"Lightning Style: Lightning Snake..."
Under Sasuke's Sharingan, Kakashi slowly completed the Hand Seals and let out a low shout.
In an instant, blue lightning manifested in Kakashi's right hand...
Through his Sharingan, Sasuke clearly saw what was really happening beneath the lightning.
A Lightning Snake, curled into a ball, crackled with arcs of electricity in the center of Kakashi's palm...
"This is the first method of attack..."
Kakashi grabbed the ball of lightning snakes and gave it a shake as he explained, then suddenly spread his palm open.
With a crackling burst of intertwined electricity, the coiled Lightning Snake erupted and shot toward Sasuke...
Instinctively,
Sasuke erupted with Chakra beneath his feet and retreated several meters, finally landing ten meters away.
The Lightning Snake extended eight meters before striking the ground, blasting out a long blackened scorch mark...
"That's basically how it works!
The Lightning Snake's power and length will change depending on the caster's Chakra.
But its fundamental nature remains the same...
Now it's up to you, Sasuke."
Kakashi's stern expression instantly shifted back into his usual listless laziness.
He turned to leave...
"Damn it, Teacher Kakashi secretly gave Sasuke special training all by himself.
That's too unfair..."
Just then, Naruto suddenly ran out and shouted furiously.
A hurt shimmer even appeared in his azure eyes, nearly spilling over...
"Sorry, Teacher Kakashi.
I tried to stop Naruto from coming over, but I couldn't hold him back!"
Sakura hurriedly waved her hands in apology, but her eyes were fixed on Sasuke, sparkling with admiration.
As expected of the man she had her eye on—he was already learning a new ninjutsu!
Still, she felt a little unwilling to accept it...
"Well, we've been found out..."
Kakashi scratched his head with a guilty chuckle, then turned his gaze toward Naruto and Sakura.
"You two don't need to think I'm favoring Sasuke.
Sakura, you don't have enough Chakra yet, so you aren't suited to training ninjutsu right now.
Naruto, have you finished your Tree Climbing training?
Once you finish Tree Climbing, then we can talk about learning ninjutsu..."
Kakashi casually found an excuse to brush them off, then vanished with a whoosh.
"Huh? He ran off again...
Damn it, I'm going to train like crazy now.
I'll master Tree Climbing as fast as possible and make Teacher Kakashi teach me a new ninjutsu...
I'll definitely catch up to you, Sasuke!!"
Naruto scratched at his head as he shouted, shot Sasuke a fierce glare, and charged toward a nearby tree.
"What a hot-blooded idiot..."
Sasuke shrugged and grumbled weakly, slowly forming Hand Seals as he began training.
Naruto learning ninjutsu??
What a joke. He was the kind of guy who could brute-force his way to the end with a single Rasengan...
"So cool, Sasuke..."
As faint arcs of electricity flashed across Sasuke's palm, Sakura propped her face in her hands and instantly melted...
In the blink of an eye, evening arrived.
Both Naruto and Sasuke were completely exhausted by then...
The two of them had trained at full tilt all day, with Sakura even taking care of lunch.
Yet neither Tree Climbing nor Lightning Style training had been completed...
"So you were training here!
Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto..."
Just as the three were preparing to head home and rest, a voice suddenly rang out from beyond the woods.
Sasuke turned and saw Kiba Inuzuka running over quickly with Akamaru...
Behind him were Hinata and Shino, his fellow members of Team 8.
Close behind the three of them was Team 10's Ino-Shika-Cho...
"Kiba, why are you here?"
Naruto, who had also spotted them, immediately perked up and questioned him.
"Didn't Sasuke tell you?
He invited us to have a get-together and hold a class reunion...
Don't tell me you weren't invited, Naruto?
Well, that would make sense.
After all, you're just a useless Dead Last..."
Kiba Inuzuka wore a smug, arrogant expression, every word dripping with mockery.
He wasn't afraid of Naruto in the slightest!
"Damn it, what nonsense are you talking about...
Who are you calling a useless Dead Last? Want to fight?"
Naruto instantly bristled at those words, rolling up his sleeves as he glared viciously at Kiba Inuzuka.
