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Chapter 116 - Team Seven #4

Konohagakure no Sato :

Training Ground 3 :

With the departure of the lethargic, one-eyed Jonin, the sprawling expanse of Training Ground 3 fell into a heavy, suffocating silence. The rustle of the wind through the tall oaks was the only sound that remained.

Naruto stood motionless for a moment, his sky-blue eyes tracking the sun's trajectory across the pale azure sky. He mentally calculated the angle of the shadows stretching across the grass, concluding that it couldn't possibly be noon yet.

Slipping a hand inside his dark, high-collared jacket, his fingers closed around the cool metal of his pocket watch. He pulled it out and flicked the casing open with his thumb.

The delicate clock hands rested precisely at 10:44 AM.

(We arrived at the Academy at 9:00 AM. From the initial briefing to the team assignments, the agonizing wait in the classroom, the marathon run across the village, and Kakashi's pathetic excuse for an introduction... it hasn't even been two hours,)

Naruto mused, snapping the watch shut and returning it to his pocket.

(Such a short window of time, yet it feels like an Drag....... The psychological drain of dealing with these two is already compounding.)

The soft crunch of grass drew his attention. Naruto turned his head slightly to see Sasuke already walking toward the training ground's exit, his hands buried deep in his pockets, his posture rigid and unyielding.

Trailing just a few paces behind him, moving like an anxious shadow, was Haruno Sakura. She was silent, her emerald eyes fixed intently on the back of Sasuke's dark hair, completely oblivious to her surroundings.

( must be trying to initiate a conversation ........untill Sasuke snaps )

Naruto watched them go, his expression an unreadable mask of calm.

His eyes lingered on Sasuke. This was Indra's reincarnation. This was the only other shinobi in their generation with the raw, latent potential to breach the super-Kage ceiling in the decades to come.

Yet, despite knowing the terrifying heights of power this boy was destined to reach, Naruto's current assessment was far less grand. He didn't see a god of shinobi; he saw a pitiful, deeply broken child stumbling blindly through a tunnel of trauma, convinced that vengeance was the only light at the end.

Naruto's dark, calculating mind—ran the tactical numbers on Sasuke's psychological profile.

Meanwhile, his heart—the core of light that came from original Naruto's optimism and his own ideals from the previous Life—ached with a profound, quiet pity for the little kid who had lost everything in a single night.

( 12 year old ........last year of elementary school ..!! Right ?? )

Naruto's gaze shifted to the pink-haired kunoichi trailing desperately behind the Uchiha. Sakura was currently attempting to close the distance between them, clearly trying to muster the courage to initiate a conversation that Sasuke would inevitably ignore.

Looking at the civilian-born girl, Naruto's analytical mind immediately began running hypotheticals regarding her latent potential.

(If she follows the trajectory I know ........it is possible, she could reach a level comparable to Tsunade-nee,)

Naruto calculated, his eyes narrowing slightly as he assessed her meager chakra reserves but terrifyingly precise control.

( Hypothetically, of course. I highly doubt the 'canon' Sakura ever truly matched the Slug Sannin's raw, overwhelming battlefield supremacy. Simply learning the Strength of a Hundred Seal does not make you a carbon copy of the Sannin. Only someone who has intimately studied under Tsunade-nee—someone who has survived her training—can truly comprehend the sheer, monstrous depths of her medical expertise and physical power.)

Naruto searched his heart for any lingering affection for the pinkette, fully expecting to find the dusty remnants of his childhood crush.

He found absolutely nothing.

The space she had once occupied in his mind was entirely vacant. There was already someone else who commanded his attention, his respect, and his heart.

Naruto fell into step behind them, maintaining a deliberate distance. His mind began to formulate a long-term operational plan regarding Sakura's development.

(AS a Hokage .......Having another S-rank Medical Expert in the village's roster is an undeniable tactical boon,)

Naruto reasoned. ( The mortality rate missions drops by seventy percent with a dedicated combat medic on the squad...........A teammate as S rank Medical expert )

Naruto's thoughts briefly drifted to the only two other girls in his generation who possessed more talent than the pink Banshee to master the Medical Ninjutsu arts:

his closest friends, Uzumaki Karin and Hyuga Hinata.

Between the two, Karin possessed the most obvious, overwhelming physiological talent. Her Uzumaki lineage had manifested the Mind's Eye of the Kagura and the Heal Bite ability. Her body was literally designed by genetics to heal massive, fatal trauma.

