Konoha: The Honored One

It had been two days since the village began its investigation into the Akatsuki organization, and the tension was palpable. Hidden deep in the forest, Sasuke stood, his hands buried deep in the pockets of his jacket, his expression cold and stoic—though it was painfully obvious that he was trying far too hard to look cool. His sharp, calculating eyes glinted as they moved across the clearing to his mentor, Gojo Satoru, who was lounging against a tree as though he were at some sort of casual picnic, flipping through the latest issue of Make-Out Heaven.

Gojo didn't even acknowledge him at first, too absorbed in his reading, his legs stretched out and his lollipop leisurely rotating in his mouth. Sasuke's patience was wearing thin, but he kept his face unreadable as he spoke, his tone dripping with forced nonchalance.

"Gojo-sensei," Sasuke began, his voice laced with barely concealed frustration. "Let's move on to the next stage."

Gojo finally glanced up, his eyebrow twitching as he gave Sasuke a half-hearted once-over. He didn't seem particularly impressed.

"Burn the leaves properly first, then we'll talk," Gojo said casually, popping his lollipop into his mouth like it was the most important task of the day.

Sasuke scowled, trying to push down the irritation bubbling within him. His thoughts were a storm of conflicting emotions—he had been training harder than ever, grinding himself into the ground, pushing himself to limits he hadn't thought possible, but for what? To get stronger? To defeat Itachi? To get revenge for his clan? His hands were scarred, bruised, and calloused from the relentless training. He had seen firsthand the terror the Akatsuki could bring—Deidara and Sasori weren't just threats, they were monsters of unimaginable strength. Even Kakashi and Kurenai had struggled against Deidara, and it had been revealed that Deidara had admitted to losing to Itachi.

That left one chilling realization—Itachi was far more powerful than Sasuke had ever anticipated. But despite the overwhelming odds, Sasuke refused to back down. He couldn't. Not now.

Sasuke grabbed a nearby leaf from the ground, holding it carefully between his fingers. A faint blue chakra emerged from the tip of his thumb, but it quickly turned fiery red as he focused his energy. With a burst of power, the leaf ignited into flames and crumbled to ashes.

Gojo's eyes flicked to Sasuke's fingers, his lips curling into a small, rare smile of approval. "Not bad," he muttered, though the compliment barely seemed to register.

Sasuke's eyes hardened as he stared at the burnt leaf, his determination growing. He wasn't just training for the sake of power—he was training to avenge his clan, to rebuild the Uchiha name, and to destroy Itachi for what he had done.

"You're ahead of schedule," Gojo admitted, stretching out lazily, resting his chin on his palm. He seemed unusually serious for a moment.

"Good," Sasuke said coldly, his voice as hard as steel. "Now, teach me something new. I don't have time to waste. I need power to—"

"To kill your brother, right? Yeah, I know the drill," Gojo interrupted, waving a hand dismissively. He had heard this story far too many times. But then his tone shifted, taking on a teasing edge. "But what if, just what if, Itachi did all of that for the greater good? What if he destroyed your clan to protect the village—and you?"

Sasuke's body stiffened, his eyes narrowing into slits, his teeth grinding. He wanted to lash out, to shout that Itachi's actions could never be justified. But Gojo wasn't done.

"What if he still loves you?" Gojo added, his voice dripping with mock sweetness as he twirled his lollipop in his fingers.

The tension between them thickened, and for a moment, the world around them seemed to stop.

Sasuke didn't flinch. His eyes were icy, his jaw set. "No one can change the hatred in my heart. I will rebuild the Uchiha clan and destroy Itachi for what he's done. Family comes first—above the village, above everything. That's what you taught me, isn't it?"

Gojo's grin faltered slightly before morphing into something more genuine. He ruffled Sasuke's hair in a rare moment of affection, his usual teasing tone softened. "Smart kid," he said, earning a glare from Sasuke, who shrugged it off.

"Alright, brat," Gojo continued, his voice shifting back to its usual carefree nature. "You've earned it. Let's move on to phase two."

With an exaggerated flick of his wrist, Gojo stood up and dusted off his coat. He sauntered a few steps forward and then stomped lightly on the ground.

The earth rumbled ominously.

