"I'm honored to have gained your recognition, Sasuke-kun!"
Rock Lee clenched his right fist and swung it, the motion causing the air to audibly ripple with a sharp boom.
"But I should clarify—since you're not an enemy, I only used 50% of my full power."
"I know."
Sasuke's voice was calm and emotionless. As he slowly stood up, a twisted grin formed on his face.
"Which is why I'll also hold back."
"You'd better go all out next time—because I won't give you another chance like that again."
"Sorry, I can't."
Lee's tone dropped, eyes sincere as he looked at Sasuke. "Guy-sensei once said—when sparring with comrades, we stop here."
As soon as the words fell, the faint green aura of chakra that had enveloped Lee vanished completely. His legs buckled, and he collapsed to the ground. His chest heaved with ragged breaths, and white steam began to rise from his body.
"You've got to be kidding me!"
Sasuke looked down in disbelief at Lee, who was lying motionless, then turned toward Naruto, his tone full of frustration.
"What was that? Just quitting mid-fight?"
"Exactly. Count yourself lucky."
Naruto stepped over to Lee and crouched down, placing his hand on Lee's forehead. A soft green healing chakra emitted from his palm, and Lee's breathing quickly stabilized. Within seconds, he fell into a deep sleep.
"What do you mean by that?"
Sasuke dismissed the lightning chakra flickering around him and walked over with a dissatisfied expression. He had just taken a serious beating from that bushy-browed kid, and Naruto was calling it luck?
"Don't play dumb. I warned you before we came here."
Naruto pressed both hands on Lee's abdomen, continuing to heal him as he spoke. "And when the fight started, I warned you again—not to underestimate him. Yet it only took three exchanges for him to force you into activating your Sharingan."
"Honestly, I was surprised. During your training with my Shadow Clones, you always save your chakra and don't activate your Sharingan unless it's absolutely necessary."
Sasuke's face darkened. A flicker of unease flashed through his Sharingan eyes.
"You told me this Rock Lee only knew taijutsu—no ninjutsu, no genjutsu."
"Did I lie?"
Naruto's tone remained casual. "Or are you telling me the Eight Gates Technique is ninjutsu now?"
"...No."
Sasuke practically gritted the word through clenched teeth. But then he snapped, "Sure, Eight Gates is taijutsu—but you never said he could use it! And that he could open up to the Third Gate!"
"Heh…"
Naruto let out a small chuckle. "You're lucky he only opened the Third Gate."
"What do you mean?"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He suddenly recalled what Lee had said before collapsing. A suspicion bloomed in his mind.
"Wait... don't tell me this guy—?"
"Exactly. That's why I said you were lucky."
Naruto helped Lee sit upright, placing a hand on his elbow. "Lee can open the Fifth Gate of the Eight Inner Gates. If, from the start, he'd seen you as an enemy rather than a comrade, and you let him open the Fifth Gate just because you underestimated him…"
"Even so, I wouldn't have lost!"
Sasuke abruptly cut him off, his voice sharp with pride.
"If I'd known from the beginning he was an enemy like Koga, I wouldn't have given him the chance to open even the Gate of Life! And even if he had opened the Fifth Gate, with his current body, he wouldn't have lasted long. He'd either die or be left crippled."
"So whether it's a comrade or an enemy—I will always be the one who wins!"
"Confident, aren't you?"
Naruto didn't refute him. Instead, he said calmly, "Still, you should thank Lee. He helped you evolve another Sharingan."
"What?!"
Sasuke froze. He immediately formed a Shadow Clone. Both he and the clone's faces lit up with joy.
"My left eye… it's now a three-tomoe Sharingan!"
"And you're excited about that?"
Naruto glanced at him sideways, voice tinged with amusement. "I mean… what's up with you anyway? All the Uchiha I've known evolved both eyes at once. But you? Yours evolve one at a time. Don't you think it's weird to have mismatched Sharingan?"
"Humph."
Sasuke's joy quickly faded. With a cold look, his Shadow Clone dispelled with a poof. After a deep breath, he locked eyes with Naruto.
"Now that I have a three-tomoe Sharingan… it's time you told me the truth about the Uchiha Massacre!"
"Not yet."
Naruto's tone was flat, but the answer was clear.
"You're toying with me!!"
Sasuke's voice dropped, his sharp features twisting with rage.
"You said! You said when I reached the three-tomoe stage, you'd tell me the truth!"
"I said that," Naruto replied calmly, standing and placing Lee back on the ground. Then he turned and stared Sasuke in the eyes.
"But you've only evolved one eye. So technically, you haven't met the condition."
"Uzumaki Naruto! You're breaking your promise!"
Sasuke's jaw tightened, his Sharingan burning with fury. "Back at Grey Mist Gorge, you promised! You said when my right eye—"
"Yes, I did."
Naruto cut him off, voice still flat. "But right now, it's your left eye that evolved. Which means… the one breaking the promise isn't me—it's you, Uchiha Sasuke."
"Twisting words!"
Sasuke snarled, the crimson in his Sharingan deepening. A sharp chirping sound rang out as lightning sparked in his left hand.
"Thinking of attacking me?"
Naruto's lips curled into a mocking smile. His eyes gleamed with amusement. "That look in your eyes—now that's better. I'm actually getting excited."
"Come on then. If you can beat me, you can take all my secrets."
"You—!"
Sasuke suddenly froze. He stared deeply at Naruto, then slowly released his lightning. The glow faded, and his expression cooled.
"When will you tell me the truth?"
Naruto's face remained emotionless. "Within five months, you'll know everything."
"Five months?"
Sasuke's gaze sharpened. "What's happening in five months?"
"Why are you asking that?"
For once, Naruto seemed genuinely surprised by the question.
"I can feel it."
Sasuke's crimson Sharingan eyes locked on Naruto. "Ever since graduation, your behavior's been suspicious. I can feel it—you're waiting for something. Something bound to happen."
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/FinalArcHero789