"And one more thing," Sharly said as he headed toward the training field, "next time, if classmates are having a normal sparring match, don't use kunai unless a teacher is supervising and has explicitly allowed it." For him, Sasuke's current training hardly qualified as real exercise.
"Sharly, why are you so strong?" Sasuke's voice suddenly reached him.
"Because I work harder than you," Sharly replied. Talent could never surpass effort. How could he possibly catch up to Sasuke before Sasuke even activated his technique?
In fact, Sharly was tempted to think, "If only I could take a shortcut…" But he knew he couldn't.
"Did you do your best?" Sasuke lay on the ground, eyes vacant. Fortunately, Sharly hadn't struck the back of his head—otherwise, that position would have been agonizing.
Sharly noted that, luckily, Sasuke had been trying to lift his head, allowing him to land the strike. Otherwise, if he'd hit the back of his skull, it could have caused serious trouble.
"Sasuke, my kunai aren't meant to kill," Sasuke suddenly said, immediately realizing it sounded like a show of weakness. He quickly shut his mouth and muttered under his breath, "Believe it if you want."
Sharly paused and glanced at the wooden dummy used for the substitution technique. Only a few scratches marked it. If it had been a real person, the injuries wouldn't have been fatal either.
However, he suddenly remembered the three kunai aimed at him… Sharly's eyes widened. The Uchiha's skill with kunai throwing truly lived up to its reputation.
His expression finally relaxed. Although he shouldn't have drawn kunai in the first place, he hadn't completely lost control. He genuinely cared about his opponent's safety—even in the context of revenge, that wasn't bad at all. It was understandable.
But unfortunately, that was merely the perspective of an observer. Sharly was the one experiencing it firsthand. He was a good person. Even if he hadn't completely broken down, he would never miss a lesson!
Sharly left, leaving Sasuke alone.
Slowly, Sasuke sat up, touching the sore spots, teeth gritted. Even a light touch sent waves of pain. That was definitely a big bruise.
He froze as he touched his forehead, where people often knocked. While certainly not as forceful as Sharly's strikes, the thought of that other person came back to him.
"Itachi!!"
Sasuke suppressed his anger, growling lowly. It took him a long while to calm down. He continued massaging the swollen lump and walked into his empty home. His lone figure looked utterly dejected.
A masked observer had been watching all this in secret, unsure whether to intervene. His duty was to monitor Sasuke, but Sharly had also been a key person of interest for the Third Hokage…
So he took no action, relieved. He couldn't escape the responsibility for everything happening between these two.
Sasuke's strength, however, was impressive. That Sharly should easily qualify as a Genin, with his substitution technique even surpassing his own. He truly deserved the recognition of the Third Hokage.
As for the matter between Sasuke and Sharly, it was best reported to the Third Hokage.
Chapter 53 – Strange Achievements and Determination
"Haha, Sasuke went to find Sharly himself? And ended up beaten?" The Third Hokage chuckled upon reading the news. To him, it wasn't surprising that Sasuke couldn't match Sharly. If Sharly were in sixth grade, it would probably be hard to find anyone who could challenge him.
The difference in physique was fully compensated—and even surpassed—by Lightning Release. His ninjutsu and taijutsu far exceeded Genin standards. The only drawback was chakra amount—but for Sharly's age, that wasn't a major concern yet.
Seeing Sharly's abilities in all aspects, even the Third Hokage admitted he was practically perfect. Among those his age, only the Fourth Hokage and Kakashi could compare in his memory.
After reviewing why Sharly defeated Sasuke, the Third Hokage nodded. Indeed, Sasuke deserved a beating. First-year students sparring with kunai without supervision—what else could he expect?
Moreover, Sasuke didn't seem resentful despite being thoroughly beaten. That was crucial. He seemed somewhat different from other Uchiha. Perhaps allowing them such interaction wasn't a bad thing—it might even produce unexpected results.
Thinking this, a smile appeared on the Third Hokage's face.
He then reviewed the reports about Sharly and the Yamanaka girl. As someone under his close observation, every move of Sharly's was monitored. After all, special tools like the Kūku scrolls couldn't be discarded.
These observations made the Third Hokage confident in Sharly's character. Most importantly, the person most important to him was in Konoha.
The Third Hokage had gathered all necessary intelligence. Over the years, thanks to being in the same class as Aikido, he had received covert support and held no grievances against the village. That was enough. With Sharly here, he would never betray Konoha.
Furthermore, he was with the Yamanaka girl.
"All seems well in the mountains," the Third Hokage said, putting down the scroll. He felt confident about Sharly's safety.
Why should he distrust the Ino, Nara, or Akimichi clans?
The Third Hokage stood by the window, hands clasped behind his back, eyes lingering on the Uchiha clan's direction with a complex expression.
He was still in disbelief. Was the Uchiha clan truly wiped out? Was Sasuke the last remaining Uchiha in the village? Most importantly, all prior preparations had been rendered useless. Could Itachi and the illusions truly have annihilated the entire clan? Was there some unknown factor?
He inhaled deeply and exhaled, letting the smoke cloak his face.
"Bang!" The door opened again. Danzo entered, wrapped in bandages.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi—" Danzo started, but the Third Hokage didn't even look back.
