A week later, Sasuke opened his eyes to find Sakura gazing down at him, her face etched with concern. Her hands fidgeted nervously, as if unsure whether to reach out or hold back. Beside her stood Uzumaki Naruto, brimming with pride and unable to contain his smugness.
"Finally awake, huh, Sasuke?" Naruto grinned, crossing his arms. "You took your sweet time. Thought you'd be out forever!"
Sasuke groaned softly, shifting his gaze to the ceiling. His body felt heavy, and his mind was plagued with the memory of his defeat at the hands of Gaara. Each moment of that battle replayed like a cruel loop, the sting of failure gnawing at him.
Sakura leaned closer, her voice gentle. "Sasuke-kun, are you okay? You've been out for a while... We were so worried."
Sasuke didn't respond, his eyes still fixed on the ceiling. His silence spoke volumes, and Sakura's heart ached at his distant demeanor.
Naruto, however, was too caught up in his own triumph to notice the tension. "Man, Sasuke, you missed it! My match was amazing—I totally showed everyone why I'm the best!"
Sakura's head snapped toward him, her brows furrowing in irritation. "Naruto, can you tone it down? Sasuke just woke up!"
Naruto blinked, confused. "What? I'm just saying—look, I'm a Chūnin now! Guess that makes me better than Sasuke, huh?" He grinned cheekily, clearly enjoying himself.
Sasuke's fingers clenched the hospital sheet. The words hit a nerve, but he stayed silent, his pride refusing to let him lash out.
"Better than Sasuke-kun?!" Sakura hissed, glaring daggers at Naruto. "Have some respect, Naruto! He's been through enough!"
Naruto held up his hands defensively. "What? I'm just joking, geez! No need to bite my head off."
Sasuke finally spoke, his voice low and icy. "Naruto."
Naruto froze, the sharp edge in Sasuke's tone cutting through his carefree attitude. "Y-Yeah?"
"Shut up."
Naruto blinked, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "Uh, right. Got it."
The jab hit its mark. Sasuke clenched his fists, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. He wasn't just frustrated over Naruto's taunts—he was consumed by his inability to achieve the power he needed.
Sakura sighed, her frustration with Naruto briefly fading as she turned back to Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun, you'll get stronger—I know you will. You're amazing, and this is just a setback."
Her words, meant to encourage, only made Sasuke's scowl deepen. "I don't need your pity, Sakura."
Sakura's face fell, and she quickly looked away, hurt.
Naruto, sensing the shift, cleared his throat. "Hey, look, Sasuke, I know losing sucks, but you're not gonna just sit here and mope forever, right? You're Uchiha Sasuke! You'll come back stronger. Heck, maybe next time, I'll be the one teaching you!"
Sasuke glared at him, his pride bristling. "Don't get ahead of yourself, dobe. I'll surpass you and everyone else soon enough."
Naruto smirked, taking the bait. "Oh yeah? You've got a long way to go if you think you can catch up to me now!"
"Both of you, stop it!" Sakura interjected, exasperated. "This isn't helping anyone!"
A tense silence followed before Naruto scratched the back of his head, grinning sheepishly. "Fine, fine. But don't think I'm gonna go easy on you, Sasuke. Next time, you better bring your A-game."
Sasuke didn't respond. Naruto's triumph over Suigetsu had been nothing short of miraculous, but everyone who had witnessed the fight knew how narrow his victory had been. Luck had played no small part. Still, Naruto's newfound confidence and growing strength were undeniable.
For Sasuke, the gap was intolerable.
He couldn't ignore the advantage Naruto and Gaara held as Jinchūriki. They possessed the power to draw on their tailed beasts' immense chakra reserves, a strength far beyond that of ordinary shinobi. When their own stamina failed, they could tap into the monstrous energy within.
Sasuke knew this power created a chasm between Jinchūriki and ordinary humans—a gap that no amount of natural talent or skill could bridge. Each time a tailed beast appeared, it brought destruction on an unimaginable scale, and the only solution had always been to seal the beast away. The idea of eliminating them outright seemed impossible.
Sakura noticed Sasuke's expression darken. She turned to Naruto and hissed, "Naruto, stop it! Can't you see he's still recovering?"
But Naruto, as dense as ever, continued to gloat. "C'mon, Sakura! I'm just pointing out the truth. A Chūnin is better than a Genin, right? And I'm a Chūnin now!"
Sasuke's patience snapped. Already infuriated by his inability to track down Itachi, Naruto's taunts only added fuel to the fire. His fists clenched tighter as his desire for power—and revenge—grew stronger.
Sakura and Naruto remained oblivious to Sasuke's growing frustration until he finally snapped. "Can you two leave already? You're driving me insane!" he barked, his voice sharp with irritation.
