You might not know when cloudy skies would turn to rain, but surely you knew your own limits? Yet here was someone with no clear idea of his own strength. Stop looking around. Yes, you, Hajisuke.
When Naruto watched the anime Naruto in his previous life, he had always thought Sasuke was really strange. He clearly couldn't beat Naruto, yet he kept provoking him. Every time, Naruto beat him so badly that even his own mother wouldn't recognize him, but he never changed. He just kept looking for a beating, like a masochist.
Back when he watched the anime, he couldn't understand Sasuke's behavior. Only now, with Sasuke blocking his path and insisting on dragging him into a duel no matter what, did Naruto confirm his original suspicion. There was definitely something seriously wrong with this Sasuke.
It was another practical combat lesson. Iruka let the students find their own opponents. Sometimes a good opponent could push both people to improve, and actual combat was the only way to better understand where their weaknesses lay.
"All right, everyone, find your opponents. Once both sides have formed the Seal of Confrontation, you can begin. Remember to form the Seal of Reconciliation afterward. Be careful during your matches, and don't go for the kill."
No sooner had Iruka finished speaking than Sasuke's voice rang out.
"Naruto Uzumaki, let's settle this! This time, I'll take back everything that belongs to me."
Those painfully edgy words made Naruto's mouth twitch, and fine beads of sweat even appeared on his forehead. Looking at Sasuke's impassioned expression, Naruto couldn't help grumbling inwardly.
Wait, was Uchiha Sasuke like this as a kid? Does he seriously not find this embarrassing?
Naruto glanced around at the other students' expressions and found that they were used to it. They even thought Sasuke looked cool right now, which surprised Naruto a little.
Fine, I guess I was letting my preconceptions get in the way. This is the Naruto world, after all, and on Japanese turf at that. Being a little edgy should be perfectly normal, right?
Naruto had intended to decline Sasuke's challenge and rest off to the side, but Sasuke blocked him.
"Come on, Naruto Uzumaki. If you're a man, fight me fair and square! Don't tell me you're scared? Or are you not a man at all?"
Faced with Sasuke's blatantly obvious attempt to provoke him, Naruto was speechless. Why would I let you find out whether I'm a man? You're not Hinata.
Still, Sasuke had provoked him this much. It really wouldn't do not to give him a beating.
With a cold chuckle, Naruto looked at the arrogant Sasuke before him and decided he would teach him a painful lesson today.
"Fine. I accept."
Seeing this, Iruka hurried over to act as referee. After all, these two little fellows were rather terrifyingly strong. Their previous fight had made that clear. What they had done then was already beyond what ordinary Genin could manage.
"Today, I'll show you the results of all my hard training these past few days."
Watching Sasuke make threats before the fight had even begun, Naruto wore the faintest hint of a smile. Just thinking about what he was about to do made him want to laugh.
Sasuke was so tsundere and full of himself as a kid. Would he cry for a long time after a beating?
A wicked little idea popped into Naruto's head, and a sly gleam flashed through his eyes. Anyone who knew Naruto knew he was definitely up to no good.
Shikamaru, for instance, could already foresee Sasuke's miserable fate.
"Looks like Sasuke's going to suffer in a bit."
Choji looked between Naruto and Sasuke in confusion. Scratching his head, he asked uncertainly.
"Why? Sasuke looks like he's been preparing for a long time, and he doesn't look weak, either. At the very least, he should be able to exchange a few moves with Naruto, right?"
Shikamaru shook his head, indicating that Choji was still too young. He didn't really understand the cruelty of the Shinobi World, nor did he understand Naruto. As for just how terrifyingly strong Naruto was now, even Shikamaru didn't know.
He only knew that underestimating Naruto would cost you dearly. Naruto might smile all day, cook delicious food, and greet his friends with a polite smile, but his strength was beyond question.
Things turned out exactly as Shikamaru had said. In the end, Sasuke was carried into the school infirmary with a bruised and swollen face. Even on the stretcher, he was still muttering.
"Why? Why? Nii-san trains me every day, and I work so hard every day. Why can't I beat him...?"
As though recalling all his hard work these past few days, Sasuke suddenly felt terribly wronged. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to throw himself into his brother's arms and have a good cry.
And how could Naruto let such a perfect opportunity slip by? Seeing the tears in Sasuke's eyes, his mischievous side took over.
"Hey, Sasuke. Going home to cry to your big brother?"
Those few words from Naruto completely broke Sasuke. This blond bastard was such a bully.
Sasuke burst into tears with a wail. Seeing this, the people carrying his stretcher hurried him away. After all, making them keep holding back their laughter was asking a bit much.
Only when the crying faded into the distance did everyone finally double over with laughter. They truly hadn't expected the Uchiha Clan Head's second son to get beaten to tears in a sparring match. They could already imagine word of this spreading like wildfire through Konoha.
As for the culprit, Naruto Uzumaki, he was still cheerfully enjoying the show without the slightest hint of guilt.
As for how things had ended up like this, it had all started with...
"Naruto Uzumaki, I'm telling you, you're finished this time."
Naruto and Sasuke stood facing each other. They had only just finished forming the Seal of Reconciliation, and before the fight even began, Sasuke couldn't resist jumping out with another threat. But Naruto wasn't going to indulge him. Didn't he know villains died from talking too much?
Ignoring Sasuke's words, Naruto charged straight at him, fast and fierce. This sudden turn of events gave Sasuke quite a fright. He hadn't expected Naruto to rush him directly.
"Holy shit, Naruto Uzumaki! You have no honor!"
The hostile atmosphere shattered in an instant, even taking on a touch of comedy. Now Naruto was chasing Sasuke, and Sasuke was running ahead of him. He ran, Naruto pursued, and he couldn't escape even if he sprouted wings.
