"Hey, Yamanaka, where are Ren and Hinata?" Sasuke Uchiha asked as he approached Ino's desk in the Academy classroom. His tone was clipped, as if he didn't particularly want to be there.
Ino Yamanaka smirked lazily. "Ohhh, they're on a date."
Sakura immediately elbowed her. "Ino."
"Yamanaka, stop messing around," Sasuke said flatly, clearly unwilling to entertain her antics.
Sakura Haruno spoke before Ino could escalate things further. "Ren and Hinata are working on something with Lady Tsunade. Do you need them for something?"
Sasuke looked visibly disappointed, irritation flashing across his face. "Nothing. I just wanted a match."
"Ohhh," Ino leaned forward, eyes gleaming mischievously. "You mean a beating? You could've asked me or Sakura."
Sasuke glanced at them with open disdain. "Only Hinata and Ren can match me."
Sakura sighed quietly. Sasuke had taken the bait exactly as Ino intended.
Ino's smile widened. "Well then, how about you teach me a lesson?"
Sasuke hesitated for a fraction of a second, unease brushing against his instincts. He had watched her spar before—but never seriously considered her on his level.
"Fine," he said at last. "Just don't say I bullied you."
Across the room, Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, Kiba Inuzuka, and Naruto Uzumaki all perked up.
They had suffered at Ino's hands far too many times.
"How much time?" Choji asked, chewing lazily.
Naruto grinned. "Sixty seconds."
Kiba scoffed. "Forty."
Shikamaru glanced at Ino with half-lidded eyes. "Less than ten seconds."
"No way," Naruto protested.
"Yeah," Kiba added. "He's still an Uchiha."
Shikamaru shook his head slowly. "He might be an Uchiha. But Ino is a monster. She's not as strong as Ren and Hinata in taijutsu, but no one has ever defeated her except those two."
"Well," Naruto muttered, "let's see."
They followed Ino and Sasuke outside to the training yard.
Sasuke faced her, arms loose at his sides. "You still have a chance to stop."
Ino crossed her arms. "We'll see about that."
Sakura stiffened slightly. She knew that look.
"Ino, no using Mind Prison," Sakura warned. "Ren told you—and you promised."
Ino shot her a sharp glance. "Do you think I'm that petty?"
In truth, she had briefly imagined trapping Sasuke in a humiliating illusion—perhaps a world where Naruto chased him endlessly—but she suppressed the urge. She would win properly.
Sakura relaxed slightly, but Sasuke felt something else entirely.
He felt underestimated.
Sakura raised her hand. "Okay. Three… two… one!"
Sasuke moved instantly, throwing a shuriken with precision. Ino flicked her finger lightly.
Sasuke's foot snagged against nothing.
He tripped and fell flat on his face.
The spectators winced.
"…That was something," Choji muttered.
"Wow," Naruto grinned. "Is that a new attack method, Sasuke?"
Sasuke stood, face red with embarrassment. "S-shut up! I just slipped."
He leapt backward, throwing more shuriken. Ino smirked again and made a small pinching motion with her fingers.
Sasuke's landing faltered.
He crashed onto his back.
This time, realization dawned.
"Y-you… it's you!" he snapped. "You're doing this! Damn it, fight me seriously!"
Ino blinked innocently. "What are you talking about? I haven't even moved. You're clearly just slipping. How is that my fault?"
Sasuke's mouth twitched violently. "Fine. Then no more distance."
He rushed forward in taijutsu.
Ino dodged lazily, stepping aside as if avoiding a slow child. She snapped her fingers again.
Sasuke's leg jerked unnaturally.
He stumbled and fell for the third time.
Kiba groaned. "She's doing that annoying thing again."
"That damn jutsu," Naruto muttered. "It's humiliating."
"And the worst part," Choji added, "you can't defend against it. At least… we don't know how."
"Troublesome blonde," Shikamaru sighed.
He had asked his father about it. The conclusion? It resembled the Yamanaka Mind–Body Switch technique—but twisted.
To analyze it, Shikamaru had been forced to spar Ino personally.
Multiple times.
Which meant actual physical movement.
For Shikamaru, that alone was traumatic.
"So far," he murmured, "the only counter I've found is overwhelming mental strength. But she's a Yamanaka for crying out loud."
Back in the field, Sasuke clenched his fists.
"Stop playing tricks!" he shouted.
Ino vanished in a blur of speed and appeared behind him, placing a kunai lightly at his throat.
"Well," she said sweetly, "looks like it's over."
Silence fell.
Sasuke's pride—the belief that only Ren and Hinata stood above him—cracked audibly.
He turned slowly toward Sakura.
"…Sakura. Fight me."
Ino stared at him like he had just signed his will. "You're serious?"
Sakura sighed deeply. "How did I get tangled into this?"
Naruto and Kiba both paled.
"No way," Naruto whispered. "Has he never paid attention during sparring?"
Sakura walked forward a short distance. She looked at Sasuke, almost apologetically.
"Don't say I didn't warn you."
She raised her fist and brought it down.
The ground shattered.
Cracks spiderwebbed outward, dust erupting in a controlled explosion. She had deliberately minimized the impact.
Sasuke stared in stunned silence.
Then Ino stomped her foot lightly beside him.
The earth fractured again.
"Oops," Ino said casually. "My mistake."
Sasuke felt his soul leave his body.
The weight of reality crushed down on him.
He was weaker.
Far weaker.
His eyes began to sting.
Ino walked over and tossed a notebook at his chest. "Ren told me to give you this."
Sasuke caught it automatically.
Inside were meticulous notes—chakra control exercises, nature transformation breakdowns for Fire and Lightning, efficiency diagrams, breathing methods.
A final message was scribbled at the bottom.
Train this until you get your sensei 👍.
Sasuke stared at it.
"…Why?" he asked quietly.
Ino shrugged. "Ren doesn't need a reason. He does what he feels like."
She turned away. "Bye, Mr. Uchiha."
Sakura followed her.
As they walked home, their earlier dominance faded into familiar complaints.
"It's not fair," Ino grumbled. "Hinata gets to spend all day with Ren."
Sakura crossed her arms. "Yeah. We're stuck babysitting prideful prodigies."
Ino smirked. "Still… did you see his face?"
Sakura tried to stay serious, but a small laugh escaped her.
Behind them, Sasuke remained standing in the broken training yard, notebook clenched tightly in his hand.
For the first time since his clan's fall, his arrogance had been shattered—not by humiliation alone, but by undeniable proof.
He had been standing at the bottom of a mountain he hadn't even known existed.
And somewhere beyond that peak… Ren was waiting.