Chapter 374 - 59

AI Model: gemini-3.1-flash-liteChapter 59: The Battle at the Konoha Ninja Academy Small PlaygroundUpon hearing Iruka's words, Naruto was stunned and quickly explained, "Iruka-sensei, I didn't participate in the fight. Actually, I came to break it up. Just now, I saw them...""Enough, Naruto. Don't try to argue with me anymore. Didn't you hear what I said? Hurry up and go stand in the corner with them!" Iruka didn't give Naruto any chance to explain.Seeing this, Naruto had no choice but to bite the bullet and accept it. He bent down, intending to help him up so they could go stand in the corner together. Who would have thought that as soon as he grabbed his arm, he heard Iruka say, "What are you still doing here? Why haven't you left yet?"Naruto answered aggrievedly, "Didn't you tell us to go stand in the corner together? I thought since he was injured pretty badly, I'd help him out.""Who said Sasuke had to stand in the corner with you lot? Can't you see he's clearly the victim? Do you expect him to be punished just like you?""I can't believe such shocking school bullying could happen here in Konoha. Don't think the punishment is just standing in the corner; I won't go easy on you." Iruka stepped past Naruto, picked Sasuke up personally, and headed toward the hospital.Naruto stood there, petrified, thinking to himself, "Who did I offend to deserve this? I come in first thing in the morning, get insulted, and then when they start fighting, I show up at the most critical moment to stop it, only to end up being labeled the bully?"Although Sasuke's crotch still hurt, seeing Narutolike this seemed to make his injuries feel much better, and he even made a face at Naruto.Naruto felt a bit regretful. He regretted not joining the fray earlier; seeing Sasuke looking so smug now was really infuriating.Once, there was an opportunity to beat him up placed before Naruto, but unfortunately, he didn't cherish it. He only realized his mistake after losing it. If Heaven could give him another chance to do it all over again, he would definitely go up and knock Sasuke down without hesitation.But it was too late. Now, he could only go obediently stand in the corner, and leave the rest for whenever he had another chance.Thus, the Battle at the Konoha Ninja AcademyPlayground came to an end. Here is the summary:Location: Konoha Ninja Academy Small Playground; Participants: Red Team: Shikamaru, Rock Lee, Tong Yu, Choji, Kiba, Shino, Akamaru; Blue Team: Sasuke;Cause: Sasuke provoked and insulted Naruto. Although Naruto didn't fight back, the others couldn't stand it and challenged Sasuke on his behalf.Root Cause: Naruto's challenge to Itachi seemingly failed, leading to relentless mockery from Sasuke.Process: Both sides agreed not to use Ninjutsu and would rely solely on Taijutsu, but Sasuke was allowed to use his Sharingan.Climax: Although Sasuke was alone, he quickly gained the advantage thanks to the power of his Sharingan. The Red Team had the numbers, but they gradually fell behind.Turning Point: With the Red Team at a disadvantage, they tore up the pre-battle treaty and were the first to use Ninjutsu. Although Sasuke was caught off guard for a moment, he quickly turned the situation around. In the end, Akamaru, lacking martial honor, sneak-attacked Sasuke's crotch, dealing a critical blow that helped the Red Team reverse the situation and laid the foundation for victory in this battle.Result: Just as the Red Team saw victory in sight, the hidden final boss, Iruka, suddenly appeared. After failing to use the Heavenly Punishment Standing Technique, he unleashed his ultimate move, preparing to use the Summoning Technique: Parent Summoning. Knowing they were outmatched and wanting to avoid unnecessary casualties, the Red Team chose to surrender and accept the Heavenly Punishment. Sasuke gained the favor of the final boss and was taken away for treatment, but the helpful citizen Naruto was dragged into it.Battle Report: Highest Damage Taken: Tong Yu; Highest Output: Sasuke; Highest Vision Score: Sasuke; Best Footwork: Sasuke; Master Strategist: Shikamaru; Best Support: Shino Aburame's bugs; Highest Rating: Iruka; MVP: Akamaru; SVP: Sasuke; Carried to Victory: Choji; The 3.0-rated poor soul: Naruto.Thus, the Battle at the Konoha Ninja AcademyPlayground, which changed the course of the entire Ninja World and indirectly influenced the Third Ninja World War, came to an end. The immediate consequence was that the participants spent several days sulking at each other and wouldn't speak even when face-to-face.This stalemate lasted until the weekend when Naruto invited everyone out for a barbecue in the countryside, where they finally cleared the air and made up.Unfortunately, happy times are always fleeting, and the carefree days soon ended because news arrived from the Uchiha Clan.Fugaku had long since stopped trusting Itachi; he knew Itachi always stood on the side of the Village. Therefore, Itachi was absent from the meeting where they plotted the riot.However, Itachi learned of all this because Uchiha Itachi had always existed as a double agent. Uchiha Fugaku had him monitor the Konohahigher-ups, while conversely, the Konoha higher-ups had Itachi monitor the Uchiha Clan.On this day, the Uchiha Clan was preparing to launch a rebellion at the Naka Shrine. Little did they know that Itachi was monitoring them from a tree outside the shrine at that very moment.They had already decided to act that very night. When they began to discuss the specific plans for the riot, Itachi quietly slipped away.He first went to find the Third Hokage to explain the situation, but to his surprise, Hiruzen Sarutobitook a puff from his pipe, sighed, and said, "Go talk to Danzo! I can no longer make decisions on this matter. Danzo's approach has the support of Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane. They are threatening me that if I don't do as they wish, they will start a war. Right now, I have been marginalized regarding Uchiha Clan affairs and have lost my say."Listening to the Third Hokage's words, a sense of sorrow couldn't help but rise in Itachi's heart. The dignified Hokage of Konoha in the Land of Fire had actually been marginalized and threatened. If people from other Villages found out, it would surely become a laughingstock.In the past, perhaps Itachi would have lamented that the Third Hokage was compromising for the sake of the Village, and might have even felt some sympathy for him. But now, he felt anger and disappointment at the Third Hokage's incompetence.Perhaps he was an excellent Hokage when he was young, but it was clear that he was old now. He no longer had his former methods and boldness. He was hesitant and indecisive, lacking the determination and attitude that a decision-maker should have."It seems it really is as Naruto-kun said: only by achieving unification can we realize true peace, and only in this way can we fully integrate the strength of the entire Ninja World to resist foreign enemies. Short-term bloodshed is for the sake of ensuring children's faces will always hold smiles in the future. Naruto-kun, then let the blood of myself and the Uchiha Clan be what opens the sealed door of the new world for you!"