On the rooftop of a building somewhere in Konoha, Sasuke Uchiha lay flat on his back, his head resting on his wrist as he stared up at the azure sky.
The weather was fairly nice today. After a light rain in the morning, the skies had cleared completely. Yet the clean, crystal-blue sky did nothing to lift Sasuke Uchiha's mood.
Ever since the mission to pursue Gaara, and after attending the Third Hokage's funeral, something had been off with him.
The battle from that day kept replaying in his mind.
He and Naruto had been stopped by Temari of Sunagakure. They had originally wanted to break through quickly, but the outcome had been painfully ironic.
Under Wind Release: Sickle Weasel, even together, he and Naruto Uzumaki had been no match for her. Whether it was shuriken and kunai attacks or the Great Fireball Technique, none of them could hit her.
And that was with Temari merely stalling for time rather than trying to kill them.
If that had made Sasuke Uchiha feel bitterly ironic, then the battle he had witnessed afterward had shattered everything he thought he knew.
So Gaara was that strong. No wonder he had such a terrifying monster hidden inside him!
If he had faced Gaara himself, he probably would not even have had the courage to run.
"Damn it!" Sasuke Uchiha slammed his fist into the ground in frustration. He had always thought that as long as he worked hard enough, he could catch up! But what kind of monsters had he been running into?
"Sasuke, so you're here!"
At that moment, Sakura Haruno appeared behind him to comfort him.
"Is something wrong?" Sasuke Uchiha quickly reined in his emotions.
"I just noticed you seemed upset, so I wanted to check on you." Sakura Haruno walked