Konoha: The Honored One

Sasuke's Sharingan flickered, locking onto Naruto as he emerged from the ground. His dynamic vision caught every movement, but he quickly leapt back, putting distance between them.

Behind Sasuke, two of Naruto's Shadow Clones appeared, their expressions smug.

Without hesitation, Sasuke's fingers twitched, pulling the steel wires attached to his shuriken. The weapons cut through the air, slicing the clones apart. They dissolved into smoke.

Neither gained the upper hand.

Sasuke smirked coldly. "I told you, in front of these eyes, all your moves are pointless."

Naruto clenched his fists, glaring back. "Oh, shut up. You haven't even seen me get serious yet!"

Sakura watched from the side, her fists tightening. The gap between her and her teammates had become painfully clear. They're incredible... She swallowed hard, her heart heavy with frustration and admiration.

Above them, Gojo observed with mild amusement, sucking lazily on a lollipop. "Not bad. The Uchiha brat's sharp, and the fox kid's got guts. They might actually amount to something."

Then, with a mischievous grin, he called out, "Alright, kids! Time to wrap this up with one big move. Winner takes all! And the loser? They're the winner's servant for a whole day!"

Both Naruto and Sasuke froze, then turned to him, their faces etched with identical horror.

"WHAT?!"

Sakura glared at Gojo, aghast. "Sensei! You can't just make them fight for something like that!"

Gojo shrugged. "Why not? High stakes make things interesting."

Naruto's face twisted in determination. "No way I'm losing to this jerk!"

Sasuke's Sharingan flared. "Obey the dobe? Over my dead body!"

Naruto bit his thumb, blood smearing his hand as he slammed it to the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!"

A massive plume of white smoke erupted.

Sakura gasped. "Could it be... Naruto summoned something huge?"

Even Gojo's brow lifted slightly. "Well, this might get good."

The smoke cleared, revealing... a tiny, gray-furred cat with a scruffy beard and a wooden cane. The rooftop went silent.

The cat coughed and wheezed as it hobbled forward. "Naruto Uzumaki! Again?! How many times do I have to tell you, stop summoning me for your nonsense!"

Naruto scratched his head sheepishly. "Hey, Haineko-sensei. Long time no see!"

"Long time?!" Haineko barked. "You called me this morning! And yesterday! And the day before that!"

The cat took a shaky step forward, only to trip and collapse. Its cane clattered to the ground as it struggled to stand.

"Don't embarrass me, old man!" Naruto groaned.

Gojo snorted, crossing his arms. "Stupid cat, you'd better go back before you keel over. You're about three breaths away from ascending to heaven."

Haineko shot him a glare but nodded. "Thank you, Master Gojo." With a puff of smoke, the cat vanished.

Naruto rubbed his neck, his cheeks flushed. "I-I didn't mean for that to happen..."

Sasuke smirked, his Sharingan gleaming with malice. "As expected. A loser's a loser, no matter how hard they try. You'll never surpass the power of an Uchiha."

Naruto bristled. "We'll see about that!"

The tension thickened. Sasuke formed a light blue chakra sphere in his hand, his expression deadly serious. "This ends now."

Naruto crossed his arms and summoned a dozen Shadow Clones, all of them beginning to mold chakra in their palms.

"Rasengan!" Naruto bellowed. "This is the technique Gojo-sensei taught me, and I'll use it to take you down!"

Sasuke's smirk faltered. He knew a head-on clash would mean defeat. The Shadow Clones all wielded Rasengan, and he couldn't match their numbers.

"Too many," Sasuke muttered, his Sharingan spinning as he tried to pinpoint the real Naruto.

Above them, Gojo raised a finger, grinning. "One point for the fox kid."

Sasuke clenched his teeth, his pride demanding action. "Your size means nothing!" he spat. "My Rasengan will crush yours!"

The rooftop exploded into chaos.

Sasuke and Naruto's Rasengan collided with deafening force. Blue chakra spiraled wildly, the ground cracking under the pressure. The two boys were flung apart, both sent skidding backward.

Sasuke's arm trembled, his left shoulder dislocated. Naruto's right arm wasn't much better, but his Shadow Clones had done their job.

With one final push, the remaining Clones' Rasengan smashed into Sasuke, sending him flying. He spun through the air, slamming into the wall with a resounding crash.

The dust settled. Naruto stood panting, his grin victorious.

Sasuke groaned, his pride shattered as he slid to the ground.

"Guess that makes me the winner," Naruto said, barely able to stand.

Gojo chuckled. "Well, well. Not bad, fox kid. Looks like Uchiha's got a little catching up to do."

Sakura rushed forward, panicking. "You're both insane! Someone get a medic!"

Gojo smirked, his tone teasing. "Oh, relax. They're fine. A little broken pride and bruised limbs never hurt anyone."

Naruto and Sasuke both glared at him, silently promising revenge someday.

For now, though, victory belonged to Naruto.