However, Karin harbored a deep, Mental revulsion toward the act of healing others. She had only agreed to learn the foundational medical arts because Tsunade—the woman who had rescued her and her mother from the living hell of Kusagakure—had requested it.

( Karin still has scars ........ with people feeding on her blood to heal themselves........even after learning mediacal arts , She keeps everyone at arm's length, save for a select few. It's the exact reason she aggressively lobbied to join the Sealing Corps instead of the Hospital staff,) Naruto recalled with a small, fond smile.

Tsunade, Shizune, and even Karin's mother, Ayaka, had allowed her to pivot to Fuinjutsu without a fight. They all understood the girl's psychological scars.

Karin had spent her early childhood watching foreign shinobi butcher her mother by draining her life force. The fact that Karin didn't outright violently attack anyone who asked for medical aid was already a massive victory.

Furthermore, Karin wasn't just 'good' at sealing; she was a prodigy who genuinely loved the complex, mathematical beauty of the art. There was absolutely no reason to force her into a role that triggered her trauma.

After Karin, Naruto evaluated Hinata. If Karin possessed the physical constitution for healing, Hinata possessed the perfect psychological and physiological framework for the Medical Arts.

Hinata's mentality was deeply empathetic and nurturing, perfectly suited to the manner required of a true medic.

More importantly, she possessed the Byakugan. The ability to see the inner chakra pathway system, to instantly diagnose internal hemorrhaging, nerve damage, and cellular necrosis without a single invasive procedure, made her a medical cheat code.

Hinata also loves Medical Arts and helping others.

( And that ) Naruto realized with a possessive clench of his jaw ( was exactly why Sakura's development is so crucial )

Naruto did not want Karin to be forced into the medical field against her will.

And as for Hinata... if the Hyuga heiress truly dedicated herself to the Medical Arts, she would be swallowed whole by the Konoha Hospital. She would be working grueling seventy-hour shifts, constantly surrounded by injured, bleeding shinobi, far away from him.

( Hinata should only be focusing her attention on me,) Naruto thought, a dark, fiercely possessive streak flaring in his chest—a sentiment that both his calculating mind and his light-filled heart agreed upon with absolute, one-hundred-percent certainty.

Naruto refused to share Hinata's time with the general population of the village.

His eyes snapped back to the pink-haired girl walking ahead of him.

( Therefore, Haruno Sakura must become the medic. As Hokage, I will need a fiercely loyal right hand. Sasuke, once he is broken and rebuilt, will serve that role perfectly as the Shadow Kage......... And Sakura, with Tsunade's training, will become the perfect, tireless Medic for the hospital's administration and triage. ......They will both be Good workhorses )

Naruto looked ahead darkly at the kids sillouhettes just like some a certain Asshole he hate before , as a reader.

( Everything for the village...... and for my own peace of mind.)

Naruto noticed they were rapidly approaching the exit of the training ground. In just a few dozen paces, they would hit the civilian streets and scatter to the wind. Naruto thought about how to approach and intitiate the conversation

He slightly increased his pace, closing the distance between them. He needed to establish a line of communication. He debated whether to address both of them or just target the Uchiha. After all, if he hooked Sasuke, the banshee would inevitably tag along like a remora fish.

( Well, Sakura will just blindly follow Sasuke until he either snaps at her or ducks into the Uchiha compound,) Naruto thought, shaking his head at the sheer predictability of it all.

Naruto soon thought Of The Avenger.

Naruto recalled the agonizingly frustrating days over the last three years when he had genuinely tried to bridge the gap with Sasuke. He had tried talking about training theories, shurikenjutsu mechanics, and even mundane hobbies. Every single attempt had been met with a wall of ice. Sasuke had brutally denied him at every turn.

( frustrating Days )

In the end, Naruto's analytical mind had processed the data and spat out a bitter conclusion:

Sasuke Uchiha was psychologically incapable of accepting help or camaraderie from someone he viewed as a threat to his fragile superiority. Sasuke could not accept that the 'Dobe' was now undeniably better than him.

( pitiful Kid )

Over the ensuing months, Naruto had refined his psychological warfare tactics. He understood that he could not approach Sasuke like a normal human being. Instead, he had to engineer scenarios where Sasuke felt compelled to approach him. He had to manipulate the variables so that Sasuke believed he was making his own autonomous choices, driven by his own self-serving purposes.

