Naruto: Eating A Devil Fruit In The World Of Shinobi Chapter 16 16:I, Uchiha Sasuke, acknowledge you

---

The more you think about this sentence, the more philosophical it becos. Isn't it tailor-made for the Will of Fire?

Originally, Sarutobi Hiruzen just wanted to teach a lesson to the kid who dared to be distracted in his class!

Unexpectedly, this child gave him such a big surprise.

He looked at Kaito carefully, as if he had discovered a treasure.

"Child! What's your na?" This is the heir to the Will of Fire!

"Ayanami Kaito!"

His last na is Ayanami? So he's a descendant of Zero!

"Good! Good! Kaito's answer is very good!"

"You must rember this sentence! It perfectly explains what the Will of Fire is!"

"Please take a seat, Kaito-san."

After saying that, Sarutobi Hiruzen resud his lecture with renewed energy.

Kaito let out a long sigh, having finally fooled the old man. He hadn't expected Sarutobi Hiruzen to be so petty and actually pick on him.

For the rest of the ti, Kaito didn't dare get distracted again—he didn't want to be targeted by the Hokage a second ti.

Ti passed unknowingly, and the curtain finally fell with Iruka's words:

"Let us bid farewell to the Third Hokage!"

It was already noon.

Kaito, Ino, and Hinata ate the lunch boxes they brought from ho and rested for a while.

Then it was ti for outdoor training.

The spring sunshine wasn't as harsh as in sumr—it was gentle and warm.

On the training field, more than thirty boys and girls lined up in two rows.

Iruka walked over, carrying a scroll.

"Today, we're going to choose the top student in our class. The rules are simple—actual combat training. Whoever wins will be the top student for this year!"

"Anyone not interested in competing, step aside now!"

As soon as he finished speaking, more than half the students shuffled out of line.

All the girls withdrew—they weren't interested in the contest. A few boys stepped back too, most of them clearly lacking confidence. But a few were eager to test their strength, like Kiba and Naruto.

Of course, there were a couple of exceptions—lazy Shikamaru, foodie Choji… and Kaito!

When Iruka saw how many had stepped back, the corner of his mouth twitched. His face paled instantly. Then he erupted.

"Girls can sit out! But all boys must participate!"

Without giving anyone else a chance to protest, Iruka called out the first match.

"First match! Uchiha Sasuke versus… random selection!"

It went without saying who would win.

The truth was, there wasn't a huge strength gap between them—they were still kids. But Uchiha Sasuke had already refined his chakra.

Even if he didn't know ninjutsu yet, adding chakra to his punches gave him a boost in strength.

Not long after, the battle ended with Sasuke raising his proud little head in victory.

Match after match followed.

Soon, Kaito heard his na.

"Ayanami Kaito vs. Nara Shikamaru!"

Kaito and Shikamaru locked eyes—a spark of mischief passed between them.

Iruka was pleased to see them so fired up. His earlier decision suddenly felt justified.

"When did these two beco so motivated?" Ino asked, puzzled.

"Who knows?" Shikamaru muttered, crunching on a chip. "Maybe we admire each other or sothing."

"Kaito! Good luck!" Hinata encouraged in a soft whisper—barely audible.

"Both parties, make the seal of confrontation!"

Kaito and Shikamaru followed the instructions.

"Alright! Begin!" Iruka shouted.

Almost instantly, both Kaito and Shikamaru yelled out, "Teacher! I give up!" in unison.

Iruka: …

Shikamaru: …

Ino slapped a hand over her forehead. "I knew it! These two idiots…"

"Shikamaru, let have this one. There'll be plenty more matches later," Kaito said.

"Kaito, you know I hate hassle. You take this one, I'll take the next."

"Alright, you get the next one."

"Deal."

They casually decided the outco of the match like it was nothing.

anwhile, Iruka's face darkened, nearly pitch black with fury.

"Teacher Iruka! I'm not giving up anymore!" Kaito said quickly, raising his hand.

"You two brats think this is a joke?! Get out! Both of you fail!" Iruka roared like a lion.

Kaito and Shikamaru winced from the sheer volu.

After kicking the two of them off the field, Iruka gritted his teeth and said, "Next match! And new rule—no more forfeits allowed!"

He threw a sharp glare toward Kaito and Shikamaru, who stood off to the side looking completely unbothered.

Shikamaru didn't care—surrendering was just part of who he was. He inherited not only his father's brilliant intellect but also his laid-back attitude.

And as for Kaito, his choice was simple. He was still weak right now. It was smarter to play it safe and grow stronger steadily.

Eventually, only Sasuke and Kiba remained on the field.

They were both kids and had started learning chakra control, so the difference in strength wasn't too big.

Their fighting style was pretty straightforward: punch for punch, brute endurance.

Soon, both were covered in bruises and cuts. And then… sothing unexpected happened.

It was classic Uchiha drama—Sasuke, even at this age, had already mastered making an impression.

"I didn't want to use this move, but you've earned it. I, Uchiha Sasuke, acknowledge you!" he declared dramatically.

Standing across from Kiba, Sasuke struck an arrogant pose. His expression was cold and full of pride, which looked a bit ridiculous given his tiny fra.

Still, no one in class laughed. Their eyes were all locked on Sasuke—or more precisely, his hands.

---

Join my P@treon for advanced chapters.

patreon/Zphyr_