In the classic small forest of Konoha, two figures were sparring.
Kakashi sat on a tree trunk, occasionally glancing down at the fight while reading the latest printed edition of the Icha Icha Series.
Bang!
Konohamaru supported himself with one hand on the ground, delivering a swift kick aimed at his opponent's chin.
The sole of his foot was coated with a rudimentary form of Armament Haki. If this kick landed squarely, even an average Chunin would have a hard time shaking it off.
'This is really something else.' Kakashi mused silently from his perch.
Across from Konohamaru was Sasuke, who had just returned to the village after completing a mission.
How did these two end up together?
It was actually thanks to Naruto's 'matchmaking'.
In the notebook Naruto had given Sasuke, this small forest was noted as an ideal training ground.
At the time, Sasuke's mental injuries hadn't even fully healed yet, but he couldn't wait to escape the hospital and start training.
Coincidentally, he ran into Konohamaru, who was also training there.
Though the two had nothing in common originally, Naruto served as the link that brought them together.
At first, Sasuke kept to himself, and they each trained separately without interfering with each other.
But when Sasuke witnessed Konohamaru, a little kid who still hadn't lost all his baby teeth, actually using a embryonic form of Armament Haki to shatter a tree trunk, he couldn't stay idle any longer.
Of course, with his own skills and abilities, Sasuke could easily accomplish the same feat.
But when it came to training in Armament Haki, Sasuke was indeed lagging behind.
Later, it was Konohamaru who broke the silence between them. He was naturally outgoing and lively-
Though his method of breaking the ice was to challenge Sasuke outright.
Or, more accurately, to provoke him.
"Did you also train with Naruto-nii-chan?"
"Looks like you're pretty far behind. Want this 'senpai' to give you some pointers?"
When it came to anyone other than Naruto, Konohamaru could be quite the annoying 'brat'.
This didn't change until the original work, when Pain destroyed Konoha and Konohamaru boldly stepped up to single-handedly take on one of Pain's bodies.
This time, however, reality struck much earlier.
Sasuke accepted Konohamaru's challenge.
They faced off.
And Sasuke easily defeated his opponent.
The entire fight lasted less than two seconds. For Konohamaru, who had been feeling somewhat proud of his training progress far surpassing his two companions, this was a heavy blow.
But for Sasuke, it was also quite a shock.
Even though he hadn't mastered Haki at the time, he possessed strength comparable to a Chunin and the sharp dynamic vision of the Uchiha Clan.
Even without using the Sharingan, he wasn't someone an ordinary Genin could handle.
Yet this little kid had stubbornly withstood several of his close-range attacks, and the recoil from his punches had left Sasuke's skin tingling.
Thud!
After that spar, the two began pushing each other, neither willing to back down, and their training progress improved dramatically.
Konohamaru was the first to master the technique of coating himself with Armament Haki, while Sasuke, leveraging his mental strength, awakened Observation Haki first.
At the same time, his Armament Haki would occasionally, though unreliably, activate.
This once again widened the gap that had briefly narrowed.
It's safe to say that later, when Ebisu saw Konohamaru's silent, focused training demeanor, it had a lot to do with the blow Sasuke had dealt him.
Konohamaru's kick missed, but it still stirred up a powerful gust of air.
Sasuke, who had sensed the movement and dodged in advance, turned and landed a punch on Konohamaru's abdomen.
Bang!
Konohamaru stumbled backward several steps, only stopping when his back hit a tree.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes slightly, watching the layer of Armament Haki on the other's stomach slowly fade.
'He can already freely mobilize Haki for defense?'
This was something Sasuke could only barely manage himself.
Even though he had blocked the attack, Konohamaru was still gritting his teeth in pain when he suddenly broke into a grin.
"That hurt… Then I'm getting serious now!"
Hearing this, Sasuke set aside his thoughts and instead put on a deliberately indifferent, proud expression.
"Bring it on."
These words were the signal for the official start of the battle.
What did 'official start' mean? It meant there were no restrictions… Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Taijutsu, all could be used freely.
In fact, removing limitations was a significant boost for Sasuke.
But Konohamaru didn't really believe that he, as he was now, could stand against Sasuke, who had also mastered Haki.
Even if Sasuke hadn't learned Haki, Konohamaru might not have been a match for him, let alone now that Sasuke had learned Observation Haki before him.
Bang, bang, bang!
Three shadow clones appeared with puffs of smoke, joining the original in launching an assault against Sasuke.
This was the [Shadow Clone Technique] that Naruto had taught Konohamaru before leaving.
Unlike the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, which was a forbidden technique, the Shadow Clone Technique didn't risk draining the user's Chakra dry and could still launch attacks like real entities.
For those who had mastered Haki, the strategic value of techniques like shadow clones skyrocketed.
Running low on chakra didn't matter when you had physical strength and Haki as means of attack.
On Sasuke's side, seeing Konohamaru split into four, he didn't resort to similar tactics.
He was an Uchiha… did he really need to take a little kid seriously?
As it turned out, yes, he did.
The four Konohamaru attacked almost simultaneously, their Haki-infused fists and kicks closing in from all directions.
Sasuke sensed it in advance and dodged one kick, grabbing that Konohamaru's leg and slamming him into another.
But he was immediately struck by the third Konohamaru's fist.
Bang!
This time, it was Sasuke's turn to use Haki for defense.
Fortunately, it didn't fail him at the critical moment. Armament Haki clashed against Armament Haki, producing a metallic clang.
Just then, the fourth Konohamaru's attack arrived.
A low sweep kick, whistling through the air, aimed straight at the inside of Sasuke's knee.
This was a tricky spot to defend.
Sasuke's mastery over Armament Haki wasn't yet at the level where he could wield it effortlessly.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique."
With a one-handed hand seals, Sasuke instantly spewed out a fireball that exploded point-blank.
At this range, ignoring the Great Fireball Technique was impossible.
Even Kakashi, perched high above, set aside his 'educational materials' to watch the battle intently.
Bang, bang, bang, bang!
All four Konohamaru vanished into puffs of smoke.
The Shadow Clone Technique could indeed withstand a certain amount of damage, but once that limit was exceeded, the clones would disperse.
Of course, Sasuke himself also took the brunt of the point-blank fireball explosion.
But he had prepared in advance, hardening himself with Armament Haki to endure it.
"Now!"
A large hole suddenly burst open in the ground behind Sasuke, and a dust-covered Konohamaru emerged from within.
It turned out that earlier, during the moment he summoned the shadow clones, he had secretly burrowed underground, waiting until Sasuke was exposed before striking decisively.
The attack coming from behind gave Sasuke a familiar, unsettling feeling.
It was a not-so-pleasant memory.
'Oh no!'