"I wonder if Sasuke will win, or if Kusuo will be the victor?"
On the stage, the two had taken their positions, and the students watching from below were deep in discussion.
"If you ask me, it's definitely going to be Hatake Kusuo. His strength has always been amazing, so deep that no one can figure him out."
"Hmph, as if that's possible."
"The winner will definitely be Sasuke."
"Our Uchiha clan has always been full of geniuses. Whether it was our fathers or the top students of past years, the number one spot has always gone to someone from the Uchiha clan!"
One of the Uchiha clan's boys stepped forward, his voice full of pride.
The others seemed to realize he wasn't wrong, nodding repeatedly.
Although some were annoyed by the boy's arrogance, they couldn't find the words to refute him.
It was true.
Whether it was the current clan head, Fugaku, or the once dazzling talents like Shisui and Itachi,
each had been extraordinary.
With Sasuke being as outstanding as he was, it wouldn't be surprising if he defeated Kusuo and became the top student.
Unlike throwing shuriken, real combat would reveal the truth.
The thought of yet another Uchiha taking the top spot left many with a bitter taste.
"No way! I believe in Kusuo!"
"Kusuo will definitely defeat Sasuke and become the top student of our class!"
Suddenly, a voice rang out in opposition. Everyone turned to see that it was Yamanaka Ino.
With her golden hair and sharp chin, her eyes were filled with determination.
She clenched her fists and shouted loudly,
"Go for it, Kusuo!"
"Kusuo, you have to beat Sasuke good and hard! Show them what we're made of!"
Many stared blankly at the girl passionately cheering.
Then,
the entire place erupted in deafening shouts.
"Yeah!"
"Kusuo, you're so strong. You can do it!"
"Do it for those of us from ordinary families!"
Strictly speaking, Kusuo wasn't exactly from a civilian background, being from the Hatake clan.
But compared to the colossal Uchiha, he might as well have been.
"Go… go for it, Kusuo."
In a quiet corner, Hinata peeked at Kusuo, her small fists clenched as she cheered for him in her own shy way.
The cheers below were deafening, but the stage remained calm.
"Tch, what a pointless display."
Sasuke could hear the crowd perfectly.
Aside from a few Uchiha kids, almost everyone was cheering for Kusuo.
The stark contrast only made him angrier.
Why?
Why should some kid who came out of nowhere steal all his spotlight?
Damn it.
As a member of the Uchiha,
not only his father and brother, but now even his classmates were turning against him.
"I'll make you see what the Uchiha can do!"
Sasuke clenched his teeth in silent vow.
"Begin!"
At that moment, Iruka announced the start of the match.
Boom.
The moment Iruka spoke, Sasuke, filled with pent-up frustration, charged forward, hoping to catch Kusuo off guard.
Pa!
A crisp sound rang out.
Kusuo calmly caught Sasuke's flying punch in his hand.
Seeing his sneak attack fail, Sasuke tried to pull back and reposition himself, but then realized—his fist wouldn't move!
Gripped in what seemed a casual hold, it was completely stuck.
"How strong is this guy's grip?!"
Shaking off the shock, Sasuke tried to duck and use his leg to break free.
"Too slow, and your intention is too obvious."
Kusuo spoke softly, then lifted Sasuke effortlessly by the arm he held.
In the next instant,
Sasuke's body dangled mid-air, lifted with ease.
"If this is all the Uchiha's pride amounts to, it's honestly a little disappointing."
Boom!
With a loud thud,
Sasuke was flung several meters away.
The crowd gasped.
Everyone was stunned.
They stared in disbelief, the only sound the dry gulps of those watching.
Silence.
The place fell completely silent.
What they had expected to be a clash of titans, with back-and-forth blows,
had ended in an instant.
Sasuke had thrown one punch, only to be caught and hurled aside by Kusuo.
Looking at Kusuo's ever-serene expression, it dawned on them—
this guy had been calm from the very start.
He hadn't taken Sasuke seriously at all.
"How could this happen?!"
Sasuke stared at everyone, seeing their shock at Kusuo's strength, while he himself had been flung aside like a stray dog.
The humiliation burned.
His eyes turned red with fury, blood-red as the rage swelled inside him.
The accumulated anger triggered pain in his eyes.
"You bastard!"
Ignoring the pain, Sasuke leapt up, roaring as he attacked Kusuo again.
But this time too,
he couldn't even touch the hem of Kusuo's clothes.
With a graceful turn, Kusuo dodged him effortlessly.
Then,
one light kick.
So light it seemed casual.
Thunk.
Sasuke was kicked off the stage, landing face down in the dirt.
"Sasuke!"
One of his Uchiha peers called out, but Sasuke only stared wide-eyed at the ground, deaf to everything.
At that moment,
the fury that had been boiling in his mind exploded, flooding into his eyes and deepening the pain.
Swish.
His black pupils shrank and turned blood red.
In the next second,
a single tomoe-shaped mark spun within.
The Uchiha clan's
Sharingan
had awakened.
/////////////////////////
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100 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter