Lectured by Kakashi in front of everyone, Sasuke flushed red. Humiliation welled up inside him, and without hesitation, he pointed the kunai in his right hand upward and stabbed it into his left hand.
"I swear on the pain in my left hand that I'll never run from death again! I'll become truly strong!"
Squelch!
The sharp kunai met no resistance as it pierced the back of his pale, smooth left hand.
Sakura Haruno had never expected such an extreme response. Yet when she saw the blood on the back of Sasuke's hand, she actually followed his example-though her wound was a teensy bit shallower.
And Naruto?
The instant he heard Sasuke shout those words, he froze. He spun around, only to see the kunai already buried in the back of Sasuke's left hand.
"Don't!"
Squelch...
But by the time he shouted, blood was already slowly seeping from the back of Sasuke's hand.
"Are you crazy? Why would you do that?" Naruto rushed forward and pulled out the kunai, then looked at Sasuke in distress. "Don't move."
He had thought only the Naruto from the original story would go to such extremes. Who knew Sasuke would do the same after their roles were reversed? This really was fate at work.
Naruto held Sasuke's hand. Feeling him still trying to pull away, he gave him a look that immediately made him settle down.
"Mystical Palm Technique."
Whoosh...
An injury this small was child's play for the A-Rank Ninjutsu, the Mystical Palm Technique.
Within a few breaths, the wound on the back of Sasuke's hand healed, leaving it as good as new.
"Naruto, was I really pathetic back there? I reacted too slowly to help you." Sasuke lowered his head, not daring to look at Naruto.
"Silly boy, your reaction was actually