Sasuke's face was filled with confusion, and beneath that confusion lay deep resentment!
What confused him was, how could Naruto be so powerful?!
If he possessed strength equal to Naruto's, wouldn't his revenge against Itachi Uchiha finally be within reach?
As for his resentment!
It came from how he always thought back to the past—to the title of genius ninja that his peers and teachers had bestowed upon him at the academy.
The academy's genius.
The preferred romantic choice in the eyes of countless girls.
Sasuke did not care about the latter.
But that title of genius!
He did not want anyone to take it from him!
This had to be traced back to when Sasuke was still young.
Itachi Uchiha, the genius of the Uchiha clan!
The praise of his peers, the admiration of his teachers, the recognition of his father.
All kinds of glory surrounded him.
Ever since childhood, he had been draped in all manner of accolades.
For Sasuke to say he was not envious would have been self-deception.
That was why, at the academy, he had deliberately and inadvertently made himself appear outstanding.
All so he could experience the same thrill of being called a genius as Itachi Uchiha.
Until today, when he had accepted a mission and left the village.
Then experienced everything surrounding Kirigakure's assassination attempt!
Only then did Sasuke suddenly realize
what a laughable joke he had been in the past.
Showing off the moment he achieved anything.
And Naruto?
He had been quietly building up his strength all along.
Then he stunned everyone in a single stroke!
Or rather, everything Naruto had shown in the past had been meant to conceal the fact that he was an undeniable genius.
Sasuke even began to think
that Naruto had deliberately pretended to be dead