I ,Sasuke , Why Should I Defect To Konoha

Evening had fallen when the group gathered for dinner, and Kakashi's tone turned serious as he addressed the team. "Since you've finished your water-walking and Water Release technique training, starting tomorrow, Sasuke and Sakura will head to the bridge to protect Mr. Tazuna."

Sakura's heart skipped a beat, thrilled with the assignment. She secretly vowed to use this opportunity to get closer to Sasuke.

Naruto, however, was less than thrilled. Mid-meal, he heard Kakashi's announcement and felt a surge of frustration. Damn, Sasuke's pulled ahead of me again. Even Sakura has surpassed me this time! He clenched his fists under the table, struggling to contain his irritation. It wasn't just Sasuke—Naruto had lost to him before—but now Sakura had completed her training ahead of schedule as well. That stung his pride.

"How can I accept this?" Naruto thought, standing up abruptly. "I'm going for a walk!" he announced, making his way outside to train harder.

As Naruto left, Sasuke, always attuned to his rival's movements, stood up as well. "I'll join him. I need to stretch my legs," Sasuke said casually, but there was a gleam in his eyes.

Sakura, sensing a chance to spend some rare one-on-one time with Sasuke, eagerly followed. "Sasuke-kun…"

Kakashi, noticing her exhaustion, intervened gently. "Sakura, you should rest. You'll need to be at full strength for tomorrow's mission."

Sakura hesitated, glancing at Sasuke as he disappeared into the night. But, reluctantly, she sat back down.

---

Out in the forest, Naruto was fuming. "I won't lose to that jerk Sasuke again!" he muttered as he performed hand seals for his latest technique. Xu, Wu, You… concentrate chakra in the throat… He gritted his teeth, channeling his frustration into the technique.

Just as Naruto was about to release the jutsu, Sasuke's voice rang out from behind him. "Naruto, what do you think you're doing?"

Startled, Naruto's focus faltered. "Sasuke! I was about to nail it! Why are you always showing up out of nowhere and messing with my training?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Messing with your training? I was actually going to teach you something useful, but I guess you don't need it."

Naruto blinked, suddenly interested. "Wait, what? You were going to help me?"

Sasuke smirked. "Believe it or not, I don't want my rivals to be weak. There's no satisfaction in defeating someone who's not worth the effort. Besides, your Wind Release would complement my Fire Release."

Naruto narrowed his eyes, suspicious. He and Sasuke had always been rivals—why would Sasuke help him now?

"Stop overthinking it. Do you want the tip or not?" Sasuke said, turning away.

"Fine! What's this 'trick' you're talking about?" Naruto asked, swallowing his pride. He couldn't pass up a chance to improve, even if it meant taking advice from Sasuke.

Sasuke sighed, then explained. "The secret is in the Shadow Clone Technique. When a shadow clone dispels, its experiences are returned to the original. That means you can use shadow clones to speed up your training."

Naruto stared at him, wide-eyed. "You mean I could train ten times faster?"

Sasuke nodded. "Exactly. Even though your clones don't last long due to chakra limitations, the increase in efficiency is undeniable."

Naruto's eyes lit up with realization. "Why didn't I think of that? Sasuke, you're a genius!"

Without hesitation, Naruto formed a hand seal and, with a loud poof, ten shadow clones appeared. "Alright, all of you—get to work!" he ordered, brimming with excitement.

Sasuke watched the clones disperse to begin their training, satisfied with Naruto's newfound determination. Good. The stronger Naruto gets, the more I can push myself, Sasuke thought, before turning to leave.

---

In the shadows, Kakashi observed the exchange. "Sasuke's idea to teach Naruto the shadow clone trick was brilliant," he muttered under his breath, a faint smile forming beneath his mask. "They're finally starting to understand each other."

---

The next day at the bridge, Sakura worked up the courage to ask Sasuke something that had been on her mind for a long time. "Sasuke-kun… what do you think of Ino?"

Sasuke gave her a sideways glance, his expression unreadable. "Sakura, if you have something to say, just say it. I don't like beating around the bush."

Sakura hesitated, her face flushing red. "I just… I just wanted to know if you, um… if you like her."

Sasuke sighed internally. He knew what Sakura was getting at, but he wasn't ready to entertain such feelings. Not now, at least.

"If you're asking whether I prefer you or Ino, I don't know," Sasuke said bluntly. "Does that answer satisfy you?"

Sakura's heart sank. He doesn't know… what kind of answer is that? She felt a mixture of disappointment and hope, clinging to the possibility that Sasuke might not favor Ino over her.

Sasuke noticed her reaction but didn't feel the need to comfort her. He wasn't lying—he genuinely didn't know how he felt about either of them. His mind was preoccupied with far more important matters.

In truth, Sasuke wasn't interested in romance at the moment. He was still too young, too unprepared, and not strong enough to afford such distractions. While he might one day pursue a relationship, now wasn't the time. He had bigger concerns.

---

Sakura, still struggling to find her footing, asked quietly, "What kind of girl do you like, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke's eyes darkened slightly as he thought about it. "A girl who is strong, confident, and capable," he replied, his voice steady. There was something about his tone that made Sakura's heart race.

Strong, confident, and capable… Sakura repeated in her mind. That's the kind of girl Sasuke-kun likes. If I want him to notice me, I'll have to become that kind of woman.

Sakura made a silent vow to herself: she would become the strong, confident woman Sasuke admired, no matter how hard she had to work for it.

---

Meanwhile, Sasuke's thoughts were elsewhere. While he respected Sakura's efforts, his focus remained on becoming stronger. He knew that achieving true happiness meant finding balance in his new life. But he wasn't about to let romance or any other distractions get in the way of his goals—not yet, at least.

For now, he would continue on his path, determined to forge his own destiny.

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