Konoha: The Honored One

Dark clouds rolled in, casting a shadow over the land as the sky churned with ominous energy.

BOOM! Lightning slashed across the heavens, illuminating the grim expanse with a brilliant flash before a torrential downpour followed.

The Land of Fire—border village.

"Huh?" Sakura Haruno, sitting cross-legged beneath the clearing skies just moments ago, blinked at the sudden shift in weather. A black, diamond-shaped seal sat prominently on her forehead as she opened her eyes.

"Really? Rain, now?!" she muttered, brushing dirt off her clothes before trudging toward a massive tree for shelter. Her voice carried the exasperation of someone who'd just gotten comfortable, only to be betrayed by nature.

Meanwhile, near a roaring waterfall, Sasuke Uchiha stood with his hands submerged in the icy torrent. His breathing was ragged, his chakra overextended and fire-infused, pushing his body past its limits.

Sasuke's pale face contorted with frustration. He glared at the cascading water as if it had personally offended him.

"Sasuke, maybe you should take a break!" Sakura called from a distance, her concern genuine but poorly received.

"Tch." He didn't look at her, instead focusing on the chakra flickering weakly within him.

Every nerve in Sasuke's body screamed in defiance, but he couldn't stop. Not now. Not ever.

His mind replayed recent humiliations on a loop: being punched into oblivion by Sakura, watching Naruto's relentless optimism triumph, and even Neji surpassing him in battle.

Them? Stronger than me?

The thought was poison, seeping into every corner of his mind.

"I'm the last Uchiha. I can't afford weakness." His blood-red Sharingan spun, fueled by anger, jealousy, and the overwhelming desire for revenge.

From under the tree, Sakura sighed, watching him push himself to exhaustion. "Why does he have to be so stubborn? If only he could just… let go."

She shook her head and muttered, "This is all Gojo-sensei's fault…"

As if summoned by her words, a familiar voice cut through the rain.

"Now, now… blaming the handsome teacher? That's a bold move, Sakura."

Sakura stiffened, her head jerking toward the voice. Sure enough, there he was: Gojo, casually perched on a low-hanging branch like he'd been there the whole time. A lollipop dangled lazily from his mouth, his signature blindfold in place, and his posture screamed "effortless cool."

"Sensei!" Sakura blurted, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

Gojo tilted his head, amused. "What were you saying about me just now?"

"N-nothing! Just that you're… the best. So responsible! Handsome and strong, too!" she stammered.

"Hmm." He twirled the lollipop thoughtfully. "Swear on it."

Her forced grin faltered. "S-swear?"

Gojo leaned forward, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "If you were really being honest, you'd have no problem swearing on it, right?"

Sakura's face burned red. What kind of ridiculous teacher makes his students swear on compliments?!

"Sensei, you can't seriously—"

"Oh, I'm very serious," he interrupted, grabbing a stick from the ground. He poked her shoulder with it, drawing an indignant squeak. "Kids who lie to adults? They get smacked. That's the law."

Sakura threw her hands up in frustration. "I'm a girl! Shouldn't you, I don't know, not torment me like this?!"

"Equal opportunity torment," Gojo replied with a shrug. "I don't discriminate. It's way more fun this way."

Sakura muttered something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like a curse, but before the situation could escalate, Sasuke approached them.

"Gojo-sensei," he began, his voice sharp and unwavering, "I'm done wasting time with this… friendship nonsense. Give me power. Enough power to destroy my enemies." His Sharingan flared, matching the intensity in his tone.

Gojo tilted his head, clearly unimpressed. "Oh? The little avenger wants to skip nap time and level up, huh?"

"I'm serious!" Sasuke snapped, grabbing Gojo's sleeve. "I'll pay any price."

"And I'll pay for a bucket of popcorn to watch this tantrum," Gojo said, his grin widening. "What are you, a bullied school kid whining to the teacher because someone took your lunch money?"

Sasuke's eyes blazed with fury. "You don't understand what it's like! I've lost everything! My entire family—"

"Yeah, yeah, Uchiha tragedy, blah, blah, blah," Gojo interrupted with a dismissive wave. "Heard it a hundred times. And here's the thing, Sasuke—your pain? It's not special."

Sakura gasped. "Sensei! That's too harsh!"

"Harsh?" Gojo raised an eyebrow, twirling the lollipop again. "Harsh is what these kids need. Otherwise, they grow up thinking their brooding makes them interesting."

Sasuke's hand trembled, his grip tightening. "You don't know anything about me."

"Don't I?" Gojo leaned down, his tone suddenly softer but no less cutting. "You want power so badly you'd sacrifice everything else. But guess what? That tunnel vision of yours? It's why you keep losing."

Sasuke flinched, but his anger quickly reasserted itself.

"You can't protect anything without strength!"

"And you can't hold onto strength without people to protect," Gojo countered.

Sakura stepped between them, desperate to diffuse the situation. "Sasuke-kun, please, don't let this consume you! You're already so strong—"

"Don't patronize me!" Sasuke snarled, pushing her aside. "You don't know what it's like to lose everything!"

The words hung in the air like a thunderclap, and for a moment, no one spoke.

Gojo finally sighed, standing upright. "Kids these days… so dramatic." He turned toward the forest, waving a hand over his shoulder. "Figure out your soap opera issues on your own. I'm going to find a snack."

Sakura watched him leave, her frustration bubbling over. "Sensei! You're supposed to help us!"

Gojo glanced back, a teasing smile on his lips. "What? And miss out on the next episode of your melodrama? Never."