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"Hey, looking like that, you don't seem ready for a competition. Did you stay up all night practicing and skip sleep?"
Arriving at the training grounds and seeing Naruto—listless, dark circles heavy under his eyes, and his face looking worn out—Tsunade burst into laughter.
"Pfft!"
Hearing Tsunade's comment, Izumi and Shizune finally noticed Naruto's sorry state.
Both couldn't help but join in the laughter.
"Ahem!"
"This kid was a bit nervous last night," Jiraiya said, coughing to cover for Naruto. In truth, Naruto had practiced half the night, only going to bed late, and the excessive drain on his chakra and mental energy had left him looking haggard and weak today.
"I wasn't!" Naruto protested, his neck flushing red as he shouted in his defense, shooting Jiraiya a glare.
Can't you just keep quiet if you don't know how to talk?
Nervous? Me? No way I was too nervous to sleep!
"Oh! So you were too nervous to sleep, huh? I didn't know you could even get nervous, kid," Tsunade teased, patting Naruto's head with a mocking grin. "You're always causing trouble without a care in the world, but now you're nervous? That's a rare sight."
"I…" Naruto stammered, his face turning red with frustration, ready to explain himself further.
But then Jiraiya, standing beside him, started laughing too.
That was the final straw—Naruto's composure shattered.
What the heck? Everyone else laughing is bad enough, but why are you laughing too, Pervy Sage?!
And was that supposed to be you defending me?
You're just making me look worse!
Would Naruto get so embarrassed he'd run off and hide somewhere?
Kazuki stood to the side, a faint smile on his face, watching the scene with amusement.
Given Naruto's personality, that seemed unlikely.
The only times Naruto ever hid were when Sakura beat him up or rejected him. Otherwise, his resilience was unmatched.
"I…" Naruto was so frustrated he looked like he might cry.
Why is everyone laughing at me?
I wasn't nervous! I really wasn't nervous!!
His face flushed as red as a monkey's butt, and he wished he could dig a hole and crawl into it.
Thankfully, Sasuke and Orochimaru's arrival saved him from further embarrassment.
Compared to Naruto's red-faced fluster, Sasuke remained his usual cool, aloof self, dressed far more stylishly than Naruto.
Jiraiya's taste in fashion was what it was, and no matter how he tried to pick out clothes for Naruto, he couldn't compare to Uchiha Mikoto's sense of style.
With Sasuke's arrival, the atmosphere shifted instantly.
Naruto's gaze locked onto Sasuke, who gave him a brief, indifferent glance before turning his head away.
"Damn it!" Naruto muttered.
Is he looking down on me?
The air was already thick with tension before the competition even began.
The difference was that Sasuke didn't care, while Naruto was fuming on his own.
"Why does Naruto keep wearing the same few outfits? Doesn't he ever buy anything new?" Kazuki asked curiously, nudging Jiraiya.
Jiraiya blinked, caught off guard. Was this really the time to talk about fashion?
Still, Sasuke's outfit was undeniably sharper than Naruto's.
You had to admit, the kid looked good. With his stylish clothes, it was no wonder so many girls at the academy were smitten with him.
Naruto, on the other hand…
Jiraiya scratched his head, chuckling. "When I took Naruto shopping, he kept picking the same style, so I bought a bunch of them."
"A bunch? How many is that?"
"Uh… probably a whole closet's worth."
"…"
Impressive.
No wonder other kids mixed up their outfits with flair, while Naruto's style never changed, always giving off a slightly outdated vibe.
Jiraiya had to take a lot of the blame for that.
"It looks like everyone's here early. Naruto seems full of energy," Orochimaru said, his gaze flickering between Sasuke and Naruto as he walked over to Kazuki and Jiraiya with a smile. He had no intention of getting involved in the competition.
"To be precise, he just got a burst of energy!" Tsunade quipped.
When they arrived, Naruto had been completely drained.
But the moment he saw Sasuke, he perked up like he'd been injected with adrenaline.
If Sasuke weren't a boy and Naruto didn't already have a crush, Tsunade might've suspected Naruto had some questionable feelings for Sasuke.
Why else was he always so fixated on him?
It's not like Sasuke ate your lunch.
"Haha, well then, let's get this competition started," Jiraiya said, laughing awkwardly.
Orochimaru had no intention of stepping in, and Kazuki, Tsunade, and the others were just here to watch the show.
They couldn't exactly let the two kids handle everything on their own, could they?
With no other choice, Jiraiya stepped forward, trying to smooth things over.
"Let's get this over with quick so I can go back. I'm exhausted, and it's all your fault, you idiot!" Tsunade said, yawning widely and glaring at Jiraiya with murderous eyes.
Jiraiya shrank back, taking two quick steps away from her.
"Start it already, let's wrap this up. It's just a summoning technique contest—kids playing house," Kazuki said, waving a hand at the two boys. "Each of you will use the Summoning Technique twice. We'll judge based on how skillfully you use it and the summoned beast you bring out. Sound good?"
Sasuke nodded slowly, having no objections to the rules.
"I… I'm fine with it too," Naruto said, though his voice betrayed his nerves.
His Summoning Technique wasn't exactly polished.
That was his biggest weakness. Even after hours of practice, he still struggled.
Since he couldn't compete with Sasuke on technique, he'd have to rely on the summoned beast itself.
He silently prayed the toads would be in a good mood today and respond to his summon.
Idiot!
Naruto's nervousness was obvious, and Sasuke couldn't help but label him with that word in his mind.
Then, with a calm expression, Sasuke bit his finger and began forming hand signs.
If Kazuki and Orochimaru hadn't agreed to this, Sasuke wouldn't have bothered with such a pointless competition. It was a waste of time.
He'd rather be training to improve his strength.
Boom!
A cloud of smoke erupted, and Aoda appeared beside Sasuke.
"Lord Sasuke," the snake greeted respectfully.
Unlike the rebellious Manda, Aoda was obedient, coiling neatly and staying close to Sasuke.
"Wow… that's amazing," Naruto muttered, swallowing hard as he watched Sasuke perform the Summoning Technique with ease, calling forth a powerful and compliant snake.
At that moment, his nervousness hit a new peak. He was terrified of summoning a tiny toad—or worse, a tadpole.
If that happened, he'd be humiliated beyond belief.
"Ahem! Naruto, your turn," Jiraiya prompted.