The weekend over, Uchiha Sasuke strode back into the Ninja Academy feeling stronger than ever—his Sharingan had evolved and he'd mastered a new jutsu. Without hesitation he moved to the rear of the room, planted himself behind Naruto, and, voice thick with suppressed battle-lust and a thirst for vindication, issued his challenge:
"Uzumaki Naruto, I'm challenging you again. Right after school this afternoon."
Naruto turned, unsurprised, and gave a calm nod. "Sure."
Then he added one condition.
"But you'll have to arrange the venue."
"Fine. Follow me when classes end."
Sasuke, pleased Naruto had agreed so readily, said no more. He spun on his heel, returned to his seat near the front, closed his eyes, and began steadying his mind for the coming fight.
Inuzuka Kiba, who'd been eavesdropping, immediately leaned toward Naruto and whispered, "Hey, Naruto! You're just taking that? The guy looks like he's out for blood!"
"It's just a spar."
Naruto shrugged at Kiba. "And you won't fight me."
He began ticking names off on his fingers. "Shino's willing, but he won't use his strongest bugs—says he might lose control.
And I keep accidentally crushing the ones he's spent months breeding; it's a pain."
"Shikamaru, well… you know—any match is too much trouble."
"Choji's game, but he hasn't learned his clan's secret techniques yet, so it's no fun."
He finished, sounding relieved to have found a proper opponent.
"Now Uchiha Sasuke's issued a formal challenge—strong, and willing to go all-out. Why would I say no?"
"Akamaru's still too small to fight; of course I won't go hard on you!"
Cradling the sleeping pup, Kiba slid toward Shino with an exaggerated "I'm-not-with-you" gesture.
The moment he claimed the seat beside Shino, a soft yet clear voice spoke from behind them.
"Um… excuse me… may I sit here?"
Hyuga Hinata stood there, fingers nervously laced, cheeks faintly pink, eyes darting yet hopeful as she looked at the empty seat beside Naruto.
"No."
Kiba blurted the refusal like a dog guarding its food; this corner was "guy territory" as far as he was concerned.
"Of course you can, Hinata—please," Naruto said warmly, the exact opposite of Kiba.
Hearing Naruto agree, Kiba deflated with a sigh.
"Well… if Naruto says so, sit."
He turned to Shino, whom he'd displaced.
"Hey, Shino, scoot further out; we're cramped."
Only then did Kiba notice that Aburame Shino had already noiselessly relocated to the very edge of the bench, as though he'd foreseen the space problem.
Shino regarded him through dark lenses, silently indicating: I've yielded my spot.
"Uh…"
Kiba swallowed, seeing Shino pressed against the aisle, and couldn't ask for more.
"Right… never mind."
He gave an awkward laugh, shifted outward himself, and made room for Hinata.
Up front, Nara Shikamaru had been sprawled in lazy indolence; the commotion stirred him. He and Akimichi Choji—who was noisily munching chips—both glanced back.
Participating was a pain, but spectating? That sounded fine.
Shikamaru mused.
Yamanaka Ino had also sensed the shift. Her bright gaze flicked between Naruto and the newly seated Hinata, nostrils flaring at the hint of something unusual.
Naruto and the Hyuga heiress… looked awfully familiar.
"Naruto-kun."
At that delicate moment, Haruno Sakura—seated beside Ino—gathered her courage and spoke, voice trembling almost imperceptibly.
Everyone—Hinata included—turned to look.
Cheeks pink, fingers knotted, Sakura pressed on: "I… Ino and I would like to watch your match this afternoon… would that be all right?"
She'd roped Ino in for moral support.
Ino, though unprepared, was eager to see Naruto fight.
Naruto gave an easy shrug.
He neither refused nor accepted outright. "I don't mind,"
he said evenly, "but Sasuke initiated this and he's picking the site. His call matters; I'll respect it."
He passed the decision to the challenger.
Sakura glanced anxiously at Ino.
Naruto was agreeable; Sasuke was not. She dreaded asking him.
Ino, reading the plea in her best friend's eyes, sighed and stood with her.
The two girls threaded between desks to Sasuke at the front.
Sakura drew a steadying breath and asked as gently as she could,
"Sasuke-kun… would it be okay if Ino and I watch your match with Naruto this afternoon?"
Sasuke didn't even open his eyes. He turned his head away as though the sight of them bored him and, in a flat, icy tone, tossed out a single word:
"Whatever."
Neither yes nor no.
He wanted witnesses to his victory, yet confidence hovered only around sixty or seventy percent.
Upgrading his Sharingan from one tomoe and one Double Tomoe eye to two Double Tomoe eyes hadn't delivered the qualitative leap he'd felt at first activation. It felt like going from level ten to eleven after a class change, then merely eleven to twelve—incremental, not transformative.