physical conditioning, fundamental theory in mathematics, finance, basic physics, and the intricate history of the shinobi world. But today marked a shift from theory to practical application, and physical exercises gave way to real combat training.

Kaiyo stood at the edge of the sparring circle, eyes evaluating each match with careful attention. The morning had started with basic matches, but the intensity grew with each bout.

When a young Hyūga squared off against an Uchiha, students murmured seemed to crackle with anticipation. Their exchange of strikes and defensive maneuvers demonstrated why their clans were considered among Konoha's elite.

"The winner is Gekei Hyūga," Kaiyo announced as the match concluded, noting how the other students whispered excitedly about the display of traditional clan techniques. Even at this young age, the rivalry between Konoha's prestigious clans was evident.

"Next match," Kaiyo's voice cut through the excited chatter, "Raijin Sarutobi and Kageyuki Uchiha."

Raijin rose from his spot beside his friends, Satoru and Yuuto, the only two classmates he'd truly connected with over the past year, unlike Satoru, who seemed to befriend everyone with his natural charisma.

"Kageyuki! Beat the shit out of Raijin's sorry ass!" Satoru's voice rang out across the training ground. Despite their friendship, or perhaps because of it, he couldn't resist the urge to stir up drama.

"Satoru!" Kaiyo's sharp rebuke cut through the air. "Mind your language. Twenty-five laps around the ground, now."

In the sparring circle, Raijin and Kageyuki faced each other. Kageyuki carried himself with the distinctive pride of the Uchiha clan, his dark eyes were apparent, and he hadn't yet activated the Sharingan.

As Satoru jogged away, still grinning, Kaiyo said "Form the seal of confrontation."

They formed the Seal of Confrontation, a traditional gesture that involved both extending their forefinger and middle finger, pressing them against each other in a direct, intentional way.

"Begin!"

Kageyuki immediately created distance, a textbook Uchiha approach to combat. His movements were precise, the result of rigorous clan training. He circled slowly, analyzing Raijin's stance, looking for any tell that might betray his opponent's next move. Raijin remained centered in the circle, his eyes tracking his movement following the head.

Thirty seconds passed like hours, each waiting for the other to make the first move. The watching students, who had been buzzing with excitement after the previous match, fell into uncertain silence.

Kageyuki lost his patience and charged Raijin with a combination – a probing jab followed by a quick right cross. Raijin's defense seemed clumsy, barely deflecting the jab and stumbling slightly as he dodged the cross. Kageyuki pressed his perceived advantage, launching into a series of well-extended kicks and punches.

His form was excellent - each movement quick and precise, technically perfect.

Five minutes into the match, sweat dripped from Kageyuki's forehead. His breathing became labored, while Raijin showed no signs of fatigue. He launched another attack, aiming a high kick, impressive for his age. The kick approached Raijin's face at high speed. Raijin ducked under the flying kick. As he moved, his hand was already reaching for Kageyuki's leg on the ground. Using his opponent's momentum against him, he pulled the leg from the ground into the air while ducking the incoming kick.

Kageyuki completely lost his balance and the impact of his head against the ground resonated across the ground with a dull thud that made several students wince.

"The winner is Raijin Sarutobi."

Using a swift Body Flicker technique, Kaiyo transported the dazed Uchiha to... maybe a medical ninja.

The watching students muttered among themselves, some disappointed by the match while others preferred silence.

Raijin also quietly returned to his spot beside Yuuto.

The young Aburame gave him a subtle nod of acknowledgment. He remembered their own match in the forest, how Raijin easily won against the two. This first loss pushed him to train harder and made him realize the importance of efficient and effective moves rather than flashy ones.

When Kaiyo returned to the circle, materializing in a swirl of leaves, he didn't pause to let the discussions continue. "Next match, Satoru Takahashi and Taro Inuzuka" His voice carried over to the training ground, where Satoru was just finishing his final lap, still grinning despite his punishment.

The two boys formed the Seal of Confrontation, Satoru's previous playful grin replaced by focused intensity. Taro's stance however was aggressive, forward-leaning, ready to pounce. Without his dog as a partner, he'd have to rely purely on his taijutsu.

"Begin!"

Taro exploded forward with trademark Inuzuka ferocity, leading with a wild combination of hooks and straight punches. But Satoru's movement was fluid, he waved through the attacks, each dodge so minimal it seemed he barely moved at all.

Taro spun around, throwing a barrage of punches that would have made his clan proud. Each strike was precise, powerful, and fast. But Satoru's defense seemed to predict every move. He deflected punches with his forearms, redirected kicks with subtle shifts of his body, and maintained a constant flow of movement that made him seem almost untouchable.

"Look at his footwork," Raijin whispered to Yuuto, noting how Satoru's feet never crossed maintaining perfect balance with each shift.

A right hook from Taro whistled past Satoru's ear as he tilted his head just enough to let it pass. In the same motion, Satoru's left hand came up, not to strike but to grab Taro's extended arm. Using his opponent's momentum, he guided Inuzuka's punch past him while stepping forward into Taro's space.

The watching students gasped as Satoru executed a perfect hip throw, but Taro managed to roll out of it, springing back to his feet with agility. He charged again, this time mixing in low kicks with his punches, trying to break Satoru's rhythm.

But Satoru had transformed his usual exuberant personality into – a serious persona. He checked a low kick with his shin, deflected a punch with his forearm, and spun inside Taro's guard. His elbow stopped a hair's breadth from Taro's ribs – a point of control rather than a strike – before he flowed back out of range.