Crucially, Naruto knew he could never offer advice regarding physical strength, chakra control, or jutsu execution.

(If I offer him combat advice, Sasuke's ego will immediately interpret it as an insult. He will think I consider him weak, and he will aggressively reject the information, even if he knows deep down that it's factually correct , He is entirely ruled by his pride. He is, in the truest sense, just a damaged kid.)

Naruto needed a hook that circumvented Sasuke's martial pride. He needed to offer something Sasuke desperately desired but could not acquire through physical training. He needed to offer intelligence.

( well time to save you ......for your OWN good......as a good teammate ofcourse )

Naruto closed the distance, his boots making no sound on the dirt path. When he was just a few feet behind them, he spoke, his voice calm , without authority but friendly .

"You guys."

The effect was instantaneous. Both Sakura and Sasuke froze mid-step.

There was a profound, undeniable gravity to Naruto's presence now—a byproduct of years spent in the company of ANBU commanders, the Sannin, and the Hokage himself.

It was an aura ( Kage's Charisma ) that silently demanded compliance. When this new Naruto spoke, you felt a primal urge to listen, even if your conscious mind wanted to ignore him.

Sasuke slowly turned his head, looking back at the blonde over his shoulder.

Despite the boiling cauldron of resentment and jealousy churning in his gut—despite his burning curiosity about the high-level Clone jutsu Naruto had casually deployed, and his desperate need to understand how the 'Dobe' had grown so strong—Sasuke kept his face a mask of brooding indifference.

But deep in his core, Sasuke's instincts recognized that Naruto was currently operating on a higher tier. Naruto was someone worth listening to, unlike the rest of the pathetic, fawning losers in their graduating class.

Sakura also stopped and turned, her emerald eyes wide with a mixture of apprehension and residual awe. She vividly remembered how effortlessly he had carried her across the village, saving her from failing the first unofficial test.

However, the pinkette's internal monologue was currently trapped in a labyrinth of adolescent, romantic delusions.

(If I say 'thank you' to Naruto right now, and Sasuke-kun hears it, what if Sasuke-kun misunderstands and thinks I like Naruto instead?!)

Sakura panicked internally, biting her lip. (And if I am too nice to Naruto, what if Naruto misunderstands and thinks I want him to start chasing me again?! Oh, it's so complicated! It's better to maintain a cold distance. What a tragic dilemma... two powerful boys silently vying for the affections of little old me!)

Naruto, blissfully unaware of the absolute brain-rot occurring inside the Banshee's head, shifted his piercing sky-blue gaze entirely onto Sasuke. He spoke lightly, dropping the bait 

"I am going to gather intelligence on our new Jonin sensei," Naruto stated, his tone businesslike. "You guys want to come?"

The offer caught Sasuke completely off guard. His dark eyes widened a fraction in genuine surprise.

Before the Uchiha could process the tactical value of the offer, Sakura immediately inserted herself into the conversation, her civilian ignorance flaring up like a beacon.

"Idiot Naruto!" Sakura scolded, her hands on her hips, her tone reverting perfectly to the shrill, condescending pitch she had used three years prior.

"Kakashi-sensei is a Jonin ! Any information regarding his abilities, mission history, or combat statistics would definitely be highly classified! You can't just go 'gather information' on him like you're looking up a recipe!"

Hearing her shrill, grating tone, and registering the obvious, deeply ingrained disrespect, Naruto felt a sharp twinge of regret for not leaving her hyperventilating in the dirt an hour ago.

His eyes narrowed infinitesimally. He didn't yell. He didn't argue. He simply allowed a fraction of his dense, oppressive Uzumaki chakra to bleed into the surrounding air, dropping the ambient temperature by several degrees.

"Stupid Sakura," Naruto replied, his voice dropping to a dangerous, icy register that sent a shiver down her spine. "I know that Kakashi is a Jonin. But I still said that I can gather information.... Furthermore... I wasn't talking to you."

He completely dismissed her, turning his predatory gaze back to the Uchiha. "So. Are you interested, Sasuke?"

Sakura cowered visibly, physically taking a step back as the suffocating weight of Naruto's chakra pressed against her. The terrifying reality of the 'new' Naruto crashed over her once again, silencing her completely.

