"Hmph!"
Sasuke eliminated Naruto's shadow clones in an instant.
He stood by the river, head held high and a proud expression on his face as he looked at Naruto, who was in the water. His haughty posture made him seem untouchable.
If a girl saw him at that moment, she would think he was incredibly handsome.
A perfect example: Sakura.
She was already in love with Sasuke, but seeing him like this, she couldn't help but blush. Her heart pounded, completely captivated by his presence.
However, the scene was entirely different for the one being scorned.
Naruto was furious. His body trembled with rage as he clenched his fists tightly.
"You bastard!"
Determined, he formed another seal and used the Shadow Clone Technique again. This time, he created over thirty clones.
The Narutos rushed toward Sasuke like an unstoppable wave.
So many clones!
How large are this guy's chakra reserves?
Sasuke narrowed his eyes, surprised. This new display of Naruto's chakra far exceeded what he knew about him. Even Sakura, watching the battle from a distance, was astonished.
Sakura now saw Naruto in a new light.
Meanwhile, Kuro shook his head.
Naruto doesn't have as much chakra as it seems. Plus, he still doesn't know how to handle it properly.
He clearly remembered how, during the bell battle, Naruto's shadow clones barely lasted a minute before disappearing. Although Naruto had an additional month to train, without significant experience, Kuro didn't expect a drastic change.
His attack looks impressive, but it won't be enough.
And, as he expected, the scene that followed confirmed his suspicions.
When Naruto's clones were about to reach Sasuke, he took the initiative.
In the blink of an eye, he moved with astonishing speed, almost like a blur.
His movements were agile and precise. He twisted, dodged, and counterattacked effortlessly. Every punch or kick eliminated one of Naruto's clones.
He was like a tiger among sheep.
Bang
Naruto's clones disappeared at an alarming rate.
In less than a minute, all the clones were gone.
Naruto stared at the empty spot where his clones had been, a feeling of helplessness filling his heart.
The gap between him and Sasuke was overwhelming.
He had created so many clones, but none had managed to touch Sasuke.
But then, he gritted his teeth.
"Damn it! I won't admit defeat!"
With a shout, Naruto ran toward Sasuke with everything he had.
Sasuke watched him silently, a slight look of disdain on his face.
Naruto's movements are full of mistakes and way too predictable.
To his eyes, Naruto was an open book. As soon as he got close enough, Sasuke could easily defeat him with one move.
Naruto got closer and closer.
Sasuke slightly shrugged his shoulders, preparing to strike first.
But then something unexpected happened.
A rock under his feet suddenly transformed into another Naruto.
!
The sudden change caught Sasuke completely off guard. His movements stopped for an instant, but it was enough.
Taking the opportunity, the real Naruto and his shadow clone attacked simultaneously.
Bang
Both Narutos' fists struck Sasuke at the same time, one in the front and the other on the right side of his face, sending him flying backward.
"I told you not to underestimate me!"
Naruto raised his head, clenching his fists as he looked at Sasuke.
"Sasuke!"
Sakura covered her mouth with both hands.
At that moment, she was worried Naruto would be defeated, but she never expected the situation to take such a drastic turn.
Even Kuro was surprised. Due to the distance and the swarm of shadow clones, he hadn't noticed how Naruto used the chaos to transform one of his clones into a rock and strategically hide it.
However, this tactic was typical of Naruto.
As Kuro and Sakura recovered from their surprise, Sasuke was furious. More than astonishment, he felt humiliation.
A freshly graduated genin managed to hit me? Me, who is already part of the ANBU?
He stood up with a face twisted in anger, his eyes now sharp.
"Inexcusable."
"This is unforgivable," he said coldly, staring at Naruto. "Prepare yourself, because you won't get off easy."
In the blink of an eye, he disappeared.
The next second, he appeared in front of Naruto with impressive speed and delivered a direct kick to his face.
Naruto didn't even have time to react. With a confused expression, he could only watch as Sasuke's foot came rapidly toward him.
Bang
The kick stopped mere millimeters from his face.
Naruto could smell the dirt on Sasuke's shoes. He blinked, unable to process what was happening.
When he fell to the ground, he finally understood the situation.
It wasn't that Sasuke had stopped his attack on purpose. It had been stopped just before impact.
The person who stopped it was Kuro.
Kuro, who had been over ten meters away just moments before, had suddenly appeared beside Sasuke, holding his ankle with one hand.
"Kuro!"
Naruto was grateful. If Kuro hadn't intervened, he'd probably have ended up with a broken nose, or worse.
Kuro didn't take his eyes off Sasuke as he spoke to Naruto.
"He's looking for trouble with me. Just watch from the sidelines."
Then, his expression hardened, becoming cold.
"I don't know why you're trying to provoke me, Sasuke. But if you want to fight me, then I'll give you what you're asking for."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed, surprised by Kuro's speed.
He's fast, but he's still not faster than me.
He took a step back and stopped five meters away, observing Kuro with disdain.
"You finally stopped hiding like a coward."
Kuro tilted his head and smiled.
"A coward? If you consider patience cowardice, then it's time to correct your mistaken concept, here and now."
Sasuke frowned as Kuro said, "Those who fear facing reality have no right to speak so loudly. I'll show you who the real genius is, who is the strongest, and who…"
Suddenly, Sasuke stopped speaking.
Kuro had disappeared.
He hadn't even seen how it happened. The only thing he noticed now was a long shadow on the ground, quickly approaching.
Without hesitation, Sasuke raised his left elbow to block the blow.
Bang
Kuro blocked the elbow with one hand, and before Sasuke could react, he struck him directly in the face with the other.
!
The impact sent Sasuke flying backward, making him roll to Naruto's feet.
Sasuke spat blood mixed with a loose tooth as he staggered to his feet.
Kuro stood in the same spot, his expression relaxed but with a spark of excitement in his eyes.
"This is what's interesting," said Sasuke, with a faint bloody smile. "If you were as easy to beat as Naruto, it would have been too unsatisfying."
"What did you say?!" Naruto shouted, clearly offended.
But Sasuke ignored Naruto, fixing his gaze on Kuro.
His black pupils began to transform, turning a deep red with two tomoes spinning slowly inside them.
________
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