Iruka finished explaining Bunshin no Jutsu and turned around to witness a scene that made his soul leave his body.
Mizuki froze mid-sentence. "…Why are they playing tug-of-war with a stick?"
Iruka sighed. "They're still kids. Let them enjoy it."
Mizuki rubbed his temples. "I hate this job."
Meanwhile, Choji braced himself over Naruto's cane, legs shaking but determined. "Okay… I'm ready!" he shouted.
Shikamaru nodded. "Pull."
The entire chain of students leaned back in perfect synchronized motion. Feet dug into the ground. Shoulders locked. Kiba yelled something incoherent. Sakura screamed like she was lifting a mountain. Ino muttered curses between clenched teeth. Shino's bugs vibrated nervously.
The cane didn't budge. At all.
Ino shouted, "Shikamaru! It didn't move!"
Shikamaru gritted his teeth. "Again!"
They pulled harder. Dirt flew. Students slipped. Choji strained like he was dragging a house. The cane remained exactly where it is .
Unmoving. Unshakeable. Like it was rooted to the core of the earth.
Hinata blinked innocently. "U-Umm… maybe Naruto-kun didn't want anyone else touching it…"
The cane twitched the moment Sasuke stepped forward.
Choji blinked. "Sasuke, that's… the wrong place to help."
Sasuke ignored him, lifting a hand as if preparing a Katon.. That was all it took. Naruto's cane lifted.
Straight up, as though the ground had rejected it. Gasps rippled through the class as the stick rose higher—ten meters into the air, weightless, defiant.
Choji stumbled back. "I-It's working! It's actually working—!!"
Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. "Impressive, Sasuke. Whatever you did, keep—wait. No. No, that's not you. It's floating on its own."
The cane angled sharply. Then shot across the training field.
It flew cleanly past every student, weaving through grasping hands without losing an inch of speed, and planted itself right into the palm of its rightful owner.
Naruto. now awake. one eye half-open. Expression flat, unimpressed.
He spun the cane once and rested it over his shoulder. "Do you guys not have a better idea than playing tug-of-war with a stick?"
The entire class went silent. Collective humiliation hit them like a coordinated attack.
Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck. " at least it was fun. And hey—Sasuke still managed to outsmart you for half a second."
Iruka immediately tried to ride the momentum. "Right, kids. Now it's time to demonstrate your Bunshin, just like I explained—"
Sasuke cut him off with the calm sharpness of someone done with explanations. "Sensei, let's stop dragging things out. Especially for Naruto." He folded his arms. "From what happened , Naruto's like me. He excels in everything—but in a much weirder way. Ever since he showed up, everything's been strange. So let's skip to the actual exercise."
Mizuki narrowed his eyes. "You mean sparring. Combat."
Sasuke nodded once. "Yes. Naruto. Me. On the field. Now."
That was all it took for the cafeteria to erupt. Several students swarmed toward Sasuke instantly.
Kiba grabbed Sasuke's shoulder. "Whoa—whoa—are you serious? You saw his blue flame! Do you even have odds against him?!"
Shikamaru stepped beside them, arms crossed, expression flat. "Bad odds, Sasuke. Very bad. Your fire isn't hotter than his. And you don't have the Sharingan yet."
Sasuke didn't flinch. "I don't need it."
Shikamaru snorted. "You will need it ."
Naruto brushed nonexistent dust from his cloak and stepped forward, cane angled casually. "You know, Sasuke… in the stories I read, there's always some character who thinks fighting a sect elder is a good idea. Courting death, they call it. And now I'm interested in you. What kind of courting death will you choose?"
Sasuke caught the implication instantly. Every time Naruto spoke, it was like he was referencing a comic, a fable, a battle between hero ninja and looming villain. He exhaled sharply. "I'm the hero ninja who's going to kick your ass. That's for sure."
Naruto's eye narrowed with bright amusement. He decided to raise the difficulty for himself. He leaned slightly toward Sasuke. "The McFlurry I gave you earlier… I spiked it with a dangerous poison."
Under normal circumstances, Sasuke would've scoffed. He would've dismissed it as bluffing.
But This was Naruto. The same Naruto who crushed metal mid-air, teleported in a swirl of cards, and conjured blue flame hotter than chakra fire. So when Sasuke heard those words, something primal inside him reacted before logic could.
A spike of panic hit him like lightning. His breath hitched. His muscles locked. His heart hammered out of rhythm. His knees buckled, slamming into the dirt as he struggled to breathe.
The class erupted in confusion. No one touched Sasuke. And cast a genjutsu.
He just collapsed under his own fear. And Naruto only smiled quietly, eye half-lidded, watching Sasuke gasp. It was clear he enjoyed the result.
Naruto watched him quietly, eye half-lidded, a small smile forming like he was observing a predictable puzzle piece fall into place. He enjoyed the result.
Sakura sprinted forward, panic already in her voice. "Sasuke-kun!"
Across the benches, Ino shot up with a gasp of her own. "Sasuke-kuuunn!"
Kiba pointed accusingly. "HEY—HEY—WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM!?"
Tenten stepped forward. "Somebody get water!"