Sasuke, however, had already tuned Sakura out the moment she opened her mouth. He hadn't listened to a single word she had said, filtering her voice out as useless background noise. But he had heard every word Naruto had spoken.

The promise of intelligence gathering—the prospect of analyzing the man who had effortlessly outpaced them and threatened to fail them—was an irresistible lure to Sasuke's tactical mind. He needed to know what he was up against tomorrow morning.

Sasuke took a slow, measured breath, reigning in his pride. He maintained his aloof facade, but his voice betrayed a flicker of genuine curiosity.

"Where exactly do you think you can find something like that?" Sasuke asked, his tone skeptical but engaged.

Naruto let out a slow, internal sigh of victory. The hook was set.

"Oh, so you are interested," Naruto smirked slightly, turning on his heel and walking past them toward the center of the village. "Then follow me. I know a place."

Naruto strode forward with purpose. Sasuke stood motionless for three seconds, his pride warring with his tactical necessity, before he finally clicked his tongue and fell into step behind the blonde.

Sakura, exactly as Naruto had predicted, immediately scurried after Sasuke, desperate not to be left behind.

As they walked in silence through the winding streets of Konoha, Naruto carefully considered his next move. He debated attempting small talk, trying to force a camaraderie that didn't exist, but ultimately decided against it.

(If I push too hard, the Uchiha will bolt, and the banshee will screech,) Naruto reasoned.

( It's better to lead by example. I will show them my value first. We will build this team slowly, one operational success at a time.)

In Naruto's eyes, both of his teammates were absolutely deluded, tragically lost children.

Sasuke was an avenger whose entire identity revolved around the singular thought of "I will kill you," with absolutely no strategic plan on how to achieve the power necessary to do so.

The Pink Banshee was a civilian playing dress-up, whose entire identity revolved around the thought of "Sasuke-kun," with absolutely no understanding of the lethal reality of their profession.

They walked for twenty minutes, the silence thick and heavy, until Naruto finally led Team 7 out of the commercial district and toward the towering administrative sector that surrounded the Hokage Monument.

He stopped in front of a massive, imposing, multi-story structure built from reinforced white stone and heavy timber. Large, stylized kanji were carved above the heavy iron doors.

KONOHA ARCHIVES LIBRARY

Sasuke and Sakura stopped beside him, staring up at the imposing building. Their reactions were predictably different.

"A library?" Sasuke muttered, his brow furrowing in deep skepticism.

"......how could a library know Jonin's information ?"

Naruto didn't answer. He simply walked up the wide stone steps toward the entrance.

Two heavily armed Chunin guards stood at attention before the iron doors, their hands resting near the hilts of their weapons. Despite recognizing the blond boy immediately, they stepped forward, crossing their arms to block his path, adhering strictly to protocol.

"Identification," the guard on the left demanded firmly.

Sasuke and Sakura watched closely. Naruto didn't flinch. He casually untied his forehead protector, handing it to the guard, and then reached into his jacket, retrieving a laminated, officially stamped Genin ID card.

The guard took the items, expertly flipping the metal plate to check the engraved serial number hidden on the back, and then cross-referenced the ID card. Satisfied, the guard handed the items back with a sharp nod.

"All good, Naruto. Clear to enter."

" Congratulations on Graduation , Uzumaki "

"Haha, thanks, guys. Keep up the good work," Naruto smiled warmly, securing his headband around his arm.

Naruto turned and looked expectantly at Sasuke and Sakura.

Sasuke stepped forward, his face an emotionless mask, and handed over his own newly acquired forehead protector and ID. The guards processed him with clinical efficiency.

Sakura followed suit, her hands trembling slightly. As a civilian, she had never been subjected to a formal military security checkpoint, and the stern, armed men made her incredibly nervous.

Once cleared, the heavy iron doors were pulled open, and all three Genin stepped inside.

The interior of the Konoha Archives was breathtaking. It was a cavernous, multi-tiered grand hall, filled with row upon row of towering wooden bookshelves that seemed to stretch into infinity. The air smelled of old parchment, ink, and polished wood. Several bustling counters were manned by scribes and junior archivists, sorting through mountains of mission reports and logistical data.

Naruto was looking around when he noticed an acquintance.

Instead of heading toward the public circulation desks, Naruto bypassed the line entirely and walked toward a well-dressed man standing near the center atrium, directing a group of younger staff.

"Sakamoto-san!" Naruto called out cheerfully.

