Unexpected Alliance

Boo hoo hoo——

Three purple cocoons of light suddenly spread out around Sasuke, sending all the ninja tools he had thrown back at him.

The abrupt change forced Sasuke to cancel his Fire Style release. He understood now that Naruto could not only deflect ninjutsu but also redirect it back to him.

"Damn it! Why is this guy so strong!" Sasuke thought, his confidence from earlier draining away.

Despite his initial hope, seeing Naruto's skill with this technique filled Sasuke with despair. At least the shurikens and kunai were limited to about twenty. With the Sharingan's rapid rotation, Sasuke's dynamic vision kicked into high gear, allowing him to track the attack trajectories as if they were threads crisscrossing in his view.

He dodged and weaved through the incoming projectiles, feeling as if he was dancing through a field of thorns. Naruto, observing from a distance, found Sasuke's movements flashy but not too impressive.

The light door opened again in Sasuke's blind spot. As Sasuke dodged, he suddenly felt a hair-raising sensation and crouched just in time to avoid Naruto's side kick.

"A bit sharp," Naruto noted, slightly impressed by Sasuke's reflexes. Despite his annoyance, he had to admit that Sasuke's reaction time was significantly enhanced by the Sharingan.

Naruto remembered their previous encounter where he struggled to avoid Sasuke's sneak attack. But now, he was confident in his taijutsu skills. He felt that in all of Konoha, only Might Guy might match him in physical prowess.

Naruto had always believed in his stamina and resilience, and he was prepared to endure even in the most grueling battles.

When it came to close combat, Naruto was confident he could outlast anyone. He had no doubts about his own ability to push through physical confrontations.

Snapped--

Sasuke's punch connected with Naruto's face, but Naruto managed to block it and grab Sasuke's wrist, pulling him closer. Sasuke, losing control, began kneeing Naruto instinctively.

The fight quickly turned into a fierce exchange of blows. Naruto held Sasuke's hand with one hand and used the 'Tree Pounding Fist' with the other. Despite the relentless attack, Sasuke managed to land a few hits to Naruto's abdomen.

After a few rounds, Naruto's attacks became faster. He could have easily mocked Sasuke's effort if he had wanted. Sasuke's attacks were barely enough to make Naruto flinch.

At this point, Sasuke was thoroughly beaten, his head spinning and his movements sluggish. The scene was reminiscent of their first encounter, where Sasuke had been defeated by Naruto.

With a final punch, Sasuke lost consciousness and collapsed.

Hinata watched in astonishment, her mouth agape. The purple jutsu Naruto used had initially seemed ordinary, but now its true power was evident. Naruto's taijutsu was equally impressive, and Hinata wondered how she would fare in Sasuke's place.

She worried about Naruto's well-being, rushing to check him for injuries.

"Naruto-kun…"

She circled him, relieved to find he was unharmed.

"I'm okay," Naruto reassured her, punching his chest to show he was fine.

Sasuke's damage wasn't catching up to Naruto's passive regeneration. Naruto could defeat Sasuke easily if it were a game.

Noting Sasuke on the ground, Naruto pulled out a life potion from his system space and poured it into Sasuke's mouth.

"Cough cough cough——"

Sasuke choked and coughed, his body twitching as the injuries on his face healed rapidly.

Hinata watched in awe as Sasuke's injuries vanished. She was amazed at the potion's effectiveness and realized its rarity.

"So… so awesome," Hinata said. "Naruto-kun, I won't tell anyone else!"

Hinata's serious expression touched Naruto. He gently ruffled her hair, thinking about a future with many children.

"Hey…"

Hinata blushed shyly, her head tilting as if she might faint.

"Wait! Don't faint yet!" Naruto said, worried about the potential consequences if the Hyuga clan saw her like this.

Hinata bit her lip to stay awake, which only made Naruto want to comfort her more.

Sasuke, now awake, looked at the strange behavior of Naruto and Hinata with confusion. His injuries had completely disappeared.

He touched his healed face and found no trace of his previous injuries. Even the scars from that night were gone.

Sasuke wondered if it had been a dream. If he hadn't seen Naruto and Hinata, he might have thought so. The recovery potion he had tasted better than any village soda and was clearly more valuable than the golden apples.

Feeling slightly embarrassed about his earlier question, Sasuke decided to apologize.

"Sorry, I was being too nosy. I just wanted to ask…"

Naruto, seeing it was getting late, decided to take Hinata home. "The fight's over. I'll take Hinata home first. You can go back on your own."

Sasuke stopped him with a plea. "Wait… Can you let me train with you? As long as I can become stronger, I'm willing to do whatever you ask!"