Choji stuffed away his snack. "He's turning pale—bring him food!"
Neji activated his Byakugan instantly. "His chakra flow is spiking dangerously."
Hinata covered her mouth, trembling. "N-Naruto-kun…"
Shino crouched beside Sasuke, calm as ever. "This looks like a shock response. Not poison."
Ino threw him a glare. "What do you mean, bug man?"
Shino adjusted his glasses. "I placed my micro-kikaichū in every McFlurry Naruto made. None detected poison."
Choji made a face. "I'm eating bugs now!? Ewww…"
Shikamaru exhaled, rubbing his forehead as everything clicked together. "Troublesome… that idiot. He's trying to force Sasuke into awakening the Sharingan. He's putting himself on hard mode on purpose."
Iruka dropped to one knee beside him. "Sasuke! Deep breaths—calm down, you're alright—!"
Sakura grabbed his shoulder, voice cracking. "Sasuke-kun, stay with me! If you die I'll be—I'll be completely alone!"
But Naruto wasn't far. He was already there. Sixty centimeters away. Crouched in front of Sasuke. Eye half-lidded, calm, almost bored.
Naruto extended his right hand. Blue flame wrapped around his palm—quiet, contained, waiting.
"Let's make our deal now," he said.
Sakura snapped instantly. "Cut the bullshit, Naruto! Where's Sasuke's antidote?!"
Naruto tilted his head. "The antidote is right here. All Sasuke needs to do… is shake my hand." He smiled slightly. "Hardly the worst deal in the world."
Sasuke's breath hitched. His vision blurred. His heartbeat thrashed against his ribs. I'm not dying like this.
His body disagreed, shaking against the weight of his own fear. His hand refused to move. Every instinct screamed that touching Naruto would drag him into something he couldn't escape.
Sakura gripped his shoulder. "Sasuke—don't you dare close your eyes!"
Sasuke held Naruto's collar tight, breathing rough but steady, the new heat behind his eyes pushing back the fear.
"You son of a bitch," he said, voice low. "You think I'd take that cheap deal? one-eyed idiot. I'm going to beat your ass. I hate this new version of you. You're arrogant. impossible to approach. You look like some villain out of a comic. I liked you better before."
Naruto slapped Sasuke's hand away and adjusted his cloak with a bored flick. "It was a bluff. And before you bark again—look at yourself. Your brother would be proud."
Sasuke blinked once, irritated and confused.
Sakura leaned in, eyes wide. "Sasuke—your eye. It's the Sharingan."
Sasuke stiffened, shock catching his breath. "What?"
Sakura immediately threw her arms around him. "SASUKE-KUN HAS AWAKENED THE SHARINGAN! NARUTO—YOU MONSTER!"
Shikamaru crossed his arms. "Told you it was a bluff. Naruto pushed him because he knew Sasuke would snap first."
Kiba jabbed a finger toward Naruto. "Sasuke's right, y'know. Naruto doesn't look at people the same way anymore. It's like he sees us as… objects . Not friends like he used to want."
Hinata lowered her gaze, hands tight on Naruto's cane. She didn't argue. She only whispered inside Naruto-kun is still Naruto-kun… he is…
Ino exhaled sharply. "That guy almost made all our hearts drop. Who does that?"
Neji glanced at Shino. "Your bugs are digestible, right? Because technically we all ate Naruto's McFlurry."
Shino adjusted his glasses. "Of course. I made sure nothing would damage your nervous systems."
Sasuke steadied his breath. His Sharingan spun faster, settling into two tomoe. The world sharpened around him—chakra signatures glowing like heat traces.
Except Naruto. Sasuke stared harder, eyes narrowing. What he saw wasn't human . It was a shape that didn't match anything he had ever trained to interpret—like the world itself was refusing to classify Naruto as part of it.
Sasuke lowered his voice, focused and uneasy. "What exactly happened yesterday, Naruto?"
Naruto tilted his head as if the question bored him. "About what?"
Sasuke kept his gaze locked. "I can see everyone's signature now. Except yours. It's like you aren't here at all ."
Naruto smiled lightly. "Bravo, Sasuke. Even Neji's Byakugan can't form a clean conclusion like you just did."
Sasuke didn't flinch. "That doesn't answer it."
Naruto leaned the cane against his shoulder. "But you're mistaken about one thing. I am here. I am Naruto."
Naruto's expression shifted—older, heavier, carrying something no child should ever wear. "I just have a lot of things I carried from before I came here. Understand?"
Sasuke opened his mouth to demand the fight again,
but Naruto raised a hand. "Before we start, you should stop being a peeping tom."
Every student blinked, confused.
Naruto tilted his head toward the distant ridge near the mountains. "Over there."
Two silhouettes stood on the rocky height. One in an ANBU mask pushed up onto his head, revealing dark hair and eyes that saw everything. Itachi Uchiha . Beside him, relaxed as if this were a casual stroll, stood Shisui.
Shisui let out a soft whistle. "He looked at us. Directly. That kid—does he detect everyone in the village?"
Itachi didn't look away from Naruto. "What should we do, Shisui? Our order is to escort him to the Third."