The deafening BOOM echoed through the subterranean stone corridors, shaking dust loose from the ceiling. Naruto didn't flinch. His sensory net immediately flared, locking onto a sharp, lightning-laced chakra signature radiating from the surface.
The Prince had awakened.
Naruto adjusted his flak jacket and began walking calmly toward the source of the noise. As he reached the end of the tunnel, the dark stone gave way to blinding afternoon sunlight. He stepped out into the massive, open-air crater at the center of the hideout.
It was exactly as he expected.
Standing high above them on the jagged lip of the canyon, bathed in dramatic sunlight, was Sasuke Uchiha. Below him, in the center of the ruined courtyard, stood Sakura and Sai, with Kakashi and Yamato flanking them.
Sasuke looked down, his Sharingan deactivated, his expression a mask of manufactured, cold superiority. He spotted Naruto emerging from the shadows of the tunnel and let out a soft, arrogant smirk.
"So, dope... you came too, huh?" Sasuke's voice echoed down the canyon walls, dripping with practiced condescension. "Well, what should I expect from a dead-last? Seriously... Konoha sent you after me again? Do you really think a failure and a loser like you can capture me? I am an Uchiha."
Silence hung in the air for a brief, heavy moment.
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
Naruto slowly walked forward, lifting his hands and delivering a slow, mocking round of applause. His face was entirely deadpan.
"Very good acting, Sasuke. Ten out of ten for the dramatics," Naruto said, his voice loud, clear, and utterly devoid of intimidation. "Now that the performance is over, surrender yourself. We can all go back to Konoha. You will still serve a sentence in the Anbu prison, but I'm sure the elders have some use for you, so you might get a light sentence. Isn't that right, Sai?"
Naruto tilted his head toward the pale Root agent. Sai, slightly taken aback by the sheer, unfiltered disrespect Naruto was throwing at his former teammate, simply blinked and gave a stiff nod.
Sasuke's smirk vanished. A vein throbbed on his pale forehead. The condescension in Naruto's tone was infuriating.
"You still don't understand, do you, you idiot?" Sasuke spat, his voice rising in anger. "I am not going back to Konoha! They were holding me back! Konoha had the luxury—no, the honor—of housing the Uchiha clan, but they threw that away! They didn't teach me how I wanted to be taught! They held back my power!"
Sakura stepped forward, tears pooling in her green eyes. The reality of the situation hadn't quite pierced her romanticized memories. "No, Sasuke-kun! That's not true! You can come back to Konoha now! I'm sure Lady Tsunade will provide you with as many jutsus and strong teachers as you want!"
"Huh?" Sasuke scoffed, glaring down at her. "And why would I need their teachers when I am already this strong?"
Off to the side, Yamato leaned slightly toward Kakashi, watching the melodramatic display above them with a raised eyebrow.
"Was he always like this?" Yamato whispered.
Kakashi let out a heavy, tired sigh, his visible eye crinkling in exasperation. "Nowadays, the Academy just labels anybody a 'prodigy.' Back in my day, we actually had to do something impressive to earn that title. Now? You just need a fancy bloodline, the ability to execute one or two basic elemental jutsus properly, and suddenly you're a genius."
Kakashi shook his head. "Honestly, I'm starting to think we need to revisit the Academy curriculum. What are they even teaching these kids anymore?"
Naruto, having overheard the exchange, looked over his shoulder. "I'll make sure to bring that suggestion directly to Auntie Tsunade's desk when we get back. The curriculum definitely needs an overhaul."
Sai nodded earnestly in agreement. "I, too, would like to know what they are teaching in the standard Academy to produce a child who runs so blindly toward an illusion of power."
Up on the cliff, Sasuke's face had flushed crimson. He was practically vibrating with rage. This wasn't how the scenario was supposed to play out. In his mind, Naruto was supposed to be screaming, crying, begging him to come back, allowing Sasuke to easily beat him down and assert his absolute superiority.
Instead, they were casually discussing school board reforms while he was monologuing.
Desperate to regain his fading "aura" and strike fear into their hearts, Sasuke puffed out his chest and struck a threatening pose.
"I suggest you all run for your lives," Sasuke declared, his tone cold and absolute. "Because Orochimaru will be arriving at any moment. And once he gets here, he will kill you all."
Down in the crater, the entire Konoha squad froze.
Naruto, Kakashi, Yamato, and Sai all slowly turned to look at each other. A collective, massive sweatdrop formed on the back of their heads.
Naruto slowly turned his gaze back up to the cliff. His left eye twitched violently. The irritation was finally bleeding through his calm facade.
"Sasuke..." Naruto said, his voice dropping into a dangerous, gravelly register. "How exactly is Orochimaru going to come back and kill us... when I literally ripped him in half and burned his soul to ashes twenty minutes ago?"
Sasuke's eyes widened, a flicker of genuine shock and confusion breaking through his edgy exterior. 'What?!'
Naruto didn't give him time to process it. He raised his hands, slamming his right fist into his left palm. His knuckles cracked with a sharp, echoing POP that sounded like a gunshot in the canyon. The air pressure around the blonde shinobi suddenly grew heavy, the faint, residual scent of ozone and burning chakra lingering around him.
"I am giving you one last chance," Naruto warned, his blue eyes turning icy and sharp. "You climb down from that cliff, and you surrender yourself right now. We do this peacefully."
He took a slow, deliberate step forward.
"Or else... I am more than happy to do this the hard way. Because frankly, Sasuke, I have a score to settle with you."