"I've said it many times. Sasuke is not your responsibility. I promised Itachi," he said firmly.
"He's just a rogue ninja. Don't be foolish, Hiruzen. He's the last Uchiha of Konoha. Handing him over to Gen to 'protect' the village is the right choice!" Danzo's eyes bore into the Hokage.
"No need for more words." The Third Hokage's tone was resolute. Though he didn't understand how Itachi could destroy the entire clan, he respected that power. If he broke the promise and handed Sasuke over to Gen, would Itachi take action against Konoha?
If he could properly care for Sasuke, Itachi's leverage might still be useful. Even if not, he couldn't risk the village by mismanaging Sasuke.
Thus, under no circumstances would the Third Hokage hand Sasuke to Danzo.
"And what about Sharly—"
"That's enough!" The Third Hokage interrupted, a hint of annoyance in his voice.
Danzo clenched his fist, silently fuming.
"You'll regret this, Hiruzen Sarutobi!"
The Third Hokage slowly turned, eyes sharp beneath his hat, stating plainly, "I am the Hokage, Danzo."
"Hmph!" Danzo scowled and slammed the door behind him.
"Also, remove all spies monitoring Sasuke. Don't make me intervene."
A light voice from behind Danzo made his expression darker. He wanted to slam the door again! Was it only officials who could act, while ordinary people couldn't even light a lamp?
Sharly quietly read his book, fully aware that most of the day he spent outside was under ANBU surveillance. His perception in the void was growing stronger, making it impossible for even skilled ANBU to hide from him.
Yet, even noticing them didn't bother him. Talent comes with responsibilities.
The ANBU had only appeared after he acquired the kunai from the Flying Thunder God technique. They were likely worried the kunai would be lost or fall into enemy hands.
For Sharly, the presence of ANBU was actually a protective layer.
Sasuke then returned to Sharly's side.
"Trouble again?" Sharly's tone was still slightly cold.
"I hope to continue today," Sasuke said, staring at Sharly. He had to improve quickly, and sparring with Sharly was the fastest way. Everyone else was far behind.
"I don't spar with those who don't follow rules. Besides, this isn't sparring—it's you bullying me," Sharly said calmly.
"I won't use kunai this time. What happened yesterday was my fault," Sasuke said, fists clenched, knuckles white, voice barely audible.
For the proud Uchiha, apologizing voluntarily was a remarkable achievement. While Sharly knew it was Sasuke, other Uchiha might have died for failing to apologize.
Sharly considered that their relationship shouldn't be too tense. After all, Sasuke was part of his own bragging rights. If Sasuke got a bad impression, he could try to play tricks.
Seeing the obvious bump on Sasuke's head, Sharly couldn't help but chuckle—it was his own doing. His finger joints had even hurt slightly yesterday while tapping.
"One sparring session per week—I don't have time to waste on you," Sharly said thoughtfully.
In short, he was no longer the boy he used to be. Even facing Naruto and Sasuke simultaneously wouldn't be a problem. Perhaps the Third Hokage wanted him to interact with them more, strengthening bonds. The old man valued that deeply.
"Then it's settled. I'll wait for you at the usual spot next week," Sasuke said, eyes shining.
Sharly nodded, reflecting for a moment. He had just beaten Naruto yesterday, and now it was Sasuke's turn. A somewhat strange sense of accomplishment had been unlocked…
"Seems like you beat him up yesterday," Shikamaru said after Sasuke left.
"Eavesdropping is bad," Sharly replied.
"You didn't hide your voice at all. I was sitting right next to you, so I could hear everything," Shikamaru complained.
"Yes, that counts as a real beating. Did you see the bump on Sasuke's head? I did that," Sharly said.
Shikamaru fell silent, glancing at Sasuke. Even from a distance, he could clearly see the lump. He muttered under his breath, "You're ruthless!"
"It's fine. Who started with the kunai anyway?" Sharly said nonchalantly, then fell silent.
Shikamaru smirked, noticing Sharly remained unscathed, realizing the gap between them was significant. Still, Sasuke had come seeking revenge in earnest.
During class, Sharly also told Ino what happened.
Ino was confused. Her time hadn't been claimed by the girls, but by another boy? What was the point?
"Can I watch from the side?" Ino asked, unwilling to give up. Even one day, she didn't want to miss it.
Sharly understood her thoughts. The village was calm recently, and he had been considering stopping. But it seemed Ino wouldn't let a single day pass.
Now he realized she wouldn't accept permanent cessation. Would she agree if he said he would stop entirely? Likely yes—but disappointment was inevitable.
"Fine. Let's continue. It won't take long anyway," Sharly thought.
He also realized that although he still couldn't fall in love and might get in trouble for minor mishaps, he now regarded the other person as important and never wanted to see them hurt.
"Okay," Sharly nodded under Ino's hopeful gaze.
"Great!" Ino immediately grabbed Sharly's arm, her smile radiant like a flower.
Sharly sighed. A daisy, yet he felt a pang of guilt. When will I truly grow up? The older he got, the less that guilt would sting.
"Sharly, did you spar with Sasuke yesterday? Did you win?" Ino asked curiously.
"Of course I won. See that bump on his head? I caused that," Sharly said with a smirk.
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