Chương 20: Sasuke
A week gradually passed, and the Uchiha Massacre remained the main focus of conversations for all civilians. The civilians already didn't have any kind feelings towards the Uchiha, especially since, as the Police Force, they exhibited arrogance and irresponsible usage of their powers.
Adding on to that, the people were also just plain jealous of the Uchiha.
People who are weak-willed and limited in power will naturally look towards those stronger than them. Some may look at them in admiration for doing what they couldn't, while some would look at them in jealousy and envy for possessing talents greater than theirs. Those stronger will, themselves, look toward someone stronger than them. It was how kings were made. This … was how gods were made.
The Uchiha clan was a target of resentment for many people since the Uchiha were not subtle in displaying their superiority complex. Because they looked down on the civilians, the Uchiha were hated. If they were more humble and caring, they could have been revered like the Senju.
Taking into account all these factors, it was no wonder why the people were using this opportunity to vent their anger and gossip about the Uchiha.
Sasuke, also one of the main focuses of all conversations, was nowhere to be seen. He hadn't attended class in the past week, and no one had spotted him around the Village either.
Our class, however, had gradually moved past the topic. Kids were naturally not interested in talking about the same thing for weeks, and since they had no clue how strong the Uchiha were, they eventually moved past the Massacre.
Today was special, though. When Naruto and I reached outside the classroom, we could hear our classmates exclaiming. Entering, I surveyed the room and found Sasuke sitting on the seat bordering mine.
Sasuke kept a cold and indifferent look on his face, and his eyes were vastly different from when I last saw them. He was a happy kid before, and his eyes always exhibited that. Although he tried to act calm and indifferent, he would show most of his genuine emotions through his eyes. I discovered this over the months of sparring and talking with him.
Now, when I looked at his eyes, I saw nothing but ice-cold hatred and indifference. His gaze was not aimed at anybody in this room, but his hatred was so uncontrollable that it unknowingly appeared.
The hushed whispers of classmates entered my ears, and if that was the case, then I was sure it entered Sasuke's as well. He still displayed no outward reaction, though it was unclear what was transpiring in his head. Iruka-sensei also entered the room and, seeing Sasuke, showed a surprised expression, followed by one filled with sympathy and a little understanding.
Iruka-sensei was an orphan who had lost his parents later in life rather than early on. They had died protecting the Leaf Village from the Kyuubi in the incident about seven years ago. He had come to harbor hatred towards Naruto because of that, even if he knew that that hatred was irrational. I wasn't sure when Iruka-sensei changed into the guiding role in Naruto's life, but I knew it was close to the time he had joined his class. It has been more than five months since that happened, but I don't know any details on what happened and when, so I could only assume that the event transpired.
Iruka-sensei quieted the class and began teaching a lesson on the history of the Village. Most of the history lessons we received pertained to the Village, only a few to the Land of Fire we resided. There was also a few times when he lectured on the other Villages, mainly going over their customs and traditions in case we ever had a mission in one of their lands.
After it became noon, Iruka-sensei told us it was time for shuriken and sparring practice. We made our way outside as he called Sasuke to practice his shuriken throwing first. Sasuke took three shurikens out and threw them simultaneously at the target, just like he had the first day of shuriken practice. This time though, he scored all of the shurikens in the black circle in the middle of the target.
"Good job Sasuke!"
"Yeah, Sasuke, good job!"
"Shut up, Ino-pig, I said it first"
"Oh yeah, forehead!"
His biggest fangirls were Ino and Sakura, but as I looked at I could only feel disgusted. The guy had just watched his entire family killed by the person he loved and admired most. The news that Itachi had single-handedly carried out the Uchiha Massacre spread across the Village since his body wasn't among the victims. The Village had declared him an S-rank criminal, wanted dead or alive.
Back to my point, however, they both knew that he had just gone through a traumatic event, but they still chose to pester and fangirl over him. I didn't know if they were brainless, I mean, if they were trying to win his affection, there were better ways than this.
Sasuke paid no attention to the cheers, simply returning to his position with his hands in his pockets. I could see that Naruto was getting frustrated by Sasuke. He was garnering so much attention while being exceptionally cold to everyone around him.
Iruka-sensei then hollered for the next individual, which happened to be
"Aizen!"
I went to the line and grabbed three shurikens in my hand, just as Sasuke had done. I shot them all at once and proceeded to do this three more times before throwing the final one straight in the middle of the target. I made eight out of ten shurikens in the black circle, the other two just outside.
As I made my way back, I looked in Sasuke's direction and saw him staring at me. I smiled at him, attempting to show a friendly attitude, but he just stared at me before turning his gaze back to the target. I sighed and shook my head. Reaching through to Sasuke during this time would be near impossible. He was simply too impacted by hate right now. I needed to let time pass before attempting to re-establish connections with him.
