I Fight for Those I Love

"I don't understand what you mean."

"Help me kill my brother, avenge our clan, and rebuild the Uchiha Clan once more."

"No. Don't drag me into the Uchiha Clan and your petty revenge; it has nothing to do with me. The Uchiha Clan is a bunch of arrogant fools who will do anything for power, thinking they're gods just because they possess those precious eyes."

Sasuke clenched his teeth, wanting to argue but unable to find the words.

"Wait... you said your father wasn't an Uchiha?" Sasuke asked.

"That's right. My father had lived in the village since he was five. He was never part of the Uchiha Clan."

Sasuke was too shocked to speak.

"My father always used genjutsu to hide his Sharingan, just as I had done for the past eight years," Naruto explained.

"If your father wasn't part of the Uchiha Clan, then he must have been weak, unworthy of being considered one of us," Sasuke said smugly, trying to provoke Naruto.

"My father was a hero who sacrificed himself during the Nine-Tails attack, so don't disrespect him, Sasuke," Naruto said seriously.

"I am Naruto, grandson of the legendary Madara Uchiha," Naruto declared loudly. As he spoke, the wind tousled his hair and his Sharingan spun wildly. Naruto secretly used the Shadow Clone Technique, transforming into Madara's likeness as he appeared behind himself. Everyone could see the resemblance between them.

Whether it was their hairstyle, strong jawlines, the general contours of their faces, or the powerful aura they gave off. Poor Sasuke didn't know what to make of the boy once considered an idiot and the lowest-ranked student at the Academy—he was actually the grandson of the strongest Uchiha in history.

So Minato Namikaze was an Uchiha, and Madara's son. Orochimaru thought through gritted teeth. If I can obtain the bloodline of the strongest Uchiha, I can achieve my ultimate goal. I can't kill that boy anymore... but I wonder, what else is he hiding?

Sasuke broke free from his thoughts. He would not let the other side control him.

"I don't care who you are. I'm going to defeat you right here," Sasuke said angrily.

"You really are a hypocrite, Sasuke. You say you don't care who I am, yet there you are boasting about being an Uchiha."

"Shut up!" Sasuke shouted, his curse mark burning even more fiercely.

"I'm ending this!" Sasuke said.

"Chidori!"

"Rasengan!"

The two techniques collided, and the explosive force made the ground tremble. All the spectators were stunned by the power unleashed by the two boys. In an instant, the ground was torn apart, and some people were even forced to turn away by the blinding light.

When the explosion ended, both of them were blasted away. Sasuke crashed to the ground, while Naruto adjusted his posture in midair and landed steadily. Even so, the force of his landing cracked the ground beneath him.

"Looks like the Rasengan and Chidori are about the same," Naruto said as he studied the result of their clash.

Sasuke was slowly getting back to his feet as well. He looked completely exhausted, breathing heavily. His arms bore fresh cuts and bruises, blood running down them.

Sasuke charged forward again, seemingly preparing for another clash between the Rasengan and Chidori. However, just as they were about to collide, Naruto activated his Mangekyo Sharingan. Naruto seemed to pass through Sasuke's body in an instant.

What? Sasuke thought.

Once they separated, Naruto immediately turned around and slammed his Rasengan into Sasuke's back. Sasuke was sent flying into the wall, then crashed heavily to the ground, nearly losing consciousness.

Sasuke coughed painfully and asked:

"You... how can you... be so strong?"

Naruto walked closer and paused slightly before speaking:

"Because I fight to protect... Sasuke. And you only want to become stronger so you can kill your brother."

After saying that, Naruto saw Sasuke glaring at him, and he continued.

"But... if you truly want to become stronger, then train. Fight for the people you cherish, even die for them. Let go of that attitude, find someone you care about, and then your true strength will reveal itself." After Naruto finished speaking, he watched Sasuke close his eyes and lose consciousness.

Hayate hurried to Sasuke's side and poked him with a branch. Sasuke did not react at all; he had completely lost consciousness.

"Medical team!" Hayate shouted. Two medical ninja immediately entered the arena, placed Sasuke on a stretcher, and prepared to take him to the infirmary.

"Naruto Uzumaki wins!" Hayate announced the result, smiling at the blond boy.

Then there was a moment of silence as Sasuke was carried toward the infirmary. Naruto left the arena and headed toward the stands. At that moment, the crowd suddenly erupted in cheers, and the blond boy smiled.

"Thirty minutes of rest, then the next round will begin," Hayate explained.

The Will of Fire burns fiercely within him... How I wish you could be here to see him, Minato, the Hokage thought sadly.

Everyone watched the blond boy walk toward the stands, toward his friends and teachers.

Naruto realized everyone was staring at him and asked:

"Is there something on my face?"

"Congratulations, Naruto-kun," Hinata said, kissing his cheek.

"Thank you, Hinata-chan," Naruto replied, hugging her.

"Good job, kid. I made quite a bit of money betting on you," Zabuza said with a smug grin.

"Were the odds that high?" Naruto asked.

"Twenty to one. Everyone came to watch an Uchiha win," Zabuza said with a laugh, looking at the crowd before suddenly realizing something.

"Well, an Uchiha did win," Zabuza said with a laugh, pointing at Naruto.

"At least everyone knows now, so I don't have to keep hiding it anymore," Naruto said.

"Thank you, Naruto," Sakura said. She was glad Naruto had not seriously hurt Sasuke.

"He really needed a good lesson. He thought having eyes like that made him invincible, like a god," Naruto said.