A Promise Between Men!

Inside the Uchiha Clan Compound training ground.

"Huh? It's actually this simple?"

Uzumaki Naruto and his surrounding shadow clones looked at each other, then burst into laughter in unison.

"I really am a genius, hahahaha!"

Before Sasuke said he would teach him the Shadow Clone Technique, Naruto had felt a bit like backing out.

After all, the Shadow Clone Technique was a B-rank ninjutsu, and he couldn't even perform the basic E-rank Clone Technique at the academy without it looking like a disaster.

But to his surprise, the Shadow Clone Technique was simpler than the basic version. After receiving less than half an hour of guidance from Sasuke, he had already mastered it.

Naruto enjoyed the moment for a while before he and his clones turned their gazes toward Sasuke, who remained calm. To his surprise, Sasuke didn't mock him this time, but instead nodded slightly and said indifferently:

"It seems you do have some talent after all. You aren't as hopeless as I thought, which is quite unexpected."

Sasuke scanned the clones around him with a calm gaze.

Ten!

The Shadow Clone Technique could create a maximum of ten physical clones, and Naruto had reached the limit on his very first attempt.

One had to know that after more than three months of training, even though Sasuke could now create ten physical clones, the mental and physical burden was quite heavy for him, so he usually only created about five to assist in his training.

Yet Naruto had summoned ten at once, and he still looked energetic and full of spirit.

However, he could understand it; for Naruto, ten shadow clones were child's play. In the original story, he learned the enhanced forbidden version of the technique—the Multi Shadow Clone Technique.

The first time he used it, he summoned a thousand, beating Mizuki, a Chunin teacher at the time, into a half-dead state.

According to the official databook, Naruto's limit was at least five thousand—at least!

Sasuke couldn't help but sigh inwardly; sometimes, comparing yourself to others could really drive you mad.

"Hehe!" Naruto scratched the back of his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. It was the first time he had heard Sasuke praise him, and although it wasn't very obvious, he was still very happy.

"Um, Sasuke..." After being happy for a while, Naruto asked with a serious look: "Why did you teach me this ninjutsu?"

Naruto's tone was a bit nervous and uneasy. For someone as lonely as him, what he wanted most was to be acknowledged by others, and among his peers, he craved Sasuke's acknowledgment the most!

Looking at Naruto's clear blue, slightly nervous eyes, Sasuke was silent for a moment. Instead of answering his question directly, he said: "The Shadow Clone Technique is a B-rank ninjutsu developed by the Second Hokage. It uses Chakra to create physical clones that can act and fight just like the user, possessing consciousness independent of the original and a certain degree of resistance to damage. It is usually used for reconnaissance and combat support."

"But recently, I discovered another use for it: to assist in training!"

"Assist in training?" Naruto scratched his head, confused.

"Yes!" Sasuke nodded slightly and continued calmly: "After the physical clones are dispelled, the memories and experience return to the original body. In a sense, it is equivalent to accelerating the speed of cultivation."

"Eh!?"

Naruto was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up as if he had a sudden realization, and he said happily: "Then doesn't that mean my future training will be ten times faster?"

Thinking of Sasuke's previous words, Naruto understood the intention behind Sasuke teaching him the technique.

"In a way, you could say that." Sasuke nodded: "However, don't get too happy yet. Besides experience and memories, the physical fatigue and mental burden also return."

Seeing Naruto nod as if he understood, Sasuke continued: "Just as I said before, if you want to catch up to me, you have to put in ten or a hundred times the effort!"

Hearing this, Naruto wasn't upset; instead, he asked happily: "Sasuke, have you started to see me as a rival?"

"No, you are still far from qualified to be my rival, Naruto!" Sasuke said coldly. His indifferent gaze pierced through like a sharp sword, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, instantly silencing the excited Naruto.

"Naruto, I admire your tireless courage in challenging me, but I hate those who overestimate themselves even more. So, please prove it to me with sweat and blood, Uzumaki Naruto. If you manage to do that, I, Uchiha Sasuke, will acknowledge you as my rival."

Naruto felt a jolt in his heart and clenched his fists. A flame seemed to be burning in his clear blue eyes as he said with utmost seriousness:

"I will prove it to you, I swear it on my ninja way, Sasuke!"

With that, Naruto extended his fist and said with a solemn expression: "This is a promise between us men!"

"Heh..." Sasuke chuckled. After a moment of silence, he extended his fist as well.

Bang!

The two fists collided!

Under the bright moonlight, inside the Uchiha Clan Compound training ground, two boys stood with their fists pressed together, having made a pact!

In the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage, who had been watching silently, touched his beard with a gratified smile upon seeing this scene.

Naruto left. After he was gone, the feeling of being watched from above also vanished; after all, compared to Sasuke, the Third Hokage was more concerned with Naruto.

Sasuke had naturally been aware of the Third Hokage's gaze all along. His actions just now were half performance and half genuine.

The genuine part was that he truly needed a rival to put pressure on him.

The performance part was to make the Third Hokage believe that he was someone who appeared closed off on the surface but was deeply longing for friendship and valued his companions.

Such a persona would naturally suit the Third Hokage's tastes, representing someone stable and easy to control.

Whether in the original timeline or this world, the Third Hokage never forbade or guarded against the friendship between Sasuke and Naruto because of Sasuke's sensitive status.

On the contrary, judging from various details and memories from the original timeline, the Third Hokage held a supportive, perhaps even intentional, attitude toward their bond. For this reason, he had specifically arranged for Naruto and Sasuke to be in the same class to deepen their connection.

Danzo's methods were often high-handed, involving coercion and threats, while the Third Hokage was a guy who liked to play the emotional card. In this world, emotions were often more lethal and harder to resolve.

You could call the Third Hokage hypocritical, sanctimonious, a shedder of crocodile tears, or even the mastermind behind the scenes, but it could not be denied that he did feel guilty toward Sasuke and Naruto.

Therefore, while the Third Hokage was alive, no matter how much trouble Naruto caused, the Third Hokage would always suppress it.

Even when Sasuke was in a state of being completely unreachable and drowning in revenge, the Third Hokage didn't mind; instead, he intentionally guided Sasuke to make more friends to deepen his links and bonds with the village.

Of course, Sasuke wouldn't completely trust what was shown in the original timeline. His act of teaching Naruto the Shadow Clone Technique was also a form of probing.