Sasuke Uchiha and Madara Uchiha were not comparable in any respect.
During his intense training sessions with Madara, Hirofumi Ito had faced crushing defeats, yet he emerged with rapidly improving combat skills. Now, standing before Sasuke Uchiha, he felt an unexpected sense of composure.
...
After a fierce battle, Sasuke found himself panting heavily, his eyes filled with disbelief as they locked onto Hirofumi Ito, who stood confidently before him.
"You bastard... I never expected you to grow this strong..."
The reality of the situation was hard for Sasuke to accept. In their previous training bouts, Hirofumi had always been the final opponent he faced, but he had never lasted this long against him. Each encounter had ended in Sasuke's favor, yet now he felt completely overpowered.
Sasuke sensed that Hirofumi was fully in control of the situation.
Could it be that he would need to reveal his trump card this time? After all, his eyes represented the pride of the Uchiha clan...
"You're not bad either, Sasuke," Hirofumi replied, a smirk playing on his lips. "But this time, I won't lose. You've held the top spot in class for so many years; now it's time for me to take it from you."
"Damn it... Stop talking so big. I haven't even unleashed my full strength yet..."
"Tch. As if I've shown my full strength either," Hirofumi shot back.
Indeed, Hirofumi had not gone all out. After receiving Indra's chakra, he felt as though he had experienced tremendous growth in just a day and a half, especially after enduring a beating from Madara Uchiha. In contrast, Sasuke's combat instincts seemed almost childlike in their immaturity.
Hirofumi was well aware of what Sasuke's so-called trump card was—it was the one-tomoe Sharingan, awakened by the rage stemming from the annihilation of his clan.
And while Sasuke had mastered the Fireball Jutsu, with his current chakra reserves, using it even once would likely leave him completely drained. Hirofumi, on the other hand, could perform it several times without breaking a sweat.
"Heh heh... Hirofumi Itou," Sasuke declared, a glint of confidence in his eyes. "I will show you what my trump card is, and at the same time, I will make you understand what true Uchiha pride means. Today, I will demonstrate the power of the Uchiha clan to everyone..."
Hirofumi couldn't help but feel a strange sensation as he observed Sasuke's overconfident expression. Was Sasuke truly trying to show off? What's wrong with this chick?
A thought flickered in Hirofumi's mind, recalling a peculiar rule from the Naruto series: whenever Sasuke Uchiha attempted to flaunt his skills, he inevitably ended up being defeated.
Today…
Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh…
Let that rule start with him...
As soon as Sasuke finished his proclamation, his pupils underwent a dramatic transformation, shifting into a vibrant red with a single tomoe emerging in each eye. After spinning a few times, the eyes finally stabilized.
"Hirofumi Itou. Do you see my eyes?" Sasuke challenged, his tone filled with pride. "This is Uchiha. This is the pride of the Uchiha...! This is the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan. In front of me, you have the privilege of witnessing what it truly means to be Uchiha... I will defeat you with my Sharingan...!"
As he listened to Sasuke's grandiose declarations, Hirofumi felt a sense of exasperation. This guy couldn't go three sentences without mentioning "Uchiha" or "pride." All Hirofumi was hearing was, "Blah Blah, Pride of Uchiha! Blah Blah! Sharingan! Blah Blah~"
Seriously, if not from fighting, Hirofumi would definitely get down from sheer cringe.
But Sasuke did not launch an immediate attack. Instead, he appeared to be adjusting to the dynamic vision granted by the Sharingan, as if he were allowing Hirofumi time to prepare himself for what was to come.
Meanwhile, Sasuke's transformation left his classmates and Iruka-sensei utterly astounded.
"Hey... What's wrong with that cocky Sasuke? Did he catch pinkeye? And what's that little tadpole doing in his eyeball? Iruka-sensei, hurry and get that tadpole out of his eye!"
Naruto, oblivious to the significance of the Sharingan, could only focus on how Sasuke's eyes had turned red, with what looked like a small tadpole swirling within them. His concern for his friend began to surface. After all, Sasuke had become a kind of ally to him, and the thought of his friend going blind was disheartening.
Ignoring Naruto's loud complaints, Iruka stared in shock at Sasuke's eyes, his mind racing to comprehend the implications.
"Naruto, quiet down. This isn't pinkeye, nor is it a tadpole. This is… the Uchiha clan's Sharingan..."
Even after Iruka-sensei's explanation, Naruto remained confused.
"Huh? What's a Sharingan? Never heard of it," he asked, scratching his head.
The usually calm Shikamaru Nara placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, his expression serious.
"Naruto, the Sharingan is the Uchiha clan's most powerful ability. Every true Uchiha possesses these eyes. I never expected Sasuke to become this terrifyingly strong so quickly..."
Although Naruto still struggled to grasp the full meaning, he understood that Sasuke's red eyes were a mark of the Uchiha clan and that possessing them signified immense strength.
"Oh, so that's how it is… That's so weird. Now that cocky Sasuke has red eyes, and that strange Hinata has white eyes… If those two had kids, would their eyes be half-red and half-white?"
Completely unaware of Hinata's crush on him, Naruto regarded her as an odd girl. After all, she always seemed to act strangely around him, blushing and stuttering, sometimes even getting so flustered that it seemed as if her head might steam.
Naruto's comment was loud enough that Hirofumi, positioned in the center of the training ground, overheard it.
Hirofumi was struck by how bizarre the notion was. He couldn't believe that Naruto would dare to envision his best friend having children with his future wife.
It made him chuckle to think about how Naruto would react when he married Hinata in the future, especially if he remembered saying something like that. Now that would certainly be a sight to behold!
In stark contrast to the astonished students, Iruka's expression grew serious. The awakening of the Sharingan at such a young age marked Sasuke as a true genius.
Moreover, within the Uchiha clan, even possessing a one-tomoe Sharingan indicated that this Uchiha was already at the level of a genin. This fact deepened Iruka's concern for the implications of Sasuke's rapid growth and the challenges that lay ahead.