Aoba looked at Sasuke's dazed and defeated expression and couldn't help but sigh helplessly.
He understood that Sasuke had likely put in a lot of effort just to defeat him.
But this was the ninja world. Even Might Guy couldn't compete against cheats.
Effort < Talent < Cheats
And in the future, Sasuke himself would also gain his own cheats. When that time came, he would understand this feeling.
"I don't understand what you're saying. A win is a win, and a loss is a loss. This time, I lost," Seeing Aoba's hesitant expression, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself, Sasuke snapped out of his existential crisis.
He wasn't the type to stubbornly deny defeat. Although he could be prideful at times, he understood that losing meant losing.
Since he lost this time, he would just work harder to win next time.
Sasuke tried to push himself up using his hands, but the pain from his arms and face made even the slightest movement unbearable.
He had no choice but to give up on standing and continued lying there.
Enduring the pain without showing it on his face was already his limit.
But in the swollen slits of his eyes, there was still a determined glint.
"Aoba, this time, I lost to you. But the Uchiha did not lose to you."
"I've only just awakened my Sharingan. Once I fully master its power, I'll challenge you again."
Looking at Sasuke, who was still trying to act tough, Aoba smiled and said, "Then I'll be waiting for your challenge next time. Just remember to bring money."
"I'll give you 10,000 ryo tomorrow."
Sasuke's tone was a little irritated, 'Best friends? Rivals? Those are just things this guy said on a whim.'
'Otherwise, since when did rivals and best friends have to pay money for a sparring match?'
Naruto challenged him every day, and he never asked for money.
Hearing this, Aoba was even happier. With this, he could draw an SSR tomorrow.
Thinking about this great news, he looked at Sasuke's swollen, pig-like face and suddenly found it a bit more pleasant to look at.
"I'll heal you first," Aoba crouched down and placed his right palm, wrapped in green chakra, on Sasuke's forehead.
This time, Sasuke didn't argue. His injuries hurt too much.
But deep inside, he couldn't help but feel some resentment.
Sure enough, a man's words were all lies. He had said he would go easy, but in the end, he had beaten Sasuke half to death.
Tenten and the others also gathered around, but since Aoba was treating Sasuke, they all remained silent.
They simply watched him in awe as he performed the healing technique.
After all, the way he knocked Sasuke down with just three punches earlier was just too cool.
———
Of course, the spectators of this battle weren't limited to just those present.
This was a fight between the disciple of a Legendary Sannin and a twelve-year-old Sharingan wielder.
As the battle concluded, Sarutobi Hiruzen removed his gaze from the crystal ball.
Even though he had seen many geniuses in his lifetime, seeing Aoba's performance still made him secretly click his tongue in amazement.
Before, he had only witnessed Aoba's talent in medical ninjutsu, but today, he was truly impressed.
He hadn't expected Aoba to have already mastered Chakra Enhanced Strengthth.
Chakra Enhanced Strength wasn't a ninjutsu, nor was it a taijutsu technique, it was an advanced chakra control technique.
Tsunade herself had relied on this technique to dominate battles, proving that even a medical ninja could possess terrifying combat power.
This technique seemed simple but was, in reality, incredibly difficult. Otherwise, Tsunade wouldn't be the only one in all of Konoha who had mastered it.
Shizune was a prime example. Despite following Tsunade for years, she had never managed to learn it.
Yet Aoba had managed to grasp it in such a short time.
With this level of talent, he was already worthy of being called Konoha's number one genius.
But it wasn't just talent. His combat techniques and situational awareness were also outstanding. His mastery of the Clone Jutsu, Substitution Jutsu, and Transformation Jutsu was flawless.
Hiruzen recalled that Aoba had also learned the Vacuum Blade technique.
He likely refrained from using it just now to avoid seriously injuring Sasuke.
"Having Aoba as Tsunade's disciple was undoubtedly my best decision," Hiruzen couldn't help but smile, satisfied with his past judgment.
Not only had he managed to keep Tsunade in the village, but he had also unearthed a future pillar for Konoha.
However, his joyful expression soon darkened.
He recalled what Danzo had told him yesterday and thought about the unusual behavior of the Uchiha clan's hawkish faction.
With a deep sigh, Hiruzen furrowed his brows.
———
[In the Forest]
Sasuke's treatment was complete. He stood up, and his swollen, pig-like face had returned to its former clean and handsome state.
"Thanks," As a child, Sasuke was still quite polite. Even though Aoba had beaten him to a pulp, he still expressed his gratitude after being healed.
Unlike later on, when he would act like everyone owed him money.
"No problem. It was just a little effort," Aoba smiled.
"Sasuke! Let's have a match!", Naruto, seeing that Sasuke's injuries were healed, immediately jumped out.
He had now realized his shortcomings.
Although Guy's training methods worked against Sharingan users, his lack of experience and poor observational skills meant he couldn't apply them effectively in battle.
He needed intense training. And actual combat was the best form of training.
Sasuke stared at Naruto's eager face, feeling a mix of disgust and frustration.
Lately, whenever he saw Naruto, he couldn't help but recall Uzumaki Naruko's face.
She made him incredibly angry… yet his Sharingan had awakened because of her.
These conflicting emotions left Sasuke feeling extremely irritated.
"Haaah—"
"If you want to get beaten up so badly, I'll grant your wish!"
Sasuke exhaled deeply and accepted Naruto's challenge.
Right now, he needed a punching bag to vent his frustration.
As Sasuke and Naruto ran off, Tenten and the others immediately crowded around Aoba.
"Aoba, you were seriously so cool just now!", Ino directly hugged Aoba's arm, her eyes filled with admiration.
Tenten grabbed his other arm and curiously asked, "Aoba, what was that technique you used? How did you punch a huge crater into the ground?"
Hinata, seeing Tenten and Ino acting so boldly, felt envious.
She also wanted to hold Aoba's arm, but her personality made it difficult for her to push them away.
So she could only pout, looking pitiful.
As for Sakura, she had no particular thoughts about the situation.
After what had happened last night…
She had already won too much.
For now, she was fine with just being a background character.
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