Forced to sell misery

Hello, Sasuke.

You...will come back, right?

-

Little children always stubbornly believe that the world is what they see, and feel uneasy and helpless when they are forced to change.

Never give in.

……

Not long ago, he followed the lecherous sage to find Tsunade-hime, who was the best medical ninja... If he could ask her to come back, Sasuke's eyes... maybe there would be hope of healing...

But even if it was a slim hope, he had to hold on to it tightly, otherwise, he would really go crazy... He could only act with such hope.

But, that, that unreliable, lecherous immortal!!! Along the way, he either wandered around collecting materials or took him to strange places to gather information... In the end, he finally met the legendary Princess Tsunade with great luck... But... Ahhhhhh!!!

Damn it... That strange Princess Tsunade flatly refused after hearing their intention. He tried to refute her, but was flicked away by a finger -

"If it's just this level, I can't do it," the woman said ruthlessly, "You have good eyes, but it's a pity that you are so persistent."

"I can do it," he insisted.

"Then prove it to me, prove your determination and your talent."

……

He didn't know how to prove it.

He couldn't fulfill his oath of protection... He couldn't keep those who left.

I can only return in shame.

After returning to the village, he spent every day thinking hard about how to prove himself.

He seemed to have reached a dead end.

The unreliable and lustful sage taught him how to control Kurama's chakra and taught him powerful ninjutsu.

He practiced desperately, until he was too tired to move, and even fell asleep, but he always woke up suddenly - he always remembered the dilapidated forest and the collapsed trees that day, the dark blood stains under the broken leaves and branches, the scarred palms, the defeated faces and sunken eyes of his companions...

So scary... He was really scared...

He seemed unable to get out of the place called the Forest of Death.

He had no place to vent his hatred and no place to find his love.

What should he... do?

As the day approached, he received no news.

A few days ago, he even wanted to find Kakashi-san and decided to give up the Chunin Exam. They were the best Team 7, and no one could be missing. He had to wait for Sasuke to come back... He had to wait.

But that night...

Naruto hung his head and walked alone in the dim light.

"You are...Naruto-kun, right?"

The sudden voice made him stop in his tracks. His vigilant eyes fell on the round fan pattern on the black tribal uniform of the visitor. Suddenly, he felt a little timid. "Yes, who are you?"

"I'm Uchiha Shisui. I've been asked to come find you." Shisui looked at the yellow-haired kid with a complicated expression and jumped down from the street lamp. "I'm Sasuke's... well, I can be considered a brother, right?"

"Yes, there is news about Sasuke... Is he okay?" Naruto's eyes lit up for a moment, then dimmed again. "I'm sorry, I couldn't bring Princess Tsunade back... Will Sasuke be disappointed in me... When can he come back? His eyes..."

Too many questions surged, turning into strong emotions that crowded in his chest. Gradually, Naruto couldn't say a word, and could only look up at Shisui blankly, tears falling down in big drops.

"Hey you……"

What's wrong with this kid... Shisui thought with a tingling scalp - this is totally the type he can't deal with, but what's rare is that he is a friend recognized by Sasuke... He can take care of his friend's feelings and even ask the elders of the same clan to pass on the message... What a huge improvement for an Uchiha!

No, he must protect the hard-earned and precious friendship with his youngest brother!

"He returned to the Uchiha clan," Shisui sighed, "but he asked me to give you this letter."

"Sasuke..." Naruto opened the letter tremblingly.

It was called a letter, but in fact it was just a simple piece of paper with only a few words on it.

——"During the Chunin Exam, someone will be watching you on my behalf. Don't lose in the first round, you big idiot!"

For some reason, Naruto remembered that when Sasuke said this, he must have slightly raised the corners of his lips, with a proud and pretending to be disgusted look, so dazzling that people could not take their eyes off him.

"……I will."

His voice couldn't help but choke up a little, Naruto lowered his head and wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

Naruto raised his head and gave Shisui a brilliant smile that was still tinged with tears, and nodded solemnly.

"Come on, Naruto-kun."

-

He is still waiting for news of my victory...

He still remembers our agreement...

