---
"Sasuke…"
Sakura's voice trembled as she called out to him. Her hands twisted nervously at her sides, unsure of what to do or say. The summer air between them felt heavy — thick with frustration, disappointment, and unspoken emotion.
Sasuke stopped only for a second before answering, his voice cold and cutting like a blade.
"I'm just as useless. I lost to Naruto."
Sakura flinched. "I didn't mean it like that! I just—"
"Loss is loss," Sasuke snapped, his eyes sharp and distant. "There's no point in making excuses."
He turned and started walking away, the setting sun casting his shadow long across the road.
Sakura instinctively took a step forward. "Sasuke, wait—"
Without looking back, he said flatly, "You should focus on improving yourself instead of wasting time following me."
His words hit her harder than any weapon.
"Your so-called top grades only come from book learning," he continued. "Once you graduate and become a real ninja, that won't mean anything. You'll see it for yourself."
Sakura stood frozen as his back moved farther away. Every word felt like a knife twisting inside her chest.
He was right — painfully right.
Her grades were good, but her skills were shallow. Her ninjutsu was basic at best, her combat ability nearly nonexistent. For the first time, she saw the gap between them clearly — not just in strength, but in purpose.
Still, it hurt.
Her lips quivered, and two thin lines of tears slid down her cheeks. "Sasuke…"
But he was gone. He didn't turn around. He didn't say another word.
---
Iruka's words echoed in her mind. "If you want to stand beside the one you admire, you must first become strong enough to deserve that place."
Sakura clenched her fists, trembling.
"Then I'll do it," she whispered fiercely. "I'll train harder than anyone else. I'll become stronger — strong enough to fight by your side, Sasuke!"
Her voice rang through the empty street, breaking against the evening wind.
But far away, Sasuke could no longer hear her. His mind was elsewhere — cold, calculating, consumed.
At that moment, beyond his obsession with his brother Itachi, another goal had formed in his heart.
He would defeat Naruto.
Not just to win, but to reclaim his pride — the pride that had been torn away in front of everyone.
This summer… he thought grimly. Even if it kills me, I'll push myself beyond my limits. I'll live through it, no matter what. Until I surpass him.
---
Meanwhile, in a small, messy apartment across the village, Naruto sneezed loudly.
"Achoo! Achoo! Achoo!"
He rubbed his nose and frowned. "Man, who's talking about me?"
He shook his head quickly, brushing off the thought. "No time for that! System big brother, let's spin the wheel! I wanna draw a random prize!"
[Would you like to activate now?]
"Yes!"
Naruto grinned, rubbing his palms together like a gambler about to hit the jackpot. In his mind, a giant wheel appeared, spinning wildly with dazzling lights. Dozens of rewards flashed past — weapons, scrolls, mysterious treasures — until it finally stopped.
The glowing words appeared before his eyes.
[Congratulations to the Host for obtaining the Personalized Ninjutsu Gift Pack!]
[Detected Chakra Nature: Wind Release. Therefore, generating Wind Release Ninjutsu.]
[Reward: Wind Release Ninjutsu Scroll – Wind Release: Gale Palm!]
Naruto's eyes went wide. "No way—! Ninjutsu?! An actual Wind Release Ninjutsu?!"
His heart raced. This wasn't just a random gift — this was everything he'd been missing.
Up to now, everyone around him had advantages. The Uchiha clan had generations of inherited ninjutsu and scrolls. Even Neji from the Hyuga clan had powerful family techniques.
But Naruto? He had nothing.
At the academy, they only taught the basic Transformation and Clone Techniques. High-level ninjutsu were off-limits. The only reason Naruto even mastered the Shadow Clone Technique was by accident — or maybe stubbornness.
For too long, he'd been at the bottom, the one no one believed in.
But now…
He had a chance to change that.
"Wind Release, huh?" he murmured, grinning. "So my chakra nature's wind. Sasuke's is fire. Fire and wind… heh, perfect combo! Once I master this, he won't know what hit him!"
[Correction: Fire Release counters Wind Release. Therefore, mastering Wind Release will not help you defeat Uchiha Sasuke easily.]
"Ha?!" Naruto's smile froze. "So I'm learning the element that loses to his?"
