Chapter 9

Author: Enjoy people, sorry I couldn't upload, financial problems.

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The night was long, and Naruto spent every second of it in his small apartment, diligently honing his newly acquired knowledge of Fūinjutsu. Papers and ink were scattered around, each holding the intricate markings of various seals. His hands moved methodically as he crafted explosive tags and storage scrolls, layering their formulas with precision. The room smelled of ink and sweat, and the faint glow of moonlight illuminated his exhausted face, but he didn't stop. He couldn't stop. His eyes were heavy, and his body screamed for rest, but Naruto was driven by a deeper urge. He was obsessed with improvement, the thirst for mastery pushing him through his fatigue.

As the first rays of dawn pierced through the small window, Naruto was wrapping up the explosive tags and carefully storing the scrolls in his inventory. His muscles ached, and his vision blurred for a second, reminding him of how sleep-deprived he was. But before he could even consider lying down for a nap, he felt a familiar chakra signature approaching his apartment. The sensation was unmistakable, and despite his weariness, he instinctively sharpened his senses.

"Sasuke," he muttered to himself, recognizing her distinct chakra presence. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

In one swift motion, Naruto leaped from his window and landed effortlessly on the rooftop, right above the unsuspecting Uchiha girl. She was walking below, seemingly unaware of his presence. Naruto crouched silently, eyes narrowing as he prepared his move. With a sly grin, he dropped down and landed on top of her, his feet lightly pressing her shoulders.

"Hello there," Naruto greeted with his usual nonchalant tone, but there was a glint of mischief in his tired eyes. He looked down at her, expecting a reaction.

Sasuke, however, didn't flinch or even glance up at him. Her form remained perfectly still, which instantly put Naruto on alert. Something was wrong. Before he could process it, Sasuke's body vanished in a puff of smoke. A Shadow Clone.

'What the—?' Naruto's eyes widened for a brief moment before instinct kicked in. He spun around just in time to sense another surge of chakra behind him. The real Sasuke was already moving, a wooden kunai in hand, aimed at his back.

Naruto acted swiftly, using his leg to sweep at her feet. Sasuke, anticipating the move, twisted midair with the grace of a cat and launched her wooden kunai straight at Naruto's face.

The kunai flew with precision, the wooden tip spinning dangerously close to his eyes. With a practiced fluidity, Naruto grabbed his own kunai from his pouch, deflecting her weapon with a sharp clang. In the same motion, he caught the deflected kunai in midair and hurled it right back at Sasuke, alongside his own.

Sasuke smirked confidently as the kunai hit her, one embedding in her stomach, the other striking her square in the forehead. But instead of falling to the ground, her body vanished once again, replaced by a wooden log.

'Substitution Jutsu?' Naruto thought, immediately realizing Sasuke had been trained well, likely by her father. 'She's more resourceful than before.'

Naruto yawned, exhaustion from his sleepless night catching up with him. Sparring wasn't something he was in the mood for, especially not now. Still, Sasuke was persistent, and if she wanted a fight, he'd give her one, but he wasn't going to hold back anymore.

"Sasuke, you know you can't defeat me," Naruto called out, his voice flat and matter-of-fact. "Even if you've learned some new jutsu, it's not enough."

But Sasuke was silent, hidden somewhere among the trees and bushes. That's when he noticed something. A flicker of movement—shurikens. At first, it was a few, whizzing towards him at high speed, but then they multiplied into dozens, then hundreds, filling the air around him like a deadly storm of metal.

Naruto's expression shifted. His once easy-going demeanor disappeared, replaced with intense focus. His eyes darted from one shuriken to the next as they rained down on him. With quick reflexes, he dodged the first wave, but there were too many. He knew he couldn't evade them all, especially in his current state.

With a flick of his fingers, Naruto activated his chakra strings, attaching them to several shuriken that were about to hit him. Using the strings, he forcefully yanked the weapons to the ground, but the barrage didn't stop. They kept coming, multiplying further and further until the sky above him seemed to shimmer with the metallic glint of blades.

"Sasuke…" Naruto muttered under his breath, irritation creeping into his tone. "Trying to exhaust me, huh?"

The attack was relentless, and while he managed to dodge most of the shuriken with his quick footwork and chakra manipulation, a few grazed his arms and legs, leaving shallow cuts. The sting of metal on skin only fueled his annoyance, and he knew Sasuke was playing the long game—waiting for him to slip up. She was smart, biding her time for a perfect opening.

Realizing he couldn't let this continue, Naruto increased the number of chakra strings and, with a burst of speed, dashed out of the shuriken storm, heading straight toward the source of the attack. But before he could reach the trees, he was enveloped in a flash of blinding light.

'A trap?' he thought, squinting through the brightness. His mind raced, piecing together the situation.

Suddenly, he felt something—or rather, someone—push him down. Sasuke had appeared out of nowhere, her legs wrapping tightly around his waist, forcing him to the ground. The light dissipated, revealing her perched on top of him, her breathing heavy, her face glistening with sweat. In her hand was a real sword, the blade just barely poking at Naruto's neck.

