Chapter 59: A Duel Risking Life
"I want to have a duel with you where we risk our lives!"
On his first day back at school after being absent for a few days, Uchiha Sasuke walked up to Narutoand said something with a cold face that caused an uproar among the entire class.
"Sasuke, what is going on with you?"
Naruto naturally played dumb, and according to information he had gathered from a nurse at Konoha Hospital, Uchiha Sasuke had suffered severe mental trauma on the night of the Uchihaclan's massacre and seemed to have been hit by a very powerful genjutsu.
Naruto didn't know the name of this genjutsu, but it was clearly done intentionally by Uchiha Itachi.
As for the reason, Naruto didn't even need to guess; this was Uchiha Itachi forcing Sasuke to awaken his Sharingan as soon as possible.
The result was naturally satisfactory for everyone; Uchiha Sasuke successfully awakened his Sharingan, and Uchiha Itachi also successfully took the burden upon himself, leaving Uchiha Sasukewith a reason to keep striving forward.
It was just that the intensity was too great, causing Uchiha Sasuke not only to undergo a huge change in his Heart-Nature but also to have the steadiness that Naruto had subtly instilled in him completely overshadowed by hatred.
Sasuke had become someone eager for quick success and instant benefits, resorting to any means for the sake of revenge.
Obviously, the challenge risking his life was entirely a radical and ridiculous decision made by Uchiha Sasuke, influenced by his own Heart-Nature.
"I just want to test my capacity!"
Uchiha Sasuke answered decisively, while Narutowas very puzzled; was his own importance to Uchiha Sasuke actually this significant?
Capacity?
He must have been stimulated to the point of losing his mind!
"You are truly an idiot!" Naruto didn't coddle Uchiha Sasuke. "Do you think you can win against me by risking your life?"
"How would I know without trying?" Uchiha Sasuke appeared very calm. "I am no longer the person I was before. With these eyes, I am no longer the pursuer of the past, but have become the one who surpasses!"
"What inexplicable self-confidence! What inexplicable arrogance!" Looking at Uchiha Sasuke's single-tomoe Sharingan, Naruto felt very disdainful in his heart. Although he had also been an Uchiha for over a decade, he still couldn't stand the inexplicable self-confidence and mysterious arrogance of the Uchiha clan.
"However, since Sasuke is looking to be beaten, I will grant his wish..." After all, Naruto had already planned to bring Uchiha Sasuke into his own camp; a calm and mature Uchiha Sasuke was what he needed.
So, how could he get the now irrational Uchiha Sasuke back on the right track?
Naturally, by beating some sense into him!
And it had to be a crushing, one-sided victory to let Uchiha Sasuke calm down temporarily, so that Naruto could unfold his plan.
"The training ground outside the school?" Narutoasked tentatively.
Naruto wasn't worried about exposing his strength; he just didn't want to be watched like a monkey by the surrounding classmates. Moreover, after defeating Uchiha Sasuke, Naruto still needed to counsel him, which would be even more inconvenient if outsiders were present.
After seeing Uchiha Sasuke nod, Naruto stood up, ruffled Hyuga Hinata's hair, gave her a reassuring look, and then walked out of the classroom, one step ahead of Uchiha Sasuke.
Unexpectedly, as soon as the two stepped out of the door, they ran straight into Iruka, one after the other, which gave Naruto a sense of frustration at being caught red-handed.
"Are you two trying to skip class again?" Iruka Umino tucked his book under his arm and began to reprimand the two with a straight face. "Although both of your grades have always been top-tier, but..."
"I know, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto interrupted Iruka, swerving around him like a slippery monkey. "Next time, I will still take first place in the exam!"
After saying that, Naruto catapulted off, disappearing into thin air from Iruka Umino's sight.
Of course, accompanying him was naturally Uchiha Sasuke, this chuunibyou teenager who had suddenly encountered a huge Family tragedy and whose mindset had developed problems.
...
"How shall we duel?"
In a training ground the two often frequented, Naruto stood with his arms crossed, leaning against a large tree, asking Uchiha Sasukesomewhat lazily.
"Just bring out all your skills!"
Uchiha Sasuke boasted shamelessly, drawing the ninja sword from behind his back and pointing it diagonally at Naruto.
"Then don't regret it, and don't cry afterwards!"
"I won't!" Uchiha Sasuke pointed at his own eyes with an arrogant look. "With these..."
Just as Uchiha Sasuke was about to prattle on for a while longer, Naruto, who had been lazily leaning against the large tree, suddenly accelerated, throwing quite a few Shuriken while simultaneously gripping a Kunai in his backhand.
"Today, I'll give you your first combat lesson!" As Naruto's Kunai was about to slit Uchiha Sasuke's throat, his voice, arriving after the action, slowly drifted into Uchiha Sasuke's ears. "Since we are fighting to the death, too much nonsense will only make you die faster!"
"Stop looking down on people!"
Uchiha Sasuke let out an angry roar. While abandoning all defense, he countered with the Iaido slash Naruto had taught him, his speed actually matching that of the sneak-attacking Naruto.
Naruto nodded inwardly, slightly praising Uchiha Sasuke for having indeed made great progress.
But...
Naruto also did not dodge or evade, letting the ninja sword swing wide and slash into his body from bottom to top.
"Poof!" x2
Two almost simultaneous puffs of smoke marked the beginning of this intense duel. Both of them had coincidentally chosen to first use the Three Basic Jutsu to test and paralyze their opponent, so as to create a better opportunity for themselves.
However, their methods were quite different; Uchiha Sasuke used the Substitution Jutsu from the Three Basic Jutsu, while Naruto used a combination of Shadow Clone and Transformation Jutsu!
It was clear which was superior and which was inferior!
And that wasn't all; the Shadow Clone technique Naruto used was the advanced version, Multi Shadow Clone Technique. This not only made Naruto's tactics diverse but also even more unpredictable!
"Got you!"
Uchiha Sasuke appeared not far from the two clouds of smoke. After his ninja sword was sheathed, it was drawn again, but the position where the blade slashed was behind him.
"Poof!"
As a puff of smoke sounded, Uchiha Sasuke's eyes widened abruptly, and he turned around to defend in a panic.
"Heh, nice acting, but it still lacks a bit of polish!"
Naruto, hiding to the side, naturally noticed the smile on the corner of Uchiha Sasuke's mouth when he turned his head around. This was undoubtedly Uchiha Sasuke's Shadow Clone!
"Got you!"
The exact same line as Uchiha Sasuke's was uttered by the erupting Naruto Shadow Clones. It was just that two of Naruto's Shadow Clones spoke at the same time, and they coordinated perfectly, with the Kunai in their hands crossing left and right to stab at Sasuke.
"Fire Release! Great Fireball Technique!"
Uchiha Sasuke could no longer hold back. The single-tomoe Sharingan in his eyes spun wildly, and he used the Fire Release Ninjutsu he had practiced for a long time.
As his chest heaved, a large breath of cold air was sucked into Uchiha Sasuke's lungs. Immediately following that, his cheeks puffed up, and the Great Fireball Technique was about to take shape!