The threads of thought in Sasuke Uchiha’s mind had already tangled into a knot.
He felt that the logic behind Sakura’s apology was a bit…
off?
It was as if Sakura had deliberately taken the blame for the conflict between him and Naruto Uzumaki.
Well, his brain had stalled—Sakura caught that fleeting moment of bewilderment in Sasuke Uchiha’s eyes.
No matter how mature this genius boy usually acted, he was still just a six-year-old child; it was quite easy to divert his attention.
Seizing the gap during Sasuke Uchiha’s brief mental blank, Sakura steered the conversation in another direction, saying with a hint of envy in her tone, “Actually, I really envy you, Sasuke.”
Sakura’s words pulled Sasuke Uchiha’s thoughts back; he found it somewhat hard to believe that these words had come out of Sakura’s mouth.
“Envy me?”
Really?
The second half of the sentence was hidden in Sasuke Uchiha’s heart.
Would someone like Sakura, who was the center of attention wherever she went, really envy him?
During this past month of interaction, Sakura could be said to have become a true celebrity at the Ninja Academy.
No matter what kind of personality a student or teacher had, as long as Sakura wanted to, she could blend in with them.
It was a recognized fact that a massive cohesive force was hidden within Sakura’s petite body.
In Sasuke Uchiha’s view, Sakura had gained everyone’s recognition in just one month, while he had yet to see his own reflection in his father’s eyes.
The object of envy being the other way around would probably be more convincing.
“Because Sasuke is very strong. You’re first in both practical combat and theory… unlike me, who is severely unbalanced. It took me nearly a month just to pass the physical fitness test.”
“But you are also making progress.”
Sasuke Uchiha answered truthfully.
Everyone else had also seen the effort Sakura had put in over the past month.
Practical experience could be accumulated over time, but theory indeed required a flexible mind to absorb.
In this regard, Sakura’s theoretical scores were right behind Sasuke Uchiha’s.
“True, I won’t deny that, and I’m actually quite proud of it. But I’m far behind Sasuke; even the school teachers say you’re a powerful genius.”
Sasuke Uchiha had heard enough of such praise.
However, Sasuke Uchiha believed there was someone more suitable for the title of ‘powerful genius’ than himself.
His older brother, Itachi Uchiha.
Everything he was doing now was just repeating the path Itachi Uchiha had already walked, and Itachi Uchiha could do it better than him. Find the original chapter at g.com.
To this day, the effort Sasuke Uchiha put in was still taken for granted in his father’s eyes.
His brother’s strength had become the template by which his father defined him.
If he couldn’t surpass his brother, did the effort he consistently put in really have any meaning?
“I… am not strong, nor am I a genius.”
He looked Sakura in the eye and denied the girl’s evaluation of him.
Then, Sasuke Uchiha fell into silence, not explaining why he rejected the praise he deserved.
“—The winner, Ino!”
The result of the third Ninja Sparring match arrived at this moment, with Iruka declaring Ino’s victory.
“What a shame, Hinata! You were just a little bit away from winning.”
Standing beside Iruka, Naruto Uzumaki felt regret for Hinata Hyuga’s defeat.
“That’s right. Although it’s annoying to have the same opinion as this guy, Akamaru and I also think there’s no shame in your loss, Hinata. You were already amazing!”
Standing on the other side of Iruka, Inuzuka Kiba also nodded in recognition of Hinata Hyuga’s strength.
“I say, you two, I understand your kindness, but could you also spare a thought for the feelings of me, the winner?”
Ino watched this pair of ‘brothers in misfortune’—who had been tossed out by Sakura—taking turns to comfort the defeated Hinata Hyuga, and gave them a somewhat helpless reminder.
Ino’s joy of victory had been dampened quite a bit by these two mood-killers.
“Woof!”
Hidden in front of Inuzuka Kiba’s chest, Akamaru—still just a puppy—cooperated with Ino’s request and gave a cheerful bark as a congratulation for her win.
Ino happily rubbed Akamaru’s head until she was satisfied, then withdrew her hand and looked for Sakura’s figure in the group.
“That was a cool win, Ino!”
Ino received praise that was uniquely Sakura’s.
“Sakura, why are you still in the other group?”
One match had ended, and Sakura was still in the boys’ group; Iruka still hadn’t figured out what Sakura was doing.
“Honestly, Iruka-sensei, girls won’t like it if a man is too petty.”
Sakura played dumb to blur the focus of the question.
The ‘brothers in misfortune’ on either side of Iruka nodded, indicating that Sakura was absolutely right.
It seemed the lingering prestige of Sakura’s anger toward the two of them was still present.
The rowdy scene finally ended with Ino leading a blushing Hinata Hyuga back to the girls’ group, while Inuzuka Kiba and Naruto Uzumaki engaged in another Ninja Sparring match.
“Everyone in the class is so interesting,” Sakura said with a chuckle, refocusing her attention on Sasuke Uchiha.
She asked, “You think so too, right, Sasuke?”
Sasuke Uchiha did not answer.
“If you stay silent and overthink things alone, all you’ll get is sorrow,” Sakura withdrew her smile and sighed at the attitude Sasuke Uchiha was currently displaying.
Immediately after, Sakura voiced the reason Sasuke Uchiha had hidden—the reason he denied the praise: “You say you aren’t strong or a genius… is it because of Itachi Uchiha?”
Not expecting to hear that name from Sakura’s mouth, Sasuke Uchiha finally reacted to her words again.
“About my brother… where did you hear that?”
Itachi Uchiha was one of the very few students who could graduate early from the Ninja Academy.
Because his time studying at the school was extremely short, it was very difficult for information about him to circulate among students who enrolled later, except for his own classmates.
The occasional student who did know would often have distorted information due to the source and accuracy of the intel.
“I’m a good student who can freely enter and leave the teachers’ office, you know.”
Sakura explained Sasuke Uchiha’s confusion.
Students would graduate and leave the Ninja Academy, but teachers would not.
The legends of the ‘top students’ of previous years were mostly passed down by word of mouth among the teachers, compared to the increasingly distorted information spread by students with partial understanding.
Sakura’s source of information had sufficient authority and authenticity.
Sasuke Uchiha quickly figured out the logic.
He couldn’t help but marvel once again at Sakura’s ability to familiarize herself with people; for a Ninja, Sakura was a natural talent who could go deep behind enemy lines for spy work.
“Since you know about my brother, then you should also understand that he is the one who is truly a powerful genius.”
Sasuke Uchiha was actually not good at handling topics related to Itachi Uchiha.
At home, his father trusted his brother and placed the clan’s hopes on him.
Outside, others also marveled at his brother’s strength and talent…
No matter where it was, as long as it concerned his brother Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke Uchiha’s existence was always overlooked.
Facing Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke felt both love and inferiority.
He felt proud of his brother’s achievements, yet feared the future he would have to endure if he didn’t eventually become someone like Itachi Uchiha.
Sakura had learned of Itachi Uchiha’s existence from the teachers, and after a comparison, she would surely think Itachi Uchiha was more impressive.
That his brother was stronger than him had already become a matter of course in Sasuke Uchiha’s mind.