At the end of July, it was Sasuke's birthday.
He invited a group of friends to his home to celebrate with him. Predictably, several of the girls began quarreling right there on the spot.
"Sasuke-kun, what's going on?"
Ino stood in front of Sasuke, looking upset, pointing at Sakura who was standing not too far away. It wasn't that Ino was mad that Sakura was there—in fact, during the days when Sasuke had just left the academy, Ino had personally brought Sakura to visit him several times.
What angered Ino was an ornament she saw on Sasuke's desk, one that looked suspiciously like something she had seen at Sakura's house. When Ino realized that the two pieces could be placed together to form a heart, she could no longer contain her fury.
Anyone would understand what that implied, even a fool.
"What's going on here? Sasuke-kun, why do you have that?"
Sasuke blinked, still smiling, and responded cheerfully, "Oh, that? Sakura gave it to me."
Snap—
Ino's head snapped to the side so fast that Sasuke feared she might have hurt herself.
"Sakura, what is this supposed to mean?" she demanded.
"Well, Ino, I-I didn't… I just…" Sakura stammered, backing away as Ino's accusing finger jabbed toward her.
"What is this all about?" Ino pressed, grabbing Sakura by the wrist and dragging her to Sasuke's desk. "This decoration—Sasuke-kun said you gave it to him. I've seen the other half at your house. They make a heart when you put them together. What does this mean?"
Sakura froze, her heart racing. Her gaze darted back and forth between Ino and Sasuke, the latter smiling as if enjoying the spectacle. She felt a surge of courage well up within her.
"Yes, I gave it to Sasuke-kun! I like Sasuke-kun. What's wrong with giving him a gift? Is that such a problem?" Sakura declared boldly.
"You… you…" Ino was taken aback by Sakura's sudden burst of confidence, stumbling back a step in shock.
Then her anger flared even brighter.
"You know I like Sasuke-kun! You knew I was first, but you still went behind my back! I thought we were friends, and you've been trying to steal him from me all along!"
"That's really ugly of you to say, Ino. What do you mean by 'stealing'? Did Sasuke ever promise to be yours? No! We're all just friends and classmates. You like Sasuke-kun, but why can't I like him too? Feelings aren't something you can claim just because you were there first!" Sakura shot back, standing her ground.
"Forehead girl, what did you say?!" Ino's eyes widened, astonished that Sakura was speaking to her like this.
When they had first entered the academy, Sakura had been so shy that she barely spoke to anyone. It was Ino who had helped her gain confidence and fit in with their classmates. And now, Sakura was standing there, defying her?
"I said, what's wrong with me liking Sasuke-kun too?" Sakura retorted, trying to cover her large forehead.
"You… Forehead girl!" Ino shouted.
"You—Ino Pig!" Sakura fired back.
The two glared at each other, sparks practically flying between them, neither willing to back down.
Sasuke watched the exchange with a bemused smile, while Shikamaru, seated beside him, let out a deep sigh.
"Sasuke, shouldn't you do something about this? If you let it go on, they'll end up being enemies instead of friends."
"Don't worry, Shikamaru," Sasuke replied nonchalantly. "That won't happen."
"No, seriously, I think they're about to start throwing punches," Shikamaru said, clearly uncomfortable with the escalating situation. "I didn't know you were into this kind of thing."
"This isn't about me enjoying it. It's just a little competition between them. They're both trying to better themselves to get my attention."
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "And you think that's a good thing?"
Sasuke shrugged. "I haven't done anything to provoke this. They approached me first. I just didn't reject them outright because I don't want to hurt their feelings. Can you really blame me for that?"
Shikamaru had no response. He could sense something wasn't right but couldn't figure out how to argue against Sasuke's logic.
As the tension between Ino and Sakura reached its peak and they seemed on the verge of fighting, the door to the room suddenly swung open. Karin entered, carrying a plate of fruit. She approached Sasuke and offered him a grape.
"Sasuke-nii, open your mouth," she said sweetly.
Sasuke obliged, and as she placed the grape into his mouth, he playfully licked her fingertips, causing Karin to blush bright red.
"Stay away from Sasuke-kun, you tomato!" Ino shouted, her argument with Sakura momentarily forgotten.
"Yeah! Don't think you can sneak in while we're distracted!" Sakura added, her anger now directed at Karin.
Karin crossed her arms, unfazed. "You two can complain all you want, but I'm here now. And don't forget, Forehead, that you tried to sneak in behind my back first. Feelings don't have a queue."
