Chapter 182: A Fateful Draw
"This is…"
Uchiha Akira, standing on the high platform overlooking the arena, watched the scene with a profound, analytical interest.
His gaze was fixed on Sasuke. The boy's chakra, which had been flickering wildly, was now solidifying, changing.
"Oh? A breakthrough in the middle of a battle?"
A faint, almost invisible smile touched Akira's lips.
"As expected of Indra's reincarnation. This talent... this potential... is indeed remarkable."
[Inorin's Note: In the official canon, Indra Ōtsutsuki was the elder son of Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki (the Sage of Six Paths) and the progenitor of the Uchiha clan. His soul is fated to reincarnate into gifted Uchiha members, such as Uchiha Madara and, later, Uchiha Sasuke.]
Akira's gaze flickered to Naruto, who was breathing heavily, confused by the sudden change.
"However… this just makes it all the more interesting."
[This is what I wanted. A true rival. One to push the other. One to sharpen the other.]
Down in the arena, the world had changed for Sasuke.
The roaring of the crowd faded. The pain from Naruto's last punch vanished.
Everything was replaced by a cold, sharp, incredible clarity.
He saw the dust motes hanging in the air. He saw the nervous twitch in Naruto's eye from thirty feet away. He saw the flow of chakra, faint and blue, moving within his opponent.
His vision was stained a faint, bloody red.
In his eyes, the single black tomoe in each pupil swirled, gaining a companion. The Two-Tomoe Sharingan (二つ巴写輪眼, Futatsu-domoe Sharingan) was active.
"Heh heh…"
A low, maniacal laugh escaped Sasuke's throat. It was the sound of desperation turning into absolute, arrogant power.
"Dead-last…"
He looked up, his crimson eyes locking onto Naruto.
"You enjoyed hitting me just now, didn't you?"
"You enjoyed making me look like a fool?"
"Now," Sasuke said, a cruel smile spreading across his face, "the tables have turned!"
Before the final word finished echoing, Sasuke's figure vanished from his spot!
He didn't just run. He moved with a burst of speed he had never possessed before.
"So fast!" Naruto tensed his entire body, his battle-honed instincts screaming at him.
He tried to raise his arms to block.
He was too late.
A sharp, agonizing pain erupted from his abdomen.
Bang!
Sasuke had appeared directly in front of him, his fist buried deep in Naruto's stomach.
"Cough… cough cough…"
Naruto was launched backward, skidding across the dirt. He felt as if his internal organs had been dislocated. He couldn't catch his breath, spitting up saliva.
"Did you see that, dead-last?"
Sasuke's voice was cold, coming from where he had first stood, as if he hadn't moved at all.
"In front of these eyes of mine, your movements are like slow-motion playback. Utterly ridiculous."
Currently, Sasuke's speed, strength, and perception far, far surpassed what they were just a moment before!
"Damn it…" Naruto gritted his teeth, pushing himself up. His unwillingness to lose, his core trait, surged up again.
"Don't get cocky!"
He slammed his hands together.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!" (多重影分身, Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu)
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!
In an instant, the entire arena was flooded. Dozens, then nearly a hundred, identical Narutos surrounded Sasuke from all directions.
"The same move," Sasuke sneered, his Sharingan spinning, "and you want to use it a second time?"
In his new, enhanced vision, the clones were no threat. He could see the slight imperfections, the minute differences in chakra.
And most ofall, he could see the real one, hidden in the back, his chakra signature burning brighter than all the others.
"Too slow! Too weak!"
Sasuke's figure became a black blur. He weaved among the dozens of Narutos, each strike incredibly swift and precise.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Pop! Pop! Bang!
The Shadow Clones exploded one after another, turning into white smoke, unable to even touch him.
"How can this be… I can't keep up at all!" The original Naruto, hidden among the clones, felt his heart fill with dread.
The human wave tactic, his most reliable strategy, had absolutely no effect!
"I found you, original body!"
Sasuke's cold voice rang in Naruto's ears.
The next second, Sasuke's figure appeared directly behind Naruto, his fist aimed at the back of his neck!
[It's over!]
But Naruto's body moved on its own.
Relying on the battle instincts he had honed while training relentlessly with Akira, Naruto barely twisted his body at the last possible millisecond.
The punch missed his vital point.
But Sasuke's attack didn't end there. He was fluid now. He followed up with another punch, striking heavily into Naruto's shoulder.
Naruto felt a piercing, fiery pain, and he completely lost his balance.
He immediately retreated, rolling backward and rapidly creating more Shadow Clones to restrain Sasuke and buy himself time.
Seeing Naruto release over twenty more Shadow Clones in one go, a fierce glint flashed in Sasuke's crimson eyes. This was no longer a fight; it was an execution.
He quickly formed a series of hand signs: Tiger → Hare → Boar → Dog.
"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!" (火遁・龍火の術, Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu)
A roaring dragon of pure fire spewed from Sasuke's mouth. It instantly engulfed all the Shadow Clones on the field and swept, like an unstoppable wave, towards Naruto's original body!
Rumble—!
The violent explosion made the entire training ground tremble.
Hot air currents, mixed with thick, black smoke, shot up into the sky.
The crowd went silent.
"Is it… over?"
"Such… such a terrifying Ninjutsu!"
"Naruto… won't be burned to ashes, will he?"
Everyone held their breath, their eyes wide, staring intently at the smoke-filled center of the field.
The smoke gradually cleared.
A charred log, split in two, lay where Naruto had been.
