Chapter 67: Little Rabbit
Sarutobi Hiruzen had left, and the battle had come to an end.
The outcome was already clear.
But of course, proud Uchiha Sasuke would never willingly admit defeat. Instead, Naruto—with his bruised and swollen face that looked like a pig's head—had pinned Sasuke to the ground, refusing to let him up.
Faced with that kind of ridiculous tactic, Sasuke had no choice but to stop resisting.
He was mortified, especially knowing that the two Hyuga spectators were still watching from a distance.
"…You're pretty good."
After getting up, Naruto walked over with a playful smile and held out his hand to help Sasuke up.
Sasuke scowled, slapped his hand away, and stood up on his own.
"It's not like I can't accept defeat. You're definitely stronger than me right now. Take the top spot in our grade—fine."
Then he paused and added coldly, "But I'll catch up soon. When that time comes… you'll understand the true strength of the Uchiha clan."
From the moment their fight began, Sasuke had realized he'd underestimated Naruto—the guy who had always blended into the background at school.
He had to admit it: Naruto was strong. He had learned a wide variety of ninjutsu and had a massive chakra reserve.
But that made sense, Sasuke reasoned. After all, he had taken a leave of absence, and while he was away, Naruto had risen to become number one. His strength had likely grown during that time.
"Hopefully that day won't be too far off," Naruto said with a grin.
Sasuke didn't reply. He just gave Naruto a long look, then turned around and started to walk away, dragging his tired body with each step.
He didn't want to admit it, but Naruto was on a different level—both physically and in the number of jutsu he had mastered.
That fight had completely drained him. He could barely stand.
Meanwhile, Naruto looked fresh, as if nothing had happened at all.
What kind of monster hides their strength for a whole year and only reveals their abilities right before graduation?
…Definitely someone worth paying attention to.
As Sasuke limped toward the village, he passed by Ryosuke and Hinata, who were still standing on the treetops. Instinctively, he looked up—and met Ryosuke's calm, smiling gaze.
Was he… laughing at me?
That knowing look made Sasuke recall his cocky attitude before the fight. His face, already flushed from exertion, burned even hotter with embarrassment.
But then another thought hit him.
If Naruto had been hiding his strength this whole time… then what about Ryosuke?
---
"It's not as bad as I expected. He's not as emotional or impulsive as I thought," Ryosuke said with a chuckle as he jumped down from the tree.
"The Uchiha are known for their intense emotions, especially when it comes to him. But it seems like Sasuke still has some control."
Ever since Hiruzen left, the subtle pressure of being watched had vanished.
The Uchiha clan possessed a unique dojutsu: Sharingan. It evolved with emotional changes, which made their feelings far more intense and harder to regulate than normal people's.
That was why the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, had always viewed the Uchiha as unstable. Powerful, yes—but dangerously volatile.
Their strength was a double-edged sword. That power came with emotional extremes, making them both formidable and fragile.
"Sasuke's always been cold at school. I thought he had facial paralysis," Hinata said as she gracefully dropped down beside Ryosuke. "Sakura and Ino are head over heels for him, but he never reacts—just a wooden man."
"But today, I saw something different. He's got so much going on underneath."
As the future head of her clan, Hinata had been slowly trained to observe others more closely. Her father and Ryosuke both influenced that shift.
To be honest, the Sasuke she saw at school felt completely different from the one she saw in the hospital, in battle, and after the fight.
It was like watching two completely different people.
"…You're one to talk," Ryosuke teased, smiling. "You put on that tough act outside—cold, aloof, like no one can mess with you. But when you're home, you turn into a little bunny."
"Shh!"
Hinata's cheeks puffed in protest as she raised a finger to her lips. "If you don't know how to shut up, just don't talk!"
But that face of hers—pouting with embarrassment—made Ryosuke pause. Then he laughed softly, helplessly.
This was the first time Hinata had shown that kind of emotion in front of him.
She had come a long way.
These days, she acted cool and unbothered in front of others, even challenging boys to spars. But when the mask was off, she was still the same gentle, easily hurt girl inside.
In the past, whenever her father or even Ryosuke himself said something harsh, she'd just quietly swallow the pain.
She never expressed frustration, never spoke up about being tired or upset.
Ryosuke always had to notice the change in her mood and try to comfort her.
But now… she was starting to change.
Her growing confidence was bringing her out of her shell. She was learning to express her thoughts, even a little dissatisfaction.
Ryosuke caught her gaze.
Hinata realized she'd slipped up and said too much. She lowered her hands shyly, clasping them behind her back with her face flushed red.
"…Turned back into a little rabbit," Ryosuke said, chuckling again.
Then he reached out his hand gently.
"Come on. Let's go tell Naruto he can graduate tomorrow."
"Mm!"
Still a bit flustered, Hinata obediently placed her hand in his.
As they walked toward where Naruto was resting, Ryosuke noticed that Hinata's steps were light and bouncy.
From a quiet bunny to a lively one.
---
"Ryosuke! I think I underestimated Sasuke."
As soon as they got close, Naruto stood up and greeted them with a serious expression.
"I thought I'd win easily, you know? I mean, all my ninjutsu was taught to me by Gramps—the Third Hokage!"
"Plus, Sasuke hasn't awakened his Sharingan yet. That should've been a huge disadvantage for him."
"But even then, I barely scraped out a win."
Naruto scratched the back of his head, looking humbled.
"He didn't get to be the top student just because of the Sharingan. Whether it's theory, jutsu, or taijutsu—he worked hard for all of it."
Ryosuke nodded with a smile, then tossed over a scroll.
"Don't reduce his efforts to just being an Uchiha. That guy put in the work."
"This is the assessment form Lord Third left behind. He came to watch your match, but left as soon as it ended. Said to give this to you."
"If everything goes smoothly… you'll officially become a ninja tomorrow."
Naruto blinked, caught the scroll, and his eyes lit up.
"Hell yeah!"
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