Chapter 12: One Punch
The classroom was empty.
No one was around.
The only sound that could be heard was the soft rustling of a pencil as Sakura Haruno scribbled answers onto her test paper. Iruka and Mizuki sat at the front of the room, quietly watching as she worked with intense concentration.
Sakura worked through the questions without hesitation, her eyes scanning them swiftly before she began writing down her answers. There was not a single pause, no sign of confusion or delay—just smooth, steady progress.
Iruka watched her fly through the written exam, his expression calm, unshaken.
He had been observing Sakura for some time now. Her every move in recent days had not escaped his attention. Coupled with her already outstanding academic performance, Iruka could only describe her mastery of the theoretical curriculum with one phrase: "effortless perfection."
…
"Iruka-sensei, I'm done."
Fifty minutes had passed. Sakura put down her pencil and looked at her answer sheet with satisfaction.
"Alright. In the afternoon, we'll have the physical fitness test and the combat assessment. Make sure not to eat too much beforehand."
—
Whoosh!
Ten points.
Whoosh!
Another perfect score!
…
Iruka marked down the results of Sakura's shuriken-throwing exam while quietly sighing as he watched the girl continue to throw with pinpoint accuracy.
Becoming a ninja wasn't as glamorous as many believed.
Even a child, once they donned the forehead protector, would find their hands stained with blood. And if not, then their blood would be on someone else's hands.
Click.
In the teacher's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi smoked his pipe as he watched the young girl undergoing the promotion exam from a distance.
Unlike Iruka, the Third Hokage had a different view of things. Right now, Konoha needed fresh blood. Just like during the previous Great Ninja Wars, the younger generation needed someone brilliant—someone dazzling enough to stand in the spotlight and inspire others.
After the Third Great Ninja War and the Nine-Tails' Attack, Konoha was facing a crisis of succession. There was a lack of rising stars.
Now, the village had only him, this old man, still holding on...
Before he retired, he wished to nurture someone truly capable—someone who could bear the village's burdens.
"Shuriken throwing—perfect score," Iruka recorded, setting the evaluation sheet aside. To be honest, Sakura's accuracy was already good enough to pass a graduation exam.
"Next—obstacle course run."
…
"Perfect score."
…
"Next—500-meter sprint."
…
"Perfect score."
…
"Next—10-kilometer endurance run."
…
"Perfect score."
…
Huff—
Sakura stood on the sparring field, panting lightly, her gaze fixed on her opponent.
He had black hair, bandages around his forehead, and pure white eyes. His face was expressionless.
Neji Hyuga.
A genius from the Hyuga Clan.
Was this really the difficulty level for a first-year promotion test?
"Form the seal of confrontation."
With Iruka's command, Sakura and Neji raised their right hands, index and middle fingers extended, and held the hand seal in front of their chests.
With that, the ritual was complete.
"You're already tired. You can't be my opponent."
Neji's voice was calm as he looked at Sakura.
To be honest, when Iruka had asked him to come, Neji had been surprised.
A first-year student wanted to skip a grade?
Why did they need him?
Wouldn't any second-year be enough?
The fact that they called on him, a top student, made him question whether they underestimated him or had no intention of letting that first-year pass at all.
But Iruka offered no explanation—just told him to defeat the first-year student.
"Whether I'm your opponent or not… Who can say for sure?"
Sakura pulled a red ribbon from her pocket and tied back her slightly long pink hair into a ponytail. Her eyes gleamed as she looked at Neji.
She signaled that he could make the first move.
Letting me strike first?
Is she underestimating me?
Neji felt a surge of irritation. When did first-year students become so arrogant?
He charged.
…
Then he fell.
Lying flat on his back, Neji stared blankly at the blue sky above. He couldn't believe what had just happened.
He had activated his Byakugan and moved in to use his signature gentle fist technique. But the girl had sidestepped his first strike and…
Punched him in the chest.
That was all it took.
One punch.
And he was sent flying.
Was that really the strength of a six-year-old girl?
Thank goodness… She didn't break anything.
Sakura stared at her fist, a little alarmed. Out of respect for her opponent—a genius of the Hyuga clan—she had used her Chakra Enhanced Strength.
She hadn't expected him to be so fragile.
Had she not held back at the last moment, who knew how badly she would've hurt him?
The field was dead silent.
No one could believe what they had just seen—the Hyuga genius knocked out with a single punch.
In the teacher's office, Hiruzen rubbed his eyes.
Had he really seen what he thought he saw?
That little girl… looked exactly like his old student.
She was the spitting image of Tsunade in her younger days.
Hiruzen couldn't help but reminisce about the days when that mischievous little girl was always climbing walls and getting into trouble.
"Winner—Sakura Haruno!"
As Iruka announced the result, Sakura walked over to Neji and offered her hand.
"Thanks for the match, senior."
Neji stared silently at the smiling girl before taking her hand.
Sakura pulled him up with ease and happily walked over to Iruka, her face glowing with excitement.
"Iruka-sensei, does this mean I passed?"
"Your physical and combat scores are more than enough… But for the written part, we'll have to wait until tomorrow."
Iruka gently patted her head, a little overwhelmed by the hopeful look in her eyes.
There's nothing more I can do, Lord Hokage…
—
Spring passed into autumn, and just like that, a year had gone by since Sakura Haruno took her promotion exam from first to second year.
Now seven years old, Sakura was already studying at a fourth-year level.
Even so, Iruka had kept her in her original class.
From second year onward, Sakura's learning had become mostly self-directed. Aside from occasionally asking Iruka questions on topics she didn't fully understand, she studied on her own.
And since Sakura didn't bother hiding her abilities, her genius reputation had begun to spread across the academy.
"Winner—Sasuke Uchiha!"
Iruka announced the result of the sparring match, prompting a chorus of cheers from the girls surrounding the field.
"Sasuke is so cool!"
"Sasuke-sama is unbeatable!"
"Sasuke, look over here!!"
The boy with spiky blonde hair, who had just lost, glared defiantly at the black-haired boy standing across from him.
"You just wait! One day, I'm gonna beat you!"
Sasuke Uchiha ignored the shouts of admiration and the defeated Naruto Uzumaki. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the classroom.
He knew that inside, a girl sat reading quietly.
She no longer participated in these sparring matches—because no one could match her.
Only during physical training did she still show up.
Sakura Haruno.
(End of Chapter)