Naruto: The Sarutobi Who Can't Spark

The silence hung heavy for a moment before Kaiyo swallowed and composed himself. "Say that again?"

Satoru recalled Raijin's request for secrecy. He hesitated at first but, trusting his teacher, continued, "Umm... Raijin could do… duplicating Jutsu…"

"…Shadow Clone Jutsu?" Kaiyo asked.

"No, it was just Clone Jutsu? I think?" He replied, "Raijin showed me the technique after I asked him if he could perform any Jutsu."

'Hmm, Clone Jutsu?' Kaiyo mused. The Clone Jutsu was one of the three techniques required for graduation from the Academy. For a first-year student to have already mastered, it was impressive.

Satoru beamed with excitement and continued, "Another Raijin appeared in the air like it was nothing."

"When was this?" Kaiyo asked, keeping his voice carefully neutral.

"Quite a while ago... maybe during Academy entrance," Satoru replied, his attention more focused on his food than his teacher's intense expression.

Suddenly, Satoru looked up with renewed enthusiasm. "Kaiyo-sensei, may I continue studying the theory of chakra Raijin had picked me and… practice the chakra control exercise?"

Kaiyo had been firm in his prohibition of chakra theory, waiting for the right moment. "Satoru, don't be impatient. I will allow you to continue soon, but not yet."

"Please?" Satoru pressed. "I'll only study the theory and practice the Leaf Concentration for now. It would be better to start practicing early, wouldn't it?"

After a moment's consideration, Kaiyo sighed and agreed.

Later, while seeing Satoru off, Kaiyo reflected on the boy's revelations. "So, Raijin can perform Jutsus… I should properly gauge his capability."

It had only been one year since the new batch of students started at the Academy, yet Raijin had already mastered one of the three required Jutsu for graduation. This was unusually impressive. Kaiyo realized he would need to reassess Raijin's potential and possibly consider grooming him for early graduation.

Kaiyo couldn't ignore the fact that Raijin had excelled in the written exams, a crucial part of the Academy's graduation requirements. What was more impressive was that Raijin had mastered one of the three Jutsu required for graduation—an accomplishment not quite often for a first-year student.

His exceptional performance in the theoretical subjects, particularly Science, History, and Geography, also set him apart. While he may have shown little interest in other subjects, he excelled in them, like breezing through the curriculum without much effort.

Kaiyo realized that Raijin's ability to master Jutsu so early, along with his top-tier exam results, teaching Satoru about chakra and its control exercises, and recommending and tutoring him from the right materials, suggested Raijin might be ready for graduation.

***

It was five in the morning when Satoru flickered open his blue iris to stare at the ceiling from the bed; sleep had abandoned him.

It had already been 6 months since Kaiyo started mentoring Satoru. During that time, their sessions had shifted from evening to early morning. Over the past half-year, Satoru had made significant progress in all aspects of his physical training. Just last week, he had begun light sparring with Kaiyo.

This week, however, Kaiyo ordered him to refrain from any physical training and completely rest his body in preparation for the upcoming Academy Spar. Kaiyo firmly instructed him not to train or even practice chakra control for the week. He also explained the importance of rest, emphasizing how crucial it was for the development of a child's body, hoping to persuade Satoru to comply.

But mentioning the Academy Spar was enough to convince Satoru to reluctantly follow Kaiyo's order.

In Satoru's mind, growth only came through relentless effort and pushing past one's limits. The idea of spending time resting, when he could be training, seemed absurd to him.

Only the one who continuously pushes will grow. That was his motto.

'Should I train secretly?' The thought crept into his mind as he pushed himself up from his bed, rubbing his eyes. After freshening up, he returned to his bed, but his thoughts were racing with various ideas on how to train in secret.

Once he had cleaned up, he wrapped the tools Kaiyo had given him in a green cloth. He slung the bundle over his back, headed to train secretly.

…

At precisely 8 am, the doorbell's chime pierced the morning stillness.

Fresh from his morning training routine, Raijin wiped the last beads of sweat from his brow. He had been expecting Haruko's visit.

