Great Fireball, Greater Ambitions

"I've got a question," Kakashi began, looking at Gojo Satoru thoughtfully. "Your eyes can practically see through anything. They're like an active radar, while your sunglasses seem passive. So why wear them at all?"

Gojo adjusted his shades with a casual grin. "Because they look cool." he replied simply.

Kakashi blinked, then sighed, relenting. "Right, I should've known better. Anyway, I'll be off. See you around." He raised his fingers in a casual farewell and vanished as swiftly as he'd appeared.

Once alone, Gojo's expression shifted, a glint of amusement crossing his face. "The Third Hokage and Danzo—those old fossils—always scheming to control the Nine Tails, but trembling in fear of it too. Quite the contradiction."

He crunched down on his lollipop, the sound echoing in the silence as his lips curled into a dangerous smile. After this little test with Team Seven, he had plans to push the Nine Tails' power a bit, to gauge Naruto's limits. Better to know what the fox kid was packing before any serious trouble cropped up. It'd make educating the kid and getting these "little devils" self-reliant all the easier.

Lost in thought, Gojo didn't notice Sasuke Uchiha slipping into position behind him, hands moving rapidly to form hand seals.

"There he is." Sasuke's voice was a quiet murmur, his eyes intense. He was fully intent on unleashing a surprise attack.

But Gojo didn't even turn around. "Too slow." he remarked, still chewing on the candy stick. "An enemy could take you down a dozen times before you finished those seals."

Sasuke's eyes widened, but he didn't falter. "Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!" he called out, expelling a massive ball of fire that surged toward Gojo Satoru, igniting the air in its path.

The flame engulfed Gojo, who simply stood there, unaffected, as though encased in an invisible barrier. Sasuke's face fell, eyes narrowing with frustration as he threw shurikens into the blaze.

Just then, Sasuke noticed his weapons halting midair, caught effortlessly before reaching Gojo Satoru. The fire, too, seemed to hang still around him, unable to breach his defense.

"Unscathed… is this your Kekkei Genkai?" Sasuke muttered, cautiously gripping a kunai, his Sharingan analyzing every inch of the scene.

Gojo Satoru fanned away some lingering smoke, unperturbed. "It's simple. You missed."

Scoffing, Sasuke launched his kunai. But as it neared, Gojo raised a single finger, halting the weapon just an inch from his fingertip.

In an instant, the kunai transformed, releasing a puff of white smoke, and Naruto emerged, brandishing his own kunai. "Ha! Gotcha, sensei! I'll be the one to take you down!" Naruto declared, swinging at Gojo Satoru's neck with all his might.

But just like Sasuke's kunai, Naruto's attack couldn't move forward, stopped by some unseen force. Naruto strained, his face reddening as he tried to push harder.

Gojo chuckled, amused by Naruto's determination. "Need a hand?" he offered, eyes twinkling with playful condescension.

"Shut up!" Naruto yelled, furious. He planted both hands on the kunai, trying to force it closer to Gojo's neck, but it refused to budge. Even his best effort couldn't overcome whatever invisible shield was in place.

Watching the scene unfold, Sasuke shook his head in frustration. "Naruto, you're a total idiot. Why would I trust you to land the final blow?"

Gojo released Naruto, tossing him back toward Sasuke, who reflexively kicked him to the side, his face twisted in annoyance. "Get off, you idiot."

Naruto scrambled up, grabbing Sasuke by the collar. "You didn't have to kick me, you jerk!" he shouted.

"Both of you," Gojo interrupted, "don't sell yourselves short. That team play of yours was clever. If I were a regular enemy, it might've worked." He stretched lazily, dusting off his clothes. "But I'm no ordinary enemy."

Just then, Sakura, who had been hiding nearby, stepped out, kunai in hand, glaring defiantly at Gojo.

"Ah, there's flat-chested kid behind the tree" he teased, waving at her with a grin.

Sakura flushed angrily. "Don't call me flat-chested! I'll grow—just you wait!" she snapped, waving her kunai defensively.

Gojo merely shook his head, amused. "And as I said earlier," he continued, turning to Sasuke, "you're too slow with those hand seals."

Sasuke bristled. "Hand seals are essential for any real ninja. I'll improve on my own," he replied coldly, unwilling to admit any weakness.

Sakura's eyes sparkled as she gazed at Sasuke with admiration. "Wow, Sasuke, you're amazing!"

Naruto's shoulders slumped, frustration clear in his voice. "Sakura…"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, unimpressed with Naruto's antics. "Don't lump me with that idiot. I'm nothing like him."

Naruto puffed up his chest. "So what if you can do a Great Fireball? I'm going to be Hokage someday, and I don't need any lame jutsu to do it!"

Sighing, Gojo decided to give the kids a small show. "Alright, keep your eyes open. Here's how it's done."

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu," he announced casually, lifting his head to the sky. He expelled a massive fireball that seemed to cover the whole area, its intense heat causing the very air around them to waver. The fireball dwarfed Sasuke's by an impossible scale, more akin to a small meteor than a standard jutsu.

Team Seven stared up, stunned, as the fireball eventually dissipated into nothing. They were silent, grappling with the sheer scale of the technique.

"Wow," Naruto gasped, awe in his voice. "Sasuke's jutsu is like a sesame seed compared to that… but that's more like a watermelon!"

Sasuke's Sharingan had been focused on Gojo Satoru throughout, trying to decipher his technique. He realized, astonished, that Gojo hadn't even needed seals to perform the jutsu.

Was this what true strength looked like?