After coming down the mountain, Xia Yu headed back to the Clan Compound. On the way, he passed the Training Ground and happened to see Sasuke sparring with several children.
Those children were none other than Yamanaka Fū, Torune Aburame, Shin, and Sai.
Only when he drew closer did Xia Yu realize that what he had taken for sparring was actually Sasuke getting beaten up one-sidedly.
These children from Root really were different.
With little Sasuke's current strength, he had no chance of fighting back.
"D-damn it!" Sasuke climbed to his feet. Though his face was bruised and swollen, his fighting spirit hadn't diminished at all. "Again!"
Torune Aburame replied expressionlessly, "Let's stop here for today. If we keep going, you'll end up in the hospital..."
"No! I want to get stronger, stronger than you, stronger than that man, stronger than everyone!!"
As he shouted, Sasuke swung his little fists and charged at Torune Aburame.
Torune Aburame sighed helplessly. To him, aside from his decent fighting spirit, Sasuke was nothing but openings right now. "Sasuke, you're too impatient..."
Torune Aburame leaned slightly, easily dodging Sasuke's all-out strike, then stuck out a leg and tripped him. Sasuke fell flat on the ground.
"You're not even strong enough to make me take off my gloves. Sasuke, train for a while longer before you challenge us again."
"Heh... hehehe..."
Sasuke struggled to get up. Even with so many bruises covering his body, he didn't care in the slightest.
All he cared about was his hatred for himself.
Too weak...
How could I be this weak!
At the Ninja Academy, Sasuke was one of the best in his class, and everyone called him a genius.
He had never expected such an enormous gap in strength between himself and these boys around his age.
Sasuke