In this world, Naruto didn't grow up as an orphan, and Sasuke never experienced the tragic Uchiha massacre. As a result, his personality wasn't as extreme as in the original timeline. While he may not have undergone life-altering hardships, that didn't change the inherent arrogance in his character.
As the second son of the prestigious Uchiha clan, Sasuke was both proud of his lineage and of his top-ranked academic achievements. He was the kind of child parents would use as a benchmark, the one others were compared to. With such honors stacked upon him, a sense of superiority was inevitable.
So when he openly refuted Suigetsu in class today, it wasn't because he wanted attention—it was simply that Suigetsu's claims were too outrageous. Suigetsu was only two years older than Sasuke, yet he boasted about being able to challenge Chunin, even Jonin. Sasuke refused to believe such an absurd statement.
In the end, Suigetsu's speech was drowned out by the jeers and laughter of the Konoha students.
...
During lunch, Suigetsu stared at the delicious food in front of him, but he had no appetite.
"Sigh... Haku, you really have it easy. You just have to stand on stage, and the Konoha boys and girls are already infatuated with you. Me, though..." Suigetsu let out a heavy sigh, feeling the sting of humiliation. He was just a kid too—his self-esteem was beginning to take shape, and having no one believe in him or even listen to him was a serious blow.
"Su-Suigetsu, don't say that. I just got lucky, that's all. Haha..." Haku smiled warmly, his usual gentle expression unchanged, but he truly didn't know how to comfort Suigetsu.
Suigetsu could only shift his gaze toward Kakuzu.
"Sensei, according to the schedule, there's another speech this afternoon. How about letting Haku take my place? I really don't want to go up there again. Talking to those brats is pointless. Instead of wasting time, you might as well give me a mission or two to sharpen my skills."
Kakuzu put down his chopsticks and pondered for a moment before responding.
"Suigetsu, life is full of obstacles. If you back down at every challenge, how are you any different from a turtle hiding in its shell? A person who always retreats can never become a strong shinobi."
That bit of wisdom struck a chord in Suigetsu. He knew that giving up now would mean admitting defeat, and that would only invite more ridicule. Still, the thought of facing those kids again in the afternoon made him cringe.
"So basically, I'm just setting myself up for another embarrassment?" Suigetsu spread his hands in resignation.
Kakuzu shook his head. "Suigetsu, giving up is not the right approach. Instead, you need to address the core issue and find a way to turn things around."
"Huh? What do you mean, Sensei?"
"Heh." Kakuzu smirked slightly as he looked at Suigetsu. "Listen carefully. When you step onto that stage in the afternoon, just say this..."
...
Afternoon arrived, and the process was the same as before. Haku took the stage first, delivering his speech with his usual grace and composure. As expected, he received thunderous applause and adoring gazes from the Konoha students.
Then it was Suigetsu's turn.
His unimpressive looks and somewhat goofy expressions didn't inspire much confidence among the audience. But this time, Suigetsu wasn't deterred by their skepticism.
He cleared his throat and began his speech.
"The ninja world is vast, and the enemies we'll face in the future will come in many forms—ruthless criminals, cold-blooded killers. Every challenge we encounter will be harsher than the last."
"Yet some people, sheltered by their clan's prestige, grow complacent over minor school achievements. This kind of arrogance is unacceptable! It's the mark of an unworthy shinobi—do you understand?"
The moment Suigetsu finished speaking, the once noisy schoolyard fell into dead silence. The students first turned their eyes toward him, then, after a brief pause, they all shifted their gazes toward someone in the back row.
While this was a class of elites, not everyone possessed a kekkei genkai. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio, the Inuzuka, and the Aburame clans had unique techniques, but they weren't bloodline limits.
Naruto, seated in the back, did have the Uzumaki lineage, which technically counted as a bloodline inheritance. But Naruto was half-asleep most of the time—he hadn't provoked Suigetsu, and Suigetsu had no reason to target him.
That left only one possibility.
Feeling the weight of countless stares, Sasuke, who had been sitting with his arms crossed and eyes closed, suddenly opened them.
To Sasuke, idle gossip was meaningless. He usually ignored such trivial things. But Suigetsu's words weren't aimed just at him—they were an attack on the entire Uchiha clan. And that, as someone who took immense pride in his heritage, he couldn't tolerate.
He wanted to stand up and tell Suigetsu to watch his mouth. Unfortunately for him, Suigetsu had no intention of stopping.
"Sometimes, a clan's past glory is just that—history. The future needs shinobi who are humble, intelligent, and capable. Arrogance will only lead a family to its downfall. Don't you all agree?"
Suigetsu's tone was laced with mockery, and at the end of his speech, he even made a dismissive gesture, further emphasizing his taunt.
This time, Sasuke couldn't stay seated.
His eyes widened, glaring daggers at Suigetsu.
Sensing Sasuke's growing anger, Suigetsu straightened his posture. He didn't shy away. Instead, he met Sasuke's gaze head-on.
Then, without hesitation, he raised a finger and pointed straight at Sasuke.
"What are you looking at? If you've got a problem, let's settle it right now!"
Without waiting for a response, Suigetsu hopped off the stage and strode toward Sasuke.
The Konoha students were stunned. Was a fight about to break out?
Seeing Suigetsu approaching, Sasuke could no longer hold back his frustration.
"Damn you! You think I'm afraid of you?"
Sasuke stood up from his seat and strode toward Suigetsu. Without hesitation, he grabbed Suigetsu by the collar with one hand while his other hand clenched into a fist. The scene looked somewhat comical—just like how kids fight. But just as he was about to swing, his fist froze midair.
