Asuma's face was as dark as ink.
Neji had offered his apology and left immediately. He'd already said sorry—what more did they expect?
Hinata was rushed to the hospital. If they'd waited any longer, her injuries might've healed on their own.
Truthfully, Neji hadn't gone too far. Hinata only looked pitiful on the surface. Given that she was the Hyūga heiress, even this level of injury was considered "serious."
The matches went on, but none of them were particularly exciting. The crowd preferred drama and grudges over straightforward fights.
Gaara instantly crushed Rock Lee—but didn't go so far as to break his ankle. Sakura barely scraped through her round, passing by the skin of her teeth.
Kakashi offered a half-hearted congratulations to Naruto and Sakura before being summoned by the Hokage. Not long after, he headed toward the Uchiha compound.
"The Third asked me to come ask you—why did you forfeit the match? Just give me something we can use," Kakashi said lazily, his dull eyes fixed on Sasuke.
Having worked with many Uchiha over the years, Kakashi understood their personality types well. With the exception of Obito, most Uchiha were proud to a fault.
…Well, perhaps Obito was prideful in his own way too. Even as the underdog, he had that baffling self-confidence—thinking he could dominate all prodigies the moment he awakened his Sharingan.
For an Uchiha to forfeit? That was unheard of. Weren't they supposed to grit their teeth and stubbornly fight on, even in defeat?
"Oh… probably because it was boring. Everyone else in the competition is trash. I couldn't be bothered," Sasuke replied nonchalantly.
Kakashi sighed. "Couldn't you come up with something more believable? It's going to be hard for me to report this to the Hokage."
Sasuke shot him a glance. Kakashi instantly understood—the teacher should take responsibility here and help his student fabricate a decent excuse.
Waving his sleeve dismissively, Kakashi left without another word.
As soon as he disappeared, Sasuke slipped into the underground chamber, leaving a shadow clone at home in his place.
Truthfully, this place could hardly be called "home" anymore. The once-proud Uchiha district was now desolate and broken. The stifling air weighed heavily on the chest. Standing on land his ancestors had fought for, Sasuke had to wear a false face, suppressing every real emotion deep inside.
"Thank you so much… for this suffocating love, my dearest brother. Just wait—it won't be long before we meet again. When we do, try not to be too surprised. I promise… I'll love you as deeply as you loved me…"
Sasuke muttered like a madman, a deranged glint in his eyes.
...
The day after the preliminary matches ended, Sarutobi Hiruzen personally summoned Sasuke.
"Uchiha Sasuke. The Third wants to see you," Kakashi said, once again making his way to the Uchiha compound.
Sasuke followed Kakashi to the Hokage's office. The journey was smooth, with no interruptions along the way. Inside, the Third Hokage sat serenely at his desk, carefully reviewing documents.
"Lord Third, Sasuke is here," Kakashi announced.
Sarutobi looked up, gave a light cough, and got straight to the point.
"Sasuke, have you ever thought about rebuilding the Uchiha clan?"
"…Huh?" Sasuke blinked, genuinely confused by the sudden question.
"Sasuke, I want to stress how important the Chūnin Exams are. It's not just a stage to show off our village's overall strength—it's also the best platform to showcase individual talents."
Sasuke immediately grasped what the old man was really saying.
Sarutobi continued with a seemingly heartfelt speech, expressing his concern and care for both Sasuke and the Uchiha name. But in the end, it all boiled down to one thing:
"For the sake of your clan's future, you should participate in the finals."
"I already forfeited in front of everyone," Sasuke replied flatly.
Sarutobi's eyes flickered with discomfort. He merely said that everything had been taken care of—all Sasuke needed to do was show up.
The truth was, forcing Sasuke back into the competition was a PR move. The truth of the Uchiha Massacre had already spread across the ninja world. Konoha would never admit to it, of course—they insisted it was just slander.
And who better to "debunk the rumors" than Sasuke, the lone surviving Uchiha, doing so onstage in front of the world?
It was also a golden chance to show how well Konoha had treated him—how much he had grown under their care. (Maybe the message was more for Itachi than the rest of the world.)
Some of these things Sasuke had already guessed. Others he hadn't. But he didn't feel like listening to Sarutobi's nonsense any longer, so he simply nodded in agreement.
…It was only a verbal promise, after all. If he didn't show up on the day of the finals, what could they really do?
Sarutobi, who had expected to spend a long time persuading him, was pleasantly surprised. He was sure Sasuke had never heard the so-called "rumors" and believed Konoha's secrecy had paid off.
Sasuke left the Hokage building. On the way back to the Uchiha district, an odd emotion bubbled inside him.
Sarutobi had tried to manipulate him like a fool—and that pissed him off.
He was not "that" version of himself. He wasn't some clueless idiot. So why did they all still treat him like one?
...
After the preliminaries, there was a break before the finals. Uzumaki Naruto began intense training under Jiraiya, who had just returned to the village and immediately crossed paths with him.
Thanks to that, Naruto learned the Rasengan earlier than expected and could already use it in the Forest of Death.
The cursed seal given by Orochimaru also became part of his power. Jiraiya was initially very concerned about its side effects, but Naruto seemed to only benefit from the mark. He showed no signs of being affected by its drawbacks—Orochimaru's mental influence had no effect on him whatsoever.
Recently, Naruto kept asking Jiraiya about Orochimaru. There was something unusual in the way he fixated on the man.
Jiraiya didn't mind talking about his old teammate, but Naruto's obsession made him uneasy.
Naruto himself couldn't explain why Orochimaru intrigued him so much. It wasn't something he could put into words.
"Could it be… this cursed seal makes Naruto like Orochimaru? That's way too sinister!" Jiraiya thought darkly. He was convinced it was all part of Orochimaru's twisted plan and resolved to eliminate the risk entirely.
...
Elsewhere, Hyūga Neji had sorted through his possessions, quietly moved his parents' remains, and temporarily relocated to Sasuke's home.
After his shocking performance during the preliminaries, Kurenai and Asuma began putting pressure on the Hyūga Main Family. The Main House was now looking to punish Neji.
Though few in number, the Main House still had many dogs at their feet—especially among the Branch Family, who had long been forced to kneel. Some had knelt for so long they couldn't stand up anymore—and didn't want anyone else to stand either.
For people like that, even if the Caged Bird seal was removed one day, they still wouldn't be free.
True freedom isn't just about breaking physical chains—it's about freeing the mind.
"Is freedom… something that can really be given by others?" Neji often found himself caught in such questions, trapped in confusion.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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