The boys of the Nara Clan were burdened with responsibility from an early age.
Among the Ino-Shika-Chō trio, the Nara Clan always acted as the brains of the operation, holding a central position in the alliance.
Something special inside him, huh...
Shikamaru sighed quietly, his thoughts drifting.
They were almost twelve years old now. Next year, they would officially become ninja. Graduating alongside someone as unique as Menma meant Shikamaru had to consider a lot more variables than the average student.
Leaving aside the varied thoughts of the other students, the focus returned to the field.
The two opponents faced each other.
Menma looked at Sasuke, who appeared calm on the surface but was clearly burning with fighting spirit. Menma frowned slightly, recalling their previous duels.
He realized he might have underestimated the young master's competitive drive.
Looks like I need to teach this guy a lesson he won't forget.
Menma narrowed his eyes, making up his mind.
A second later.
At Iruka's signal.
The two boys formed the Seal of Opposition.
Boom!
From the side.
Sasuke knew he was at a disadvantage, so he had to strike first. His previous losses weren't due to bad tactics, but simply because he wasn't strong enough. If he wanted to win, he had to seize the initiative and control the rhythm.
He couldn't leave a single opening. He couldn't make a single mistake.
Whoosh!
Chakra exploded from his feet.
His speed was far beyond that of his peers as he flashed forward.
Menma's expression remained calm.
He sank his hips, channeling his own power.
Facing Sasuke head-on.
Menma swung his arm in a preemptive strike.
His arm lashed out like a whip from above, aiming straight for Sasuke's head.
What?!
In Sasuke's vision.
A black blur filled his sight.
Sasuke's pupils constricted.
He was forced into a defensive stance instantly.
Thud!
A dull impact echoed.
Sasuke felt a massive force slam into him, nearly shattering his guard.
How did his strength increase again?!
Sasuke gritted his teeth.
In their fight a month ago, Menma's strength hadn't been this exaggerated. This looked like a casual swing, yet Sasuke felt like he was buckling under the pressure.
Sasuke refused to believe someone could grow that much stronger in such a short time.
The only explanation was that Menma had been holding back a month ago.
Bastard!
The thought made Sasuke's expression turn icy cold.
That was the one answer he couldn't accept.
The more he thought about it, the more desperate he became to defeat Menma.
If he couldn't even overcome a peer, how could he ever hope to take revenge on that man? How could he ever restore the Uchiha Clan?!
"Hah!"
With a guttural shout.
Veins bulged on Sasuke's forehead as he forced his arms up.
He shoved Menma's oppressive weight aside.
"Oh?"
As space opened up between them.
A flicker of surprise crossed Menma's eyes.
He hadn't expected Sasuke to block that. Menma had used about eighty percent of his strength, intending to end the fight quickly.
It seemed the boy had grown significantly as well.
However.
Still not enough!
A sharp glint flashed in Menma's eyes.
He leaned forward.
Closing the distance instantly.
In a flash.
Moving in a serpentine curve.
From Sasuke's perspective, Menma seemed to vanish.
Sasuke's heart skipped a beat.
He instinctively tried to retreat.
But a second later.
Menma was already behind him, on his left.
In the rush.
Sasuke couldn't get his guard up in time.
Menma's hand, rigid as a blade, chopped down heavily onto Sasuke's left shoulder.
Immense force.
Sharp pain.
Sasuke's face twisted.
The force buckled his knees, and as his body dipped, Menma seized the opportunity. He extended his right hand, stopping his fingers just inches from Sasuke's throat.
"That's enough."
Iruka's voice rang out from the sidelines.
Sasuke's face went dark. The reality in front of him allowed no room for argument. His pride stung, but he had no choice. He took a deep breath, stood up silently, formed the Seal of Reconciliation with Menma, and walked back to the line with a wooden expression.
He looked calm.
But if anyone looked closely at his clenched fists, they would know a storm was raging inside him.
Defeated! Again!
By his count, this was his thirtieth loss to Menma.
Even though these were just sparrings between classmates, and stopped before serious injury, for a proud Uchiha—especially one who had witnessed the massacre four years ago—failure was unacceptable.
And yet, he failed.
But he couldn't show weakness.
Train! I have to train harder! Menma Uzumaki, I will defeat you!
Sasuke swore to himself with absolute resolve.
Wow, Sasuke-kun lost again.
And that was the fastest loss yet, wasn't it?
Menma is just too strong.
Looks like the top spot in our class is locked.
Maybe even the top spot for the whole year!
Probably.
Guess we'll see at the graduation exam next year.
The students in the line looked shocked. In previous matches, Menma had the advantage, but it always felt like Sasuke had a fighting chance.
But this time was different.
Menma had crushed Sasuke with brutal, direct efficiency.
The gap was nakedly obvious to anyone with eyes. They exchanged subtle glances, communicating silently.
They couldn't just say it out loud in front of the loser.
They weren't as thick-skinned as Master Naruto.
Besides, just because Sasuke couldn't beat Menma didn't mean he couldn't destroy them. No one wanted to provoke Sasuke right now.
Iruka shook his head helplessly, watching from the side.
Honestly, Iruka had stopped wanting to pair Menma and Sasuke together a long time ago.
The kids might not see it clearly, but Iruka could see the massive gap between them.
Don't assume Iruka was weak just because he was an Academy teacher. Compared to who?
He was a legitimate Chūnin.
He could easily gauge the difference between Menma and Sasuke.