The man—a seasoned Tokubetsu Jonin who served as the Vice Librarian and Chief Archivist—turned around. His stern face immediately broke into a warm, welcoming smile.

"Oh! Naruto! How are you doing, my boy?"

"Doing great, Sakamoto-san. How are things holding up in the archives?"

Sasuke and Sakura stood frozen a few paces behind him.

Looking at Naruto casually chatting with a high-ranking official in one of the village's most secure buildings—speaking to him with the easy familiarity of an old friend—both Genin took a sharp, collective breath.

Sasuke quickly recovered, his eyes narrowing as he recalibrated his assessment of the blonde's social capital.

Sakura, however, was practically losing her mind.

(Since when does Naruto have high-level connections in places like this?!) Sakura shrieked internally, her eyes darting between Naruto and the Vice Librarian.

(Wasn't he just a pitiful, prank-pulling orphan who everyone in the village hated? How does he know these people?!)

Sasuke stepped forward, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Naruto, refusing to be relegated to the background.

Sakamoto noticed the movement. His sharp eyes flicked over the Sasuke and the pink hair of the girl behind him. He didn't bat an eyelid, his professional demeanor flawless. He turned his attention back to Naruto.

"So, what brings you to my domain today, Naruto? Looking for a new jutsu scroll to decipher, or did you come to submit another One of those new Jutsu? or those Sealing tags for Anbu"

Hearing the Vice Librarian casually mention Naruto submitting advanced sealing tags to the ANBU, Sakura's jaw dropped slightly. Sasuke's eye twitched violently.

Naruto quickly shook his head, holding up his hands to deflect the sensitive information. He pointed to the shiny new metal plate strapped to his arm. "Sakamoto-san, look."

Sakamoto's eyes dropped to the forehead protector. His face lit up with genuine excitement. He slapped his forehead dramatically.

"Look at my brain! I completely forgot ! Congratulations on your graduation, Naruto! A full-fledged shinobi of the Leaf!"

"Haha, thanks, Sakamoto-san," Naruto grinned, gesturing to the two silent statues beside him. "These are my newly assigned teammates. Sasuke and Sakura."

Sakamoto looked at the kids with a critical, appraising eye. Sasuke crossed his arms and offered a dismissive, arrogant huff, looking away.

Sakura, terrified of making a bad impression, executed a stiff, formal bow, though her eyes immediately darted back to check Sasuke's reaction.

Sakamoto's eyebrow twitched at the blatant disrespect from the boy and the sheer lack of focus from the girl.

"Eh. Congratulations to you both," Sakamoto said dryly, his tone notably lacking the warmth he had shown Naruto. He turned back to the blonde. "So, what exactly do you need today, Naruto?"

"I came because of our new Captain, Sakamoto-san," Naruto said, his tone turning serious. "I need to requisition the latest edition of the Bingo Book."

Sakamoto, a veteran shinobi who had survived his fair share of bloodbaths, immediately connected the tactical dots. A slow, deeply impressed grin spread across his face.

"Oho. Don't tell me... you're pulling the Bingo Book to gather threat-assessment intel on your newly assigned Team Captain?"

"Yup," Naruto nodded firmly. "I need to know his operational parameters before tomorrow morning."

"Smart. Very smart," Sakamoto praised, crossing his arms and casting a pointed, derogatory glance at Sasuke and Sakura. "Most fresh Genin just join their teams with a happy-go-lucky attitude, thinking they own the world and that their sensei is just a glorified babysitter. It's refreshing to see someone taking their survival seriously."

Sasuke and Sakura were forced to stand there and absorb the thinly veiled insult. Sakura blushed furiously, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. Sasuke, however, either didn't catch the subtext or simply didn't care, letting out an impatient sigh.

Naruto laughed awkwardly, trying to diffuse the tension.

Sakamoto shook his head and barked over his shoulder at a young, flustered archivist scrambling near a nearby counter.

"Oi! Oda!"

The young man jumped, dropping a stack of papers. "Y-Yes, Boss! What's up?!"

"Go into the restricted stacks and pull a copy of the latest International Bingo Book for Naruto!"

"Right away, sir!" Oda scrambled off into the maze of bookshelves.

While they waited, Sakamoto turned his attention fully onto the arrogant Uchiha brat and the starry-eyed civilian girl. He felt a profound sense of pity that Naruto was shackled to these two dead weights. He decided it was time to educate them.