[If Host does not wish to accept the current reward, it can be retracted. Confirm rejection within five seconds. Countdown: 5… 4…]
"Wait, wait, no!" Naruto waved his hands frantically. "Don't take it back! I want it! Even if it doesn't help against Sasuke, it'll still be awesome against other enemies!"
[Acknowledged. Reward locked.]
A glowing scroll appeared in his mind — the Wind Release: Gale Palm technique.
---
Naruto's excitement overflowed as he read the details.
> Wind Release: Gale Palm — C-rank Ninjutsu, medium-to-close range, attack and support type. By shaping chakra into wind and expelling it with force, the user can create a gust powerful enough to knock enemies away or enhance the speed and sharpness of thrown weapons.
His eyes sparkled. "A technique that can blow people away… and even boost shuriken power?! That's amazing!"
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It sounds easy enough. Wonder how hard it is to learn…"
The system's voice chimed again.
[Host, please begin training immediately. Proficiency target: 60 points within 10 days. Failure to achieve this will result in Lightning Release Baptism.]
Naruto blinked. "Uh… Lightning what now?"
[You don't want to know.]
"Right. Got it!" He puffed his chest proudly. "Ten days, huh? Hah! For a genius like me, that's nothing!"
If only he knew what he was getting into.
---
He unrolled the invisible scroll within his mind, following the hand seal instructions carefully.
"Okay… Boar! Dragon! Hands together!"
His fingers formed each sign rapidly — years of practice with shadow clones made him surprisingly quick.
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
Whoosh…
A gentle summer breeze drifted through the open window. Nothing else happened.
Naruto stood frozen, blinking.
"Huh?" He tried again. "Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
Still nothing.
"Wait, what? Why isn't this working?! Don't tell me it's broken already!"
He stomped his foot and shouted, "Come on! Wind Release: Gale Palm!!!"
Nothing. Not even a spark.
Naruto fell to his knees dramatically. "This ninjutsu's too hard!"
But the truth was, it wasn't the technique — it was him.
He had underestimated just how much chakra control real ninjutsu required.
Back at the academy, the hardest thing they'd ever done was basic transformation. Techniques like this needed refined control — the ability to focus chakra precisely, to maintain it steadily.
He remembered what Kakashi would one day teach them: climbing trees without using hands, balancing chakra underfoot. That training was meant to prepare them for exactly this kind of control.
Naruto hadn't learned any of that yet.
He sighed, flopping backward onto the floor. "Man… this is gonna take forever."
But then, he sat up suddenly, determination blazing in his blue eyes.
"No way I'm giving up! Not now!"
He clenched his fists tightly. "Sasuke's not the only one who can train hard. I'll prove I can be stronger too!"
He got back on his feet, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and tried again.
"Boar! Dragon! Hands together!"
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
Whoosh!
This time, a faint gust stirred the dust around his feet. His hair fluttered slightly.
It wasn't much — but it was something.
Naruto's eyes widened. "It worked! It actually worked!"
He laughed out loud, spinning in excitement. "Heh! Just you wait, Sasuke! I'll master this and blow you away — literally!"
The system chimed softly in his mind.
[Current proficiency: 1.]
Naruto froze. "…One? Out of sixty?"
[Affirmative.]
He groaned loudly and collapsed to the floor again. "This is gonna be a long ten days…"
But as exhaustion settled over him, a smile crept back onto his face.
Even if it took ten days, ten weeks, or ten months — he'd do it. Because for the first time, he wasn't just chasing attention or approval.
He was chasing strength.
And deep down, somewhere beneath the laughter and foolishness, that determination was the very thing that made Naruto Uzumaki who he was.
---
Outside, the moon rose over Konoha, bathing the village in silver light.
Sakura trained quietly in the park, swinging kunai at trees, her breath ragged.
Sasuke stood alone beneath the stars, fists clenched, eyes burning with ambition.
And Naruto, inside his cramped little apartment, kept practicing hand seals again and again.
Boar. Dragon. Hands together.
Over and over.
Each failed attempt was followed by another, until his palms blistered and his chakra thinned. But he didn't stop.
He wouldn't stop.
Because one day, he promised himself — he'd become someone who could stand proudly beside everyone else. Someone who could protect them all.
Someone worthy of being called Hokage.
---
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)