I ,Sasuke , Why Should I Defect To Konoha

"Naruto, you seem swollen with pride... I have power as well. Why do you think you've surpassed me?" Sasuke said, his tone challenging but with a glimmer of fighting spirit in his eyes. Secretly, though, he felt relieved—it seemed the curse mark hadn't fully influenced Naruto's mind. At worst, Naruto seemed a bit carried away by the sudden surge of power, something Sasuke figured could be corrected with a good fight.

As he spoke, the curse marks on Sasuke's neck began to spread across his body, forming intricate patterns.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? Which path gives more satisfaction—strength or bonds?" Sasuke muttered with a cryptic expression.

Seeing the tension between them escalate, Sakura stepped forward and placed herself between the two boys, her voice trembling as she yelled, "Stop this, both of you!"

"Sakura..." Naruto muttered, his movements halting as his eyes instinctively softened at her sight.

But as soon as Sakura intervened, Naruto's gaze hardened again when it returned to Sasuke. "How do you also have this power?" he demanded, frustration evident in his voice.

Naruto had finally broken free from Orochimaru's influence, gaining the curse mark's power. Yet Sasuke, calm and composed, already had the same abilities. It felt humiliating.

Sasuke replied, his voice laced with disdain, "I didn't ask for this power, but there was no other choice. Power isn't always about preference—it's a necessity. Naruto, you've been given a choice between comrades and power. What's your answer?"

Sasuke's words carried weight as his eyes momentarily flicked toward Sakura.

Naruto didn't hesitate. "That's easy! I'll always choose my comrades. That snake, Orochimaru—I'll defeat him for sure. He dared to bite me!" Naruto's words were defiant, but there was uncertainty in his expression. Orochimaru's version of events about the Nine-Tails was different from what Mizuki had said. What was the truth?

Sasuke smirked. "Is that so? And when did you wake up to this power?"

Naruto froze, his pupils widening. If Sasuke had awakened before him, didn't that mean Sasuke was still ahead? That thought ignited a burning frustration within him.

"Sasuke woke up yesterday," Sakura interjected hurriedly, her gaze shifting nervously between the two boys. "Naruto, now's not the time to fight. We've completed our mission and retrieved the scroll. We need to get back to the tower immediately and report everything to Kakashi-sensei."

But Naruto shook his head. "No. I still need to prove my strength!" He glared at Sasuke, fire blazing in his eyes.

"Are you sure?" Sasuke taunted, his Sharingan activating as his crimson gaze fixed on Naruto.

"Of course!" Naruto shouted, his resolve unwavering. Without warning, he lunged toward Sasuke with a punch, his speed like that of a meteor.

Sasuke's Sharingan eyes narrowed as he raised his hand to catch the punch. In an instant, he had firmly grabbed Naruto's fist, halting his attack mid-air. Almost simultaneously, Sasuke began weaving hand seals with his free hand.

"You've already lost, Naruto. It's not too late to admit it," Sasuke said mockingly as he formed seals with one hand.

"One-handed seals?!" Naruto exclaimed, his anger boiling over. "You're not better than me!" Red chakra began to envelop him, forming into a cloak-like aura as he broke free and retaliated with a vicious whip-like attack.

Sasuke's expression faltered briefly at the sight of the tailed beast-like attack. He retaliated instantly, releasing a bolt of lightning from his hand to counter the assault. The two attacks collided violently, creating a deafening crackle before dissipating.

But Sasuke wasn't done. As Naruto struggled to regain composure, Sasuke formed another one-handed seal and called out, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

To Naruto's disbelief, Sasuke created multiple shadow clones. Two of them immediately flanked Naruto, while another assisted Sasuke in forming a Rasengan.

"You copied my Shadow Clone Jutsu?!" Naruto roared in frustration, fending off the clones' attacks. "What is this? And how can you form seals with one hand?!"

Sasuke didn't answer. Instead, his smirk deepened as the Rasengan grew more concentrated in his palm.

"You've lost, Naruto," Sasuke declared confidently, holding the spiraling chakra orb.

Naruto stared at the Rasengan with a mix of awe and fury. "That's just a spinning chakra ball! There's nothing to fear!"

Naruto attempted to escape, hoping to create an opening for a counterattack. But Sasuke held his left arm firmly, preventing any movement. Without giving Naruto a chance to react further, Sasuke dashed toward a massive tree nearby, dragging Naruto along.

"What are you doing?!" Naruto yelled, panic creeping into his voice as they neared the tree.

Sasuke didn't respond. Instead, he slammed the Rasengan into the trunk with immense force.

The impact was immediate and devastating. The tree's center exploded outward in a spiraling pattern, leaving a massive hole that extended over a meter in diameter. The entire structure groaned under its weight before collapsing with a deafening crash, sending clouds of dust and debris into the air.

Naruto stared at the scene in utter shock. His earlier confidence crumbled as he realized the true destructive potential of the Rasengan.

If that attack had hit him…

The thought sent a shiver down his spine. He felt cold, his limbs trembling. For the first time, he understood the gap between him and Sasuke.

"This is impossible…" Naruto muttered, his voice weak.

Sakura, too, was frozen in place, her face pale as she processed what she had just witnessed. Though she admired Sasuke's strength, the sheer power he displayed now seemed insurmountable.

"You've lost, Naruto," Sasuke repeated, his tone final as he deactivated the Rasengan.

Naruto's mind raced with thoughts of revenge. He vowed silently to learn ninjutsu even more powerful than Sasuke's. But for now, he had no choice but to retreat.

Meanwhile, Sakura's gaze lingered on the fallen tree, its gaping hole a reminder of the immense strength Sasuke had achieved. Her confidence wavered as she realized how far she was from their level.

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