Haruno Sakura stared in dismay at the book The Will of Fire of the Third Hokage in her hands. If she had written this, the content would have been far more engaging than these empty, uninspiring words.
In summary, it could all be boiled down to four words: loyalty and love for the village.
Setting the book aside, Sakura stretched, feeling stiff after sitting in class all day. It was time to get up and move around.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and prepared to train.
Most of her classmates were already outside on the playground practicing shuriken throws. She could still hear Naruto's loud voice in the distance, shouting about some "self-created super-advanced ninjutsu" involving his shuriken-throwing skills.
The classroom window was slightly open, and a breeze carrying the earthy scent of rain swept through, ruffling her hair. Suddenly, a chill ran down Sakura's spine as she sensed a shadow looming over her.
She opened her green eyes, and there, in front of her, was a face that looked completely void of life—desperate, almost hollow.
"Sasuke?"
Seeing him standing there, Sakura felt a twinge of surprise. Why is he here? Shouldn't he be…
"Haruno Sakura." The words were cold, almost devoid of feeling, as they slipped from Uchiha Sasuke's lips.
"Huh? What do you want?"
"I want to fight you."
Sasuke's eyes were vacant. Overnight, he had lost everything: his strict father, his gentle mother, and...
And that monster Uchiha Itachi.
I'm too weak to even be worthy of dying...
He killed them all... just to test his strength.
All of the warmth Sasuke had ever felt was shattered by Uchiha Itachi in an instant. The happiness, the family he had cherished, had been destroyed in one merciless stroke.
But Sakura, on top of it all, kept surpassing him in their training. Now he couldn't even match her.
"No thanks," Sakura said dismissively. "I have something else to do, so I don't have time to fight. Maybe you should go home and—"
She barely finished her sentence before Sasuke's hand crashed down on her desk with a resounding bang, startling her into silence.
"You… you're looking down on me, aren't you?!"
Sasuke's face twisted, and he stared at her with a pained, almost manic intensity. The words "go home" had unleashed a surge of anger within him.
Home? What home did he have left?
Sakura sighed, restraining her frustration. "Sasuke, I think you should—"
But he struck out, his hand flying toward her face. Sakura dodged in time, avoiding the blow that would have otherwise landed.
Get stronger... get stronger...
Like a crazed animal, Sasuke lunged at Sakura, desperate to prove himself. He needed to surpass her; she was the first step in his quest for vengeance against Uchiha Itachi.
Sakura dodged his chaotic, frenzied attacks with practiced ease. She frowned as she watched him, letting out a warning. "Sasuke, if you don't stop, I won't go easy on you."
Her words only made him angrier.
"Won't go easy?" What did she mean by that? Did she think she was sparing him right now?
Consumed by emotion, Sasuke had only one thought: Beat her. Prove her wrong.
Watching his desperation, Sakura's irritation faded, replaced by pity. He's like a stray dog, abandoned and out of control.
Sakura found herself backing up until she felt the cool, hard wall behind her.
Bang.
A loud sound echoed in the classroom.
Sasuke's eyes widened in shock as he saw that Sakura had effortlessly caught his fist in her palm, stopping his punch cold.
"See that?" she said quietly, her voice calm. "This is the gap between us."
Her words drove him further into a frenzy, but no matter how much he struggled, he couldn't pull free from her iron grip.
As he tried to strike with his other hand, Sakura gently pushed down on his fist. His whole body was forced down along with it.
"Ahhhh!!!" Sasuke's frustrated scream echoed. His gaze met Sakura's, and for an instant, he thought he saw pity in her eyes. Since when did I need pity?
"Taking your anger out on others is... pathetic, Sasuke," she said. "Besides, I'm your classmate."
He resisted with all his might, but she spoke calmly, silencing him further.
"And as you can see, you can't beat me."
"I accept your challenge, but I won't accept you acting like this—a mindless beast."
"Go home, Sasuke."
Sakura released his hand, and as she did, Sasuke stood there, tears glistening in his eyes. He said nothing as she walked past him.
"Haruno Sakura…" His voice was thick with emotion, barely a whisper.
"I will win… one day."
Hokage's Office
Sarutobi Hiruzen puffed on his pipe, watching the scene unfold in his crystal ball. He sighed, recalling Uchiha Itachi's last request before leaving.
Those who unlock the Mangekyō always end up on this path, he thought grimly. It was the same for Uchiha Madara, and now for Uchiha Itachi...
Only now did he truly understand why his teacher, Tobirama Senju, had kept the Uchiha out of direct combat roles, assigning them instead to Konoha's Guard.
The Sharingan's power only sharpened their obsession. The stronger they became, the more extreme and unbalanced their emotions grew. And the Mangekyō Sharingan intensified this instability even further.
Allowing too many Uchiha to enter the battlefield… it would have been a recipe for disaster.