Sasuke's expression froze. He murmured,
"Create a stronger Uchiha…"
Naruto remained calm.
"That's right. What's the point of reviving an Uchiha Clan that could be wiped out in a single night without anyone making a sound?"
"You know Konoha's history. Think about your clan leader, Uchiha Madara—a man who stood shoulder to shoulder with the First Hokage, a figure revered as the God of Shinobi."
"If you had Madara's strength, would rebuilding a powerful clan really be so difficult?"
Sasuke's eyes lit up with hope—but it quickly faded, replaced by bitter frustration.
"You're not wrong… but not everyone can be like Uchiha Madara. I'm already ten years old, and I still don't even know how to evolve my Sharingan. That man awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan at thirteen…"
"I'm starting to wonder if my eyes will ever evolve at all."
Naruto's gaze flickered. That's... off.
This version of Sasuke was starting to feel wrong.
In the original timeline, before meeting Orochimaru, Sasuke was arrogant to the core—even if he lacked power, his pride never wavered. He looked down on others. He was stubborn, unyielding, and even if he was beaten bloody, he'd still sneer with disdain.
To Sasuke, there were only two types of people in the shinobi world: Uchiha, and not Uchiha. And by default, the former were superior. That belief never changed throughout the story.
That's why he looked down on Naruto, Sakura, Lee—even Kakashi and Orochimaru.
At best, he might temporarily acknowledge someone as stronger—but deep down, he believed he would always surpass them, because he was an Uchiha, and they were not.
This mindset was at its peak during the Fourth Great Ninja War. Even after gaining the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, he still looked down on the reanimated Hokage, Madara, and Obito.
Maybe I gave him the wrong example, Naruto thought. I might've set the bar too high.
Thinking of Obito, Naruto spoke in an even tone:
"Your Sharingan will evolve. Most Uchiha have the potential to awaken the Mangekyō—it's just that many die before encountering the right trigger."
"Do you remember Kakashi?"
Sasuke nodded absently.
Naruto continued,
"His Sharingan wasn't originally his. The eye's original owner awakened it at age twelve—and it was a two-tomoe Sharingan."
"He awakened it to protect Kakashi—his closest comrade."
Sasuke frowned.
"Wait. Two tomoe? Then how could Kakashi copy so many jutsu? Meanwhile, my Sharingan can only replicate some taijutsu and simple techniques…"
Naruto's eyes gleamed.
"I never said Kakashi's Sharingan was two-tomoe. The original owner evolved it into a three-tomoe Sharingan by age thirteen."
Sasuke's voice grew urgent.
"How did it evolve?"
Naruto smiled faintly.
"Simple. He watched the person he loved most die… at the hands of the comrade he trusted most."
Sasuke's pupils contracted.
"…What did you say?"
Naruto shrugged and casually created dozens of Shadow Clones, sending them into the surrounding forest. As he made a hand seal to transform his appearance, he said,
"I've already said enough. Now I'm off to eat."
"Oh—and you should have more confidence in yourself. Didn't Itachi personally say that you have the same potential to awaken the Mangekyō as he did? Instead of overthinking everything, why not put that energy into your training? You already wasted the entire morning."
The moment Sasuke heard Itachi's name, his eyes ignited with fury. His hands blurred through seals and produced fifteen Shadow Clones, each of them vanishing into the trees.
Naruto blinked, surprised.
"You can handle that many? We still have class this afternoon, you know."
POOF!
Sasuke firmly activated a Transformation Jutsu and replied,
"Then I'll just pass out. I'm not wasting another minute!"
Afternoon – Final Period: Taijutsu Class
Inside the training hall, a sparring match had just concluded. Iruka walked to the center, flipping through the attendance roster to announce the next match.
Just as he was about to speak, he paused, feeling a peculiar sense of irritation.
It wasn't Naruto's turn yet—but there he was, sitting off to the side, handing snacks and juice to Hinata.
A mischievous thought suddenly popped into Iruka's head:
What if I paired Naruto up with Hinata?
No… he'd immediately forfeit. And if I called Sasuke, Naruto would forfeit too.
