Konoha: The Honored One

Everyone sat in stunned silence as Sasuke lay on the ground in the distance, defeated. For a brief moment, the unthinkable echoed in everyone's minds:

Sasuke... lost?

"Huha... huha... huha..." Naruto panted heavily, forcing his trembling legs to stay upright. His exhausted eyes glanced at Sasuke, and despite his condition, a wide, triumphant grin spread across his face.

"No injuries, right? Tch, some genius."

Inside, Naruto's heart soared with pride.

'I'm too cool, aren't I?'

This time, the spotlight was all on him. If Gojo-sensei had seen this, he'd probably bow in admiration, and Sakura-chan would—

"Naruto, you idiot! What's there to be so proud of?" Sakura's fist slammed into the top of Naruto's head with the precision and force of a meteor.

Bang!

Naruto hit the dirt face-first, clutching the fresh, bright-red bump swelling on his forehead. He looked up at her, tears of betrayal in his eyes.

"Sakura-chan?! Why?! I thought you'd be impressed!"

Sakura glared at him, arms crossed, her expression a mix of exasperation and pity. "Haven't you figured it out yet? It was Gojo-sensei who helped us out. Without him, we wouldn't have stood a chance against Sasuke!"

Naruto's jaw dropped. "What?! That's not true—I totally had it under control!"

Sakura clenched her fists, her temple visibly twitching with irritation. 'This idiot...'

"Of course, since Gojo-sensei did step in," Naruto continued, rubbing the back of his head, "I guess we'll call it a tie this time. I'll save my win for the next time we fight!" He grinned and extended a hand to Sasuke, still sprawled on the ground.

Sakura let out a relieved sigh. At least the dope had some sense of decency. It was clear Gojo-sensei had intervened to defuse the situation and give Sasuke a way to step down gracefully. As annoying as Naruto could be, even he knew when to stop pushing.

Gojo stood nearby, watching the interaction with his trademark sunglasses concealing his bright, smug grin. He clapped his hands once, theatrically. "Wow, such emotional intelligence! Naruto, you're really out here giving Sasuke an escape hatch. I'm impressed!"

But in reality, Gojo's thoughts were far less noble.

'Escape hatch? Caring about their feelings? Pfft. I just wanted to make sure I won my bet.'

Meanwhile, Sasuke's pride burned hotter than ever. He swatted Naruto's hand away, forcing himself unsteadily to his feet. His blood-red Sharingan eyes glared at everyone, radiating pure, icy fury.

"I lost?" he hissed under his breath, refusing to believe it.

Chakra surged around him, dark and menacing, as Susanoo began forming again—this time in its second stage. Its skeletal frame gained a layer of armor, and it materialized a massive bow and arrow, shimmering with deadly energy.

"Sasuke, that's enough!" Naruto shouted, his grin gone, replaced by a serious expression. A drop of sweat slid down his face. He could feel it—this new wave of Chakra was far more dangerous than before.

Sasuke sneered, his anger palpable. "Enough? You don't get to decide that. If you think you can stop me, then try!"

The arrow from Susanoo's bow glowed ominously as it took aim, a hum of raw power vibrating through the air. Even the Anbu watching in the crowd shifted uncomfortably, their instincts screaming danger.

Naruto moved to dodge, but his legs betrayed him, trembling from exhaustion, and he fell to the ground.

This is bad!

Before anyone could react, Gojo appeared out of nowhere, casually standing between the arrow and its intended targets. With one finger raised, he caught the deadly projectile mid-flight, its energy dispersing harmlessly in his hand.

"Hmm," Gojo mused, examining the arrow as if it were a mildly interesting trinket. "Not bad, Sasuke. What happens if this hits me, though? Do I... explode?"

The crowd collectively exhaled in relief.

Naruto, still sprawled on the ground, looked up at Gojo with wide eyes. "Phew! Sensei, you scared me to death!"

From the stands, Kakashi observed the scene with his usual deadpan expression. "Did Sasuke seriously just try to kill Naruto and Sakura?" he muttered to himself, shaking his head. "Thank goodness Gojo-kun was here."

Sasuke, meanwhile, seethed. "Gojo-sensei, step aside. This has nothing to do with you!"

Gojo's head tilted, an amused grin spreading across his face. "Oh? What was that?"

Before Sasuke could react, Gojo's palm lashed out faster than anyone could track.

Slap!

Sasuke hit the ground, a flaming red handprint decorating his cheek.

Gojo leaned closer, hands in his pockets, his grin wider than ever. "Sorry, didn't quite catch that. Care to repeat yourself?"

Sasuke scrambled to his feet, clutching his stinging face. "You—"

Slap!

Another red mark blossomed on Sasuke's other cheek.

"I said," Gojo continued, his tone dripping with mockery, "what's that? Speak louder, I'm all ears."

The audience was frozen in shock. No one dared make a sound as Gojo towered over Sasuke, a mix of charisma and utter menace radiating from him.

Sasuke's pride was in tatters, but he wasn't stupid. Slowly, reluctantly, he muttered, "Gojo-sensei is... the most handsome ninja in the entire world."

Gojo gave a satisfied nod, blowing on his palm as though dusting off a prized weapon. "There we go! I thought I heard that earlier, but it's always nice to have confirmation. By the way..." He flexed his fingers dramatically. "These slaps hurt my hand. Make sure to cover my medical expenses, will you?"

Sasuke glared at him, biting back his retort.

Naruto burst into laughter. "Pfft! Sensei, you're the best!"

Sakura couldn't help but crack a smile, though she quickly covered it with her hand. Sasuke's frustration was almost too much to bear, but she had to admit—Gojo really had a way of handling things his own way.

And in the crowd, everyone thought the same thing:

Gojo-sensei really has no chill.