Each technique flowed seamlessly into the next, with no wasted motion, and no telegraphed attacks. When Taro launched a powerful roundhouse kick, Satoru didn't just block – he redirected the force, letting the kick slide off his forearm while stepping in to sweep Taro's supporting leg.

The Inuzuka boy caught himself with one hand, displaying impressive athleticism as he cartwheel-kicked to create space. But Satoru was already moving, having predicted the recovery. He slipped inside Taro's guard during the cartwheel, and when Taro's feet touched the ground, Satoru was already positioned for the finish.

A quick foot sweep, a subtle hip check, and an open palm strike to the sternum sent Taro tumbling backward. The sequence was so smooth it looked choreographed – a perfect blend of timing, technique, and tactical awareness.

"Winner: Satoru Takahashi," Kaiyo announced as Taro was sent flying outside the circle. Satoru's impressive display of taijutsu earned him awe from all the students present. Though Kaiyo's gaze remained sharp and focused, a quiet sense of pride swelled within him at Satoru's growth and development.

The training ground erupted in excited chatter. They had just witnessed something far beyond the basic striking and grappling.

Satoru had demonstrated what taijutsu could truly be – not just a collection of attacks and blocks, but a flowing conversation of movement and counter-movement. His performance had been a beautiful dance, each motion flowing effortlessly into the next.

Helping Taro to his feet, Satoru flashed him a smile. As he made his way back to his friends, students gathered around, eager to discuss what they'd just witnessed.

"That was amazing, Satoru!" several students called out as he walked back to his friends.

"How did you move like that?"

"It was like a dance!"

"I've never seen taijutsu like that before!"

Satoru accepted the praise with his usual easy charm, flashing a grin to those around him. But when he reached Raijin and Yuuto, his expression shifted into something more like a smirk and a genuine curiosity. "What did you think?" he asked, eyes gleaming.

"Since when did you move like that?" Yuuto asked a mix of genuine admiration and a hint of envy in his voice.

Satoru draped an arm around both Raijin's and Yuuto's shoulders, his grin widening. "Kaiyo-sensei's been teaching me to feel rather than think. The body knows what to do almost instantly now."

***

Raijin sat in the Clan library, scanning through scrolls in search of E- and D-rank elemental jutsu that could help him create a solid defense. His taijutsu, blending mixed martial arts from his previous life, had already elevated his combat style, fusing it with the traditional techniques of this world to create something more advanced leveraging its unique flexibility and strength.

Raijin created a clone to assist in the search, instructing it to look for a suitable defensive jutsu while he focused on the scrolls before him.

A sudden flicker of movement caught his attention, and before he could react, Haruko—or perhaps one of her shadow clones—materialized in front of him and his clone.

"C-clan Elder?" Raijin straightened, surprised by her unexpected appearance.

Haruko extended a worn leather pouch. "I've some wooden swords for you." She glanced at Raijin's clone, absorbed in a scroll of elemental techniques. The pouch landed on the table with a soft thud.

Raijin untied the knot revealing some wooden swords. Some had their surfaces worn smooth by years of use. Others were clearly new, the wood was still fresh and aromatic.

"Remember," Haruko said, "Kenjutsu isn't just about swinging a sword. It's about becoming one with the blade, understanding its movement as an extension of your own body."

As he examined the training weapons, Haruko's attention shifted to the scrolls spread across the table. Her eyebrow arched with interest. "Learning another jutsu?"

"I am searching for some defense-type jutsu..." Raijin answered softly, not looking up from the sword.

Haruko's eyes swept across the collection of scrolls, taking in their classification marks and titles, "Earth Style: Earth Wall and Water Style: Water Wall are more than sufficient."

Raijin's focus snapped to her at the mention of those techniques. These were B-rank jutsu—far beyond the E-rank and D-rank defensive techniques he had been searching for.

"If mastered well," Haruko continued, "they can provide the defensive foundation you seek."

Raijin blinked, confusion on his face. "But... uh, Clan elder, aren't those B-rank jutsu?"

Instead of responding directly, Haruko walked over to the E-rank and D-rank section, rummaging through the scrolls with a practiced hand. After several minutes, she returned to Raijin's side, handing him two scrolls.

The scrolls were titled Earth Release: Earth Shield and Water Release: Water Shield.

"These are basic techniques," Haruko explained. "They can be performed easily with just hand signs to mold chakra." Then, with a teasing smile, she added, "...you might also be able to learn the basic fire releases of the Sarutobi Clan, simply by molding chakra with hand signs."

Raijin didn't let her teasing distract him. Instead, he focused intently on the scrolls. The descriptions were clear—both jutsus created defensive barriers using their respective elements.

"These D-rank techniques are derived from and serve as training steps toward Earth Wall and Water Wall," Haruko continued as Raijin studied the complex hand seal sequences.

Although the hand signs appeared complicated, Raijin paid no attention to the intricacies. He believed that with enough practice and repetition of the hand seals, he would soon become proficient in forming the required combinations.

Haruko left Raijin alone, knowing he was fully engrossed in studying the hand seals for Earth and Water Shield. With determination, he immediately began practicing the complex combinations, focusing on perfecting each motion.

As Haruko had allowed Raijin to borrow the scrolls from the library, he took them home with him that evening. In the quiet of his room, he continued his practice, repeating the hand seals over and over until the motions became second nature.