Without taking a particularly serious stance, Tendo just stood there casually and said to Uchiha Sasuke:
"Let's begin."
In the original story, every appearance of Uchiha Sasuke was accompanied by a leap in growth. From being a Genin when he first appeared to being close to a Jonin during the Chunin Exams, and then approaching Kage-level after following Orochimaru, he made rapid progress every time.
However, during his time at the Ninja Academy, Sasuke was still in the developmental stage. Even the essential skills for training Chakra control, 'Tree Climbing' and 'Water Walking', would have to wait until after graduation for Kakashi Hatake to teach them.
But seeing Tendo's casual manner, Uchiha Sasuke didn't think that way; he only felt as if he were being looked down upon.
"You dare look down on me?" Sure enough, Uchiha Sasuke's expression changed. He drew a Kunai from his tool bag and lunged toward Tendo to strike.
As a result, before he could even get close, Tendo flicked his finger, and a gust of wind hit Uchiha Sasuke's forehead, sending him flying back.
At the same time, Tendo added his critique: "Attack intention is too clear, too much force used, and a lack of variation."
Hearing Tendo's incessant chatter, Uchiha Sasuke's face grew fierce. He stomped his feet hard to steady himself, and then three Kunai flew from his hand. The targets of the three Kunai didn't seem to be Tendo himself, but after colliding with each other in mid-air, the altered trajectories locked down Tendo's evasion paths.
"Ah!"
Sakura Haruno let out a cry of alarm, which was echoed by the other girls. They seemed to have already envisioned the scene of Tendo being unable to dodge and getting hit; some had already instinctively covered their eyes.
Tendo's figure didn't move.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
His hands turned into afterimages accompanied by the sound of wind. By the time the students regained their senses, all three Kunai were already in Tendo's hands.
"Knowing how to change moves, your mind is quite flexible."
While Tendo was still critiquing, Uchiha Sasuke, in a heat of passion, had already begun forming hand seals. The Great Fireball Technique was ready to be unleashed, but in the next instant, Tendo appeared behind him, a cold Kunai held against his neck, causing Sasuke's hand seals to freeze.
"Alright, Sasuke-kun, let's end our battle here," Tendo said.
"This is the first lesson I'm teaching you: first of all, you must choose the right opponent."
"Against an opponent as powerful as your teacher, even if I invite you to fight, your best choice would definitely be to run away."
"Do you all understand?"
"Understood!" the students responded in a roar. Uchiha Sasuke had always been the top student in their class, and it was only now that they had a real sense of Tendo's strength.
"Tendo-sensei is so strong!"
"With so many students watching, a technique like the Great Fireball is still too dangerous," Tendo softly cautioned Uchiha Sasuke.
Uchiha Sasuke walked back to the group without a word, his face as dark as a thundercloud and his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. After personally fighting Tendo, a sense of powerlessness he had once felt was reawakened in his heart.
Uchiha Sasuke didn't look at anyone; he just stood there with his head down, as if trying to bury that feeling of powerlessness deep in his heart. But in the depths of those pitch-black eyes, a flicker of flame that had never been extinguished burned even brighter—the thirst for power.
Tendo scanned the class, his tone calm but unquestionable: "Next, one-on-one practical combat training. Form your own teams, and stop when the point is made. Remember, a ninja is not a performer, and combat is not a game. You must think: how to achieve the maximum effect with the minimum movement."
The students quickly paired up, and the young Genin-to-be of Konoha began a series of immature but serious matches on the playground. Some failed their hand seals, some were tripped, and some took the upper hand through cleverness. Amidst this noise, Hinata Hyuga's figure appeared exceptionally quiet.
Her opponent was Ino Yamanaka. The two were originally matched in strength; in fact, because they were still in the Academy stage, Hinata, who had practiced the Gentle Fist since childhood, actually had an advantage over Ino Yamanaka, who had practiced her family's Mind Body Switch Technique.
However, whenever she had an opportunity to attack, she would always hesitate for a moment; whenever Ino launched an attack, she would be at a loss. Finally, in a key exchange, she had clearly locked Ino's joints, yet she was thrown to the ground by the other's turning throw.
"You lost." Ino panted as she reached out a hand to pull Hinata up from the ground.
Hinata lowered her head and whispered a thank you, then silently retreated to the side, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes, nearly crushing the fabric.
The battles proceeded in this chaotic yet orderly fashion. Tendo watched the field, occasionally stepping in to prevent students from hitting too hard or failing to pull back their moves, which could lead to injury.
Although he had talked tough earlier, if the students actually got hurt, Tendo estimated he would be severely sanctioned by the Third Hokage.
Soon, the whistle for the end of training sounded. Tendo stood in the center of the field, his voice not loud but clearly reaching everyone's ears: "Your performance in the first class was—very good."
The students let out a small cheer.
"However, there is still a lot of room for improvement." After becoming a teacher, Tendo found that he also enjoyed these sudden turns, watching the students be happy one moment and dejected the next; it felt strangely pleasant.
"When you go back, remember to familiarize yourselves with the techniques you discovered during the practical combat. Do not be lazy."
"Yes, Tendo-sensei."
The students left one after another. As Hinata passed by Tendo, he spoke up: "Hinata, stay for a moment and help me tidy up the training ground."
Soon, only Tendo and Hinata were left on the playground.
The setting sun cast long shadows of the two.
"Do you know where you lost?" Tendo suddenly asked.
Hinata, who had been silently tidying up behind Tendo, was suddenly questioned and immediately became flustered like a startled small animal. She bit her lower lip and answered in a voice as thin as a mosquito: "...I... it's because I'm too weak."
"No." Tendo shook his head. "You are stronger than Ino. Your Taijutsu is more refined, your Chakra control is more stable, and your Byakugan sees further. You lost because you didn't dare to win."
Hinata looked up sharply, a flash of astonishment in her eyes.
"Your heart has grown accustomed to losing, Hinata." Tendo's tone softened slightly. "You are afraid that victory will bring attention, afraid that being strong means responsibility, and even more afraid that you will let others down."
"You've grown used to letting people down, haven't you?"
Hinata's eyes turned red, and tears welled up, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.
"But have you ever thought—" Tendo crouched down to meet her gaze, "—that maybe you have the ability to do it?"
Hinata remained silent for a long time. Tendo didn't pressure her, just patted her head: "No need to rush the answer; go home and think about it carefully."
"O... Okay, Tendo-sensei," Hinata looked up at Tendo and answered seriously.
"Very good." Tendo stood up. "Remember to believe in yourself more, understand?"
After tidying up the training ground, Tendo said goodbye to Hinata at the school gate and left the school as well. Both tasks were progressing smoothly, and Tendo was in a very good mood.