章 20: Yato vs Sasuke

In Yato's original world, Uchiha Sasuke had a nickname - "late brain" - given to him by the fans.

This nickname wasn't just because he was the second son of Uchiha Mikoto; it was also because he was a bit immature. However, the most significant reason was that he had a sharp mind, although he rarely used it.

Prior to his brother Uchiha Itachi's death, Sasuke never delved into the reasons behind Itachi's actions. He never analyzed the abnormalities within his brother and family leading up to the clan's extermination. His mind was consumed with the word "revenge," and he was determined to acquire the power needed to kill his brother.

"What? Don't have the guts to fight?"

Sasuke caught sight of Yato looking at him with a pitying gaze, igniting a sudden surge of anger on his face.

Sasuke took great pride in his Uchiha lineage and, more so, in his brother. His dream was to earn his father's recognition just as Itachi had. This drove Uchiha Fugaku to proudly say, "You are worthy of being my son."

Thus, since he joined the ninja academy, Sasuke had maintained a single goal - to surpass and defeat all his peers, especially The Hyuga.

Today, after witnessing Yato's impressive chakra, Sasuke felt an unwillingness to accept it and instead desired to defeat Yato himself.

In addition to his aversion for deep thinking, Sasuke's characteristics included a blind pursuit of power and a highly competitive nature.

"Reason?"

Yato once again retrieved the weighted ninja tool, donning it while speaking.

"My brother told me that I am no match for you. I want to defeat you and prove him wrong," Sasuke declared.

Sasuke believed that his statement was sufficient. In an instant, he adopted a battle stance against his opponent.

"Just because of a simple sentence?"

"This sentence is enough. The Uchiha clan is the strongest."

Faced with a formidable enemy, Sasuke's pride remained intact. He firmly believed that he would not be defeated, going so far as to imagine himself following in his brother Itachi's footsteps, dominating the entire ninja school. To him, someone without ninjutsu talent like Yato could never be his equal.

"Did your brother also tell you that the Hokage is stronger than you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why don't you challenge the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen? If you can defeat him, you'll be recognized as the strongest ninja in the village."

"This..." Sasuke was taken aback. He hadn't anticipated such a response from Yato.

Defeat the Hokage?

Of course, he dreamed of such an achievement. By doing so, he might become the first Uchiha Hokage in Konoha Village.

However, there was a problem: he was still just a child. How twisted must one's heart be to suggest that he challenge the Hokage?

"That's different!" Sasuke's arrogant expression suddenly changed as his face flushed and he roared at Yato. In his heart, he cursed this freak for being so good at changing the concept.

"That's different," Yato responded indifferently, looking at him. His voice remained calm as he said, "I am a human, and the third generation is also a human. We all eat grains and experience joys, anger, and sorrows. Or do you think the third generation isn't human?"

"Stop talking nonsense. Today, don't even think about escaping!" Realizing he couldn't win the argument, Sasuke decided to take action directly.

He quickly drew three kunai from behind and threw them at lightning speed. Then, he lowered his body and rushed towards Yato like a cheetah.

The thrown kunai flew through the air and completely blocked Yato's escape route.

The Uchiha clan is known for their exceptional use of shuriken and kunai. The Sharingan gives them powerful dynamic vision, allowing them to clearly see the movement trajectory of shuriken and kunai.

This is something even the Byakugan of the Hyuga clan cannot do. Naturally, shuriken and kunai have become the ninja tools that the Uchiha clan excels in.

Whether they are children or adult ninjas, all members of the Uchiha clan are very familiar with the use of kunai and shuriken.

Itachi is the best among them. Not only can he accurately hit every target, but he can also change the direction of the thrown kunai and shuriken, making them difficult to defend against.

Under the influence of his clan members and his brother, Sasuke's proficiency in using shuriken and kunai far exceeds that of his peers.

For a student of his age, it is rare to be able to hit the target accurately, let alone use three kunai at the same time.