The hospital was meant to be a place of rest and recovery, yet no medical staff came to intervene despite the commotion. The lack of response felt oddly out of place, as though they'd been deliberately left to their own devices.
Naruto, taken aback by Sasuke's outburst, bristled. His pride stung, he shot back, "What's your problem, huh? You're just mad because you're weaker than me! And you're supposed to be a genius."
Sakura winced, realizing Sasuke's emotions were spiraling further out of control. She quickly grabbed Naruto by the collar, using her monstrous strength to haul him out of the room.
"Let's go, Naruto," she hissed, dragging him along despite his protests.
"Hey! Put me down, Sakura! I wasn't done talking!" Naruto squawked, panicking as he was forcefully removed from the room.
Left alone, Sasuke's anger simmered in silence. Yet, beneath the anger lay an uncomfortable truth.
He's right, Sasuke thought bitterly. Naruto has surpassed me. Even Gaara is beyond my reach. No matter how strong I am or how much I rely on the Sharingan, I can't compete with the power of a tailed beast.
The realization gnawed at him. If he was ever going to defeat that man, he needed more power. The kind of power he couldn't find in Konoha.
Sasuke's gaze hardened. His mind was made up. If the strength he needed wasn't here, he would find it elsewhere—no matter what it cost. He'd never ventured beyond the borders of Konoha before, but now, the outside world called to him, promising the answers he sought.
The risks don't matter, he told himself. I can't stay here and stagnate.
As he sat brooding, the door creaked open, and Tatsuya stepped in, a calm smile on his face.
"Ah, you're awake," Tatsuya said casually. "Your recovery is coming along quickly."
Sasuke didn't respond, his expression unreadable. But Tatsuya's sharp eyes missed nothing.
He'd overheard the exchange between the three earlier. In truth, he had intentionally kept the medical team from intervening. He wanted to see how Sasuke would react under pressure, curious if the boy would follow the path laid out in the original timeline—abandoning the village in pursuit of power.
And now, after seeing the determination in Sasuke's eyes, Tatsuya was certain: Sasuke was seriously considering it.
Though Sasuke's single-minded pursuit of strength wasn't the kind of personality Tatsuya admired, the idea of such a promising talent straying into darkness didn't sit well with him.
"No need to rush your recovery, Sasuke," Tatsuya said, his tone light but with a trace of warning. "You'll find that sometimes the power you're looking for is closer than you think. You just need to know where to look."
With that, Tatsuya turned to leave, his words lingering in the room like a challenge.
Tatsuya, a man who typically avoided involving himself in others' affairs, found himself stepping in this time. He leaned casually against the doorway, his sharp gaze fixed on Sasuke.
Over the years, he had meddled with the fate of many individuals, reshaping paths that had seemed set in stone. And while the outcomes weren't always perfect, they were often better than the tragedies that had played out in the original timeline.
This wasn't a charitable act—Tatsuya never helped anyone without reason. Sasuke was no exception.
The boy didn't respond to Tatsuya's presence, his mind too preoccupied with thoughts of power and the decisions he was beginning to make.
"Want power?" Tatsuya asked suddenly, his voice calm but cutting through the silence like a blade. "Why don't you just ask me?"
Sasuke's head snapped up, his Sharingan flashing in reflex. Those simple words sent a shock through him.
How could Tatsuya possibly know what he was thinking? Had his intentions been that obvious? And why was Tatsuya bringing this up now? Was he trying to stop him from leaving the village?
To Sasuke, Tatsuya—known as Konoha's Black Blade—wasn't the type to meddle in others' choices. He was a solitary figure, powerful and enigmatic, a man who carved his path.
"Old man," Sasuke said carefully, his tone serious, "what do you mean? Are you saying you'd be willing to teach me?"
Tatsuya smirked, his expression equal parts amusement and mischief. "Sure, why not?"
The nonchalant response left Sasuke momentarily stunned. Tatsuya, known for his aloofness, rarely involved himself in anyone's training.
"Besides," Tatsuya continued, a glint of something unreadable in his eyes, "I've been getting bored with my daily life. Watching a disciple grow under my guidance sounds... entertaining."
Sasuke remained silent for a moment, his mind racing. This wasn't the offer he had expected, but the thought of training under someone as formidable as Tatsuya was undeniably appealing. If anyone in the village could help him close the gap between himself and that man, it was the Black Fang.
Tatsuya pushed himself off the doorframe, his grin turning sharper. "Think it over, Sasuke. But don't take too long. Power doesn't wait for indecision."
With that, he walked away, leaving Sasuke to grapple with the unexpected opportunity—and the potential costs of accepting it.
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