"Perfect. I'd also like to gauge the strength of a Uchiha clan genius myself," Naruto said with a gentle smile.
He didn't refuse Sasuke's challenge.
Logically, Sasuke had access to the Uchiha clan's resources, had begun chakra training much earlier, and even had ninja instructors. His starting point shouldn't be lower than Naruto's; it might even be higher.
Such an opponent would allow Naruto to get a more accurate assessment of his own talent and strength.
This was his first time fighting someone from a major clan, and Naruto was exceedingly cautious.
"Here I come!" The moment Sasuke finished speaking, he closed the distance to Naruto with extreme speed.
He threw a punch!
"As expected of the Uchiha clan, to have such speed at this age." A flicker of something stirred in Naruto's calm eyes. His right hand shot out and, under Sasuke's astonished gaze, effortlessly caught the incoming fist. "Unfortunately, before these eyes of mine, you're still a little lacking."
"Now, it's my turn to attack." With a powerful flick of his wrist, Naruto sent Sasuke's body flying backward uncontrollably. In the next instant, Sasuke's vision blurred, and Naruto had already appeared in front of him.
He threw a similar punch.
Compared to Sasuke's, Naruto's punch looked deceptively light.
Sasuke subconsciously raised his arms to block.
However, when the fist landed on his forearms, Sasuke's expression turned to one of utter shock.
Thwack! Sasuke's body was flung backward as if struck by a full-speed train, flying even faster than before.
As he sailed through the air, Sasuke's face was filled with disbelief.
How is this possible?
Naruto is the same age as me! How can he possess such terrifying strength?
How does he train?
Sasuke's body flew a considerable distance before crashing into a large tree, finally halting his momentum.
Amidst a cloud of dust, Sasuke staggered to his feet, wincing. His legs trembled from the pain.
Although he had sparred with his older brother, Itachi, Itachi, with his doting nature, always held back significantly. His strikes were more often indulgent taps than real blows.
It was nothing like Naruto, who had sent him flying with a single punch.
The contrast was so stark that he was momentarily stunned.
"Sasuke, are you alright?" Naruto retracted his fist, thinking he might have used a bit too much force, and called out to Sasuke.
"I can still fight!" Sasuke patted the dust off himself. The pain had subsided somewhat, so he charged towards Naruto once more.
This time, Naruto suppressed most of his strength, and the two exchanged blows more evenly.
However, Sasuke felt no joy, only a growing sense of frustration.
Faced with his seemingly fierce attacks, Naruto could evade them all with just a slight shift of his body.
Meanwhile, his own stamina was depleting rapidly.
After just a few minutes, Sasuke was already panting heavily from exhaustion, while Naruto remained as calm and composed as ever.
The difference between them was painfully clear.
"The gap in taijutsu alone is already immense," Sasuke thought bitterly.
Unwilling to concede, he took a step back, his expression solemn. "Naruto, please use your full strength from now on! I'm going to use ninjutsu. I can't control it perfectly yet, so be careful. You might get hurt."
When speaking of the Uchiha clan, besides the Sharingan, their most renowned skill was Fire Style ninjutsu.
Sasuke had naturally mastered a basic Fire Style technique, though he wasn't entirely proficient with it yet.
"Ninjutsu, you say?" Both Naruto and Aizen, within him, felt a spark of interest.
Apart from the Three Academy Jutsu, they had yet to witness any other ninjutsu.
"That's right. Be careful," Sasuke said, his face grim, as his hands flew through a series of seals.
His speed in forming hand seals was far superior to Naruto's.
As expected of a genius from a major clan.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!" In the next moment, a scorching fireball erupted from his mouth, blazing an arc through the air as it shot towards Naruto.
"The power is too weak. It holds no reference value," Aizen commented internally with a hint of disappointment, then fell silent.
"It looks quite impressive. In that case, I'll show a little of my strength too," Naruto thought. He raised Kyoka Suigetsu and slashed.
Under Sasuke's dumbfounded gaze, the fireball was sliced cleanly in two, scattered embers raining down harmlessly to the ground.
"You're really strong, Sasuke. That's the most powerful ninjutsu I've ever seen," Naruto said, his tone one of sincere admiration.
Sasuke looked at the scattered sparks, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.
He couldn't shake the feeling that Naruto's praise was merely polite lip service.
A sense of unwillingness still gnawed at Sasuke. He was a genius from the Uchiha clan, yet he had been defeated by Uzumaki Naruto, a commoner.
His Uchiha pride wouldn't allow him to accept such a miserable defeat.
After a short rest, Sasuke challenged Naruto again.
Due to his depleted chakra, he could only rely on taijutsu.
Sasuke's taijutsu couldn't even compare to Rock Lee's, let alone match Naruto's in a direct confrontation.
He was sent flying time and time again, only to get back up and charge forward once more.
Through the process of taking these blows, his taijutsu continuously improved. He even began to mimic Naruto's attack patterns.
All of this brought a sense of gratification to Naruto.
It at least proved that Sasuke was using his head while fighting.
Finally, Sasuke collapsed to the ground, his stamina completely spent. He gasped for breath, yet his eyes shone with joy. He could feel that his taijutsu had made a significant leap forward.
He looked at Naruto, only to find with astonishment that the other boy was merely breathing a little heavily, without even a bead of sweat on his brow.
"The gap… it's just too big, isn't it?" Sasuke chuckled helplessly.
How could he not know that Naruto was deliberately suppressing his own strength, using the pressure to push him to improve?
Sasuke wouldn't voice his gratitude for this, but he etched this kindness deep into his heart.
To be able to use such ninjutsu at his age… Uchiha Sasuke's talent is indeed high, Naruto mused, his gaze profound.
After the battle, their bond seemed to have strengthened somewhat. They sat under a tree, chatting idly.
Just as Naruto had anticipated, Sasuke was the second son of the Uchiha clan head. His older brother was hailed as the Uchiha clan's foremost genius in many years, having joined ANBU at a remarkably young age and possessing power that was difficult to imagine.
Although Sasuke was also a genius, he still fell short when compared to Itachi.
"Naruto." Just then, Rock Lee, whom Naruto hadn't seen for a while, walked into the forest, looking utterly dejected.
If the Rock Lee of the past was a youth brimming with hot-blooded passion, the one now was undoubtedly like a walking corpse, completely devoid of all fighting spirit.
This was the first time Naruto had seen Lee like this, and his brow furrowed instantly.
He didn't want someone he had taken an interest in to wear such a dispirited expression.
"Long time no see, Lee," Naruto said with a warm smile, then introduced him to Sasuke. "Sasuke, this is my good friend, Rock Lee."
"Lee, this is Uchiha Sasuke, a friend I made yesterday."
"Uchiha…" Lee managed a strained smile and greeted Sasuke. "Hello, my name is Rock Lee."
But inwardly, he sighed, a wave of inexplicable melancholy washing over him.
Indeed, a shining genius like Naruto naturally befriends members of prominent clans. Compared to them, I'm just too far behind.
Thinking this, Rock Lee's spirits sank even lower.
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