"There is absolutely no one who is stronger than me at the same age."

After entering the combat state, Sasuke became a different person. Although he remained arrogant, he also displayed a sense of calmness. His mind raced, constantly thinking about ways to defeat the enemy.

However, the three kunai he threw were quickly knocked away!

As he watched the three kunai, with their cold glimmers, coming at him at high speed, Yato remained calm. He raised his hand to knock two of them away, turned his head to avoid the last one, stomped his right foot on the ground, and instead of retreating, rushed toward Sasuke.

"You can actually block my kunai. It's quite impressive, but don't think you can beat me like this."

Seeing that the feint was easily resolved by his opponent, Sasuke didn't retreat. He raised his fist to compete with Yato. Students who have just entered the ninja school, like them, basically don't know ninjutsu. Their fighting is based on physical skills, kunai, and shuriken.

Adult ninjas are not fools, and they understand the importance of mastering basics. Therefore, Sasuke's physical skills are not that bad.

However, compared to Yato, he is still a little behind.

The two of them soon engaged in a wrestling match. As soon as they got close, they started exchanging blows with their fists and feet.

After just a few rounds, Sasuke noticed that his hands and legs becoming numb.

"What kind of ninja tool is this?!" he exclaimed, feeling puzzled. Why did his felt like hitting steel? Not only did he fail to hurt the enemy, but he also ended up hurting his own fists. This defied logic!

In truth, every punch and kick he made actually hit steel.

Compared to his peers, Yato's body is incredibly strong. At such a young age, he already has more than 400 Doriki, and he can naturally bear a significant amount of weight.

Sasuke managed to engage in a head-on fight with him for several minutes without breaking any bones. This was a sign of his extraordinary talent. An ordinary child would have cried for his parents long ago.

After a few more punches, Sasuke chose to retreat. He knew that continuing to fight Yato would not lead to a favorable outcome, so he decided to keep his distance.

Sasuke pulled out a kunai and threw it, then kicked the ground and swiftly stepped back.

However, Yato paid no attention to the gleaming kunai. Using his right foot as the pivot, he effortlessly spun and evaded the flying weapon. With another spin, he propelled himself into the air, his right foot resembling a whip as it fiercely swept towards Uchiha Sasuke.

"Konoha Whirlwind!"

"Oops!"

Helpless in mid-air, Sasuke lacked leverage. Faced with Yato's powerful kick, he could only raise his arms, crossing them over his chest in a defensive stance.

Bang!

The forceful kick collided with his arms. Despite his preparation, Sasuke hadn't expected the attack to be so powerful.

His arms felt useless, as if he had lost strength. He could barely maintain the defensive posture.

Realizing that the surroundings were rapidly receding, he understood that he had been kicked away by his opponent. His only hope was that he wouldn't land on any rocks.

Fortunately, he managed to avoid landing on any rocks.

Unfortunately, he crashed into a tree.

In the following second, the tree quivered slightly, startling nearby birds into flight. Leaves detached from the branches, cascading like a gentle rain of petals.

Yato didn't advance. He retracted his right leg, turned around gracefully, and continued his practice as if nothing had occurred.

"Stop... Stop, I haven't lost yet!" Sasuke struggled to stand.

He appeared quite disheveled, arms slightly limp, a faint trace of blood at the corners of his mouth, and a crown of leaves on his head.

Yet despite his embarrassment, Sasuke paid no mind. He locked eyes with Yato. He refused to acknowledge defeat and would fight to defend the honor of the Uchiha clan.

Satisfied by Sasuke's determination, Yato granted his wish.

Without warning, he swiftly appeared before Sasuke, his fist aimed at his face.

Boom!

Yato unleashed his powerful punch, but it missed Sasuke and struck the tall tree behind him.

"Opportunity!"

Rolling away to avoid Yato's formidable punch, Sasuke swiftly reached for his waist with his left hand. Determined not to miss this chance, he hooked his fingers around the ring at the end of the kunai and pulled it out. But this didn't affect his movements. Although his use of kunai might not be as skilled as that of the adult ninjas in the clan, he was nonetheless worthy of the name Uchiha.