[Substitution Jutsu!] (Kawarimi no Jutsu)
A figure was revealed several yards away, panting heavily.
It was Naruto.
Although he had used the Substitution Jutsu to evade the direct hit, he hadn't been fast enough. Many parts of his orange jumpsuit were scorched black. His skin was blistered and red from the intense heat.
On the confined space of the arena, Naruto had no way to completely avoid the fire dragon's massive attack.
"He… he can still stand up?" Sasuke frowned, looking at the disheveled, heavily-burned Naruto.
A wave of dizziness hit Sasuke. His chakra was also running dangerously low.
Maintaining the Two-Tomoe Sharingan, plus that Katon jutsu just now, had almost exhausted all his energy.
"I… I won't… lose…"
Naruto swayed, his legs shaking, as he slowly forced himself to stand up from the ground.
"...I won't lose to a guy like you…"
He looked up, his blue eyes burning with a ferocious fire that matched Sasuke's.
"I am… the man who will become Hokage!"
"Stubborn!" Sasuke snorted coldly, his own body trembling from exhaustion.
The two stared at each other across the wrecked arena, both seeing the same resolute, unbending determination in the other's eyes.
This was no longer about skill. It was about will.
"Hraaaah!"
"Yaaaaah!"
Both of them roared simultaneously, channeling their last, desperate bit of strength into their legs, and charged at each other!
Bang!
Two fists collided fiercely in the center of the arena.
The dull, heavy thud made everyone in the stands tense up.
The next second, an invisible wave of air, a shockwave of pure, conflicting chakra, erupted violently, centered on the two of them.
Naruto's body and Sasuke's body simultaneously jolted from the impact.
Then, in perfect, mirrored synchronicity, their eyes rolled back, and they fell backward weakly.
Bang! Bang!
Both of them hit the ground at the same time, completely losing consciousness.
The entire training ground was dead silent.
Everyone was so shocked by this tragic, brutal, and sudden conclusion that they couldn't speak.
After a long, heavy moment, Iruka was the first to react. His proctor-duty overcame his shock.
He quickly rushed onto the stage and checked on both of them, his hands shaking slightly.
"They're both... just unconscious…" Iruka sighed in relief, his heart pounding. He then stood up, looking at the two small, battered forms.
He took a deep breath and announced, his voice filled with emotion and pride, "In the final battle, both sides simultaneously lost their ability to fight! The winners are—"
Iruka paused, and a relieved, proud smile appeared on his face.
"Uzumaki Naruto! And Uchiha Sasuke!"
"This year's Ninja Academy practical exam... is a tie for first place!"
...
Konoha Hospital.
The first thing Naruto registered was the smell. Antiseptic and clean.
He slowly opened his eyes, feeling as if his entire body had fallen apart. A slight movement made him wince in pain. Every muscle ached.
He turned his head and met the gaze of Sasuke, who had just woken up in the next bed.
In the air, it was as if electricity was flashing between their dark, glaring eyes.
Just then, the door to the ward burst open.
Hinata, Sakura, Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji all rushed in, their faces a mix of relief and anxiety.
"Naruto! Sasuke-kun! Are you alright?" Sakura asked, wringing her hands.
"Sasuke-kun, you were so amazing!" Ino gushed, hearts practically in her eyes.
"That match just now was so scary!"
"You two were too reckless! What a drag…" Shikamaru muttered, scratching his head.
The concern from their companions did not ease the tense atmosphere in the ward.
Naruto and Sasuke just continued their silent, glowering battle with their eyes.
"Everyone, please leave."
The voice was not loud, but it cut through the chatter instantly.
Uchiha Akira slowly walked in, his white Hokage robes immaculate.
"Let them both rest properly."
"H-Hokage-sama!" Everyone (except Sasuke and Naruto) quickly bowed respectfully, then wisely and very quickly exited the ward.
The room fell silent.
Uchiha Akira walked to the middle of the two beds, standing between them, a figure of absolute authority. He calmly looked at the two of them.
"How are you feeling?"
"I won." Sasuke spoke first, his voice raspy but firm.
"Bullshit!" Naruto immediately retorted, trying to sit up but wincing in pain. "It was clearly a draw in the end!"
He pointed an accusing, trembling finger. "No, if it weren't for those freaky eyes of yours, I would have knocked you out long ago!"
"Losing is losing, dead-last," Sasuke sneered, not even looking at him. "Don't make excuses for your incompetence."
"What did you say?! You bastard!"
"Enough."
Akira spoke faintly, not raising his voice, but interrupting their argument.
An invisible pressure, heavy and absolute, instantly quieted the two bristling youngsters. They both felt it and instinctively shut their mouths.
"Iruka's judgment was not wrong. It was a tie," Akira's voice was unquestionable. "Co-first place."
"This is a fact, and both of you must accept it."
Sasuke turned his head away, staring at the wall, his jaw tight. He said nothing, but the defiance in his eyes was evident.
Naruto also puffed out his cheeks, turning his head to the other side with a huff.
"Hmph." Sasuke snorted coldly, looking at the ceiling. He spoke to Naruto.
"Next time, I will definitely defeat you completely."
"That's my line too!" Naruto shouted back, not to be outdone, glaring at his wall. "Next time, I absolutely won't lose to you again! Believe it!"
Uchiha Akira looked at these two youths, who were already acting like sworn rivals, glaring at opposite walls.
A small, satisfied smile flashed in his eyes.
"Very good."
"Competition is the engine of progress."
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