Naruto: Binding Uchiha Sasuke, Hundredfold Return

Training Ground Seven.

With no missions today, the three students arrived at the training grounds, ready to begin their training under Kazuki's guidance.

"Kawano, your stamina is far too weak. A ninja may lose a fight, but they should never be unable to escape. From now on, I want you to run a hundred laps around the training ground every day!"

"What? No way! o(≧口≦)o"

Despite his devastated expression, Soryu obediently began his laps.

"Rika, you've got a decent foundation, but just having a good foundation doesn't make you an outstanding Genin. You need a unique skill and combat capability."

With that, Kazuki created a clone.

"From here on, my clone will teach you how to fight. Don't hold back, aim to kill me. Understand?"

"Yes, Sensei Kazuki!"

Unlike Kawano, Rika brimmed with enthusiasm and eagerly followed Kazuki's clone to a corner of the training ground to spar.

"And as for you," Kazuki said, turning to Kawano as he drew a sword from behind his back, "we're going to practice swordsmanship!"

Soryu's basics were the weakest, so he needed to work on building his stamina and fundamental skills. A strong foundation would enable further progress in his training. Rika's basics were solid, and for a girl, stamina training at this stage wasn't as crucial. With her gentler disposition, fostering her combat readiness was the most important goal for now. As for Kawano, his foundation was solid and his combat skills were impressive, thanks to the training from his family. He even had his own unique fighting style, so it was best to enhance his strengths through specialized training.

The day passed quickly as they threw themselves into their intense training.

Soryu not only completed his hundred laps but also did a thousand push-ups and a thousand kicks. He was completely worn out, dragging himself home like a zombie.

Rika, too, was bruised after a full day of fighting. Her face and arms bore signs of sparring, and her clothes were torn in places. Though Kazuki's clone went easy on her, Rika was so caught up in the fight that she occasionally exchanged blows at her own expense. Most of her injuries were self-inflicted, a result of her own fierce determination.

Kazuki hadn't expected such enthusiasm from Rika, who seemed so soft and gentle. Could it be that Konoha's girls enjoyed surprising contrasts? Kazuki thought back to Sakura and Hinata.

Finally, there was Kawano. One day of training wouldn't yield enormous progress, especially with swordsmanship, which requires time and perseverance. Even Sasuke had spent days, if not weeks, to master it. Kawano's natural talent wasn't on par with Sasuke's, so rapid improvement in a single day was unlikely. Still, there was progress. At the very least, Kawano felt that his understanding of the Gekko Clan's sword techniques had deepened through his practice with Kazuki.

Kazuki didn't know what kind of "understanding" Kawano claimed to have achieved. After all, his own mastery of swordsmanship came from years of dedication. He knew how to wield a sword, how to take down an opponent, but the process of teaching these skills was something else entirely.

As the day drew to a close and the three students left Training Ground Seven, Kazuki lay alone on the grass, gazing up at the starry sky.

A figure approached him quietly, eventually lying down beside him.

"So, how does it feel to be a mentor?" she asked.

Kazuki glanced at her, responding calmly, "Not as easy as I thought, but not too hard either."

"Is that so? When I taught Hinata and the others, I found it wasn't easy at all, even though they were all prodigies."

"Prodigies have their own teaching methods, while those with less natural talent have their own training paths. This year's graduates don't have the talent of our generation."

"But that doesn't mean they can't achieve greatness… right?"

"No, they won't surpass us. After all, Sasuke and I are still here."

"Sasuke, huh…"

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The fanfic is finished on p@treon/tambeerg