Chapter 21: A Clear Day, Sasuke's Classic Self-Doubt

"Do you want to become Hokage too?" Naruto glanced at Sasuke's slender arms and legs as he struggled with push-ups, his face contorted in pain. He couldn't help but look at Sasuke's delicate appearance.

 Annoyed by Naruto's intense scrutiny, Sasuke couldn't help but ask, "What's with the way you're looking at me?"

 "You don't seem like Hokage material," Naruto stated frankly.

 Sasuke : "...????"

 "Because Grandpa Hokage said that to become Hokage, you must first embody Konoha's Will of Fire." Naruto said seriously. "Secondly, you have to be a really powerful ninja. And third, you have to be loved by many people in the Konoha to be Hokage."

 "I don't know how strong your Will of Fire is, but you don't look like a powerful ninja with that delicate appearance," 

 Naruto recalled, "I remember that all ninjas have calluses on their hands, like Grandpa Hokage."

 "And that white-haired ninja with one eye too," 

 he referred to Kakashi but couldn't remember his name.

 Naruto continued earnestly, "Looking at you, it seems like you've never really trained. I think you would be better off assisting me along with Shikamaru."

 "My father is the Uchiha Clan leader!"

 "My brother is an Anbu member!"

 Sasuke's irritation flared up at this point. If someone said he looked like a girl, he could tolerate it. But saying he didn't look like a ninja was unacceptable. 

 This was an insult to him and to the Uchiha.

 To call a Uchiha, not a ninja, was that not an insult?

 Sasuke was furious. His face turned red again, "You don't look like a ninja either! Just wait until I awaken the Sharingan one day. I'll be the most formidable ninja! Besides, my brother is already an exceptional ninja at the age of eleven, making my father proud!"

 Sasuke thought for a moment and added, "My brother has three tomoe sharingan. Under his guidance, I will definitely become a strong ninja."

 "Your brother?!" Naruto, drenched in sweat, glanced at Itachi and commented, "Indeed, he looks more like a man than you."

 But...

 Naruto continued, "But, my Pops is even more amazing! Just the other day, three people from your Uchiha clan caused trouble for my Pops, and with a single swipe of his hand, he sent them flying!"

 Sasuke's eyes widened in shock, "Nonsense! I've never heard of it!"

 Naruto smirked, "Of course, it's because you're not a ninja, so you don't have the qualifications to know about these grown-up matters."

 Sasuke suddenly realized that he couldn't argue with Naruto.

 He turned to Itachi for help, a pleading look in his eyes.

 Uchiha Itachi also displayed a surprised expression. In reality, he had rarely paid attention to his family because the family's troubles had become a great source of annoyance for him. He only knew that there were three Uchiha clan members hospitalized.

 But he didn't know the specific situation.

 He didn't want to know either.

 Unexpectedly, those three Uchiha clan members in the hospital were related to the Whitebeard before them, and they had been injured by him!

 "See how powerful my pops is!" 

 Naruto beamed with pride.

 Sasuke gritted his teeth. "My brother is the most, most, most powerful! Last night, he caught an iron Kunai when I attacked him!"

 Itachi was taken aback, gave a fond, wry smile, and massaged his forehead helplessly.

 This child, Sasuke.

 He was bickering with Naruto like kids playing house, and in the midst of it, he exaggerated things. Last night, wasn't it a wooden Kunai? Where did he get the idea of catching an iron Kunai?

 Naruto retorted, "My Pops can catch dozens of Kunai!"

 Though he hadn't seen Whitebeard catch so many kunai, he believed his pops could!

 He trusts his father unconditionally!

 "Big brother can catch explosive tags barehanded!" Sasuke boasted, not bothering to consider the logic.

 "My pops can negate the fire release jutsu from your family!" 

 Naruto's claim was well-founded.

 He had witnessed it himself.

 "Um... big brother... he... he..."

 "Alright, Sasuke," Itachi took the opportunity to walk over, ruffled Sasuke's little head and without leaving a trace, moved him a bit farther from that dangerous Whitebeard.

 So he could finally relax.

 He breathed a sigh of relief.

 Itachi smiled at Sasuke and said, "Others may not believe that our Sasuke can become an outstanding ninja, but I believe you."

 Sasuke's mood suddenly shifted from gloomy to sunny. "Big brother, you're the best!"

 "Big brother!" Sasuke suddenly became serious. "Could you train me too?"

 "Huh?" Itachi was a bit slow to react.

 "I can't lose to him!" Sasuke's competitive spirit, perhaps present since childhood but not very obvious. His little face was serious. "I have to prove to him that the gap between a civilian ninja like him and the ninja of our Uchiha clan! Big brother, you said you would teach me throwing techniques, didn't you?"

 In truth, Itachi didn't want to stay here.

 Mainly because Whitebeard was here.

 He didn't want to put Sasuke in a dangerous situation.

 But he had no choice.

 The Jinchuriki had actually stirred up a competitive spirit in Sasuke.

 Whether that was a good or bad thing, 

 He didn't know

 "...Alright!"

 So,

 And so, this area became an odd scene—Whitebeard, in an almost murderous stance, was rigorously training Naruto. Itachi, on the other hand, patiently explained the intricacies of shuriken throwing to Sasuke and nearly strained his muscles when he saw Sasuke throw the shuriken, prompting him to check on his condition.

 The two scenarios were very different.

 While teaching Sasuke, Itachi would occasionally glance at Naruto, as it was nearly impossible to ignore Naruto's agonized cries.

 "Isn't the Jinchuriki only five years old?" Itachi was dumbfounded by Whitebeard's intense training methods. He looked at Naruto, covered in injuries and bloodstains all over his clothes. His face showed astonishment. "Isn't this too dangerous?"

 At this moment, he found himself uttering the exact words as Kakashi did.

 But for some reason, he noticed that Naruto, the boy from the Uzumaki clan, seemed to enjoy it.

 Even though he cried out in pain, he obediently completed each training task.

 That level of determination, that resolve— could a five-year-old child truly possess it?

 If it were during wartime, it might be understandable.

 But it was a time of peace.

 What kind of hardship had this five-year-old child endured to possess such unwavering determination?

 Unbelievable!

 "Big brother... is this the way ninjas train?" Sasuke also cast a glance in that direction, and the sight of Naruto's suffering startled him.

 "...No," Itachi replied. "Even for a ninja's training methods, the intensity Whitebeard employs here, especially for a five-year-old, exceeds what would be expected, surpassing the intensity even for adults."

 "Big brother!" Sasuke clenched his lower lip tightly, somehow reminded of Naruto's earlier comment about him looking like a girl.

 The weather was clear, and the rain had stopped. Suddenly, Sasuke felt like he could do it.

 He looked up at Itachi and said, "You should train me like this too!"

 Itachi : "..."

 He looked at his little brother's slender arms and legs.

 He ruffled Sasuke's head.

 He forced a stiff smile and spoke gently, "Sasuke, if our father found out I killed you, he would exile me from the Uchiha clan." 

 He expressed it very delicately.

 In other words...

 It's impossible

 .....

 ..... 

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