He rushed to open the door, but his practiced greeting died on his lips. He stood frozen at the door – standing there wasn't Haruko, but Satoru. Satoru was practically vibrating with barely contained energy.

"Raijin! Let's spar!" Satoru's enthusiastic voice matched his broad grin. A pouch at his side jingled with a soft tinkling sound at each excited bounce.

"Pardon?" Raijin's eyebrow arched lazily. "Spar? What brought this on?"

"Uh... I want to improve, and there's no better way than learning from you." He rubbed the back of his neck, offering a sheepish smile.

He continued, "We might have a sparring session in the Academy soon…"

Raijin exhaled deeply, raising his hands in mock surrender. Familiar with Satoru's antics, he knew there was no point in refusing. "Fine," he conceded, then pointed to the neat row of slippers by the entrance. "But first, shoes off. House rules."

'Another pair to wash later,' Raijin thought wryly, watching Satoru thoroughly clean his feet before accepting the proffered house slippers. He couldn't put his feet on the slippers even if Satoru thoroughly washed his feet.

Once inside, Raijin folded his arms and glanced at Satoru's pouch. "What's in the pouch?" he asked curiously.

A glint of mischief flashed in Satoru's eyes as he patted the pouch, "Just some kunai and shuriken."

Both of them headed toward the training ground. Satoru practically skipped ahead like an eager puppy, while Raijin maintained a more dignified pace.

As they reached the ground, Raijin turned to face him and declared firmly, "The rules are simple: match ends when one of us is flat on their back, counting clouds."

"Got it!" Satoru's grin turned predatory as he bounced on his toes, muscles coiled like springs. "No holding back, right?"

"Sure," Raijin replied in a calm, lazy voice as if he didn't want to be here.

Satoru quickly stuffed a kunai and some shuriken into his side weapon pouch before tossing a few to Raijin, insisting that he hold onto them as well. Raijin declined with a wave of his hand. "I've got my own," he said casually.

As the spar began, Raijin and Satoru took their stances. The air between them tensed with anticipation. Without warning, Satoru launched the first attack, flinging a trio of shuriken toward Raijin.

The sharp projectiles spun through the air, their metallic edges glinting in the morning light.

Raijin sidestepped, allowing two shuriken to whiz past him, but he quickly drew a kunai from his pouch and expertly deflected the third, sending it spinning harmlessly to the side. In the same fluid motion, Raijin charged toward Satoru.

Satoru's instincts kicked in. He raised his kunai in defense, bracing for Raijin's incoming assault. The two weapons clashed with a sharp metallic clang. The force behind Raijin's strike made Satoru stagger, but he quickly regained his balance, sliding back a step to steady himself.

"Not bad!" Raijin called out, his voice light but filled with a hint of admiration. Satoru twisted his wrist, parrying Raijin's follow-up swipe, then leaped back, tossing two more shuriken mid-air.

Raijin spun to the side, narrowly avoiding one of the shuriken while the other grazed past him. In an instant, he closed the distance again with a burst of speed, his movements a blur.

Satoru's eyes widened, his heart racing. Raijin was fast—faster than he had anticipated. He raised his guard just in time as Raijin's fist rocketed toward him. Satoru barely managed to deflect the blow, his kunai scraping dangerously close to Raijin's forearm.

Raijin's earlier lazy expression was long gone, unfazed his grin was sharp. "You're improving, but you're still predictable. You need to vary your attacks more."

Satoru's mind raced as he adjusted his stance. Raijin's speed and power were overwhelming, but he couldn't afford to back down. With a burst of energy, Satoru lunged forward, trying to catch Raijin off guard with a series of rapid jabs.

Raijin effortlessly sidestepped each attack, his movements fluid and calculated. He countered with a sharp kick aimed at Satoru's side.

Satoru twisted his body just enough to avoid the full force, but the tip of Raijin's foot still brushed past his ribs, sending a jolt of pain through him.

"You're still telegraphing your moves," Raijin said, his voice calm. "Try to keep me guessing."

Satoru gritted his teeth and nodded, refusing to let the pain slow him down. The two then engaged in a flurry of kunai strikes, their movements quick and precise. Sparks flew as metal met.

