"Sasuke!"
Iruka quickly ran to him, worried about checking his injuries.
Unexpectedly, Sasuke brusquely pushed his hands away, pointing toward the explosion's smoke while shouting, "Save Kuro!"
"Kuro?"
Iruka was stunned. Then, processing what was said, he examined Sasuke more closely.
At first glance, there were no burns or signs that his clothes had been damaged by high temperatures. However, his clothing around the abdomen was torn, and a clear impact mark could be seen.
It can't be...
Iruka's suspicion was confirmed in an instant. Without hesitation, he turned and ran toward the explosion's smoke.
However, before he could get there, a gust of wind dispersed the dense smoke, revealing what lay inside.
Nothing.
Just a charred hole in the ground.
"What happened?"
Iruka and the spectators were dumbfounded.
"How could this happen...?" Sasuke couldn't believe it. "Did he burn...?"
"Sasuke..." Iruka looked at him seriously. "Did Kuro push you?"
"Yes... just before the explosion reached me, Kuro ran and kicked me out of the blast radius. He got caught in the heat wave."
"You emo bastard, you killed Kuro!"
Naruto came running with rage-filled eyes.
"Naruto, calm down!" Mizuki restrained him before he could do anything.
Ino, meanwhile, knelt on the ground and began sobbing uncontrollably.
Sakura, seeing her, wanted to console her but couldn't find the right words to say.
Sasuke watched the scene in silence. Naruto, Ino... even Iruka and Sakura. Why are they reacting this way?
His mind was completely blank.
For a long time, he had thought about surpassing Kuro. That idea had been his constant motivation. But he had never thought about hurting him.
Even now, using the Great Fireball Jutsu in the evaluation, he was sure it wouldn't be lethal to Kuro.
After so many battles, he knew Kuro's strength well.
But I never expected this to happen...
"Stop panicking!"
Iruka shouted, and when everyone looked at him, he calmly said, "The explosion we saw wasn't strong enough to burn someone to the bone. Kuro must be fine."
"Eh?" Naruto looked at him wide-eyed, a glimmer of hope appearing on his face. "Iruka-sensei, is Kuro really okay?!"
"Yes," Iruka affirmed confidently. "If I'm not mistaken, the one fighting Sasuke was a Shadow Clone."
"Shadow Clone?"
Naruto was puzzled, as were most of the students.
That term was completely unfamiliar to them. Only a few seemed to understand what Iruka was talking about.
Just a few people seemed surprised after hearing that term.
Sasuke was among them.
As a member of the Uchiha clan, he had heard about that technique. He knew it was an advanced jutsu capable of creating real clones with physical substance. He also knew it was a forbidden technique.
Not only has he learned the Great Fireball Jutsu, but also such an advanced cloning technique?
Reality hit him hard.
And now I can't even beat a clone? How much has the gap between us widened...?
Sasuke pressed his lips together tightly, to the point of hurting himself. His knuckles turned white as he clenched his fists in frustration.
...
Training Ground No. 39
Two figures moved swiftly between the trees, occasionally throwing shurikens, testing each other like shadows gliding through the forest.
Ding, ding, dong, dang...
The metallic sound of shurikens clashing in the air echoed among the trees.
Some were deflected by opposing weapons, while others embedded themselves in nearby trunks.
After several rounds across the terrain, the two finally engaged in hand-to-hand combat.
A long sword clashed with a sharp blade, unleashing a flash that briefly lit up the area.
Sparks flew with each impact as they measured each other's strength and skill in every blow.
After several exchanges, they locked into a fierce battle.
"Is this all you've achieved with a year of training?" Lian mocked, observing the young figure with a sarcastic smile.
Words are also a weapon in combat, and Lian knew it well. But Kuro wasn't provoked.
"You'll have to find out," Kuro calmly replied, adjusting his grip on his sword with his right hand.
With his left hand, he quickly made a seal with two fingers over his chest.
'Fire Style: Slicing Fire'
Kuro's blade turned a bright red, enveloped in flames that waved wildly like a volcano about to erupt.
He shouted the jutsu's name intentionally, not just to empower the move but also as a warning to Lian.
He didn't want the confrontation to end fatally.
However, his concerns were unnecessary.
Lian had been trained in the ruthless discipline of Root, wandering between life and death from a young age.
His combat experience was overwhelming; he had faced far more dangerous situations than this one.
Seeing Kuro's seals and hearing the jutsu's name, Lian didn't hesitate to retreat quickly.
An instant later, Kuro's fire exploded in a devastating fan, illuminating the area.
The green branches and leaves began to evaporate from the heat before igniting, creating a raging fire that spread rapidly.
Although the attack seemed impossible to dodge, Lian had already retreated to a safe spot.
But Kuro didn't stop. He swung his sword, making the flames follow the motion and turn into a long, sharp slash.
The attack surged forward, cutting down several trees in its path like paper.
Realizing he couldn't retreat further without exposing himself, Lian changed his strategy.
Earth Style: Earth Wall
The ground under his feet shook, and a thick wall of rock emerged, blocking the fire's path.
Instantly, the flames struck the wall with force, causing cracks to spread rapidly until part of it shattered into pieces. However, the wall's core remained intact, shielding Lian.
Taking advantage of the confusion from the smoke and dust, Lian moved swiftly, sword in hand, advancing toward Kuro.
But just as he emerged from the smoke, what he saw left him stunned.
Kuro was waiting, sword enveloped in fire, ready for another attack.
How... how did he find me?!
Kuro smiled, noticing the surprise on Lian's face.
"I know you well, Lian," he said, wielding his sword with a confident smile.
However, at the last moment, Kuro stopped his attack mid-air and frowned. Something felt off.
Lian, sensing the unease, lowered his sword.
"What's wrong?"
"My Shadow Clone at the school... disappeared," Kuro said.
"Disappeared?" Lian looked at him incredulously. "Is there a student capable of defeating your Shadow Clone?"
He knew that a Shadow Clone only disappeared if it was dispelled voluntarily, ran out of chakra, or received a fatal blow. But knowing Kuro's chakra reserves, the latter seemed almost impossible.
"No, it was just an accident."
Kuro lightly shook his head.
The Uchiha clan hadn't been exterminated, and Sasuke, under the clan's training, was progressing rapidly. He might have even surpassed the strength he originally had upon graduation.
My Shadow Clone was careless... but it seems Sasuke has advanced more than I expected.
However, all this leads to...
"Revealing my strength was inevitable, but now I'll have more to handle."
He sighed helplessly.
Now, in this period of rapid growth, all he wanted was to train.
________
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