Ha, I won!

"This is Sasuke-kun's 37th attempt at challenging Naruto."

Hinata spoke softly to the two girls who had fallen silent, breaking the awkward atmosphere.

"How is that possible?"

Ino covered her mouth, looking at the blond figure in some shock.

Although Naruto was certainly very strong, surely Sasuke hadn't lost every single one of the previous 36 attempts?

Sakura, meanwhile, recalled her parents' words again.

"Sakura, be careful of the boy with yellow hair and blue eyes. He's the evil Nine-Tailed Fox in human form."

Just then, Naruto turned and waved at Hinata, signaling that he would do his best.

His face, with its whisker marks, came into Sakura's view again.

"Is it because he's the Nine-"

Before Sakura could finish, Ino clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Ah! Sasuke, keep it up!"

Keeping Sakura's mouth covered, Ino took her back to their original spot.

"What are you doing?"

Sakura looked at Ino in displeasure, not realizing at all that Ino was actually helping her.

"Were you about to say Naruto is the Nine-Tailed Fox?"

Ino questioned Sakura earnestly, staring straight at her face.

Sakura turned her head away.

"What else?"

Ino pressed a hand to her forehead. How had she ended up with such a stupid best friend? What a curse.

"First, Naruto isn't the Nine-Tailed Fox. Whatever you think, you absolutely mustn't say it out loud, or I'll stop being your friend."

Ino turned Sakura's head back and spoke sternly.

For a moment, Sakura felt rather wronged. All she'd wanted was to share the reason Naruto was so strong with everyone. Why was even her best friend snapping at her now?

A faint mist welled up in her eyes.

"Oh, maybe I was a little harsh, but you absolutely can't forget this."

Watching her best friend start feeling wronged again left Ino utterly speechless, but there was nothing she could do. She'd chosen this best friend, so she'd have to live with it.

"Think about it. Everyone over there just now was Naruto's friend. Besides, even you know about the rumor in the village that Naruto is the Nine-Tailed Fox. How could they not know?"

"And even if Naruto really were the Nine-Tailed Fox, he'd still be our classmate. Everyone in the village attacks him over it. That makes it all the more important that we don't hit that sore spot."

Ino's words gradually soothed Sakura, though she still felt wronged. She nodded, then shouted in Sasuke's direction.

"Sasuke-kun, you can do it! You're the best!"

The corner of Ino's mouth twitched, and then she joined in the cheering too.

At the center of the training ground.

Hearing Kiba's cheers, Sasuke gritted his teeth disdainfully, while Naruto scratched his head rather happily.

"Hey, Sasuke, Kiba's cheering for me."

"Shut up. Cheering doesn't mean anything."

Sasuke turned his head away, refusing to look at Naruto's smug face anymore.

But when Ino's and Sakura's cheers reached him, the corners of Sasuke's mouth rose involuntarily, and he slipped his hands into his pockets.

"As a member of the noble Uchiha Clan, it's only natural for others to acclaim me."

With those two girls taking the lead, the other girls who had feelings for Sasuke joined in too.

"Well, let's get started already."

Sasuke: I can barely hold back my smile anymore. Hahahahaha!

As the two raised their shuriken and moved farther away from the dummies, their classmates around them stopped cheering, all holding their breath as they watched.

Naruto held the shuriken between two fingers, adjusted his angle, and reined in his strength.

A sharp crack rang out, and the next instant, two wooden shuriken sank deep into the dummy's crotch, one on either side.

Every male present, including Hashirama in the Sealing Space, felt a chill between his legs.

The corner of Iruka's mouth twitched. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.

Naruto had indeed listened. That amount of force wouldn't destroy the dummy.

But now Dummy No. 4 had a huge gash in its crotch. Would continuing to use it offend public decency?

Dummy No. 4: Good thing I don't have a sex.

Meanwhile, the corners of Sasuke's mouth had already lifted. Hehehe, with throwing that terrible, how are you going to compete with me, Naruto?

He loosened his cuff, and two wooden shuriken fell out.

Iruka had still been considering how to deal with Dummy No. 4 when Sasuke's two extra shuriken startled him.

Sasuke: Didn't see that coming, did you? I didn't put those two shuriken back earlier. I was waiting for this moment!

First, he lightly flicked two shuriken out with his right hand. The very next instant, the next two struck the first pair in midair.

Using a rocket-boosting technique in two pairs, the four shuriken embedded themselves in the dummy's eyes.

It all happened in a flash, finishing before Iruka could stop him.

Afterward, Sasuke calmly slipped his hands back into his pockets, walked over to Naruto, and said softly.

"I... I won."

Mm, I nearly failed to hold back my laughter. Not yet. There are too many people. Laughing now would be undignified.

Naruto nodded, readily accepting that he had lost.

After all, this was his first time playing with shuriken. Just hitting the target was good enough, and Sasuke's technique really was impressive.

"Yeah, that was really impressive, Sasuke."

Sasuke covered his mouth and pulled Naruto along to return the shuriken, then took him toward a less crowded corner.

Looking at Sasuke, who had secretly kept the shuriken, Iruka sighed helplessly. Ah, the Uchiha Clan is going to make me go bald.

"Huh? Where is Sasuke taking Naruto?"

Sakura was very curious about where they were going, but she felt too embarrassed to follow, so she went with Ino to ask Shikamaru.

Shikamaru cracked open the eyes he had just closed, glanced at Sakura, then at Ino.

Ugh, women are such a pain.

"I don't know. Why don't you ask Hinata?"

Shikamaru genuinely didn't know where the two were going. Of everyone here, Hinata was the most likely to know.

Hinata tilted her head and thought for a moment. The scene of Sasuke thinking he had won their 28th match surfaced in her mind.

"Um, they might, maybe, have gone to the bathroom?"

Hinata's eyes shifted up and to the right as she spoke with a slightly guilty conscience.

"Huh? Didn't they go to the bathroom before training class?"

Choji interjected.

"Well, maybe they drank too much water?"

Shikamaru offered an excuse for Hinata, then closed his eyes and continued basking in the sun.

"Oh, so boys like taking their friends along to the bathroom too."

Sakura nodded, then went off to practice with Ino.

Meanwhile, strange sounds echoed through a distant grove.

"Hahahahaha! Gahahahaha! Cough, cough. Hahahahahahaha!"

Clutching his stomach, Sasuke laughed wildly and without restraint.

"I did it! I beat you, Naruto!!!"

He pointed at Naruto as he laughed, tears appearing in his eyes.

"Ah, this kid hasn't had it easy either."

Hashirama wiped his tears with a handkerchief and celebrated for Sasuke.

After all, over these past three years, Sasuke had persistently challenged Naruto again and again. Even Hashirama's heart ached as he watched him fail time after time.

Today, he had finally managed to win once. It truly was cause for celebration, cause for celebration.

Naruto wore a speechless expression. Is this really necessary?

Still, he nodded.

"Yes, yes, yes. You finally beat me once."

"Great job, great job."

Kurama watched speechlessly as Hashirama was moved by a human child's hard-earned success. He didn't care to comment much on it.

Honestly, this Uchiha kid. Why is he so stubborn?

Look, he's even cried his eyes red...

Wait, cried his eyes red?