Konohagakure no Sato :
Konoha Academy :
Training Grounds :
Seeing Iruka-sensei's face turning red, Naruto hurriedly ran up to him
" Sorry Sensei , I got distracted "
Looking at the bowing Naruto, Iruka took a deep breath and said
" Be careful from now on , alright both of you in position "
Naruto ran to the opposite side, facing his opponent—Uchiha Sasuke
( It took a month for us to stand across from each other like this )
Pulling his hands out of his pockets, Naruto caught his friends' attention. White bandages were wrapped around his hands.
just like that training freak at the Academy. They remembered clearly that those bandages hadn't been there before lunch break .
Naruto looked at Sasuke
( only a kid )
If Uzumaki Naruto's beliefs rarely ever changed—and instead influenced others throughout the series—then Uchiha Sasuke was the opposite, easily manipulated and prone to having his viewpoints altered by outside influences.
Sasuke wasn't easily manipulated , rather only powerful and influential individuals such as Itachi, Orochimaru, and Tobi were capable of altering his path. That was the core difference
(Witnessing your parents' deaths at the hands of your beloved older brother, coupled with the destruction of your entire clan—trauma like that doesn't fade )
The series as a whole seems to downplay the effects of that trauma by reducing it to a single word: 'hatred'
" Ready, seal of confrontation "
Hearing Iruka-sensei's voice As they mirrored the hand sign, Naruto's mind flashed back to their first spar.
Naruto remembered the dirt in his mouth, the sting of defeat, and the crushing weight of the villagers' cold gazes. Back then, he had fought with desperation. Now, he fought with intent.
That crushing defeat lingered in Naruto's mind, along with the vow he had made back then—to surpass Sasuke while chasing his Hokage dream.
That memory lingered, along with the reminder of the countless eyes that had always been on the jinchūriki.
Soon , Naruto arrived at a conclusion
( Hatred and pity were never part of the 'original' 10 year old Naruto's mindset. What mattered now was simple .....'Naruto' would face Sasuke seriously ...Holding Nothing Back )
Naruto had already made his decision. Pity lingered only within him, while outwardly an overwhelming chakra pressure surged forth, pressing down on every student and teacher on the training ground .
The students on the sidelines gasped. Some stumbled back; others felt their knees buckle under the sheer pressure.
'uggh'
'eehh'
' my legs '
'what the-'
' that's That Loser ?? '
' ....is this chakra '
' so much chakra'
' scary '
' sasuke-kun'
' come on sasuke-kun '
'....no '
Naruto crouched low as chakra flooded his body at full capacity, no longer hiding any of his taijutsu progress. His eyes glowed, and every skill he possessed activated in preparation for the coming battle. .
( At this moment, the only thing on Uzumaki Naruto's mind should be is defeating Uchiha Sasuke, holding nothing back.......All for one 100% )
Naruto's eyes weren't glowing with rage, but with a terrifying, singular focus., Iruka-sensei hesitated, wavering on whether to allow the spar. But remembering the Hokage's order, he could only pity Sasuke as he prepared to give the signal
" Ready ....Begin "
".."
"..."
*Thud*
The sound was singular. Final. The spectators didn't even see the movement. One moment Naruto was there; the next, a blur had crossed the distance.
' No way '
' damn '
' but that's sasuke '
' that demon , i already felt goosebumps before match but this '
' this is humiliating '
' sasuke-kun '
' noo '
' it's over '
' just like that '
" All right , back off and Seal of Reconcil-"
Iruka's speech was interrupted when Sasuke turned on his heel, a faint trail of blood trickling from a lip he had bitten in shock. He walked away without a word, his silhouette shrinking against the horizon of the training ground
Noticing Sasuke's expression and the faint trace of blood at his lips, Iruka sighed inwardly. After quickly organizing the class, he moved to follow after the boy
=============================
Uchiha Sasuke P.O.V. =
( The sky is blue )
My eyes drift to the sky, and I don't know why. Just moments ago, I was sparring with that outcast—someone I used to call weak
Just then I saw
( A Fist ? )
A fist suddenly appeared in front of my face. Before I could even process what was happening, Iruka-sensei's voice cut through my thoughts.
" All right , back off and Seal of Reconc-"
I stopped hearing everything else. Before I realized it, my feet were already moving, leading me away from the training ground and onto a path I knew all too well.
( I remember now )
I was up against that annoyance—one that had only grown more irritating lately. Ever since the first day of this year's Academy class
( That Guy keeps bothering me )
Even before , That Loser began picking fights out of nowhere, time and time again, dealing with him had always been a bother.
( ...But now )
From the first day of the Academy, something about that loser was different. When he pulled off that Transformation Jutsu and left without a single boast, only one thought crossed my mind
( Finally it will be quiet from now on )
Then came the physical assessment. When I stood against that loser, there was nothing—no pressure, no threat. After all, whether it was him or any other kid, I would always win
( Just like always )
That day changed everything. For the first time, I was left staring at his back as he ran ahead to the starting line .
but as he ran back to the starting line.
( He was looking at me )
Those blue eyes looked back at me—eyes that saw I hadn't even crossed halfway down the racetrack while he was already on his way back.
The sheer absurdity of it stopped me in my tracks. I thought it had to be genjutsu. As I walked back to Iruka-sensei, I kept using Genjutsu Release again and again, trying to deny that reality
My thoughts shattered at the sound of a scream. When I looked over, there he was—that annoyance, with the pink nuisance beside him.
That loser—the one who was always getting slapped or punched by Sakura—was holding her hand… and squeezing it.
I looked from Sakura kneeling on the ground to that loser, now standing back after releasing her hand, and for the first time, Disbelief crept into my thoughts
( How is that possible ?? )
I ignored the farce that followed between the teacher, the pink girl, and that loser, retreating back into denial—until Iruka-sensei called us out
" All right in position again "
Given a second chance, I hurried back into position with only a single thought in my mind
( win )
I stopped listening to everything after that, growing irritated at the delay. Why weren't we starting yet? When I looked at Iruka-sensei, he seemed to be telling the loser to take the starting stance..
He was standing beside me. When I looked up, he was already looking straight at me—and then he spoke.
" I don't need it "
( This Bastard .....he is looking down at me )
He stood there, relaxed, without a care in the world—even while competing with me . Uchiha Sasuke
( I will show this bastard ..... I will not let Uchiha Honor down )
Swearing to myself, I summoned all my chakra and let it surge through my body to its utmost limit—and then…
( I saw his Back again )
The rest of the day was the same
( I was behind , I saw his back again & again )
The next whole month passed with me doing everything I could
( I can't let Uchiha honor be stained ... I can't lose again )
I am the only one left .
I need to make sure no one forgets Uchiha Clan
I can't lose
I must win
I will kill him
No matter what it takes
After a month of relentless training, I finally had the chance to reclaim Uchiha honor—and prove everyone wrong.
But that bastard looked unconcerned, lost in his own thoughts. When Iruka-sensei called him out for sparring, he didn't even react at first .
Finally, he took his position and stood opposite of me , and I sweared
( I will prove it ....... to everyone )
and after Iruka said
" Ready, seal of confrontation "
I felt it
The Chakra
That stance—and that absolutely serious gaze piercing straight through me.
and i understood
( He is SERIOUS , he is not underestimating me or looking down on me )
such absurd chakra , and such focus ,and all of that to defeat me
That Bastard
but
( I won't lose ...!!!! )
and then All i saw , was him disappearing and
( Blue sky )
Standing before the closed Uchiha clan grounds, I once again looked up at the sky and realized there was no rain today—
But Only Tears in my eyes .