Iruka-sensei called another student, and it seemed like it was Naruto's turn.
"I've been practicing, believe it! I'm about to show all of you who the best shuriken thrower is here."
He went up to the line and held three shurikens, just like Sasuke and just as I had done. I shook my head and waited for his attempt. I knew that Naruto was training his shuriken technique, and though with rocks, training nevertheless. But he had to go for an advanced method right off the bat.
He threw all three shurikens, only one managing to hit the black circle. By the end, Naruto got a score of 4/10. Considering his original score of 2/10, and that was by doing the simple technique, he was not doing too bad. He improved his score while using a harder method, meaning that if he used the average shuriken throwing method he'd probably get at least 5 or 6 hits, which puts him near the top of the class.
It was unfortunate, though, that Naruto couldn't bear to do an easier technique when both Sasuke and I always got the highest scores by using a harder technique. He wanted to be like us and show off to everyone else, but he didn't have the necessary skill to do that right now.
Shuriken throwing continued, and it seemed like almost everyone had improvements in their scores. Shikamaru went from a 6/10 to an 8/10. Shino and Hinata got a perfect score. Kiba got a 6/10 from his previous 5/10, while Choji went from a 4/10 to a 6/10. As for Sakura and Ino... let's just say that Naruto doesn't have the worst score in the class anymore.
After everyone had tested, Iruka-sensei announced the next item on the agenda.
"All right, everybody. Since we finished with shuriken throwing, we're going to go ahead and start with sparring now. First up is Sasuke and Naruto"
"YES! Finally, I'll get to show everyone how amazing I am. Get ready, Sasuke, because I'm about to kick your butt"
It was the first time Naruto and Sasuke were sparring with each other, and it seemed like Naruto had been fantasizing about beating Sasuke this entire time.
Iruka explained the rules of sparring, which Naruto quickly ignored.
"NARUTO! Did you listen to what I said!"
"Yeah yeah, Iruka-sensei. You don't have to yell."
"Now display the seal of confrontation and begin."
"I'm gonna beat you and become popular, believe it!"
Sasuke opened his mouth for the first time today and said to Naruto
"I'll make this quick"
Naruto was infuriated by him, and quickly put up the seal of confrontation, as did Sasuke. The second the spar began, Sasuke sprinted toward Naruto and forced him to the ground. Before Naruto could react, Sasuke was already on top of him with his fist aimed at his head.
Sasuke trained to improve his speed, and even at 7, he was as fast as a low Genin shinobi. Although Naruto already had that speed as well, since his Uzumaki body and the Kyuubi sealed inside him gave him a nigh-infinite chakra reserve comprised mostly of yang chakra, he didn't have the reflexes to keep up with Sasuke.
The fangirls started cheering for him, shrieking about how he defeated Naruto. Some of the boys were astonished, considering how fast and strong he was.
Sasuke and Naruto stayed in that position for a while, with Sasuke glaring at Naruto with eyes filled with hatred. Naruto seemed more shocked by his gaze rather than losing. After a couple of seconds, Sasuke proceeded to get off him and walk out of the chalk sparring circle. Naruto, on the other hand, seeing him start walking away got angered and screamed
"You turd! Come back here! You couldn't care less about me, is that it?! You're a runny turd, that's what you are! A piece of stinky, runny turd! Yo--"
Before Naruto could continue his line of interesting insults, Iruka-sensei appeared beside him and gave him a bonk on his head.
"NARUTO! Didn't I just tell you that shinobi sparring is sacred? Now go make the Seal of Reconciliation with Sasuke! Sasuke, you come back here too!"
Reluctantly, both Naruto and Sasuke approached each other to make the Seal of Reconciliation, which consisted of taking the two fingers that were used to make the Seal of Confrontation and linking them together to show your status as friends. The moment they were about to make the sign though, both Naruto and Sasuke started grabbing each other's shirts.
"You want to fight me, you loser!"
Iruka-sensei quickly separated the two and started lecturing them about how they needed to respect each other and the rules of shinobi sparring. Naruto and Sasuke both ignored him this time.
The girls in the class started talking badly about Naruto, and some people mentioned how their parents told them to stay away for a reason. I didn't know if he could hear them, but Naruto chose to run away at this moment. He sprinted away, turning his head to stick his tongue out, and then jumped over the surrounding fence.
Honestly, that jump was difficult in and of itself. Making it over the fence in one leap, Naruto showcased his flexibility and strength very well. He did have a strong body, Naruto just didn't how to fight and use it well. In the future, when he got more combat experience and was a little more sensible, he'd start rising in terms of taijutsu abilities.
Naruto stopped outside the fence and started glaring at Sasuke, only to find Sasuke glaring at him back. He then continued to walk outside into the forest, as Iruka-sensei roared,
"NARUTO! Where do you think you're going? School isn't over yet!"
