Training Ground 7 was alive with morning light—birds chirping, wind drifting lazily through leaves, sun splitting the treetops into golden shards.
It was peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Because Ethan knew exactly what was coming.
Two very loud, very determined, very emotionally-charged pre-genin were about to try and murder each other with newly-acquired chakra burst techniques.
Wonderful.
He stretched his shoulders, cracked his neck, and braced himself.
This was going to be chaos.
Good chaos, but still chaos.
---
I. The Setup — "You said spar. They heard WAR."
Naruto arrived first.
He didn't walk.
He didn't jog.
He exploded into the clearing like a fired kunai.
"I'M READY!! SASUKE'S DEAD!!"
The forest animals scattered.
Ethan calmly handed him a water flask.
"You're not killing anyone."
"I'M MOSTLY READY!!"
Then Sasuke arrived with the emotional energy of a cold winter breeze.
Hands in pockets, eyes half-lidded, posture cool.
Ethan swore he even slowed his own footsteps just to radiate superiority.
Naruto pointed at him dramatically.
"DON'T THINK YOU'RE HOT STUFF JUST 'CAUSE YOUR BOOM WAS SO— SO—"
"My burst was stronger," Sasuke said, deadpan.
Naruto screamed.
Ethan sighed.
"Alright," he said, stepping between them, "today is a spar. Not a fight. Not a revenge arc. Not a duel to determine the fate of the universe."
Naruto blinked.
Sasuke blinked.
"Just a spar," Ethan said slowly. "Controlled."
A long silence.
Then—
Naruto: "Sasuke's going DOWN."
Sasuke: "Naruto won't last thirty seconds."
Ethan rubbed his temples.
This was fine.
Everything was fine.
---
II. The Rules — "Simple. They still won't follow them."
Ethan raised two fingers.
"Rule one: No hitting the throat."
Naruto nodded vigorously.
Sasuke shrugged like he'd never considered throat-punching to begin with.
"Rule two: No aimless chakra explosions."
Naruto winced.
Sasuke smirked.
"Rule three: If you're about to pass out, yell 'pineapple.'"
Naruto frowned. "Why pineapple?"
"So you won't accidentally shout it mid-fight," Ethan replied.
Naruto nodded in deep, unnecessary wisdom.
Sasuke exhaled. "Can we start?"
"Yeah," Ethan said, stepping back. "Begin when ready."
He didn't even finish the sentence.
Naruto was already charging.
---
III. The Clash Begins — "Impulse vs Calculation"
Naruto lunged with a wild grin—
—and Sasuke pivoted cleanly to the side, letting Naruto faceplant into the grass.
"IDIOT—"
Naruto pushed off the ground and spun with a sloppy but powerful kick.
Sasuke slid under it effortlessly.
Ethan watched like a proud, exhausted dad.
Naruto's movements had improved—less flailing, more intentional weight shifts.
Sasuke's footwork, on the other hand, was a thing of beauty. Smooth. Clean. Controlled.
But then—
Naruto's chakra burst finally kicked in.
"TAKE THIS—!"
WHUMP!
A shockwave burst off Naruto's right hand—a compact explosion of unfocused chakra that forced Sasuke to leap back.
"Oh?" Sasuke said quietly.
Naruto grinned.
"YEAH! FEAR MY—AAGH!"
He'd overcommitted.
The burst launched him backwards into a tree.
Ethan raised a finger.
"That's why we practice control."
Naruto peeled himself off the bark.
"I DID THAT ON PURPOSE!"
Sasuke didn't even blink.
"Of course you did."
Naruto charged again.
---
IV. Sasuke Responds — "The precision version hits different."
This time, Sasuke moved first.
A step.
A twist.
A sharp exhale.
Chakra compressed around his fist.
Naruto's eyes widened.
"WAIT—"
Sasuke didn't punch him.
He punched the ground beside him.
BOOM—
A sharp, clean explosion of chakra ripped through the dirt, sending Naruto flying sideways.
Naruto tumbled across the field with a yelp.
"What kinda DEMON blast was that?!" he yelled.
Sasuke shook out his hand, calm as ever.
"Control. Something you lack."
Naruto growled.
"I'll SHOW YOU lack—!"
He tried again.
And again.
And again.
And each time, Sasuke countered with quiet finesse.
Until—
Naruto stopped.
Breathing hard.
Sweaty.
Determined.
Sasuke paused too, confused.
Ethan tilted his head.
Naruto's hands tensed.
His eyes sharpened.
He inhaled—
Exhaled—
Centered himself—
And focused all his chakra into one clear direction.
Right before Sasuke stepped in—
Naruto burst forward.
A controlled burst.
Not perfect.
Not elegant.
But enough to match Sasuke's speed for the first time.
Sasuke's eyes widened just a fraction.
Naruto grinned.
"GOT YOU—!"
---
V. Ethan Intervenes — "Before someone gets hospitalized."
Before the collision happened, Ethan flashed forward—
—caught both kids by the scruffs—
—and lifted them off the ground.
Their feet dangled uselessly.
"Okay!" Ethan said brightly.
"That's enough property damage for one morning."
Naruto flailed.
"I WAS GONNA WIN—!"
"No you weren't," Sasuke muttered.
"I WAS CLOSE!"
"You hit a tree."
"IT WAS A WARM-UP TREE!"
Ethan set them down like misbehaving kittens.
"Alright," he said, "let's evaluate."
Both boys straightened immediately.
This was the part they secretly cared about.
The validation.
The guidance.
The XP after the battle.
Ethan pointed to Naruto.
"Your burst has power. But your control comes and goes. You finally managed directed movement today—that's huge. Keep at it."
Naruto puffed his chest.
"Heck yeah!"
Then Ethan turned to Sasuke.
"Your chakra compression is impressive. But you're relying on it too much. You need versatility—more angles, more timing."
Sasuke nodded, serious.
"I know."
They were opposites.
Perfectly mismatched.
Perfectly balanced.
And Ethan?
He was the needle threading them together.
---
VI. The Node Responds — "Trajectory: Stable."
Faint numbers flickered across Ethan's awareness.
[NARUTO NODE — TEAM DYNAMICS UPDATE]
Naruto → Growth Rate: +7%
Sasuke → Adaptation Speed: +5%
Team Potential: Increasing
Risk of Rivalry Escalation: Low
[RECOMMENDATION]
Introduce joint drills soon.
Their techniques resonate.
Ethan exhaled.
Everything was on track.
Peaceful.
Balanced.
Predictable—
"HEY," Naruto said, poking Sasuke, "next time I'm TOTALLY winning."
"No," Sasuke said simply.
Naruto screamed.
Ethan smiled softly.
Predictable was good.
---
VII. Closing Scene — "A slow, steady shift toward something like trust."
As they packed up, Naruto nudged Sasuke.
"You did good," he said quietly.
Sasuke tilted his head.
"…So did you."
Neither made eye contact.
But Ethan saw it.
Progress.
Not just in technique, but in the fragile bond forming between them—the kind of bond that changed destinies in ways the Node could never model.
Ethan walked ahead, hands in pockets, heart strangely warm.
Tomorrow?
Team synergy drills.
And knowing these two?
It would get chaotic.
But…
Ethan wouldn't trade it for anything.