As Kakashi vanished in a swirl of leaves, an awkward silence settled over Team 7 at the Memorial Stone. Sakura was about to ask Sasuke if he wanted to walk with her, but Sasuke only had eyes for one person.
He took a step towards Naruto, his fists clenched. "How?" he asked, his voice a low, tight growl. "Your taijutsu... it's not just strength. It's technique. How did you get that strong?"
Naruto, who had been quietly looking at the names on the stone, turned to him, his expression surprisingly simple. "Training," he said with a shrug. "Hard. Till my body gives in. Every day."
He looked at Sasuke, really looked at him, and saw the desperate hunger for power burning in his eyes—a hunger he recognized.
"Why?" Naruto asked, his tone genuine. "You wanna be stronger? I can help you train, if you want. Lee and I are always looking for new ways to push ourselves."
Sakura's jaw dropped. "Naruto, you idiot! Don't bother Sasuke-kun with your sweaty—"
"Hn," Sasuke grunted, cutting her off. His attention was completely fixed on Naruto. The offer, coming from his rival, was both insulting and irresistible. His pride screamed at him to refuse, but the memory of being so effortlessly defeated was stronger. "...Fine."
Their days fell into a new, frustrating rhythm. Mornings were for painfully dull D-rank missions, where Kakashi would only lecture them on cooperation and teamwork, offering no real combat instruction. Their real training began in the afternoons, on their own time.
Naruto grinned. "Awesome! Follow me!"
He led them to the familiar training ground, littered with battered logs and fist-shaped craters. A figure in a green jumpsuit was already there, practicing high-speed kicks.
"Lee!" Naruto yelled. "I brought my teammates!"
Rock Lee stopped mid-kick and turned, his eyes shining. "It is an honor! Any teammate of my best friend and eternal rival is a comrade of mine!"
Rock Lee's warm gaze then landed on Sakura, his cheeks flushing a vibrant red. "My name is Rock Lee!" he declared, his voice ringing with conviction. "Your beauty is like a cherry blossom in full bloom! Please, be my girlfriend!"
Sakura visibly recoiled, a look of horror flashing across her face. "NO WAY!" she shrieked, practically leaping behind Sasuke. "Your eyebrows are way too bushy!" She then cast a loving gaze at the Uchiha, her eyes practically sparkling.
Lee, his eyes narrowing slightly as he took in Sakura's clear adoration for Sasuke, pivoted dramatically. "So you must be Sasuke Uchiha, and you are my rival in love!" he proclaimed, pointing a finger directly at the impassive Sasuke. "Only a true ninja of exceptional skill and spirit is worthy of such a magnificent blossom! Let us fight, Uchiha, and determine who possesses the worthier heart and might!"
Sasuke scoffed, a sneer twisting his lips as he looked down his nose at Lee. "You? The dead-last of your batch?" His voice dripped with disdain. "Don't waste my time, "weird-brows." You're beneath my notice."
Lee's eyes blazed with an unyielding fire. "Is that fear I hear, Uchiha? Are you so afraid of truly testing your 'exceptional' skill against someone who works for every ounce of his power?" He took a step forward, his stance radiating challenge. "Or perhaps you merely lack the courage to face a real fight? Because if you truly believe yourself superior, then prove it! Unless, of course, your Uchiha pride is nothing but an empty boast!"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed, a muscle twitching in his jaw. The taunt had hit its mark. "You're on, weird-brows," he snarled, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "I'll show you the difference between a failure and an Uchiha."
They squared off, the tension thick enough to taste. Sasuke coiled into the precise stance of the Uchiha Interceptor Fist, every muscle taut. Across from him, Lee settled into his Strong Fist posture, fully focused on the opponent.
Lee moved first, not just fast, but with an explosive burst that ate up the distance in an instant. Sasuke reacted, a testament to his elite reflexes, bringing his forearm up to block a lightning-quick jab aimed at his chin. The impact jarred him to the bone, a sharp pain shooting up his arm. Before he could even register it, Lee was a whirlwind around him, a flurry of strikes that bordered on invisible. Sasuke twisted, dodged, and parried with all the Uchiha grace he possessed, but it was a desperate defense.