The kunai he pulled out spun in his hand before he finally held it with his backhand, and stabbed forward confidently.

"I won..." he declared.

The sound of the kunai piercing flesh resonated, causing Sasuke to raise the corners of his mouth in joy. However, his smile soon faded when he didn't see any blood after stabbing his opponent's arm.

"Could it be..."

Bang!

"Substitute jutsu, when!" Sasuke's expression changed drastically as he realized that the target had transformed into wood.

Danger bells rang in his mind, urging him to retreat immediately. But his left arm was already in severe pain, causing him to loosen his grip on the kunai.

Yato's palm sliced through his left hand like a knife, snatching the kunai out of the air. Then, with a reverse grip, he slashed directly at Uchiha Sasuke.

Snap!

Uchiha Sasuke's neck avoided being pierced by the kunai, but his face didn't show any signs of relief. There was no doubt that he had lost this duel. Such an outcome left him feeling depressed.

"When you open your Sharingan, come find me again!" Yato let go of the kunai and turned away.

Looking at Yato's back, Sasuke shouted unwillingly, "Just wait for me. Next time, I will definitely defeat you!"

After that, he picked up his schoolbag and ignored the scattered kunai on the ground. He ran away directly, not wanting his family to worry about why he came home so late.

Of course, going back with injuries is worrisome in itself!

"Yato, that guy hasn't left yet."

Riku looked in a certain direction and then spoke to Yato, informing him that although Sasuke had left, his brother was still lurking nearby.

Understanding the message, Yato remained silent, as if disregarding the presence of the other person, and continued training with weights in silence.

After a considerable amount of time, Itachi finally descended from the tree.

Yato feigned surprise as he turned around and saw Itachi. "Oh, it's you. What are you doing here?"

Itachi observed everything and nodded subtly, confirming that he had indeed been overthinking things.

Just as Riku had revealed Itachi's presence to Yato, there was a momentary flicker of emotion on Yato's face.

Though it was barely noticeable, Itachi keenly detected it, which raised his suspicions slightly.

"Nothing, just taking a stroll."

"It's nearly dinner time. You should head home instead of taking a walk."

Yato glanced up at the sky and then back at Itachi, as if mocking him or discussing something unrelated to the current conversation.

"What about you? Why are you still practicing here so late instead of going home?"

"This is my home."

Upon hearing this, Itachi fell silent. Looking at the child in front of him, he was reminded of many past events.

"Isn't Aunt Kushina's child like this too?"

Unlike many ninjas his age, Itachi was a member of the Anbu under the direct command of the Hokage, so he was privy to many secrets.

He knew that Uzumaki Naruto's parents had sacrificed their lives for Konoha and that Naruto himself was the orphan of a hero, not the notorious nine-tailed demon fox that everyone wanted dead.

However, just like Itachi's mother, who was a close friend of Aunt Kushina but couldn't do anything for her orphan, Itachi understood that they couldn't have any involvement with the Jinchūriki.

The Jinchūriki's identity was too sensitive, and even the slightest hint of a connection could cause a major upheaval among Konoha's high-ranking officials, especially considering the Uchiha clan, who had been under scrutiny since the time of the second Hokage.

As Itachi pondered this, he couldn't help but worry about the growing conflict between the clan and Konoha.

Lately, he and Shisui had found themselves caught between Konoha's leaders and the Uchiha clan's higher-ups, realizing that the relationship between the two sides was like oil and water.

The Uchiha's discontent and anger had reached an uncontrollable level, and it was only a matter of time before it exploded.

Meanwhile, the village had intensified its surveillance of the Uchiha, closely monitoring their every move.

Witnessing the impending war, with himself positioned between Konoha and the Uchiha, Itachi felt a sense of confusion, unsure of what course of action to take.

******

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