Iruka-sensei quickly flashed away and came with an unwilling Naruto in his hands. Naruto was quite sheepish, having already been caught and brought back. Everybody isolated themselves from him, except for Shikamaru, Choji, and me. I was about to approach Naruto, but Iruka-sensei had called me to be the next fighter.
"Next fight! Aizen and Kiba!"
We both walked to the circle and made the Seal of Confrontation. As soon as Iruka-sensei announced the fight, we dashed forward and attacked. Kiba was agile and strong but lacked the refinement and fighting style Sasuke had. He was a pretty rough fighter, only using his innate physical capabilities. Since I had a more powerful body, he lost that advantage.
Kiba tried to punch straight at my face, but I slightly moved my head to the right and continued dashing. I punched with my left hand, but he redirected my arm with his right hand. My arm was behind his head though, so I brought my arm back and put his neck in a lock. The moment I caught him, I kneed him in the stomach and threw him out of the sparring circle.
Iruka-sensei called my win and went to make sure Kiba was ok. Honestly, no one here was a challenge for me except for Sasuke, and potentially Shino. I knew that Shino was a proficient taijutsu fighter, even though he was primarily a long-range ninja.
Kiba came back breathing slightly hard, and we made the Seal of Reconciliation and returned.
"Nice win Aizen!"
"Omnomnom, yeah, good job Aizen!"
I smiled at my friends and just watched the rest of the battles. Ino went against Sakura, but Ino ultimately won. Hinata went against a random civilian girl, but she was so timid that she only defended the entire time and pushed the civilian girl out of the circle. Even though I don't think she minded losing, she probably didn't want to embarrass the Hyuga clan. Shino also went against a civilian boy, Ryuk, but he quickly subdued him and got him to surrender. Finally, Shikamaru and Choji fought each other, but it was apparent that they both just went easy until Shikamaru was 'defeated'.
Overall, the taijutsu of all the kids except for a couple was subpar. They didn't focus their time on it, especially when they had their clans' secret techniques at their fingertips. Until later in the series, when all characters mature a bit and start working harder, the only thing they had to them right now was their clan's ninjutsu and kekkai genkai.
After everyone finished sparring, Iruka-sensei dismissed us from class as we went outside the Academy. I wanted to invite Sasuke, but he quickly disappeared and went towards the Uchiha Compound, at least I assumed. On the way to Ichiraku's, Naruto kept complaining about his loss to Sasuke.
"I bet if he gave me time to prepare, I would kick his butt! And what's with him trying to act cool all the time!? How can Sakura like someone like that?"
"Shut up, Naruto. Sigh, what a drag. He was pretty fast."
"Omnomnom, yeah, I could barely even see him!"
Naruto started pouting and turned his head away. The moment we got to Ichiraku's, he quickly forgot what he was upset about and ordered his usual,
"Extra large Miso with extra pork, please!"
Even though we ate at Ichiraku's often, every time I tasted Mr. Teuchi's ramen it is as if I'd eaten for the first time in months. His ramen was the perfect combination of light yet rich, savory, and fluffy but not heavy. It wasn't something you'd know how to describe, you just needed to taste it.
I could confidently say that Teuchi had the best-tasting ramen in the world because I just couldn't imagine ramen tastier than this. If there was any reason to believe that Teuchi was an Otsutsuki, it was because his ramen was out of this world.
After finishing our food, we started heading home. As soon as Shikamaru and Choji left, Naruto began ranting about Sasuke, and when we got home, he was still ranting. I didn't know how strong their connection was right now, but Sasuke certainly left an impression on Naruto. After we headed home and I finished my training, the usual, I started meditating, also the standard.
This time, I wanted to organize my thoughts.
After unlocking my sensor ability, the first thing I did was sense the chakra of everyone during class. Since I needed to form the ram seal to perform the sensing ability, I couldn't just do it in the middle of the street. It would be too recognizable. In the middle of class, when everyone was distracted, it was a perfect time.
The first one I sensed was Iruka-sensei, who was a Chunin-rank shinobi. He was a civilian, though, so I had to recognize that he only represented the average Chunin chakra levels, not the Chunin shinobi part of a Clan. When I activated my sensing ability and looked at him, I saw him quickly stop lecturing and look around the class. Seeing that, I knew he found someone was sensing him and swiftly turned off my ability. It seemed that Iruka-sensei was a sensor ninja too since there was no way he could have found me out so fast.