It wasn't that he didn't want to hit him—he did. But in that split second, he thought about the Uchiha name. If his father, the clan head, found out he got into a fight at the school gathering today, would he get strung up and beaten when he got home? Bringing shame to the clan was something Sasuke absolutely could not afford to do.
His hesitation gave Suigetsu an opening. Without missing a beat, Suigetsu grabbed Sasuke by the back of his neck.
"You little brat, so what if you hit me? I'll just hit you back. This is just child's play!"
"Have you ever killed someone? Have you ever seen a dead body?"
"Do you even understand how brutal the path of a real shinobi is? You know nothing! You just strut around under the Uchiha's protection, acting all high and mighty. How do you expect to stand on your own as a true ninja?"
Suigetsu's sharp, worldly words left the surrounding students in stunned silence. Even Naruto perked up, rubbing his chin in thought, contemplating the meaning behind Suigetsu's speech.
But Sasuke, as the direct recipient, wasn't in the mood for philosophy. What a load of crap.
"You damn! Stop yapping and fight already!"
Shaking off Suigetsu's grip, Sasuke formally issued a ninja duel.
Seeing this, Suigetsu smirked. Today, he finally understood the thrill of showing off—especially in front of another ninja trying to act cool. The feeling was simply intoxicating.
Hooking his finger at Sasuke, he taunted, "Come on then, let's see what the pride of the Uchiha is made of."
His words were both an acceptance of the challenge and a blatant provocation.
...
The students from both the Konoha and Ryūgakure classes erupted with excitement. A ninja battle? Now this was entertainment!
Iruka, however, felt his head throbbing. As a teacher, he had absolute authority in class, but right now, the entire atmosphere was charged. If he forcibly shut this down, wouldn't that seem unfair? Besides, this was a social event. He couldn't be too strict.
Taking Kakashi's advice, Iruka ultimately decided to let the duel happen—an impromptu match between Konoha's strongest, Sasuke, and Ryūgakure's strongest, Suigetsu. A test for the next generation of shinobi.
The students quickly took their places around the training field, forming a makeshift arena. Sasuke and Suigetsu stood facing each other.
"Heh, let's see what you've got, little Uchiha," Suigetsu taunted, his grin full of mischief.
Sasuke remained silent, but the way his fists clenched made his irritation obvious.
From a distance, Kakashi and the others watched with interest.
"Alright! Let these youths burn with the flames of youth!" Guy, standing hundreds of meters away, gave a big thumbs-up, his passionate spirit practically radiating towards the academy students.
Meanwhile, Hiashi Hyuga closed his Byakugan, even shutting his eyes completely.
"That Uchiha boy… his taijutsu and ninjutsu scores are excellent, but he's too impatient. That's a major flaw for a ninja. His chances of winning aren't great."
Hearing this, Kakashi turned to Kakuzu.
"Lord Kakuzu, what do you think?"
Kakuzu simply smiled and closed his eyes. A fight where the outcome was already decided? No need to watch.
...
The match began. Sasuke leaped forward, immediately launching his shuriken technique. But these weren't just ordinary thrown projectiles—his shuriken could change trajectory midair. Even so, Suigetsu effortlessly caught them between two fingers.
Without missing a beat, Sasuke moved in an arc around Suigetsu, weaving quick hand signs before unleashing the Great Fireball Technique.
Suigetsu met fire with water, countering with the Water Dragon Bullet Technique.
...
As fire and water collided, thick steam engulfed the entire field, shrouding everything in mist. The spectators' visibility was quickly reduced to almost nothing.
Then, after a moment, a gust of wind swept through, clearing the steam. As the field came back into view—
Sasuke was nowhere to be seen.
Crack!
The ground beneath Suigetsu's feet suddenly split apart as Sasuke erupted from below, his fists aiming straight for Suigetsu's chin.
Suigetsu grinned as if he had been expecting this. "Got you now, little Sasuke!"
His prepared left fist grew larger in an instant, swinging down hard toward Sasuke's head.
Boom!
Their fists collided midair, creating a resounding impact.
The outcome was clear.
Sasuke was still standing, but he clutched his right arm, his expression pained.
"Alright, the match is over! Sasuke, you've lost!"
Iruka stepped in before things got dangerous. However, Sasuke, his eyes burning with frustration, wasn't willing to accept defeat.
"It's not over yet!"
His words defied Iruka outright. And in this moment, the phrase 'seeing red' wasn't just a metaphor—Sasuke's eyes had literally turned red.
One-tomoe Sharingan.
Gasps rippled through the spectators. Finally, Sasuke was revealing his true ability.
Suigetsu hesitated for a second but quickly regained his confident smirk.
In this timeline, Sasuke hadn't lost his family, nor had he awakened his Sharingan on the night of the massacre. Instead, it had surfaced under completely different circumstances—
One day, his older brother had told him he was leaving for a distant place. Young Sasuke had clung to his brother's leg, sobbing and begging him to stay. With a gentle tap on his forehead, his brother had said, "Next time."
Watching his brother's figure fade into the distance, Sasuke had cried until his eyes burned red. And the moment his brother vanished completely, his one-tomoe Sharingan had awakened.
Now, he was finally going to use it.
"Nii-san! I won't let you down!"
Sasuke's crimson eyes flashed as he lunged forward like a panther.
Suigetsu, meanwhile, bit his thumb, exhaled over his fist, and—
Boom!
This time, his punch was even larger than before. Twenty-eight times larger, to be exact.
With a deafening crash, Sasuke was knocked out cold, landing in a crater of his own making.
...
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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