"You kids," Sakamoto said, his voice dropping into a stern, lecturing tone. "Do you even comprehend what a Bingo Book is? Do you understand how important the document you are about to see truly is?"

Sasuke and Sakura stared at him blankly, the sheer depth of their ignorance on full display.

Sakamoto sighed heavily. "A fully updated, international Bingo Book is worth hundreds of thousands of ryo on the black market. And money isn't even the primary issue—you need high-level military clearance and deep connections just to be allowed to look at one within these walls."

"..." "..."

Sakura blinked, entirely failing to grasp the gravity of the situation. "...Is that really so amazing?" she asked weakly.

Sakamoto leveled a glare at her that could have melted steel. "Yes, little girl. It is. So you should be incredibly thankful to Naruto for securing this access for you."

"..." (Sasuke gritted his teeth, refusing to acknowledge the debt.) "..." (Sakura looked down, thoroughly chastised.)

"Information is a shinobi's true lifeline," Sakamoto pressed, his voice hard. "A kunai can be blocked. A jutsu can be countered. But stepping onto a battlefield without knowing your enemy's capabilities is a guaranteed death sentence. Remember that."

(Naruto is really, truly pitiful,) Sakamoto thought, shaking his head at the blank stares he was receiving.

He dropped the lecture, turning back to Naruto, who was rubbing the back of his neck and chuckling awkwardly at his teammates' public dressing-down.

"So," Sakamoto asked, changing the subject to something more pleasant. "Who is the poor bastard they assigned as your Team Captain, Naruto?"

"Oh, it's Jonin Hatake Kakashi," Naruto answered casually.

Sakamoto froze. His eyes widened comically, and he let out a low, deeply reverent whistle.

"Ooooooh. Wow."

Naruto blinked, feigning ignorance to stroke the archivist's ego and ensure his teammates were paying attention. "Whoa, what a reaction. Is he really that impressive, Sakamoto-san? He looked pretty lazy to me."

"Impressive? Kid, he isn't just impressive," Sakamoto said, his voice dropping to an awe-struck whisper. "Kakashi is easily in the top ten—no, scratch that, he is absolutely in the top five strongest active shinobi in the entire village."

"Hoh," Naruto murmured, acting appropriately surprised.

"..." (Sasuke's eyes snapped wide open, his head whipping toward the archivist.) "..." (Sakura gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.)

"...So that lazy, late teacher is actually that amazing?!" Sakura blurted out, her worldview shattering.

Naruto maintained a look of rapt, excited attention at the "reveal," perfectly playing the role of the eager student.

Sakura and Sasuke, however, were genuinely, profoundly shocked. To think that the lethargic man who had arrived late, read a dirty book, and told them absolutely nothing about himself was actually one of the most lethal weapons in Konoha's arsenal.

Before the conversation could dive deeper into Kakashi's exploits, young Oda came sprinting back, clutching a thick, heavily bound black book with a blood-red seal on the cover. He skidded to a halt, gasping for breath.

"H-Here it is, Sakamoto-sama! The latest edition!"

Sakamoto snatched the book from the boy's hands, fixing him with a critical eye. "Thanks, Oda-kun. But why did that take you three minutes? When Ayumi asked for a file yesterday, you were back in thirty seconds. Is this gender discrimination? Are you playing favorites, boy?"

"Oh, come on, Boss! The stacks are disorganized!" Oda wailed, his face burning bright red as he turned and fled back to his station.

Sakamoto chuckled, cracking the heavy spine of the Bingo Book. He flipped rapidly through the dense, text-heavy pages, his eyes scanning the endless lists of S-rank missing-nin and enemy commanders.

"Let me see... Hatake... Hatake... Ah. Here he is. Kakashi."

Naruto leaned in, playing his part. "So Kakashi really is strong, Sakamoto-san?"

"Strong is an understatement, Naruto," Sakamoto said, his voice deadly serious as he ran a finger down the page. "He is famous across the entire shinobi world. He has a flee-on-sight order in two different hidden villages. He is known as Kakashi of a Thousand Jutsu. Kakashi the Copy Ninja..."

Sakamoto continued

"...and Kakashi of the Sharingan."

Sasuke's entire body went rigid. His breath caught in his throat. He took a violent, stumbling step forward, his voice tearing out of his chest in a desperate, disbelieving shout that echoed through the quiet library.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

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