Sasuke's words were sharp, the kind of comment that could make anyone uncomfortable.
Kuro frowned briefly but soon relaxed his expression, as if he hadn't heard anything. Sakura, on the other hand, stood still, caught in evident unease.
Although she liked Sasuke a lot, she knew his words were a clear slight against the entire Team 7.
If the comment had only been directed at her, she probably wouldn't have felt much. After all, she knew she couldn't compare to Sasuke in strength or talent.
But Sasuke's words included Kuro, who had surpassed Sasuke in every aspect during their time at the Academy. It felt as though Sasuke was deliberately provoking him.
Sakura was torn.
On one side were her teammates, whom she was beginning to see as a kind of friends. On the other side was Sasuke, the person she liked. For a moment, she didn't know how to react.
However, Kuro, with his calm and non-confrontational personality, said nothing. And although Sakura felt the urge to speak up, she decided to remain silent to avoid making things worse.
But Naruto wasn't someone who could hold back.
Hearing Sasuke's provocative words, he frowned. "Who do you think has a talent gap with you?"
Sasuke didn't even glance at Naruto. Instead, he turned his attention to Kuro.
The words he had spoken earlier weren't meant to provoke Naruto or Sakura. His target had always been Kuro.
Since their days at the Academy, Kuro had always surpassed him.
No matter how much Sasuke trained, he couldn't close the gap between them. And every time he tried, the gap only seemed to grow wider.
Three years ago, after the grading evaluation, the Academy suggested Sasuke graduate early. At first, his thoughts went to Kuro.
If I can graduate early, then Kuro, who always takes the top spot, must have received this offer too.
Sasuke feared that if Kuro graduated before him, the gap between them would widen even further.
He knew that what the Academy taught no longer served them. Real progress could only be achieved by taking on missions as a ninja and facing the edge of death.
That's why he accepted early graduation.
However, when he took the exam with the upper class, Kuro was not among the candidates.
Why?
When he found out that Kuro hadn't chosen to graduate early, he was surprised.
Why didn't he do it?
Is he afraid of missions?
Afraid of the dangerous life of a ninja?
After much thought, Sasuke concluded that Kuro was simply scared.
Since then, while he still acknowledged Kuro's talent, he began to look at him with a certain disdain.
What's the point of being the best in the Academy if you don't have the courage to face the real world?
But that disdain didn't change the fact that Kuro had been number one, while he, Sasuke Uchiha, son of the Uchiha clan patriarch and younger brother of the prodigy Itachi, had always been second.
Even after graduating early, Sasuke knew that many might interpret his decision as an attempt to avoid competing with Kuro.
How could I stand something like that?
If Kuro had been someone with great character, Sasuke might have accepted being behind and used it as motivation to work harder. But to him, someone who feared the life of a ninja didn't deserve that respect.
Despite everything, Sasuke couldn't get Kuro out of his head.
So when he met him unexpectedly, he couldn't resist trying to provoke him. He wanted Kuro to respond. He wanted him to fight back.
If Kuro accepted his provocation, Sasuke could show the world that he had surpassed the boy who once overshadowed him.
Sasuke Uchiha is inferior to no one.
But, as in their Academy days, Kuro completely ignored Sasuke's words.
In the past, he might have interpreted this attitude as magnanimity and maturity. But now, he only saw it as fear.
"Sasuke, what do you mean, you bastard!?"
Naruto was furious at seeing the emo blatantly ignoring him.
With quick steps, he crossed the distance to the riverbank, standing in front of Sasuke, staring at him with eyes full of anger.
"What do you mean by your words? Are you looking down on us!?"
The distance between them was so short they could feel each other's breath.
Sasuke looked at him calmly, frowning slightly before lifting his gaze with a mocking smile.
"Why do you think I should always consider you?"
"What did you say!?"
"One thing I've learned during this time is that the weaker someone is, the louder they like to shout."
"You bastard!"
Consumed by rage, Naruto threw a punch directly at Sasuke's face.
But Sasuke, with a disdainful expression, shifted slightly to the side, causing the punch to miss. With a quick motion of his leg, he destabilized Naruto, making him lose his balance and stumble.
Before Naruto could regain his footing, Sasuke extended his left hand and gently pushed the basket on Naruto's back, causing him to fall straight into the river.
Ignoring Naruto, Sasuke turned his gaze to Kuro with a clearly provocative expression.
Kuro, who had remained silent until now, frowned.
Although he disliked causing trouble, he knew that ignoring a provocation like this would only lead to more problems in the future.
Because good people always become easy targets.
Just as he was about to intervene, Naruto's voice interrupted him.
Naruto emerged from the water, completely soaked, with all the trash from his basket floating around him.
"You bastard! Do you think you're the only one who's gotten stronger?"
Soaked and full of determination, he formed a seal with his hands.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
With a series of pops, eight Naruto clones appeared around him.
The clones shouted as they charged toward Sasuke.
"Eight clones? And they're real, not illusions?"
Sakura covered her mouth, surprised.
Even Sasuke paused for a moment. He immediately recognized the Shadow Clone Technique, a skill usually mastered only by Jōnin.
Naruto learned this?
For a moment, he was impressed. The boy who had always been the weakest in class now wielded an advanced technique.
Naruto, you've grown too.
However, that impression quickly faded as he observed Naruto's movements. The clones' offensive was chaotic and disorganized, lacking strategy or precision.
Even so, the gap between us remains evident. And it will only grow wider in the future.
With a faint smile, Sasuke put his hands in his pockets and began walking slowly toward the clones.
He dodged with minimal movements, leaning left or right at just the right moment to avoid their attacks.
Each of Sasuke's strikes was precise—a punch here, a kick there—destroying each clone with ease.
________
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