Satoru's heart raced, each strike demanding all his focus. Anticipating Raijin's next move, he ducked under a horizontal slash and retaliated with a sweeping kick aimed at Raijin's leg, hoping to catch him off guard.

Raijin, however, was faster. He jumped over the kick and used the momentum to toss a shuriken at Satoru from above. Satoru barely blocked it with his kunai, but Raijin landed behind him, immediately spinning into a low roundhouse kick. Satoru staggered but didn't fall, using his kunai to steady himself.

"Fast," Satoru muttered, gripping his kunai tightly. He charged towards Raijin, feinting left before pivoting sharply right. He launched a straight punch towards Raijin's solar plexus. Raijin shifted his weight backward, redirecting Satoru's punch with an open palm block. He hooked his foot behind Satoru's advancing leg in the same motion – a classic sweep.

Satoru transformed his stumble into a controlled roll, simultaneously throwing his kunai at Raijin's feet. Raijin was forced to abandon his follow-up strike, creating distance with a backward handspring. The kunai embedded itself in the ground where he had stood moments before.

They paused for a brief second, Satoru breathing heavily.

"Better," Raijin acknowledged, leaping back and becoming defensive. "Now show me what else you've got."

Satoru didn't waste breath responding. He charged forward, unleashing a barrage of strikes – a high roundhouse kick transitioning into a spinning back fist, followed by a low sweep. Raijin weaved through the attacks like water, each movement precise and economical.

When Satoru's sweep passed harmlessly beneath him, Raijin countered with a fast combination: two sharp jabs and a crushing elbow strike.

Satoru barely managed to block the jabs, but the elbow caught him in the shoulder, sending him staggering backward. He used the momentum to create distance, his hands flying to his pouch. In one fluid motion, he scattered a cloud of shuriken, not aimed directly at Raijin but creating a deadly web of trajectories.

Raijin smoothly dodged the barrage and appeared inside his guard. "Too slow," Raijin taunted, tried to rile Satoru.

Satoru, undeterred, pressed on. He came at Raijin with a flurry of punches. Left jab, right hook, another jab—all aimed for Raijin's upper body. Raijin blocked each strike with swift, controlled motions. Then, in an instant, Raijin launched a powerful uppercut aimed directly at Satoru's face.

Satoru instinctively sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the blow. The wind from the punch whooshed past him, and he quickly re-established his guard, creating some distance to reassess the situation.

Raijin wasted no time. He closed the distance between them in a flash, using his speed to overwhelm Satoru. With a swift push of his palms to Satoru's chest, Raijin sent him stumbling back, his feet sliding across the dirt.

"Footwork?" Raijin said. "Your stance needs to be solid. Without it, you won't be able to keep up."

This time, Satoru adjusted his stance, lowering his centre of gravity, and began circling Raijin slowly, trying to stay unpredictable. He aimed a low kick to Raijin's knee, hoping to catch him off guard.

Raijin raised his leg, blocking the kick effortlessly. Satoru didn't hesitate, following up immediately with a series of quick jabs aimed at Raijin's head and chest. Raijin blocked and dodged with precise movements, each strike from Satoru intercepted or evaded.

The exchange continued for several more minutes, Raijin testing Satoru's limit. Then, Satoru shifted gears, distancing himself from Raijin, he pulled out a shuriken from his pouch.

Satoru threw the shuriken toward Raijin with precision, followed by two more in quick succession. The projectiles whizzed through the air, each aimed to test Raijin's reaction speed.

Finally, Raijin decided to end the spar. With a sudden burst of speed, he closed the gap between them, evading the incoming shuriken.

Raijin ducked under Satoru's wild punch and landed a swift palm strike to Satoru's chest, followed by a sweep that finally took Satoru's legs out from under him.

Satoru hit the ground with a heavy thud, staring at the morning sky with frustration and admiration.

"That's a match," Raijin declared, offering his hand to help Satoru up. "Your weapon work has improved, but you're still not efficient in your Taijutsu combinations."

Satoru groaned, lying still momentarily before pulling himself up with a rueful grin. "Fine, fine. But next time, I'll get you for sure!"

***

->A/N: If you like the story consider leaving power stones :)<-