"Damn it."
Pinned under Haruno Den, Sasuke struggled to get up but failed, his stamina nearly depleted.
It was clear: Sasuke's face sported a bruise, his body marked with footprints. Den was in worse shape, with more bruises and footprints, but he'd won. Though his stamina slightly outmatched Sasuke's, his lack of combat experience meant he took plenty of hits. Only his endurance gave him the edge.
"You lost."
Den looked down at Sasuke, a smile tugging at his lips. Sasuke turned his face away, eyes burning with frustration.
Back on Earth, Den's chubby build gave him strength, always winning in playful scuffles with classmates.
Why am I thinking about that now?
He released Sasuke, who stood, glanced at him, then turned to Sakura. "Sorry."
At that moment, the system issued a task about Sasuke: Encourage the defeated Sasuke.
Heh, even after losing, I have to boost his confidence? System, you really favor them, Den thought with a wry chuckle.
"You kept your word. You're a worthy opponent. Let's spar again sometime, and… try to be nicer to Sakura."
Den spoke reluctantly. Sasuke snorted, walking away, though his gaze seemed calmer.
"Bro, why'd you fight Sasuke?" Sakura asked.
"I came to apologize to you."
Thanks to Ino's nudge, it had somehow turned into an apology.
"No, I overreacted. You study so hard every day. I know Mom and Dad see it too, so they always put you first. But you need to work on your attitude and not just bury yourself in studying."
Sakura shook her head.
"And saying Sasuke should be nicer to me? That was unnecessary. I just want him to stay that amazing, and… I want to know him better—ugh, what am I saying? Cover your ears!"
"I already heard."
"Then forget it!"
"That's asking too much."
"But… you don't care, do you?"
"It's got nothing to do with me. Think about Sasuke all you want."
"Ugh, you're the worst brother ever!"
Am I? Though Sakura called him "brother," Den felt detached. But this Sakura wasn't quite like the one he remembered. Was his presence in this world changing things more and more?
He worried about the consequences but didn't know what to do.
One step at a time.
He gave up fretting. That was his nature—never caring too much, always procrastinating, abandoning things at the last moment.
Without the system forcing him to study and train, without giving him the Sharingan or other powers, he'd probably still be a nobody.
"Let's head back. But… what'll we do about this? Mom and Dad will definitely ask."
"Yeah, I'll just tell the truth."
"Uh…"
Sakura expected him to make an excuse. He was too honest, too lazy to even fib—a brother who only cared about studying and training, indifferent to everything else.
"I still don't get why you hang out with that idiot Naruto."
"But fine, like you said, it's your business."
Sakura looked at him, her anger gone. Venting her long-held frustrations seemed to clear the air, as if nothing had happened.
Maybe that's what siblings are like? Den, an only child on Earth, viewed his relationship with Sakura as an outsider. It wasn't all bad—sometimes annoying, sometimes nice.
"When will task rewards give me a Sharingan? I've got too many kunai and soldier pills already. Not even an explosive tag!"
After venting at the system, Den and Sakura returned to the classroom.
Their bruises drew attention. No one dared ask Sasuke, and Den's studious demeanor discouraged questions, so everyone pestered Sakura.
Sakura explained reluctantly, while Naruto hovered nearby, acting like he'd beaten Sasuke.
Though Den won, Sakura didn't seem thrilled.
"I can't believe Sasuke lost to Brother."
"What happened?"
"Brother trains a lot at home, so maybe his stamina's better," Sakura said thoughtfully.
"Oh, so that's it. Haruno-kun always seems so dedicated."
"Yeah, he's so disciplined even at home."
Some girls looked at Den with surprise. His short black hair, similar in length to Naruto's, wasn't flashy, but among the wild hairstyles, its clean, modern look stood out. His appearance wasn't bad—deep brown eyes like Sakura's, gentle, not sharp. But he often fell into unexplained bouts of gloom, a personal quirk no one understood.
The fight with Sasuke, sparked by Sakura's frustration, faded quietly. Their bruises healed in a few days, and the graduation exam loomed closer.
"Please, no Clone Technique in the exam," Naruto prayed, bowing to the Hokage statues.
Den thought, That'd be trouble. If Naruto couldn't learn the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique, Den's task would fail.
But he knew the exam would include the Clone Technique, so he wasn't too worried.
Reflecting on Sakura's words, he decided it was time to head home. He'd been conflicted lately.
He hadn't forgotten why he came here: to gain power, immense power, to do anything. But reality was harsh. Twelve years in, Haruno Kizashi and Mebuki treated him with as much love as Sakura, maybe more. For now, he'd wait until he got the Sharingan or Rinnegan before thinking about returning.
Then everything would change.
For now, he had to face reality.
Den slumped, squatting like a wilted weed. Naruto panicked, but before he could comfort him, Den stood, his eyes resigned.
"Naruto, I'm heading home early today. I'll probably do that from now on."
Without waiting for a reply, Den walked off. Naruto stood stunned, waving after him.