A low, sweeping kick forced Sasuke to leap back, only to find Lee already there, closing the distance. A powerful hook slammed into Sasuke's ribs, not quite a knockout blow, but enough to steal his breath and send him staggering sideways. He gritted his teeth, his eyes wide with a mixture of disbelief and growing pain. This wasn't just speed; it was raw, unadulterated power delivered with impossible precision. Every block, every attempt to deflect, vibrated through his core.
Sasuke tried to counter, launching a series of rapid fire punches, but Lee simply flowed around them, a green current deflecting obstacles without effort. A sharp elbow caught Sasuke just above the ear, sending his head snapping back, the world momentarily blurring. He stumbled, his legs threatening to give out, yet the attacks kept coming—relentless, unforgiving. A blur of movement, and Lee's leg shot out, connecting with Sasuke's stomach. The Uchiha doubled over, gasping, the air completely knocked from his lungs.
He looked up, his vision swimming, to see Lee directly in front of him, a final, decisive punch halted mere inches from his face. The force of the stopped blow still rippled through the air, a silent, humiliating testament to Sasuke's utter defeat. He was broken, battered, and utterly crushed by a level of taijutsu he hadn't even conceived of. He had taken damage, landed no blows, and the fight was over before he could even fully comprehend the overwhelming difference in their strength.
Sasuke laid there, trembling with a soul-crushing humiliation.
As Lee bowed, Naruto walked over. "He's strong, right?" he said with a grin. "But you can get stronger, too. We all can, if we train together."
Sasuke looked from Naruto to Lee. His pride was in tatters, but his mind was clear. Raw talent wasn't enough. He finally nodded, his voice a low whisper. "Fine."
While the boys began their intense new training regimen, Sakura felt a growing sense of dread. She watched them—Naruto, a monster of stamina and strange techniques; Sasuke, an Uchiha prodigy now driven by a new, fierce humility; and Lee, a taijutsu genius. They were getting stronger every day. And she... she was just watching. The gap between them wasn't just wide; it was a chasm, and it was growing deeper with every passing hour.
That evening, she found Kakashi as he was dismissing them after another pointless D-rank mission. "Sensei!" she called out, her voice trembling slightly. "I... I need your advice."
Kakashi stopped, giving her his full attention.
"They're... they're all so strong," she said, her frustration pouring out. "And I'm... I'm just getting in the way. What can I do?"
Kakashi's lazy eye softened for a moment. "Sakura," he said, his voice serious. "Your greatest strength is your intelligence and your flawless chakra control. But that control is useless if you have nothing to apply it to. Your obsession with Sasuke is holding you back." He knelt down to her level. "Let me be clear. The shinobi world is truly dangerous. There will come a day when you are faced with an enemy who wants to kill you. On that day, your pretty hair and your feelings for Sasuke will not save you."
The words were harsh, but they were what she needed to hear. "You have the mind for it," Kakashi continued. "For Genjutsu, for Medical Ninjutsu... for things that require the precise control that Naruto and Sasuke lack. But that journey begins with you. Stop watching them and start building yourself."
A fire ignited in Sakura's eyes. He was right. That night, she didn't go home to dream about Sasuke. She went to the library and checked out every scroll she could find on advanced chakra theory and medical ninjutsu.
A few weeks later, during another grueling after-mission spar, Sasuke was once again being overwhelmed by Lee. He was faster now, stronger, but Lee was still a wall. I can see the attack, but my body can't keep up! I need to see it sooner!
The sheer stress and frustration coalesced into a single point. A burning pain flared in his eyes. The world, once a blur of green, snapped into focus with impossible clarity. Lee's next kick seemed to move in slow motion. Sasuke ducked under it with an ease that shocked himself.
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried from the sidelines. "Your eyes!"
He saw his reflection in a puddle. His eyes were a piercing crimson, each iris containing a single, spinning tomoe. The Sharingan.
With a surge of exhilaration, he re-engaged Lee. The fight was now on another level. He could perceive Lee's every move, bridging the gap in their physical speed. The spar ended in a draw, both boys exhausted.
As Sasuke panted, a smirk of genuine pride on his face, Naruto walked over to Lee.
"You didn't take off your weights, Lee," Naruto noted quietly.
Lee, still smiling, gave a thumbs-up. "It would not be a youthful challenge if I did! He has grown strong! This means I must grow even stronger!"
Sasuke didn't hear them, too busy reveling in his own newfound power. The path to his revenge was clear once more.