Smack.
Sasuke hit the dirt again. He had lost count of how many times he had been sent flying. His left cheek was swollen and throbbing.
He tried to rise. No strength answered. His thoughts blurred.
Tap. Tap.
Footsteps. Naruto's sandals stopped in front of his face. A hand grabbed his collar and hauled him up.
"Why is the gap still this massive"
The thought flashed, then darkness took him.
A flicker.
Naruto carried Sasuke back to the grove's training ground. The moment he set him down, he sensed the Third Hokage entering the Hokage's office with Iruka. A short while later, Shikamaru and his father went in as well.
"So, they are going to decide how to handle the graduation application I had my shadow clone hand to Iruka."
That morning, Naruto sent a clone to class with a formal request to graduate. The clone laid it on the lectern during Iruka's last period. He wanted to see if the Third would give him the chance.
If the Third refused, fate would likely bring Mizuki out of the shadows, which meant a path to the Scroll of Seals might still open.
If the Third agreed, even better. He could graduate early and become a full fledged shinobi. The question was how they would handle him as a jinchuriki.
Would they assign him to a jonin and send him on missions outside the village like in the story he once watched
Thinking of that memory, Naruto remembered the episode set after Sasuke's defection, where he left the village with Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino on a mission, while Yamato guarded from the shadows. Back then, Tsunade was Hokage.
He set two blank scrolls on the stone slab. He had used Transformation Jutsu in the morning to buy them at the tool shop. Casting a glance at the still unconscious Sasuke, he drew out a brush and began to write.
The Hokage's Office.
The Third watched Shikaku and Shikamaru in silence. Iruka stood to the side, opening his mouth more than once, then thinking better of it. The room felt heavy.
At length, Shikaku frowned over a stack of reports. "Lord Hokage, by these accounts, Naruto has shown nothing unusual lately."
The Third nodded slowly.
He had spoken with Naruto once. Iruka reported that although Naruto behaved the same in class, his grades had consistently ranked near the top. No more lazy test taking. The Third had dared to hope the boy had turned a corner.
Then, in the middle of rebuilding efforts, Iruka rushed in to say Naruto had applied to graduate early.
That surprised him. Naruto was seven.
Seven made him think of Uchiha Itachi, who had also applied to graduate at seven, only to shoulder everything that came after.
Thinking of Itachi gave the Third a headache. Thinking of Naruto's jinchuriki status made it worse.
The Uchiha massacre and the recent explosions had happened only days ago. The ripples still spread.
His hand twitched toward the drawer, wanting the crystal ball to peek at Naruto. He caught himself. This office was newly built by Yamato. The ball was gone.
He took a slow draw on his pipe. "Shikamaru, have you noticed anything"
"Nothing. No strange behavior." Shikamaru glanced at Iruka. "Honestly, most of us have learned everything the Academy teaches. Maybe staying in class bores him"
"Shikamaru." Shikaku's voice snapped sharp. "Watch your tongue."
Iruka flinched, then managed a small, embarrassed shake of the head.
Back in the grove.
"Where am I"
Sasuke woke against a tree, blinking at the clearing with a frown. He remembered a dream. Then the Sharingan had opened. Then that guy had beaten him.
Not a dream. He said it was genjutsu.
"My face."
Pain flared when he stood. A voice came from behind.
"You are awake."
Sasuke tensed and turned. Naruto sat on the stone slab, watching.
"What do you want"
He marched over, trying for severity, though the puffed left cheek made him look almost comical.
"You are calmer than before. Does it hurt"
Anger flashed across Sasuke's face, then cooled as a different thought crossed his mind. He kept silent.
"Good. If you can feel pain, there is still hope."
Sasuke replayed every moment since their first meeting. His brows knit. "Why help me"
Naruto's eyes flicked with faint surprise. A beating had sharpened him. "Honestly, the reason is a little ironic."
"What do you mean"
"You will understand when it is time. Right now you are too weak. Even if I told you, you could not grasp it. But I can tell you what you need to know first."
The word weak stung. Sasuke opened his mouth to snap back, then remembered how each clash ended. He swallowed it. "What do I need to know. About what"
"About the Uchiha massacre."
Scarlet flooded Sasuke's eyes at once. "What did you say"
"Do you truly believe Uchiha Itachi alone could wipe out an entire clan"
"What are you implying"
"Remember the genjutsu from just now"
"You are a shinobi. In our world, what you see with your own eyes is not always the truth."
Rage twisted Sasuke's features. "Tell me everything you know"
"Do you think everyone in Konoha is blind. Use your head." Naruto's tone stayed even. "A whole Uchiha clan, erased in silence inside the village by one man. Only a fool would swallow that."
Sasuke faltered. Scenes from that night rushed through him, disjointed and cold. He sank to his knees, pale and dazed.
For some reason, he feared the truth that did not match what he knew.
At that same hour, atop the stone dais of Mount Myoboku, the Great Toad Sage opened his eyes.
"Have Fukasaku summon Jiraiya. At once."
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