Time passed quickly. Naruto and Sasuke's class finished Year 3 Term 2.
Naruto's GPA improved to B+ from the previous C+, boosted by Shuriken throwing (B+), Taijutsu (B+), and Hand Signs (A), though still dragged down by Jutsu (C) and Chakra Control (C+).
Sasuke's scores were extremely enviable to others, having gotten A+ for 4 consecutive terms.
But for Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, and Naruto, who trained together every evening after school and every Saturday, they knew A+ was normal for Sasuke who trained so hard and sacrificed his time to help train them.
It was truly a grade A of his effort and diligence.
Even though Year 4 became much harder, for the five friends it was easier than they expected because they trained so hard every evening.
The subjects in class were very easy, but they had to pay attention in class, not showing off their knowledge, as that would make them targets of the already envious classmates.
Yes, the five of them who often trained together in the evening were envied by their classmates and grade level.
They constantly received praise from teachers had good scores and were often compared to by parents
"must Be like Sasuke"
This led to frustration dislike and eventually resentment.
Someone once challenged them to a Shuriken throwing match in the evening and cried on the way home because they were utterly defeated, even by Naruto.
Yet no one ever came to train extra in the evening or asked to join their training.
So how could the others, who envied them for being better still have the audacity to envy them?
Calling them "geniuses from great clans"
or
"receiving support from teachers"
Even though they weren't geniuses who were skilled from birth, they practiced, trained, and improved themselves every day rigorously to achieve mastery and skill. But they weren't interested in explaining anything to anyone.
Changing the prejudice of people who firmly believed in their own thoughts was a waste of time.
The envy, dissatisfaction, and resentment grew with the good performance of Sasuke and Naruto in class. Especially Sasuke, who got first place in every subject, and Naruto, who was ranked Top 10 in almost every subject, except Jutsu and Chakra Control.
This became the fuse for the current event.
On Sunday, a relaxing holiday for ninja students, most children would rest at home or go out with their parents. Sasuke and Naruto were the same. They rested their bodies and walked around Konoha exploring and looking for ingredients to prepare for a hot pot dinner tonight. But they ran into trouble when they walked past the former Konoha Ninja Police Force Headquarters, which was dilapidated, with only the main building remaining and the other buildings mostly destroyed.
Three Year 5 students, who resented Sasuke, stood talking loudly and drew Kunai aiming to throw them at the police symbol which was a Shuriken with the Uchiha clan crest in the center.
They shouted before throwing
"Damn Uchiha clan! Why don't you all just die!"
"Go die Sasuke! "
"Because of you! my parents scold me for playing around too much!!"
But all three Kunai flying from their hands were intercepted mid-air by three other Kunai and fell to the ground, much to the surprise of the three boys, who loudly shouted
"We're sorry! We were just practicing throwing Kunai!"
"If you're just practicing, go to the training ground. It would be bad if you missed and injured a civilian"
Sasuke walked out before bending down to pick up his two Kunai and put them in his pouch, and returned the third one to Naruto, who helped him intercept the three delinquent boys' Kunai from hitting the honorable police symbol.
"And aiming at the Konoha Police symbol like this is considered a desecration of a government organization and the Uchiha clan. Remember that."
"Y-You Sasuke!" The three boys' scared expressions turned to anger and they pointed at him.
"What are you doing here!?"
"How dare you a Year 4 student lecture us Year 5 students!"
"We can do whatever we want! We don't have to listen to you, Uchiha kid! You demon kid!"
Naruto clenched his fists in dissatisfaction while listening to the three of them speak rudely, and he trembled even more when they insulted the Uchiha clan saying they were weak,
"What kind of police are you letting one person massacre the whole clan and demolish the buildings until almost nothing is left? We can do whatever we want with this wreckage that's waiting to be torn down."
After saying that, they drew more Kunai and aimed to throw them at the police symbol again but they were intercepted again by three of Sasuke's Kunai.
"Damn it. . . Ah, Dad," one of the boys flinched, seeing his father walking on the other side of the road. He smiled wickedly before drawing another Kunai and lightly scratching his own arm until it bled slightly before shouting loudly
"Ouch! You Sasuke! Why did you throw a Kunai and hit my arm!"
"Kaku! Damn it the Uchiha really can't be trusted!"
The delinquent boy's father quickly ran past Sasuke to check his son's wound before turning to look at Sasuke with eyes full of hatred.