"Did you open the Gate of Death after all?"
Even though he knew he couldn't win even with the Gate of Death open, Li Xiao still chose to fight desperately to rescue his companions.
"Seriously, I didn't want to go over so soon."
Lin Yu sighed helplessly, "Shisui, keep an eye on things for me. I'll make a trip to the Land of the Moon. If all the geniuses of Konoha are crippled, Minato won't let me off."
"Mhm."
Shisui nodded, not sure if he had heard or not. His gaze was entirely fixed on the seventh checkpoint, where the Seventh Squad and Itachi were about to meet.
Lin Yu turned around helplessly and walked towards the women sitting in the audience seats. Treatment was best left to the professional, Tsunade. He'd been feeling a bit unwell lately and needed a full physical.
...
Naruto didn't know the situation in the other checkpoints. All he knew was that Sasuke, who was usually calm, had his eyes redden upon seeing the enemy they were about to face and rushed forward impulsively.
But he returned as quickly as he had charged forward.
"My foolish little brother, you still haven't made any progress."
Itachi's expression was cold, but his heart was full of disappointment. Had a month and a half of beatings still not made Sasuke recognize the gap between them? He was still so reckless.
"Sasuke, calm down!"
Naruto held onto Sasuke, who was trying to rush forward again, but Sasuke, with red eyes, roared, "You tell me to calm down? Do you know what I've been through this past month? All my efforts were to defeat this man before me!"
"Uh, haven't you been training with me this past month?"
"..."
Sasuke fell silent. How could he admit that he had been getting beaten for over a month? He could only swallow his anger and shift all his fury towards Itachi.
He, Uchiha Sasuke, would make everyone know today who was the older brother and who was the younger brother. Being born first didn't make someone the older brother!
Gradually, Sasuke's breathing stabilized, and his gaze calmly looked at Itachi, saying coldly, "Defeating you means passing, right?"
Itachi's eyes were sharp. "Foolish."
"Damn it!"
Itachi's single word instantly broke through Sasuke's defenses, and his scarlet Sharingan activated again.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
Facing the surging fireball, Itachi's expression remained unchanged. With his left hand inside his sleeve, he performed a single-hand sign: "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
The same fire style ninjutsu, but in Itachi's hands, it completely overwhelmed Sasuke's fireball. It was like an egg hitting a rock, shattering upon impact.
"Scatter!"
Sasuke's fireball was instantly engulfed. The massive fireball lunged towards them. Naruto shouted and rolled to the side, but his backside was still ignited by the flames.
"Damn it! My butt is on fire!"
Naruto frantically rolled on the ground, his cries being broadcast to the Konoha arena by the cameras. Watching their son flailing about, Minato Namikaze could only cover his face with his hand. Fortunately, this wasn't the third exam, so the Hokage didn't have to appear in person, or this would be a huge embarrassment.
*Slap!*
A crisp sound. Sasuke retracted his right foot and glanced at Naruto with a faint expression. "Be serious. I want to win this battle."
"It hurt so much! Sasuke, couldn't you have used your hands?"
Naruto pouted and patted his backside, then took out a shuriken and walked beside Sasuke, saying, "Since you've said so, I, Naruto Uzumaki, won't disappoint you!"
Sakura Haruno also stood beside them. Although she understood her strength wouldn't be of much help, she was still a member of Team Seven.
"Finally, you're acting like yourselves."
Itachi stood a distance away, still not making a move. He said faintly, "Then, let's begin."
*Whoosh!*
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
A cloud of white mist rose, and dozens of Narutos appeared in their place. Sasuke and Sakura's figures had already vanished.
"Let me, Naruto Uzumaki, face you!"
Naruto touched his nose, his azure eyes filled with fighting spirit.
"Charge! Beat him up! I hate guys who act cool the most!"
A horde of shadow clones swarmed forward. Naruto couldn't stand guys who liked to act cool and were conceited. Did you think you were my Sasuke?
