It was clear that from the moment the "Suicidal Trio" spoke up, snapping Sasuke out of his deep resentment and dissatisfaction toward Naruto, the situation had split into two extremes—one good, one bad.
For Sasuke, who was currently like a volatile, erupting volcano on the verge of losing control, these uninvited guests were nothing short of a godsent opportunity.
They had recklessly approached him at the worst possible time, immediately launching into mocking, sarcastic remarks while relentlessly provoking and irritating him.
For the young Uchiha, who desperately needed an outlet to vent his pent-up fury before it boiled over, they were the perfect human punching bags—delivered right to his doorstep, free of charge. From Sasuke's perspective, this was undeniably a stroke of good luck.
On the flip side, for the trio who lacked even the slightest situational awareness or survival instinct—so much so that they failed to notice the thick, almost tangible aura of danger radiating from Sasuke—it was a different story.
Instead, they foolishly believed they had stumbled upon an easy three-on-one advantage and gleefully strutted right up to him, thinking they'd hit the jackpot.
In reality, they had walked straight into the lion's den. In a way, they had unwittingly taken the fall for Naruto, making their situation undeniably unfortunate.
Of course, unfortunate as it was, given their terrible attitude and suicidal behavior, Sasuke—already seething with anger—had no intention of showing them even an ounce of mercy.
Aside from deliberately leaving them with just enough breath to avoid outright killing them, he had no plans to hold back in the slightest.
'Just leave them alive… but barely.'
Suppressing his rage to avoid scaring off his three free punching bags, Sasuke tilted his head slightly, maintaining a deceptively harmless smile while sizing them up one by one, as if deciding who to "bless" with his attention first.
'No, no… better avoid vital spots. If they end up permanently injured or disabled, Naruto would probably have a headache dealing with it…'
As Sasuke pondered just how many breaths to leave these idiots with, the trio—completely oblivious to the fact that they were already halfway into the intensive care unit of Konoha's hospital—showed no signs of restraint.
Instead, as if determined to dig their own graves, they began hurling arrogant taunts once more, egging each other on.
"Hey! You—you there! Yeah, you, the black-haired idiot! Are you deaf or just dumb? Didn't you hear what our boss just said? Who the hell would want to see that stupid grin of yours besides another moron?"
"Yeah, exactly! Quit grinning like an idiot—your face is so ugly it might just scare us to death!"
"Ugh... Stop talking already. Just listening to you guys makes me feel disgusted and uncomfortable all over, like I'm about to break out in goosebumps... Hey! You over there, hurry up and hand over your soldier pills! Our patience has its limits! If you don't obey, don't blame us for what happens next!"
[Naruto and Itachi, standing below with icy gazes, speak in unison: "...Huh??? What the hell??? Our little angel Sasuke's smile is dumb and disgusting? Only idiots would enjoy seeing it? Boys, how about you take this chance to rephrase that? Or would you prefer a double warning of Tailed Beast Bomb and Amaterasu?"]
Faced with these three strangers who had no prior grudge against him yet showed no restraint—instead escalating their venomous words, dancing on the edge of self-destruction—even if Sasuke had been in his usual gentle and obedient state, he would've snapped in an instant.
But right now, he was already teetering on the brink of explosive rage, ready to lose control at any moment.
'Tch... You fools were given a little leeway, and instead of backing down, you just pushed your luck even further?'
The smile on Sasuke's face grew increasingly stiff as his eyes, originally dark and luminous like black pearls, slowly opened to reveal a terrifying crimson hue—his Sharingan, capable of piercing souls.
Clenching his fists before him, he cracked his knuckles with a chilling crack-crack, his expression darkening completely. His gaze sharp as a blade, he spoke through gritted teeth, each word dripping with icy menace:
"Fine. Don't say I didn't give you a chance later—because you brought this on yourselves. I'll make sure to repay you properly for volunteering as my punching bags to vent my frustrations."
Meanwhile, seeing Sasuke's resolve harden under their relentless taunts, his expression now cold and decisive, the lanky leader of the three idiots remained oblivious.
Too shortsighted to recognize the infamous Sharingan of the Uchiha clan, he still wore that insufferable smirk of disdain.
Confident in their numerical advantage, he dismissed Sasuke's demeanor as mere bravado. Waving his hand dismissively, he continued to mock, treating Sasuke like a helpless prey to toy with.
"Hah, trying to act tough—wait, you've gotta be kidding..."
But soon, the lanky guy froze under the overwhelming pressure radiating from Sasuke.
His arrogance evaporated in an instant as if the prey before him had transformed into a ravenous beast. His words cut off abruptly, and when he finally managed to speak again, his voice was laced with sheer terror.
'This feeling... could it be...? No, it can't be. My luck couldn't possibly be that bad...'
Innocence is bliss. You have no idea what true power is...
You asked for this. Don't blame me when you wake up later~
'But this sensation... it's just too... too similar...'
Faintly, the nightmare long buried in the deepest recesses of his memory echoed in the tall, lanky man's ears as vividly as if it had happened yesterday.
In his dazed state, behind the approaching Sasuke, he caught sight of a small, ragged, and disheveled golden-haired phantom—one that had haunted his dreams for six months straight.
The moment he regained a sliver of control over his body, he instinctively scrambled backward, trying to flee.
Eventually, abandoning all pretense of dignity, he pointed at Sasuke's face and wailed in despair.
"You... you couldn't possibly be... that monster of a beggar who beat us up near the ninja academy over a year ago, could you?!"
Congratulations to the "Suicidal Trio" for nearly achieving a legendary feat—successfully provoking the two strongest men in the world and surviving encounters with both.
Hidden Limited Title Unlocked: "Evenly Matched"
[Psst... listen here, kiddo... Your old man once teamed up with your two uncles and fought the two strongest ninjas in the world separately. And guess what? Neither of them could kill me... ahem, I mean, neither could completely defeat me. So, your dad is on the same level as them—it's a tie!]
Lifetime Honorary Achievement Unlocked: "Professional Death-Seeker"
[Let me tell you something—if I don't court death at least once a day, I feel off!]