Sasuke didn't know why he was running, either. After a few steps, he came to his senses.
He smacked his forehead. Right, why am I running? It's not like I can't beat him.
At that thought, Sasuke immediately stopped and met Naruto's gaze, only to see the mockery in his eyes. Sasuke instantly saw red.
"Damn it, you bastard! How dare you mess with me!"
This time, Sasuke charged straight at Naruto too. He would seize the initiative. What looked like a feint concealed his other fist, already poised to strike Naruto.
In Sasuke's envisioned sequence, he would punch toward Naruto's face, and Naruto would turn his head, barely dodging. Then, while Naruto was caught between movements and unable to muster fresh strength, Sasuke would twist around and swing his fist like a blade, aiming straight for the side of Naruto's face. If his calculations were right, that punch would hurt badly. A hit to Naruto's temple would put him out of action immediately, and then Sasuke could plant his foot on Naruto's backside and make him sing "Conquest."
But dreams were beautiful, and reality was harsh. Sasuke threw a straight punch at Naruto's face, only for Naruto to grab his fist instead of dodging. Sasuke reacted quickly and tried to pull his fist free, abruptly jumping backward. All he managed was a little hop in place, making the scene rather awkward.
Refusing to accept it, Sasuke jumped backward several more times. But like a clown, he could only hop on the spot, completely unable to break free of Naruto's hand. He could only helplessly accept reality: he apparently wasn't as strong as Naruto. What had this guy grown up eating, anyway? How was he so strong?
Still, he had another move ready.
Sasuke glanced at Naruto with a contemptuous smile. So what if you're stronger than me? With my superior combat instincts, you'll still have no choice but to lose.
But that wasn't how Naruto saw it. He had originally just been toying with Sasuke, only to see him stop running and charge back at him. That snail-like speed and limp punch were easy to catch. More entertainingly, Sasuke had even demonstrated an on-the-spot ascent to heaven, reminding Naruto of a scene from a comedy show in his previous life.
The story was roughly about an immortal who wanted to take his friend soaring through the sky to enjoy the beautiful scenery. But when he grabbed his friend's arm and tried to fly upward, he discovered that his friend was too heavy, and he couldn't get off the ground at all. Sasuke looked very much like that immortal right now.
"Hey, Sasuke, are you trying to fly?"
"Huh?"
Although Sasuke didn't understand what Naruto meant, an opportunity this good rarely came along. Naruto had let his guard down, so it was time to strike.
Using his waist and spine as the axis, he used the speed of his turn to accelerate his fist and strengthen the punch. His fist shot like a blade, its leading edge aimed at Naruto's eyes. The strike was fast, but to Naruto, it was nothing special. He caught Sasuke's fist with ease.
Sasuke turned to stare at Naruto in astonishment, his eyes filled with disbelief. His speed and strength should definitely have been enough to hurt Naruto. At the very least, he should have touched him, right? Yet now Naruto had both his hands pinned behind his back. He was about to struggle free when, through one careless move, Sasuke dropped straight to his knees. Once again, silence fell.
Standing opposite Sasuke, Iruka discreetly moved away from his previous spot. It wasn't a very good place to stand, since Sasuke had knelt directly toward it.
Even Naruto hadn't expected Sasuke to drop to his knees so readily. After a moment's thought, he let him go.
"Damn it! Again!"
Gritting his teeth, Sasuke struggled to his feet. He had utterly humiliated himself today, and his only option was to find a way to regain his dignity against Naruto. He charged again. He refused to believe he couldn't even touch Naruto's sleeve today!
Sasuke, half an hour later: You fucking called it.
Left hook, right hook, whipping kick, uppercut, a hammering blow with both fists clasped together-Naruto effortlessly dodged this entire barrage, leaving Sasuke increasingly frantic.
"Damn it, Naruto Uzumaki! What the hell are you dodging for? Can't you fight me for real, like a man?"
"Oh? As you wish."
Naruto moved, fast. Sasuke saw a blur, and by the time his vision cleared, Naruto was already in front of him. He watched Naruto casually raise his arm, then swing it down hard.
Smack!
The sound was loud and crisp. The spectators all instinctively sucked air through their teeth. A slap like that to the face had to hurt.
As for Sasuke, his gaze became utterly clear, and a huge red handprint marked his face. He quickly realized what had happened. Naruto had slapped him in front of everyone?
"You..."
He stared at Naruto in disbelief, but what happened next made him regret it.
Because Naruto moved. Without caring whether Sasuke could handle his attacks, he rained punches onto Sasuke's face and body in a crackling barrage. At first, Sasuke could still dodge a couple, but as Naruto's attacks continued, all he could do was take the beating.
"Ow! Hiss-ow, ow, ow! Stop hitting me! Stop!"
"Waaah! Not the face! I was wrong! I won't talk tough again!"
"Naruto Uzumaki, I'm telling you, today you'll... Ow! Go easy! Not my face! Stop, stop! I give up! Naruto, I give up! Iruka-sensei, save me! I surrender! I'm done!"
"Ahem. Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha has already surrendered. Stop now."
In the end, Iruka couldn't bear watching any longer. He worried that if this continued, the Uchiha Clan's second son might really get seriously hurt, and then it would be difficult to answer to the Uchiha.
And so Sasuke ended up with a face like a pig's head, beaten black and blue by Naruto.
Looking at Sasuke's swollen face, Naruto couldn't help pursing his lips.
"See? When I actually fight, you don't like it."
Naruto's words made everyone's mouths twitch, yet they couldn't find anything wrong with what he had said.