Once, Naruto had been the dead last, the boy no one cared for. And now, standing before him was Sasuke—the genius, the prodigy, the one everyone admired.
But Naruto was no longer the failure he had been. He was the son of Minato. His strength grew every single day. And there was no better test of his growth than this—facing Sasuke head-on.
Every fiber of Naruto's being trembled with anticipation. His eyes shone with a mixture of excitement and determination. He wanted this fight. He wanted it more than anything.
"So you're here too, Sasuke?" Naruto said, voice steady, though his heart pounded.
Sasuke's gaze was ice cold. "Naruto. Let's fight. Put your clearance card on the line."
"Fine," Naruto replied without hesitation, a grin spreading across his face.
"Only one of us will make it into the final ten," Sasuke said, eyes narrowing. His words carried the weight of inevitability—one or the other.
"Exactly what I wanted," Naruto shot back, stepping closer, tilting his chin up to meet Sasuke's eyes. "If you're here, then it's either you or me. Let's settle this!"
Without another word, Naruto lunged forward, kunai in hand, striking fast.
Sasuke twisted aside, evading with ease, and countered with a sharp kick aimed for Naruto's head.
Naruto bent back, narrowly dodging. Planting a hand on the ground, he rebounded with a powerful kick toward Sasuke's chest.
But the Sharingan was merciless. Sasuke's three tomoe spun, predicting his movements, reading the rhythm of his taijutsu. Years of ANBU training had hardened him into something beyond genin level—Naruto's strikes were beneath him. Or so he thought.
Because soon Sasuke realized something was wrong. Naruto's attacks grew sharper, faster, his chakra moving in sync with his body in ways that seemed to anticipate Sasuke's own predictions. Each time Sasuke stepped back, Naruto was already there, cutting him off.
The momentum shifted. Naruto pressed harder and harder, his speed and ferocity mounting until even Sasuke struggled to keep up.
From the stands, Itachi watched with narrowed eyes. For the first time, his composure wavered. His brother… was losing.
At Sasuke's current level, there was no way he could defeat Naruto. Not like this. Not now.
Naruto's connection with Kurama, even if only at the stage of borrowing chakra, had elevated him far beyond Sasuke's reach. Every blow landed heavier, every move carried more power.
Itachi's jaw tightened. What had Danzo done to his brother? Instead of guiding him, he had poisoned him, twisted his heart, left him filled with nothing but hatred. Hatred and emptiness.
The Sasuke before him was a shell—consumed by vengeance, nothing more than a pawn blinded by rage.
"It'll come to this," Itachi thought grimly. "One day, I'll kill Danzo with my own hands."
Back in the arena, Naruto's kunai grazed Sasuke's side, slipping under his guard. Sasuke leapt back, narrowly avoiding a fatal strike. His breath came quicker, frustration mounting.
He realized now—Naruto's strength was in close combat. If he stayed within reach, he would lose.
So Sasuke made space. Forming hand seals, he inhaled deeply.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A massive ball of flame erupted from his mouth, roaring across the battlefield straight for Naruto.
Elementally, fire should overpower wind. And Sasuke knew Naruto's chakra nature was wind. By all logic, his flames should burn straight through Naruto's techniques.
But reality was about to prove otherwise.
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/euridome]
[Thank You For Your Support!]