His tearful eyes blurred the handwriting, but his confused mood seemed to have finally found a way out.

He will not hesitate any longer, he must be strong and must win!

He wants to win, to keep his word, to stick to his own ninja way, to learn powerful ninjutsu, to prove his talent, and to protect important people.

He can do it, he definitely can, he definitely can.

——This is what he and that guy agreed on!

He always does what he says and keeps his word, this is his way of ninja!

So what if the other party is the genius of the Hyuga family!

This is not his battle alone!

He - will not lose!

"The art of multiple shadow clones!"

"how come?!"

Instantly, the entire venue was flooded with Naruto clones.

"It can still move?" Looking around with his Byakugan, even Neji was shocked by the Naruto clones that almost covered the entire venue.

...That guy was clearly seriously injured and unable to move, unable to use chakra... No, did he release all the chakra in his body at once to open up the acupuncture points?

It's really... crazy...

I guess this was the guy's last desperate resistance.

Neji narrowed his eyes, faced with the attack of Naruto's clones everywhere, lowered his center of gravity, and released again - Kaiten!

The chakra flow centered on Neji expanded as it spun, forming a nearly perfect circle. More and more shadow clones were bounced off by Kaiten's cyclone and turned into smoke, while some even disappeared due to collisions with each other.

"It's no use using the same tricks - even if there are more of them."

“I see—”

"What?!" As the Kaiten gradually died down, Neji turned around and saw a hint of blue blooming on Naruto's palm -

"Kaiten uses the release of chakra to form a cyclone to rebound the attack and form an absolute defense..." Naruto's pupils were already a little red. Obviously, the one-time release of chakra flow that opened the acupuncture points also caused serious damage to him, but...

The chakra flow formed by Kaiten was clearly reflected in the red pupils. Naruto recalled what the unreliable and lustful sage had demonstrated... Concentrate the chakra in the palm of your hand, rotate it, form the entanglement and collision of the chakra flow, and then find that stable point... Keep compressing, compressing... and then - release!

"Varied……"

That... Genma Shiranui, who was closest to the stadium, widened his eyes in shock. It turned out to be...

Oops!

In just a moment, the dazzling blue was infinitely magnified, and the pure chakra flow, carrying a violent airflow, rushed to the front in an instant -

"Spiral pills!"

There was a loud bang, the ground shook with flying sand and rocks, and a huge pit about two meters deep appeared in the stadium. The spider-web-like cracks broke the soil and rocks from the center until they cracked the circular wall.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the center of the vortex, and even their breath was deprived.

The smoke cleared.

Three figures gradually emerged - Naruto was half-kneeling on the ground with his head lowered, one of his hands was clamped by Genma Shiranui and pointed at the ground, his thin, blood-stained arm was exposed under his sleeves torn by the violent airflow, his fingers were trembling and spasming unconsciously.

Less than half a meter away, Neji was also half-kneeling, with one of his legs strangely twisted and broken.

In the silence, there was only the sound of gradually heavier breathing. After a long time, a trembling question sounded like a self-talk -

"how come……"

"that--?!"

"How can it be?!"

"It turned out to be..."

"That jutsu... can't be wrong, the Rasengan... is the Yondaime's... it's the Yondaime-sama's jutsu!"

"The Fourth Hokage - Minato Namikaze!"

"It's the technique of the Fourth Generation..."

More and more doubts and surprises gathered into a huge wave, almost overturning the entire venue!

This is the biggest shock, the biggest regret, the biggest surprise!

"...cough," the small figure staggered to his feet in the smoke and dust.

Amidst the surging voices of surprise, doubt, questioning and sighs, Naruto stood up shakily and walked towards his opponent under the shocked gaze of Genma Shiranui.

All the sounds seemed to have faded away, leaving only that still somewhat short, dishevelled figure reflected in Neji's trembling pupils.

"I will win, not because I am the legacy of the Fourth Hokage or anything like that." The trembling voice spoke, and every word was tempered with determination, "but because this is a promise that I will keep."

I win, Sasuke.

I……

Suddenly, everything in front of his eyes went dark and Naruto fell down.

got windy.