Her long hair fell over her face, some of it brushing against his cheek, and her eyes were wide, fueled by adrenaline and determination. She looked triumphant, her chest rising and falling as if she had won a long battle.

"Say it," Sasuke demanded, her voice low and breathless, though laced with satisfaction.

Naruto looked up at her, unfazed despite the sword at his throat. He sighed softly, more amused than threatened. "You win, Sasuke."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Sasuke exhaled deeply, not realizing until then that she had been holding her breath the entire time. The tension in her muscles eased, and her body slumped slightly.

Naruto, still smiling faintly, stored the explosive tags he'd been ready to use back into his inventory, if not for her desperate look, he wouldn't have let her win. Sasuke, meanwhile, succumbed to chakra exhaustion and collapsed on top of him, her head resting against his chest as she breathed heavily.

Naruto thought about moving, but before he could, she spoke again.

"Don't move… just let me lay on top of you for a second."

"Sure, take your time," Naruto replied, trying to mask his fatigue as he used his chakra to gently transfer a small amount to her, hoping to speed up her recovery.

However, the warmth of his chakra only seemed to make her more comfortable. Sasuke relaxed even more, her body sinking deeper into his, her arms wrapping around him lazily as she let out a contented sigh.

"Oh~ this feels good," she mumbled sleepily. "You're so warm."

Naruto lay there, despite his tiredness he wanted to get her off. This girl…

Naruto lay there, unmoving as Sasuke sprawled atop him, her breathing slow and steady. For a moment, he felt the tension in his body ease. The warmth of her weight and the faint rhythm of her heartbeat against his chest were oddly comforting. But beneath that calm facade, Naruto's mind was always calculating, always considering the next move.

Sasuke had underestimated one thing—Naruto's ability to adapt. She may have won this little spar, but in a real fight, he wouldn't have held back as much.

Sasuke. Naruto's eyes drifted to the girl resting on him. She was an enigma to him, just as much as he was to her. Naruto didn't need to be a genius to see how much Sasuke sought validation, how her pride and drive were constantly making her trying to surpass him and her brother, Itachi.

"Naruto," Sasuke muttered, her voice muffled against his chest. "I… I'm not weak anymore."

Naruto blinked, caught off guard by the vulnerability in her voice. She sounded half asleep, but the weight of those words wasn't lost on him. She needed to believe that, and maybe in this moment, she did.

After a few minutes, Naruto felt her stir again. Sasuke slowly lifted herself up, her limbs heavy as she struggled to push herself off of him. Her face was flushed from the exertion, and a slight frown played on her lips, as if she were annoyed with how long she'd let herself rest on him.

Naruto sat up as well, watching her with half-lidded eyes, still processing everything that had happened. "You're getting stronger," he said, breaking the silence. "But next time, I won't go so easy on you."

Sasuke scowled at him, her pride clearly stung. "Easy? You looked like you were barely holding it together out there."

Naruto chuckled lightly, rubbing the back of his head. "Maybe. But don't get cocky. There's still a lot you don't know about me."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, intrigued by his statement. Her dark eyes narrowed as she studied him, searching for any hint of deception. But Naruto wasn't the type to boast without reason. He had secrets—more than she could guess—and that only frustrated her more.

"I'll figure it out," she said confidently. "I'll surpass you, Naruto."

Naruto's expression darkened slightly, his smile fading. "Maybe," he replied, his voice lower, almost chilling. "But not yet."

For a brief moment, the air between them felt heavy. Sasuke sensed the shift in his demeanor—the cold calculation behind his tired eyes. She knew Naruto was different from the others, but moments like this reminded her just how different he really was. He was always thinking ahead, always one step ahead of her, even when she thought she had him cornered.

Naruto stood up, brushing off his clothes and stretching his limbs. "You should head back, Sasuke. Training's over for today."

Sasuke hesitated, still catching her breath. She hated how he always seemed to dismiss her efforts, how he downplayed his own abilities while still making her feel like she was chasing a shadow. But there was something else in his tone today—something she couldn't quite place.

"Naruto…" Sasuke started, but the words caught in her throat. She didn't know what to say, not when she felt like there was so much left unsaid between them.

Naruto turned his back to her, his gaze distant as he looked out over the rooftops of the village. "Don't worry," he said, his voice back to its usual carefree tone. "You'll get there. But for now… get some rest."

Sasuke clenched her fists, torn between frustration and something deeper—admiration, maybe? Whatever it was, she couldn't bring herself to argue with him. Not today. She nodded silently, turning away as she began to walk back toward the Uchiha compound.

Naruto watched her leave, his tired eyes tracking her movements until she disappeared from view. He let out a deep sigh, running a hand through his unruly blond hair. His body was screaming for sleep, but his mind was still racing with plans, strategies, things he needed to improve.

'She's getting stronger,'

Naruto walked back toward his apartment, his steps slow and deliberate. As he entered his room, he collapsed onto his bed, finally allowing his eyes to close. The day had been long, and the weight of his responsibilities hung over him like a dark cloud. But in the silence of his apartment, Naruto let himself relax—if only for a moment.