The room's air was so heavy it felt like it could be wrung out for water.
Sasuke sat silently on the tatami, his black bangs hanging down, hiding his face.
Beneath the now-healed skin on his shoulder lingered the phantom burning pain of the kunai's cut, along with the humiliating comfort of that warm chakra smoothing it away.
Karin leaned against the wall, breathing heavily.
The mental exhaustion left her dizzy, but looking at her hands that had successfully performed medical ninjutsu, an unprecedented sense of fulfillment surged from deep within.
She stole a glance at Sasuke, her emotions complicated.
Just then.
"Whoa—! How long was I out?! Is the fight over?!"
Naruto shot up from the floor with a full-throated roar, shattering the room's eerie silence.
He rubbed his stomach, looking bewildered.
"Why don't I have a single injury? I remember getting smacked flying by that big guy... Man, I'm starving!"
He looked around, his gaze finally landing on Sasuke.
"Hey, Sasuke, what's with you? You look like you're about to cry. Did you lose again?"
Sasuke's body jolted.
He raised his head. His dark eyes instantly filled with bloodshot veins as he glared fiercely at Naruto.
"Shut up, dead-last."
"Hah? What'd you say?!"
Just as the two were about to start arguing again, the door slid open.
Sora leaned lazily against the doorframe, a foxtail grass dangling from his mouth, source unknown.
"Yo, everyone's awake."
He strolled in leisurely, completely ignoring the tense atmosphere.
"Good timing—saves me the trouble of waking you one by one."
Naruto still wanted to argue with Sasuke but got an apple casually tossed by Sora shoved into his mouth.
Sasuke jerked his head away, refusing to look at Sora's infuriating smiling face.
Karin softly called "Big Brother Sora" and obediently stepped to the side.
At that moment, the door opened again. Tazuna and his daughter Tsunami entered carrying trays of food.
"Ninja sirs, dinner is ready," Tsunami said gently, though a hint of apprehension remained in her eyes.
Tazuna looked worried. He set down the wooden tray and sighed.
"Mr. Sora, I just checked the bridge. To finish it completely... the soonest would still be over a week."
Over a week?
Sora calculated inwardly.
Perfect timing.
Enough for those two brats to undergo a transformation, and enough for Zabuza and Haku to recover and prepare for the grand finale.
"Got it." Sora waved dismissively. "No rush."
He clapped his hands, his face breaking into an energetic grin, as if the suffocating atmosphere earlier had never existed.
"Alright, alright! No matter how big the problem, eat first!"
"Dinner time! Eat up, rest well—then tomorrow, we continue our fun training!"
At the table, the atmosphere was oddly strained.
Naruto channeled his frustration into appetite, devouring the food like a small tornado while mumbling incoherently about "I gotta get stronger."
Sasuke ate in silence, but no slower. Each bite was chewed with fierce force, as if venting his unwillingness and humiliation.
Karin ate in small, careful bites, occasionally glancing at Sora with eyes full of dependence.
Sora leisurely ate grilled fish, taking in every detail.
Once everyone was mostly full, he set down his chopsticks and cleared his throat.
"Alright, dessert time."
All eyes turned to him.
Sora grinned and pointed two fingers at Naruto and Sasuke.
"Starting tomorrow, the two of you will have a competition."
Naruto froze, nearly spitting out his food.
Sasuke's grip on his chopsticks tightened sharply.
"The rules are simple," Sora said slowly. "It's about the ninjutsu you're currently training."
"Whoever masters it completely first—and meets my requirements..."
He deliberately dragged out the words, watching their contrasting expressions, his smile widening.
"I'll teach that person an even stronger ninjutsu."
Boom!
The words landed like a depth charge in still water, sending massive waves through Naruto's and Sasuke's hearts.
"Really?! Sora-sensei!" Naruto leaped up first, eyes sparkling with excitement. "Something even stronger than Rasengan?!"
Sasuke said nothing, but he snapped his head up. His pitch-black eyes blazed with fierce flames.
Humiliation, unwillingness, anger... all negative emotions transformed in this moment into the most primal, frenzied hunger for power.
He had to win!
He must win!
He would wash away today's shame with undeniable strength!
Sora watched their reactions with satisfaction. Then, as if remembering something, he turned to Karin, his smile instantly turning indulgently fond.
He reached out and ruffled her hair.
"Oh, right."
"Karin doesn't need to compete. Whatever ninjutsu she wants to learn, I'll teach her."
Those light, casual words struck more fatally than any provocation.
Naruto's excitement froze.
The flames in Sasuke's eyes flickered violently.
Why?!
Why her?!
The two of them had to fight tooth and nail to compete, yet she could learn anything she wanted?!
Karin's little face flushed crimson. Feeling the warmth from the hand on her head and facing Naruto's and Sasuke's gazes mixed with jealousy and unwillingness, she felt both happiness and embarrassment, her heart pounding uncontrollably.
Sora withdrew his hand and stood lazily.
"Alright, competition rules announced."
"Eat your fill, then rest up and recharge."
"Tomorrow, there's no time for slacking."
With that, he yawned, hands in pockets, and sauntered out of the room, leaving three teenagers with their own swirling thoughts and a night thick with gunpowder scent.