"Earth Style: Earth Wall," Gojo called out with a casual wave, and instantly, two massive walls of rock rose from the earth, towering above them like ancient stone giants. Sasuke watched in silent awe, his eyes flicking from Gojo to the massive walls.

Before he could fully process what had happened, Gojo was already above the walls, moving so quickly it was as if he had teleported. His hands formed a series of quick seals, and Sasuke felt a shift in the air.

"Water Style: Great Waterfall!" Gojo announced dramatically.

A massive surge of water erupted from Gojo's position, crashing between the stone walls like a roaring tidal wave. The sheer size of it was overwhelming, and Sasuke could hardly believe what he was witnessing. In a matter of moments, a colossal waterfall stood before them, the sound of it deafening as it cascaded down, the force of the water rattling the trees nearby.

Sakura, who had been practicing her healing jutsu nearby, stopped mid-handseal when she heard the commotion. Her eyes widened as she watched the waterfall form before them.

"He created that… out of thin air?" she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "Isn't that impossible without an actual water source?"

Naruto, on the other hand, wasn't impressed. Instead, he was growing frustrated. "Tch, stupid Sasuke, always getting ahead! I need to step up my game!" He tightened his headband with a determined glare.

Sasuke remained calm, but his inner frustration was clear. He had come here to grow stronger, but Gojo was pulling out moves that were beyond anything he had seen before.

"What's the point of this?" Sasuke asked, his tone terse as he stared at the waterfall.

Gojo didn't answer at first. Instead, he leaned back against a nearby tree, his thoughts continuing to swirl. Boiling… Gojo thought to himself with a smirk. It's all about the heat. I could boil this entire waterfall with ease. But even that's nothing compared to my real chakra reserves. If I'm being honest, this is a mere fraction of what I can do.

Gojo's chakra was something far beyond what any average ninja could comprehend. He was aware of his enormous reserves. Right now, his chakra was on par with the legendary Senju Hashirama at his peak, but it was more than that. Gojo's chakra didn't come with the same limitations—his chakra was infinite, a well that would never run dry. The power he could unleash was enough to take down a Tailed Beast without breaking a sweat, and that was just scratching the surface.

I could do so much more than this... Gojo mused internally, grinning slightly. But let's not spoil the fun for Sasuke just yet. He needs to get there on his own terms.

"Boiling?" Sasuke echoed aloud, his frown deepening.

Gojo gave him an exaggeratedly patient look, his lips curling into a teasing grin. "Keep your eyes open, kid. Watch and learn."

Gojo's palm began to glow with a soft blue aura that quickly shifted into a fiery red. Sasuke's eyes widened as the temperature of the water began to rise rapidly. The surface of the waterfall started to bubble and steam.

Within moments, the entire waterfall was boiling, the steam rising in thick clouds. And then, as if flipping a switch, Gojo pushed the heat even further.

"WHOOSH!"

The waterfall evaporated completely, leaving only a faint mist lingering in the air. Sasuke stared in disbelief, his frustration growing.

Sakura and Naruto were both rendered speechless.

"That's not… human," Sakura whispered, blinking rapidly as she tried to process what she had just seen.

Naruto, however, couldn't contain his excitement. "THAT'S SO COOL!" he shouted, grinning from ear to ear.

Sasuke's jaw clenched as he fought to maintain his composure. "Is that really necessary?"

Gojo didn't answer at first. Instead, he casually leaned against the tree, his lollipop clicking in his mouth as he thought with an almost lazy satisfaction, Man, these kids are exhausting. But this is fun. Good thing I'm awesome.

"Need two Deidaras to do that," Gojo muttered, though he was only half-aware that he had said it aloud. It was more of a passing thought. "Anyway, that's how it's done."

Sasuke's confusion deepened. "What does that mean?"

Gojo smirked. "You'll figure it out. Now… get ready to boil something on your own."

Sasuke steeled himself. He wouldn't let Gojo, or Naruto, or anyone else outshine him. He would become the strongest, and he would do it on his terms.

As he prepared for the next grueling challenge ahead, Gojo leaned back against the tree, his lollipop clicking in his mouth as he thought with an almost lazy satisfaction, Man, these kids are exhausting. But this is fun. Good thing I'm awesome.