"Forehead girl!" Ino yelled.
"Tomato!" Sakura countered.
"Shiny head!" Ino responded.
The three girls continued to bicker loudly, but the physical fight had been avoided. Now, they were back to exchanging verbal blows.
"The triangle is the most stable shape, Shikamaru," Sasuke remarked with a smile as he popped another grape into his mouth.
Shikamaru stared at the scene in disbelief. His entire worldview had just been challenged.
Today was Sasuke's birthday, and in addition to the three girls who were already present, Chika would be arriving in Konoha soon. She was being personally escorted by Kimimaro and Tayuya, so Sasuke wasn't concerned about her safety. With the newly built road connecting the Fire Capital to Konoha Village, travel time between the two places had been significantly reduced, allowing Chika to arrive by noon. If everything went smoothly, she could even return to the Fire Capital that evening.
Sasuke knew that things would only get more chaotic once Chika arrived, but for now, he was content to watch the current scene unfold.
After spending a little more time with Shikamaru and the others, Sasuke quietly excused himself and headed to his office.
Despite it being his birthday, there were still many matters to attend to. In fact, because it was his birthday, many people had come to offer their congratulations and update him on ongoing situations.
One such individual, Langya Fubuki, knelt in front of Sasuke now. He was a relatively new subordinate of Sasuke's, someone he had recently acquired during his dealings in the Land of Snow.
"Master, we've found Fenghua Zaibatsu's hideout, but despite several attempts, we've been unable to capture him. We request additional reinforcements to bring him down," Langya Fubuki reported, his voice trembling with unease.
Langya Fubuki had been transformed into one of Sasuke's Lower-Rank Demons after Sasuke's ventures in the Snow Country. His strength was decent, specializing in Ice Release, but it was reliant on natural ice found in the Snow Country rather than chakra-created ice like Haku's. As a result, his abilities were limited outside that environment.
Sasuke wasn't particularly impressed with him.
Initially, Sasuke had sought out the Snow Country to acquire professionals to assist in his plans for building a railway. The Snow Country's technological advancements were unparalleled in the ninja world. However, during this venture, Langya Fubuki had foolishly attacked Sasuke's men, unaware of who they were dealing with.
After that incident, Sasuke had sent Haku and Zabuza to deal with them, and Langya Fubuki, along with his subordinates Fuyuki and Ryoji, had been easily captured and brought before Sasuke.
Though Sasuke had initially intended to kill them, he had recognized their value. The Snow Country's strategic position—northwest of the Earth Country and near the Bear and Ghost Countries—was too important to overlook. And so, Sasuke had transformed them into demons and made them his subordinates.
However, despite their newfound strength, they had repeatedly failed to capture Doto Kazahana, allowing him to escape time and time again.
Sasuke was getting tired of their incompetence.
"Useless," he muttered coldly.
The words struck Langya Fubuki like a lightning bolt, and he collapsed to the floor, blood oozing from his mouth as the pressure of Sasuke's chakra overwhelmed him.
"Track Doto Kazahana's location and don't let him escape. I'll be taking Koyuki back to the Snow Country with me
to reclaim her title in a few days, and I'll deal with Doto Kazahana personally. Now, leave."
"Yes, Master! Thank you, Master!" Langya Fubuki gasped as he scrambled out of the room, bowing repeatedly.
Koyuki Kazahana, the rightful princess of the Snow Country, had been in contact with Sasuke recently. Although she had initially been wary of him, she gradually began to trust him after several exchanges. She now saw Sasuke as someone who could help her reclaim her father's legacy and the Snow Country's throne.
Sasuke had reached out to her with a genuine offer of assistance. Once Koyuki confirmed that Sasuke truly intended to support her, she immediately agreed to return to the Snow Country with him to reclaim everything that had been stolen by her uncle, Doto Kazahana.
Koyuki was older than Sasuke by a few years, but she was determined to retake her kingdom, and Sasuke saw the Snow Country's resources and location as crucial assets to his long-term plans.
As Sasuke leaned back in his chair, his mind began to wander to the future. The groundwork he was laying now—with Koyuki, the Land of Snow, and even the influence of breathing techniques throughout the Fire Country—was all part of his larger vision.
Soon, everyone would see the power of the Uchiha once again.
He smiled to himself, thinking of the battles yet to come.
(End of the Chapter).
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