The boys of the Nara clan often had to shoulder responsibilities far earlier than others.
Among the three clans of Ino–Shika–Chō — the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi — the Nara clan had always served as the brain, the decision-makers guiding the other two.
There's something different about him…
Shikamaru sighed quietly to himself, lost in thought.
They were almost twelve years old now. By next year, they would officially graduate and become genin. With someone like Uzumaki Menma — their class's strongest and most unpredictable peer — graduating alongside them, Shikamaru knew he needed to start preparing for far more than just classes or practice.
And that was without considering the individual ambitions and rivalries of his classmates.
The Duel
Up on the training field, two students stood across from each other.
Uzumaki Menma narrowed his eyes at Uchiha Sasuke, who stood seemingly calm but brimming with the silent urge to fight. Menma frowned slightly, recalling their many past duels.
Hn… maybe I misjudged how badly this Uchiha wants to win.
Menma's gaze sharpened. Looks like I'll have to teach him a real lesson this time.
At Iruka's signal, the two formed the seal of confrontation.
"Begin!"
With a sharp boom, Sasuke launched forward. He knew full well he was at a disadvantage against Menma's raw strength. His earlier defeats had not been because of poor tactics, but because of inferior ability. If he wanted to win this time, he needed to set the rhythm and leave no openings.
"Whoosh!"
Chakra flared as Sasuke darted in, his speed far beyond that of ordinary academy students.
Menma remained calm. His stance shifted lower, releasing stored power. His arm whipped down like a hammer, cutting through the air toward Sasuke's head.
?!
The strike came so fast it looked like a blur. Sasuke's pupils shrank. He had no choice but to block.
Peng!
The clash resounded dully. The sheer force behind Menma's blow made Sasuke's arms shudder, nearly breaking his guard.
What the—!? His strength… it's even higher than before!
Sasuke gritted his teeth. Just a month ago, Menma's power hadn't been this overwhelming. To think he could grow so much in such a short time…
No. Sasuke's eyes widened as the realization hit him.
This bastard was holding back before…
"Damn it!" he cursed inwardly, fury twisting his expression. For someone like him, carrying the burden of the Uchiha name and the memory of the clan's massacre, that was the most humiliating possibility.
If he couldn't even surpass a classmate, how could he ever hope to challenge that man? How could he talk about avenging the Uchiha?
With a roar, Sasuke forced more chakra into his body, his forehead veins bulging as he strained against Menma's pressure.
Menma's eyes narrowed in faint surprise. Oh? He blocked it? Not bad. I used eighty percent of my strength that time.
But his surprise faded into cold determination. Still… he's not nearly enough.
With a blur of movement, Menma shifted. His figure disappeared from Sasuke's line of sight, reappearing instantly on his blind left side.
Too fast—!
Before Sasuke could react, Menma's palm cut like a blade across his shoulder, sending pain jolting through his body. In the same motion, Menma's right hand shot forward, stopping just short of Sasuke's throat.
"That's enough," Menma said flatly.
At the same time, Iruka's voice rang out from the sidelines. "Match over!"
Sasuke froze, his face darkening. The truth stung bitterly — he had been defeated again, cleanly and decisively. He clenched his fists tight enough to whiten his knuckles, but forced himself to perform the seal of reconciliation before stepping back into line without a word.
His exterior looked calm, but anyone watching closely could see the tremor in his clenched fists.
Damn it… lost again. This makes thirty straight defeats…
Though it was only a spar among classmates, to Sasuke — survivor of the Uchiha massacre — failure was intolerable. And yet, here he was, forced to swallow it again.
Uzumaki Menma… I swear, I'll surpass you. I'll defeat you.
Reactions
"Whoa, Sasuke-kun lost again…"
"And worse than before."
"Menma really is on another level."
"First place in our class is already set, huh?"
"Maybe even first place in the entire year."
"Guess we'll find out at graduation."
The murmurs rippled through the watching students. Sasuke had seemed close to victory in earlier matches, but this time Menma had crushed him outright. The difference was clear for everyone to see.
Still, none dared say such things aloud in Sasuke's face. Unlike Naruto, Sasuke wasn't someone you could just tease casually — especially not when Menma, who outclassed them all, was standing right there.
Iruka sighed from the sidelines, his expression weary. He had long hesitated to pit Menma and Sasuke against each other, knowing the imbalance between them.
He wasn't blind. Though just an academy teacher, Iruka was a full-fledged chūnin, and he could clearly tell the difference in ability.
Menma was simply on another level.