Shikamaru and Chōji? Nah. They'd probably surrender even faster than Naruto.
Everyone already knows he used over a hundred clones to defeat Neji, the upperclass genius…
Alright, let's try pairing him with someone else. Maybe… another girl.
His gaze landed on a pink-haired figure. Without further hesitation, Iruka announced:
"Next match: Haruno Sakura vs. Uzumaki Naruto!"
The hall erupted.
"What?! The teacher's making a girl fight that guy?!"
"Heh… I like it! You think he'll forfeit again?"
"No way! He beat the Hyuga prodigy—no way he'd pick on a girl!"
"Yeah, I've heard he's pretty crazy strong."
"Wanna bet on it?"
"I say he fights!"
Sakura, one of the participants, was stunned. In her mind, a little version of herself (Inner Sakura) was now mercilessly beating up a doll that resembled Iruka.
You've got to be kidding!
She knew how strong Naruto was. She could still remember the lifeless expression on Neji's face as he lay collapsed days ago. Just the memory made her tremble.
In the corner, Shikamaru leaned back with a sigh, arms behind his head, ready to nap again. Chōji, as always, was fully focused on his snacks.
Sasuke's expression was hard to read, but even he was a little intrigued by Iruka's choice.
Seeing that neither Naruto nor Sakura had moved, Iruka raised his voice and called again.
"Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto—please come forward!"
Feeling the weight of everyone's eyes, Hinata's cheeks turned bright red. She leaned closer and whispered softly,
"N-Naruto-kun… it's your turn."
Naruto chuckled and casually handed her a bag of snacks, then lazily raised his other hand.
"Iruka-sensei, I forfeit."
BOOOO! came the collective jeers.
Sakura let out a deep breath of relief and glanced at Naruto, silently thankful.
Shikamaru's ears perked up. He opened his eyes, gave Naruto a sly look, then reached out to Chōji.
"Gimme a bag."
Chōji's eyes widened.
"There's only one chip left!"
Shikamaru sighed and pulled his hand back.
Shouldn't have trusted him to hold Naruto's stash…
On the mat, Iruka was silent for a moment, then glanced at the list again. Something compelled him to try something bold.
"Next match: Hinata Hyuga vs. Sasuke Uchiha!"
Gasps erupted.
"What?!"
"You've gotta be kidding!"
"Iruka-sensei is really pushing it today!"
"Go, Sasuke-kun!"
Sitting beside Naruto, Hinata wore the exact same stunned expression Sakura had moments ago. She stared blankly at Sasuke, unsure of what to do.
Even Sasuke didn't expect this matchup. With his current strength, fighting someone like Hinata felt meaningless.
He would definitely win—but it would be disgraceful. Not worth the effort.
Is this why Naruto always forfeits?
But… should I forfeit too?
He bore the Uchiha name. He was the acknowledged genius of their class.
As that thought crossed his mind, images of the night of the Uchiha Massacre flashed before him—ending with that familiar, hated face.
He smirked bitterly.
"Genius… I'm not some arrogant fool anymore."
Even as he mocked himself internally, he noticed Hinata timidly raising her hand.
Before she could speak, Sasuke shot up.
"Iruka-sensei! I forfeit!"
The entire room went silent.
Iruka stared at him in disbelief. After a long pause, he finally called the next pair.
Dismissal – After School
As Naruto waited for the crowd to thin out, hand-in-hand with Hinata, Shikamaru, Chōji, and surprisingly Ino approached them. But their expressions were far from cheerful.
As they got closer, Ino looked curiously at Naruto.
"Hey, Naruto. I heard you can make over a hundred Shadow Clones. Is that true?"
Shikamaru and Chōji both sighed. She'd already asked them multiple times—but she just wouldn't believe it.
Naruto extended a hand.
"I'll tell you—if we can be friends."
Ino smiled and shook his hand.
"Deal. Now tell me!"
Naruto smirked and pulled his hand back.
"You've been tricked. Who could possibly make over a hundred Shadow Clones?"
Ino froze, then whirled on Shikamaru and Chōji with wide, angry eyes.
"Seriously?! Sakura lied to me, and now you two too?!"
End of Chapter
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