I wonder if Sasuke will win, or if it'll be Kusuo?"
With the two boys now standing on the platform, the spectating students were buzzing with discussion.
"If you ask me, it's definitely that Hatake Kusuo guy. I mean, his strength has always been incredible. It's impossible to tell how deep it runs."
"Hmph, how is that possible?"
"The winner will definitely be Sasuke."
"Our Uchiha clan has always produced geniuses. Whether it was our parents' generation or the seniors from the past few years, the top student has always been one of us!" the same Uchiha boy from before spoke up again, his tone filled with pride.
The crowd had a moment of realization and nodded frequently. But the Uchiha boy's tone was so arrogant that some wanted to rebut, yet when they opened their mouths, they found they couldn't say anything.
It was true. Whether it was the current clan head, Fugaku, or past geniuses like Shisui and Itachi, every one of them had been an astonishingly brilliant talent. With Sasuke being so outstanding now, perhaps it wouldn't be a surprise if he defeated Kusuo and became the top student.
A standard test was different from a one-on-one spar. This was where true skill would be revealed.
The thought that an Uchiha might become the top student again left a bitter taste in many people's mouths.
"No way! I believe in Kusuo!"
"Kusuo can definitely beat Sasuke and become the top student of our year!"
Suddenly, a dissenting voice rang out. Everyone turned to see it was Ino Yamanaka. With her long golden hair and sharp chin, her eyes were filled with conviction. She was standing with her arms outstretched and fists clenched, shouting at the top of her lungs.
"Go for it!"
"Kusuo, you have to beat that Sasuke guy up badly! Show them how strong we are!"
Many people stared blankly at the girl cheering so passionately, somewhat stunned.
Then, the entire crowd erupted in a thunderous roar.
"That's right!"
"Kusuo, you're so strong, you can definitely do it!"
"You have to win one for us commoner kids!"
To be honest, as a member of the Hatake clan, Kusuo wasn't exactly a commoner. But compared to a behemoth like the Uchiha clan, it wasn't an exaggeration to call him one.
"G-go for it, Kusuo," Hinata whispered, hiding in a small corner. She, too, watched Kusuo on the stage and clenched her little fists to cheer him on.
While the cheers below the stage were deafening, the platform itself was calm and quiet.
"Tch, what a pointless spectacle," Sasuke muttered. He could, of course, hear the cheers from below. Aside from a few children from his own clan, almost everyone was cheering for Kusuo. This stark contrast made him even more furious.
Why?
Why should some guy who came out of nowhere steal all of my spotlight?
Dammit.
As a member of the Uchiha clan, not only my father and brother, but even my own classmates are standing against me.
"I will make you see the power of the Uchiha!" Sasuke swore through gritted teeth.
"Match, begin!"
At the same time, Iruka announced the start of the spar.
BOOM!
The moment Iruka's voice fell, Sasuke, filled with pent-up anger, rushed forward, hoping to catch Kusuo off guard.
PAK!
A crisp sound echoed.
Kusuo calmly caught Sasuke's flying fist in his hand.
Seeing his surprise attack fail, Sasuke tried to pull back and regroup, but in that instant, he realized his fist wouldn't move. It was held in Kusuo's seemingly casual grip, yet it was completely immobilized.
This guy... just how much strength does he have?
Ignoring the shock in his heart, Sasuke quickly tried to duck and use his legs to break free.
"Too slow. Your intentions are too obvious," Kusuo said faintly, then forcefully lifted the hand that held Sasuke's fist.
Instantly, Sasuke's entire body was lifted off the ground by Kusuo, left dangling in mid-air.
"If this is the full extent of the Uchiha's glory, then I'm rather disappointed."
POW!
With a loud thud, he threw Sasuke several meters away.
"Hiss!"
They were stunned. Everyone was stunned.
They stared blankly at the scene. The crowd's eyes were filled with disbelief, and the sound of people swallowing could be heard.
Silence.
The entire venue fell silent.
They had expected a fierce battle between a dragon and a tiger, a back-and-forth fight between equals. They never imagined it would be over as soon as it began. From start to finish, Sasuke had only thrown a single punch before being caught and thrown away by Kusuo.
Combined with Kusuo's perpetually calm and carefree expression, everyone seemed to finally realize that this guy had been completely relaxed the entire time. He had never taken Sasuke seriously from the very beginning.
"How could this happen?!"
Sasuke saw everyone staring at Kusuo in shock, while he, who had been tossed aside so casually, was being ignored like a stray dog. The intense contrast and the resulting humiliation made Sasuke's eyes turn crimson red, as if filled with blood.
Anger. Intense anger.
Under the stimulation of this long-accumulated rage, a sharp pain shot through Sasuke's eyes.
"You bastard!"
Ignoring the pain, Sasuke leaped up and, with a roar, charged at Kusuo once more.
Only this time, he still couldn't even touch the corner of his clothes. Kusuo, with a single graceful turn, easily dodged Sasuke's charge.
Then, a kick.
A light, almost lazy kick.
It seemed to float through the air.
Thump!
Sasuke was kicked from behind and sent tumbling off the stage, landing face-first in the dirt.
"Sasuke!"
He had landed right in front of the other Uchiha children. Sasuke's eyes were wide with disbelief as he lay on the ground. The shouts of his clansmen and the commotion of the crowd seemed to have nothing to do with him.
During this time, the furious power that had been brewing in his mind finally exploded, surging from the depths of his brain into his eyes. The pain intensified.
Fzzt.
His black pupils suddenly contracted, then turned a bloody, crimson red.
The next second, a single comma-shaped tomoe swirled within.
The Uchiha Clan's...
Sharingan!
...had awakened.
--------
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