They faced each other on the training field.
"Go, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura's face was flushed as she cheered from the sidelines."Yeah! Sasuke-kun, show him who's boss!" Ino shouted right after, clearly unwilling to lose ground.
Naruto's eye twitched. "Today we settle this, Sasuke. I'll show you what I've been training for these past two months!"
"I'm looking forward to it," Sasuke replied evenly.
The match ended almost instantly.
Naruto hit the ground before most of the class had time to register what happened, staring up at the sky with a vacant expression. Sasuke looked down at him for a moment, then turned away.
"Is that all?" he said, sounding genuinely disappointed.
The words landed harder than the throw.
Naruto's confusion snapped into fury. He slammed his hands into the dirt, trying to push himself up. "Don't look down on me! I'll beat you next time, I swear!"
Sasuke paused, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. Good. At least the damage wasn't permanent.
They didn't get a rematch. Iruka stepped in, dragging a still-shouting Naruto away before things escalated.
As the crowd dispersed, Sasuke ignored the girls gathering around him. When most of them finally drifted off, he turned to Sakura.
"Sakura," he said, "can I ask you something?"
She froze. Then her face turned pink.
"Y-yes, of course, Sasuke-kun."
"I noticed your chakra control during Transformation and Clone techniques," he said calmly. "You're very precise. How do you do it?"
Sakura waved her hands in embarrassment. "It's not that impressive. I just… don't have much chakra, so I'm always careful about how much I use."
Sasuke nodded. "Do you use chakra at home too?"
She hesitated, then nodded. "Sometimes. When my parents are out, I use it to finish chores faster."
That was enough.
The answer settled neatly into place. Constant, unconscious restraint. Daily application. Not training, just habit.
"Thank you," Sasuke said. "That helped."
Sakura smiled, flustered. "We're classmates. Helping each other is normal."
Nearby, Ino watched the exchange, fists clenched, her expression darkening.
That evening, Sasuke returned alone to the Uchiha district.
A brand-new aluminum kettle sat on the table.
According to Uchiha-Style Fire Release Techniques, increasing fire release power came down to two things. Chakra output, and the quality of the nature transformation itself.
He focused on the second.
Sasuke placed his hand against the base of the kettle, fire chakra gathering carefully in his palm. He held it there, steady and restrained.
Only after a long while did a thin wisp of steam rise from the spout.
As expected.
If he used a standard fire technique, the kettle would melt in seconds. This wasn't about raw power. It was control.
Nature transformation was always like this. Slow. Uncooperative.
He had been at it for over a month now, with little to show for it. Naruto's method, overwhelming the problem with sheer numbers, wasn't an option for him. His time was divided between too many disciplines.
Sasuke withdrew his hand, eyes narrowing slightly.
This pace won't be enough.
Fire release would define much of his future. Once the foundation was complete, everything else would follow more easily.
He looked down at the kettle, still warm to the touch.
There had to be a better way.