"Hikaru Akimichi!"

The first to react was Iruka. He dropped his usual gentle-teacher demeanor, visibly shocked and angry.

To his surprise, he seemed to have witnessed the emergence of a genius—at least in terms of throwing.

What made him angry, however, was that Hikaru Akimichi had blatantly broken the rules right in front of him.

While the damage to the training equipment wasn’t a big issue, the real problem was this student’s blatant disregard. Iruka had clearly emphasized earlier that no one should use chakra on the first attempt, but Hikaru Akimichi had gone ahead and used it in front of everyone—including his teacher.

This set a poor example and could lead others to imitate it.

Without proper throwing techniques, recklessly using chakra to increase strength could lead to students injuring those around them.

Hikaru Akimichi might be a genius, but not all students have the same control. If other students used chakra improperly, it would become a serious safety issue.

"Oh, I’m sorry, Mr. Iruka. I broke the rules."

Realizing everyone was staring at him, Hikaru Akimichi immediately apologized. It was true—he had gotten a bit carried away.

Iruka exhaled deeply, swallowing the reprimand he was about to deliver.

The student had shown good attitude by admitting his mistake, and he had done so right away. What else could Iruka say? He hadn’t expected this seemingly mild-mannered student to cause such a scene on the first day.

"Forget it. Just be more careful next time."

Iruka waved it off, though he felt a headache coming on.

"Listen up, everyone. Do not imitate him. At least while I’m here, you’re not allowed to use chakra. Understood?"

He straightened, adopting a more authoritative tone, and gave the surrounding students a stern look.

"Yes, Iruka-sensei."

After a brief silence, the students obediently replied in unison.

Such is the authority of a chunin.

"Alright, I’ll give you 30 seconds to retrieve your kunai and continue practicing. Use the standard moves."

Iruka resumed his gentle teacher persona, as though his previous sternness had been a mere illusion.

"As for you…"

He glanced at Akimichi, who was now looking extremely obedient, and sighed with relief.

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This famous "sleepyhead" seemed to have finally woken up after entering the academy, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. He just hoped the boy wouldn’t turn into a troublemaker down the line.

Otherwise, Iruka thought he’d be in for a rough time.

Not far off, Shikamaru and his friends had already gathered their kunai but hadn’t resumed throwing. They stood there instead, tilted slightly to listen in on the conversation.

"Akira Michimitsu, you have impressive talent. While your stance may not be perfect, that’s just one aspect. For a ninja, hitting the target is what really matters."

"But your movements seem a bit unorthodox. Can you explain them to me?"

Iruka chose his words carefully and spoke gently, modeling encouraging teaching.

He didn’t fully understand Hikaru Akimichi’s technique, but as a teacher, he needed to decide whether to adjust his instruction accordingly or to correct the student's approach.

Of course, if it involved private matters, he’d refrain from probing and could consult Akimichi Choza, Hikaru Akimichi’s senior, for advice.

"It’s nothing special. I just thought of the kunai as a kitchen knife. Compared to the first time I held it, I'm much more familiar with kitchen knives."

"As for my movements, I trust my body’s instincts to decide the force and trajectory. My habits from handling knives while cooking have built my muscle memory, which influences my actions accordingly."

Hikaru Akimichi answered honestly; it wasn’t a secret. Even if he shared, it wouldn’t be easy for others to imitate. It was one of his unique talents.

"A kitchen knife? Cooking?"

Iruka blinked, slightly bewildered as he looked at Hikaru Akimichi, who seemed sincere. Could that really work?

"Teacher, I can vouch for him. If you’ve seen him cook, you’d know that throwing the kunai is nothing compared to his knife skills."

"He can even use a kitchen knife to slice tofu into strands as thin as hair, forming beautiful shapes. It’s called Wensi Tofu.”

Shikamaru, stepping forward, eagerly testified on his brother’s behalf, his mouth almost watering.

"Yes, Ino and I can vouch for that. When he prepares food, it’s like there are afterimages."

Ino, who had also been eavesdropping, chimed in.

"Yeah, he carves ingredients into flowers and animals that look so lifelike!"

Ino nodded vigorously. She recalled how Shikamaru once took a bite out of a rabbit-shaped gourd, an unforgettable moment that left a deep impression. She also admired the cosmos-shaped tofu he carved.

"Really?"

Iruka finally regained his composure, though it was still hard for him to believe. Could this be the gift of a genius? It seemed almost unfair to an ordinary teacher like him.

"If that’s the case, there’s no problem. Still, when you go home, have Senior Choza take a look to ensure your technique isn’t flawed in any way. It could impact your growth."

Iruka reminded him seriously, knowing his own expertise had its limits and it was best to let a jonin parent assess it.

"Alright, Iruka-sensei. I will."

Akimichi nodded, appreciating Iruka’s thoughtfulness. He was truly a qualified teacher.

"Can I try again? I won’t use chakra."

Hikaru Akimichi asked.

"You can try, but don’t waste others’ turns. If any problems arise, bad habits are tough to correct and take time to fix."

"As for the target, share with Choji and the others. Use the standard posture to practice."

Iruka considered it and offered his advice.

"Alright."

Hikaru Akimichi accepted his teacher’s suggestion.

Satisfied, Iruka nodded and went to inspect other students.

"Hikaru, you’re amazing! But I’ll catch up soon. Can you really use a kunai like a kitchen knife?"

Naruto, already recovered from earlier, approached Akimichi with excitement over his "unique skill."

"Don’t copy me. Just follow Iruka-sensei’s instructions. My way might not even be right."

"And besides, I know your knife skills—you’d smash it to pieces."

Hikaru Akimichi quickly warned Naruto against imitating him. He could already imagine the disaster that would ensue if anyone treated his method as a standard.

Naruto hesitated, then chose to listen.

"Alright."

Hikaru Akimichi sighed with relief. Then, turning around, he noticed Uchiha Sasuke staring at him with a keen gaze.

Great, now it seemed he had also caught the interest of the “cool” guy in the class.