"D-Don't do this...
We're all companions, Kiba, Naruto..."
Hinata hurriedly spoke up. Her shy yet brave, contradictory demeanor left Sasuke speechless.
Hinata was way too shy...
Could someone with that personality really take the initiative to make a suggestion??
Maybe he should go find genius Neji instead??
"Idiot Naruto, what are you doing...
Everyone came to eat together today, so don't start anything!"
Ino took a quick step between the two and shouted. Only then did she turn to Sasuke, her eyes curving into crescents.
"Sasuke-kun, didn't you say during our date last night that you wanted to hold a class reunion?
I already invited Hinata and the others. Where are we going for dinner now?
Should we go to the Hot Pot Restaurant near my family's Flower Shop?"
[Get-together? A date!!]
Before Sasuke could answer, Sakura clenched her fists, murder flashing in her eyes.
She had been careless—far too careless...
She had foolishly thought that becoming Sasuke's teammate meant she could rest easy, and she had let down her guard.
That Ino had actually secretly gone on a date with Sasuke-kun at night!
And Sasuke-kun had agreed to it!!
How could she possibly accept that...
"Ahaha...
Ino, you don't need to worry about that!
Sasuke-kun and I already discussed the class reunion. It'll be at Yoshinoya Self-Service BBQ Restaurant..."
Her thoughts racing, Sakura immediately wrapped herself around Sasuke's arm and declared her claim.
She absolutely could not let Ino take the lead...
"Is that so, Sasuke-kun..."
A trace of shock flashed through Ino's eyes as well, though she forced a smile and asked.
Inside, alarm bells were blaring...
As expected, Sakura's relationship with Sasuke had advanced by leaps and bounds after they became teammates.
"Damn it...
Sasuke, what the hell do you mean by this?
You discussed it with Sakura without telling me. Didn't you already acknowledge my existence...
Why, why didn't you invite me!!"
Just as Sasuke was stunned by Sakura adding scenes to his story, Naruto suddenly tore into a loud, emotional shout.
Everyone present immediately turned their eyes toward Sasuke...
Sasuke had actually acknowledged Dead Last Naruto!!
Meanwhile, it felt as though ten thousand Tailed Beasts were stampeding through Sasuke's heart...
Why was Naruto causing trouble for no reason? He made it sound like Sasuke had abandoned him!
Combined with Sakura and Ino's open and secret rivalry, Sasuke could not help feeling as though three women were fighting over one man.
[Pah, pah, pah...
What three women fighting over one man? I'm completely straight!!]
Sasuke quickly cast aside that strange thought, cleared his throat, and steadied himself...
"Idiot, you were busy training with your head down. When would I have had the time?
I said it was a class reunion. Aren't you a classmate?"
Sasuke looked at him with disdain, and Naruto's face instantly brightened with excitement!
"Let's go, everyone...
Destination: Yoshinoya Self-Service BBQ Restaurant..."
Sighing inwardly, Sasuke turned and gave the uneasy Sakura a deep look.
Only then did he raise his head and call out.
"Okay, Sasuke-kun..."
Hearing that, Sakura's unsettled heart finally calmed. She tightly hugged Sasuke's arm and replied sweetly.
Sasuke-kun was still on her side after all...
Ino, you were doomed to lose!
"Don't cling to Sasuke-kun so tightly, Sakura..."
Seeing this, Ino flew into a rage and stepped forward to pull Sakura away from Sasuke.
Her turquoise eyes blazed with boundless fighting spirit, refusing to yield in the slightest!
Naturally, Sakura was unwilling to back down either. Full of confidence, she began competing with Ino to get closer to Sasuke...
"Ugh, I knew this would happen!
What a pain..."
Shikamaru sighed, rubbing his forehead as he watched the two. He took two steps forward and moved to Sasuke's right.
"Sasuke..."
Naruto's eyes spun as he immediately ran to Sasuke's left, becoming the last obstacle blocking Sakura and Ino.
Looking at the two flanking him on either side, Sasuke's expression became deeply meaningful...
Before you continue