I had gotten what I needed. Compared to Iruka's chakra, I had about 50% as much... It meant that I was decently above normal Genin in terms of chakra and was already in the ranks of high Genin! I didn't know how this was possible. Even though I expanded my chakra a little bit every day, and I already had an influx of yin chakra, I didn't think it put me on the levels of high Genin. I was only seven years old. The period in which a person experiences the fastest growth in their chakra is when they reach puberty and throughout their teenage years. That meant when I reached puberty, I would go through an extreme growth rate of chakra reserves, and I was already at high Genin.
Chakra reserves were one of the most important indicators of the strength of a shinobi. The larger their capacity, the stronger their mind and body. Naruto had a Kyuubi worth of chakra sealed within him, but he didn't have all the Kyuubi's chakra unlocked. I'm not sure about the details, but Naruto couldn't even use his entire chakra.
Most were used to keep the seal in place and not allow the Kyuubi to roam free. That was why only an Uzumaki or someone with a lot of chakra could be the nine-tailed jinchuruki, they had to have a lot of chakra to keep the seal from breaking. I didn't know the exact percentage, but he uses more than half of his chakra to keep the seal strong.
Even with all those limits, Naruto still had the chakra reserves of a high Genin at the moment. If all his chakra was unlocked, he'd probably have normal Chunin-level chakra reserves at seven years old! By the start of the series, I suspect he'd have Jonin-level chakra, even with half his chakra suppressed. His actual reserves would be around high Jonin's rank.
All this was before he hit his growth period as well. After he went through his growth spurt, removed the seal, learned Senjutsu, unlocked his Ashura chakra as well as the Kyuubi's... well I'm incapable of calculating that.
I also had high Genin chakra reserves at seven years old! I was on par with Naruto, or at least half of Naruto. Still, keeping up with the main character who is a chakra monster, was extraordinary.
I couldn't understand how. Chakra reserves were determined by genetics and hard work. If you were born into the Uzumaki clan, you were fated to have monstrous chakra reserves. Civilians simply couldn't hope to match that level. Even Orochimaru and Jiraiya, Kage-level shinobi, would still be inferior to a Jonin Uzumaki in chakra reserves. Of course, that didn't mean they were weaker than a Jonin, just their chakra reserves were lower.
Hard work can change a person's fate to a certain degree. By exhausting your chakra reserves constantly, they would slowly grow over time. With all the accumulation, having higher-than-average chakra reserves for a person's rank was no problem. But an Uzumaki could jump an entire rank worth of chakra, not to mention if they worked hard.
I had no genetic advantage, but I kept up with an Uzumaki in chakra reserves. It didn't make sense. I was born to normal Genin parents, so I didn't inherit any robust chakra reserves either. Hard work was the only other explanation, but I doubt hard work alone would let me catch up with half of Naruto. It likely meant I had a genetic advantage as well. But my parents were ordinary Genin.
Confused, I veered from the topic. I couldn't understand it no matter how hard I thought, I simply didn't have all the information available to me right now. Once I became a Genin and unlocked my family's inheritance since I would officially become an adult in the Leaf Village. Then I could dig around the origins of Aizen Sosuke more. I would also inherit quite a fortune since my parents were merchants.
I switched to meditating on a different topic, Sasuke. Sasuke was much colder now than he was in the past, and this coldness was genuine. Before, it was only a mask he put up, one he dropped with his brother and family. But now, there was no one for him to drop that mask. His entire personality changed after the Uchiha Massacre.
Power was now his only interest. Power to kill his brother, avenge his clan, and rebuild it. Fueled by hatred, no one could change his mind from that path until he lost that hate. Eventually, he yielded his hatred against Itachi after he learned the truth, but switched the target of his abhorrence towards the Leaf Village. During the final battle between him and Naruto, he lost all his hate and wanted to take on the hate in the world.
Then, and only then, was Naruto finally able to change him with love. Until then, however, only hatred could fill his heart. Still, that didn't mean I had to avoid him or anything. Since I knew there was hope for him, I figured I could still treat him as a rival.
Satisfied with my meditations, I started practicing my sensory ability instead. I didn't know how I was supposed to train it, but for now, I would form the ram seal and sense to the limit of my range. I would sense everything I could and try to go beyond that range whenever I could. It was already working. I had increased the field of my senses from 3 meters to 3.5 meters. It wasn't anything spectacular, but this occurred in a simple week. At this rate, I would grow more than 26 meters in a year. By the end of my school life, I could reach a range of more than a hundred meters. And if I found a method to effectively train my sensory ability, I would be able to have a range of more than one kilometer by the start of the 4th Shinobi war.
I also suspected that when I could sense more than just my cat, I would be able to train more effectively by focusing on more than one chakra signature at once. Oh, and the cat that sneaked into my apartment when I first unlocked my sensory ability had been coming back, so I adopted it. I had a cat in my past life too, and in this life, I decided to give her the same name, Puma.
After training my sensory ability, I headed to bed, satisfied with how much time I spent training and my prospects, even if I had questions about their implications.
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