The Sky Wasn't Clear, and the Rain Didn't Fall

The wind rose.

It whirled, sweeping up the dust from the ground.

Suddenly, Sasuke moved. He leaped to the side while rapidly forming hand seals.

Wind.

There was wind!

Just as he was about to say "Fire Style," Sasuke felt wind behind him. Looking again, there was no one ahead.

"Such fast movement?"

Sasuke's heart jolted. He hurriedly sprinted forward, but the wind was still behind him. He sprinted to the right, yet the wind clung to him like a shadow, impossible to shake off.

A chill ran through him.

Sasuke's expression darkened. The next second, he felt himself locked in place, unable to move.

The grip was incredibly strong, like an iron cage. The hand seals he had been forming came to an abrupt stop.

"Hehehe." Laughter blew into his ear, hot breath washing over it. Sasuke only felt his ear go numb and itchy.

Naruto hugged Sasuke from behind with both arms, pressing his chin against the top of Sasuke's head and leaving him unable to move. With a bright grin, he said, "Hehehe, Sasuke, I caught you again."

"Sasuke, want to be friends?"

"No." He was Sasuke, a proud member of the Uchiha clan. How could he be coerced by someone else? Since he could not form hand seals, Sasuke raised his left leg and kicked straight up at Naruto's head.

Naruto was unhurried in the face of Sasuke's resistance. He swept a kick into Sasuke's right leg, instantly throwing him off balance. The two fell to the ground.

The moment they hit the ground, Naruto's legs wrapped around Sasuke's like snakes, locking his legs in place. Then he braced an elbow against the ground, rolled over, and pinned Sasuke down.

"Sasuke, what do you say? Will you be friends with me?" Naruto asked again.

Naruto had been practicing the Indestructible Body, and his vitality and blood energy were far greater than those of ordinary people. He was like a furnace, radiating heat. At that moment, his face was extremely close to Sasuke's, practically nose to nose.

Moreover, Naruto's expression was stern—fierce, incredibly fierce.

"I don't want to. I refuse." Sasuke was not intimidated in the slightest. Still wearing that cool expression, he spoke one word at a time.

"Not bad, Sasuke. I see my own outstanding qualities in you. Your will is just as unyielding, unmoved by others."

"I really like you as a friend," Naruto said with emotion.

"Hmph, big guy, I never said I agreed to be your friend," Sasuke said, looking unconvinced.

"And besides, this time and last time, I lost. No matter what underhanded methods you used, a loss is a loss. I admit that."

"But I, Sasuke, will defeat you someday," Sasuke said with a serious expression.

"Fine, I'll wait for you. But this sparring match isn't over yet."

Bang... bang bang...

Sasuke's face swelled up even more. Seeing his miserable appearance, Naruto felt a little reluctant. "System, isn't this a little wrong?"

"Wrong? What's wrong?" The system hurriedly corrected Naruto's mistaken thinking. "Have you forgotten how the Great Emperor made friends throughout the Nine Heavens Ten Earths? This is the correct path proven through his own practice."

"Naruto, isn't Sasuke an excellent friend? Do you want to give up on Sasuke as a friend?"

Hearing the system's words, Naruto immediately felt deeply ashamed. How could he have entertained thoughts of giving up? Everything was difficult at the beginning. It had always been this way. I absolutely can't give up on Sasuke as a friend.

In an instant, Naruto was filled with motivation again.

"Sasuke, let's spar again next time." After giving Sasuke a friendly farewell, Naruto slung on the backpack Grandpa Third had given him and gradually walked away.

Watching the tall figure with the pink backpack grow farther and farther away, Sasuke clenched his fists, indignation rising in his heart. I, Sasuke, am no worse than anyone else.

Hmph, big guy, I'll definitely defeat you.

Just wait.

Sasuke got to his feet and took out the small mirror from his backpack. Looking at the injuries on his face, he saw they were even more swollen than yesterday.

"The big guy must be jealous because I'm more handsome than him? Yes, that must be it..."

Once Sasuke thought of that possibility, he quickly became convinced. But with fresh injuries added, how was he supposed to face his brother and parents?

His brother would be easier to deal with.

Yesterday, he had spent a long time explaining the injuries on his face to his mother.

When he was almost home, Sasuke saw his brother Itachi on top of a streetlamp again. He was still standing there with his arms folded, though Sasuke had no idea what he was looking at.

"Brother..." Sasuke called softly.

Hearing Sasuke's voice, Itachi snapped back to his senses and turned to look at him. When he noticed the fresh injuries on Sasuke's face, Itachi's expression turned cold, and terrifying killing intent radiated from his body.

Yesterday, he could still pass it off as a minor quarrel between classmates.

But today, again... When had anyone else been allowed to hit Itachi's little brother?

Even if someone was going to hit him, only Itachi could do it.

With murderous intent held in his chest, Itachi jumped down from the streetlamp. The instant his feet touched the ground, he lunged forward.

Sasuke reacted quickly and caught his brother before he could fall. He asked worriedly, "Brother, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

Itachi waved a hand. "I stood on the streetlamp too long. My legs went a little numb. I'll be fine after resting for a bit."

Sasuke was somewhat speechless at his brother Itachi's explanation. Seriously, why did he always stand on streetlamps? His brother had once told him that standing high let you see things others could not.

Sasuke did not really understand.

"Sasuke, was it that classmate bullying you again? Do you want your brother to teach him a lesson?" Itachi suggested.

Sasuke immediately rejected his brother Itachi's proposal. Clenching his little fists, he said seriously, "Brother, there's no need. I want to defeat him myself."

"Alright, alright. Your brother will do as you wish." Itachi lovingly rubbed Sasuke's head.

Sasuke's face reddened. He narrowed his eyes, enjoying Itachi's head pat. His brother's hand truly held all the gentleness in the world.

"Brother, I want to eat the food you make. It's been so long since I last ate your cooking." Sasuke opened his eyes and looked at Itachi expectantly.

"Alright. I'll go home and cook for you right now." Itachi was smiling too. After staying in darkness for so long, every time he came out and saw his little brother, it was the most wonderful thing in the world.

When they returned home, Uchiha Mikoto saw that the injuries on her son's face had increased again and was immediately heartbroken. She quickly brought over Ointment to apply to Sasuke's face, repeatedly asking how it had happened.

Naturally, Sasuke was too embarrassed to tell his mother that he had been beaten by a classmate. He could only say with a red face, "I accidentally fell."

Uchiha Mikoto naturally did not believe him. Could a fall leave him looking like this?

Those fist marks were so obvious. Did he really think she was blind?

"Mother, Sasuke's face really was injured in a fall. It was one of those... those very special flat-ground falls. You definitely haven't seen one before," Itachi said from the side.

Hearing that, Uchiha Mikoto shot Itachi a glare.

Sasuke, meanwhile, gave his brother Itachi a grateful look and said, "Brother, hurry and cook. I'm hungry already."

"Alright, alright, alright. I'll go cook right away. I'll make a whole table of dishes that our Sasuke loves." Itachi rubbed Sasuke's head again, then plunged into the kitchen.

Thanks to Shinigami Hill for the 100 Qidian Coin tip. Really, even one yuan moves me for a long time. Muah!