Chapter 27: Humbling Sasuke

Despite the years that had passed, Sasuke still remembered what Itachi had once said. If he couldn't defeat Itachi now, he would first defeat Tetsuya, the person Itachi recognized, to prove he was different.

Tetsuya shrugged and walked slowly to the ring. At Iruka's request, the two first formed a seal of opposition. Beating Sasuke, or as he jokingly thought of him, "Erzhu," seemed like a great way to spend the afternoon.

"Come on, Tetsuya! Beat that arrogant Sasuke!" Naruto cheered loudly, more excited than the participants themselves.

"Shut up, Naruto! Sasuke, you can do it!" Sakura yelled back, switching her support to Sasuke in the blink of an eye, leaving Naruto bewildered.

"Shut up, you're so noisy!" Sasuke frowned, displeased with Sakura's loud cheering. He then turned to Tetsuya, who was standing casually. "You go first. If I attack first, you won't be able to handle a single move."

The arrogance in his words made the girls in the class squeal with excitement. Ino, annoyed by the attention Sasuke was getting, whispered to Hinata, "Tetsuya won't lose to him."

Hinata nodded firmly. "Tetsuya is very strong. He won't lose."

In the ring, Tetsuya had a toothache watching Sasuke's arrogant display. "Do all Uchiha have to put on a show before a fight to mentally exhaust their opponents?" he wondered.

The sky was clear, and Sasuke felt confident. He'd learned that every time Sasuke gained strength, he'd have to be humbled again. Tetsuya intended to keep up that tradition.

With a flick of his wrist, Tetsuya threw three shuriken. Sasuke sneered, easily deflecting them with his kunai. He then rushed toward Tetsuya, who seemed unprepared. "This will be over quickly," Sasuke thought.

But as Sasuke's kunai neared, Tetsuya sidestepped, grabbed Sasuke's wrist, and kneed him in the chest. Sasuke's breath left him, and he staggered backward.

"Too slow, Erzhuzi," Tetsuya mocked.

Furious, Sasuke charged again, this time more cautiously. Tetsuya played along, the two exchanging blows that echoed across the training ground. Sasuke's attacks were precise and fierce, but Tetsuya blocked them with ease, his movements smooth and confident.

The students watched in awe. "These two are amazing," someone whispered.

"Come on, Tetsuya!" Ino cheered.

"Go, Sasuke!" Sakura yelled, divided in their support.

Shikamaru, watching from the sidelines, sighed. "These girls are terrifying."

Despite appearances, Sasuke was struggling. Every move he made was perfectly countered by Tetsuya. He couldn't land a single hit. Frustrated, Sasuke leapt back, deciding to end the fight with a powerful ninjutsu.

"If I can't win with taijutsu, I'll use this!" Sasuke declared, forming hand seals.

Iruka's eyes widened. "No! Sasuke, stop!"

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!" Sasuke exhaled a massive fireball.

The students gasped. Tetsuya calmly performed his own hand seals. "Wind Style: Gale Palm!"

A powerful gust of wind blew the fireball away and slammed into Sasuke, knocking him off his feet. Tetsuya was upon him in an instant, kunai at Sasuke's throat.

"The battle is over! The winner is Tetsuya Kamiyo!" Iruka announced, rushing forward.

Sasuke, stunned, stared at Tetsuya as they formed the Seal of Reconciliation. "How did I lose?" he wondered. "I've trained so hard... How could I lose to him?"

Tetsuya grinned, extending a hand to help Sasuke up. "Need some healing?"

Sasuke scowled but accepted the help. As Tetsuya's healing chakra flowed into him, Sasuke's resolve hardened. "Tetsuya Kamiyo, I will definitely beat you!"

Tetsuya chuckled. "You're welcome to try anytime."

As he felt the system's prompt confirming his gain, Tetsuya was slightly dissatisfied. "Just points and base stats? Where's Indra's Chakra?" he thought. But for now, he was content with the day's victory and the promise of future challenges.