Some months after the Uchiha massacre, Konoha began to stabilize, slowly, quietly.
The shadows were still there, but the village had started to breathe again.
At the Academy…
Iruka stepped forward, clipboard in hand, his voice clear and firm.
"Let's begin sparring for today," he announced. "I'll call out names one by one. When I do, you'll come to the center. When I say stop, that means stop. No fighting after that. Understand?"
A chorus of young voices rang out in unison, "Yes, Sensei!"
Iruka gave a small, approving nod. "Good."
He scanned the list, then called, "Sasuke Uchiha and Johan Uzumaki."
Before the echo of the names could fade, Naruto jumped up.
"Sensei! I was gonna beat Sasuke today!"
Iruka sighed, half-smiling. "Stand down, Naruto. I'll call your name later."
Grumbling, Naruto stepped back, arms crossed.
Sasuke and Johan walked toward the center, eyes locked. They formed the traditional sparring seal.
---
Sasuke – POV
It's been months…
Since that night.
My clan. My parents… gone.
He made me watch it, again and again. Their deaths. Their screams. Their faces.
That bastard… Itachi.
He said he wanted to test his strength. So he murdered them all. Like they were nothing.
One day, I'll kill him. I'll make him pay. With my own hands.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he looked at Johan, who stood across from him, calm, unreadable.
That smile...
Why does he remind me of him? Of Itachi?
First… I'll defeat him. If I can't beat Johan, I have no chance against Itachi.
---
"Begin!" Iruka's voice rang out.
Sasuke moved first, whipping shuriken from his pouch and launching them fast and low.
Johan moved with ease, kunai in hand, deflecting each with crisp, practiced strikes.
From the sideline, Naruto pumped his fist. "Yeah! Do it, Johan! Beat him up!"
Sasuke didn't pause. He closed the distance, kunai drawn, attacking with a swift upward slash.
Johan met him with a clean parry.
Then Sasuke lifted his leg and swung toward Johan's face—but hit only air.
Substitution?
Gasps rose from the crowd.
"Did you see that? He used the substitution jutsu!"
Iruka's eyes flickered with approval. He's already operating at Genin level… impressive.
Sasuke's frustration simmered beneath the surface. That smile was still there—taunting him.
He's not even taking me seriously…
With a burst of chakra, Sasuke formed the hand seals.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A roar of flame surged forward, heat rippling across the training field.
Shock echoed around them.
"Did he just use a fire style jutsu!?"
"Is Johan gonna be okay?!"
"Johan!" Naruto yelled, panic in his voice.
Iruka moved instinctively, but it was already too late.
Sasuke watched, breath held, eyes locked on the flames.
As the fire cleared… there was nothing.
No Johan.
Only silence.
Then… murmurs.
Something was wrong.
Sasuke turned. The crowd had gone quiet, eyes wide, frozen.
What's going on?
Then, like a mirror cracking, everything around him shattered.
A kunai touched his throat.
Behind him, Johan's voice came softly, almost like a whisper.
"You lost."
Sasuke froze.
Iruka's eyes widened. Genjutsu?
The crowd erupted into stunned murmurs.
"What happened?"
"Why didn't Sasuke move?"
"Johan just walked right up to him…"
Sakura's voice broke through the hum. "How… how could Sasuke lose?"
Ino whispered, "He beat Sasuke…"
Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. A genjutsu… but when did he cast it?
Naruto whooped from the sidelines, laughing. "Yes! That's my brother! Look, look! Johan beat him!"
Sasuke stood frozen, lips barely moving.
"Genjutsu… again…"
Then, he snapped.
With a snarl, he lunged at Johan.
Naruto shouted, "Watch out, Johan!"
But Iruka stepped in just in time.
"Enough, Sasuke!" he barked, holding him back.
Sasuke glared, chest heaving, then turned away without a word.
Everyone watched in silence as he walked off the mat, his presence heavy, dark.
Naruto approached cautiously. "Hey… why'd you do that?"
But Sasuke didn't respond.
He just kept walking.