Uchiha Itachi, Naruto had seen him and knew he was Sasuke's older brother. Naruto didn't know what had happened between them, but if the other party wanted to bully Sasuke, with him, Naruto Uzumaki, around, even Sasuke's older brother wouldn't be allowed to!
*Boom, boom, boom!*
Like fireworks, dozens of shadow clones were blown up into white mist before they could even touch Itachi's clothes.
As the last shadow clone exploded, only Itachi remained on the battlefield. The three members of Team Seven seemed to have disappeared.
Itachi raised his eyes slightly and quickly moved away from his spot. The next second, a fist broke through the ground and struck Itachi's jaw.
Naruto's figure shot up from underground, but in the next second, his arm was grabbed by Itachi and he was lifted into the air.
"Damn it, if you have the guts, let go of me!"
Naruto kicked towards Itachi's side but was easily dodged. Itachi then seized Naruto's thigh and said to the surroundings,
"Are you not coming out when your comrade is captured?"
There was still no movement from the surroundings. It seemed Sasuke didn't care at all that Naruto had been captured.
"Idiot, who's capturing whom isn't certain yet!"
"Hm?"
Itachi's gaze paused. The Naruto in his hands dissolved into a puff of smoke again. It was another shadow clone. Itachi instinctively wanted to leave his spot, but the ground around him cracked open again, and four Narutos rushed forward, tightly gripping Itachi's limbs.
"Go, Sasuke!"
A figure appeared above Itachi's head, performing hand seals as if to use some ninjutsu. Unexpectedly, Itachi turned his head sharply, and his three-tomoe Sharingan erupted with a scarlet light. The figure immediately slumped to the ground.
But Itachi showed no signs of joy, for the person lying on the ground was a little girl with pink hair.
"Well done, Sakura."
*Crackles!*
A flash of electricity streaked across. Sasuke, holding the Chidori, used his Sharingan's dynamic vision to accurately insert it into Itachi's back.
*Hiss, hiss, hiss!*
Powerful lightning chakra instantly invaded Itachi's body. The shadow clone Naruto hanging on Itachi instantly exploded into white mist, and even the main body, Naruto, was electrocuted and sent flying.
"Sasuke, you're too ruthless! That's your own brother."
Naruto rubbed his exploding hair, a puff of smoke escaping his throat. The electricity felt quite exhilarating.
Sasuke stood behind Itachi, clearly in the posture of a victor.
"This is the price of your underestimation, my dear brother."
"..." Itachi remained silent, seemingly paralyzed by the lightning chakra, unable to move or even speak.
As if guessing what Itachi wanted to say, Sasuke continued, "I am fully aware of the gap between you and me, and it's not something I can close right now."
"But I also know that this is the Chunin Exams. You wouldn't possibly use your full strength. Although I don't know why you're participating, you must also abide by the rules."
"This gives me a sliver of hope, a sliver of a chance to defeat you myself."
For some reason, in Sasuke's eyes, Itachi was no longer capable of fighting, but his heart felt no joy of victory. It was as if what he had been pursuing, what he had craved, was not to defeat Itachi.
"Hey, this strike can only cause you serious injury at most. I avoided your vital points."
"So, I should be thanking you? Cough, cough."
Itachi coughed, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, but his expression remained cold and composed.
Itachi said, "You're right, my abilities are indeed limited."
A slight smile played on Sasuke's lips, as if he was happy to have Itachi's acknowledgment.
"However..."
"I never underestimated you from the beginning."
As soon as he finished speaking, Itachi before Sasuke transformed into a flock of crows and flew into the air. A faint footstep sound came from not far away. Uchiha Itachi, wearing the Akatsuki cloak, reappeared before Sasuke, completely unharmed. The three-tomoe Sharingan in his eyes emitted an eerie glow.
"Sharingan? Did we fall for a genjutsu from the start?" Sasuke's heart was filled with dread. Would he forever be destined to be the younger brother?
Naruto suddenly felt a trace of fear towards Itachi. What kind of person was this!
How could someone not turn off their Sharingan? Doesn't it consume chakra?