Konoha: Comparison of Naruto

Chapter 15: Uchiha Massacre

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[On this day, Iruka was actively teaching a class.]

[Naruto was listening attentively to the lecture.]

[Although he didn't think Iruka was particularly skilled at ninjutsu,]

[he understood that having a solid foundation would be beneficial in the long run.]

[Signs, physics, chemistry, mathematics, hypothesis-building, and more...]

[Naruto couldn't have imagined that the world of ninjas could be so fascinating.]

[The idea that they could make educated guesses about problems and use those assumptions to guide their actions intrigued him.]

[Naruto pursed his lips and smiled, but then suddenly became irritable: "Interesting, my foot..."]

[So far, he had been unable to figure out his own issues, and it left him feeling frustrated.]

[He considered asking Iruka for help but immediately dismissed the idea when he recalled Iruka's previous attitude toward him.]

[As for the Third Hokage, the old man had been very busy over the past two years. Since giving Naruto the scroll, he hadn't visited him even once.]

[At times, Naruto wondered if the old man had passed away.]

[Then there was the braided man who had taught him how to throw a shuriken—Naruto hadn't seen him since either.]

[Stretching lazily, Naruto turned his gaze toward an empty seat in the classroom.]

["Wow! Look, Naruto's looking in my direction!"]

["No way, he's looking at me!"]

["...."]

[After two years of intense training, Naruto had grown stronger and more disciplined. His self-imposed standards for his appearance had also improved significantly, boosting his popularity among the girls in the class to rival Sasuke's.]

[Particularly after beating Sasuke in a shuriken contest two years ago, Naruto's approachable demeanor made him more likable than Sasuke, whose stern attitude was off-putting.]

[Unfortunately, the empty seat Naruto was staring at belonged to Sasuke.]

["This guy is really strange. He studies so hard but skipped class today."]

[Naruto muttered under his breath but didn't think too much about it.]

["Maybe he's sick." Of course, without Sasuke's cold stares every day, the class atmosphere felt a lot more comfortable to Naruto.]

-Nani?!

This scene stunned Naruto's contemporaries.

Naruto... Naruto?!

He had actually become the most popular guy in the class.

Impossible. It had to be some kind of hallucination.

But the crowd of enthusiastic girls chanting Naruto's name left no doubt—it was indeed him, not Sasuke.

And then the realization hit them: Sasuke was absent today.

Suddenly, everything clicked.

Sasuke rarely missed class, but the only time he did so each year was during the anniversary of the Uchiha clan's massacre.

Even more confused was Naruto himself.

His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the screen.

- Why?!

- Why was I being stared at by girls during that time? And why was sasuke the one being idolized later on?!

What disgusted him the most was how completely opposite their roles seemed to be in the other world.

Uzumaki Naruto: "Damn! Why do I feel like his life and mine are completely reversed?"

Uchiha Sasuke: "...."

Haruno Sakura: "...."

Yamanaka Ino: "Naruto, the two of you started life similarly. The only difference is that he spent all his energy on spiritual practice."

Aburame Shino: "If you want to ask why, it's simple. Girls like boys who are handsome and strong. Naruto, you're not ugly, but your constant pranks make you less appealing in their eyes."

Inuzuka Kiba: "I don't agree, and I don't agree. Why is Naruto so popular in that world? Shouldn't it be me, Inuzuka Kiba?"

Inuzuka Hana: "Shut up, you stinky brother. Stop embarrassing yourself."

[At the last row of the classroom...]

[Naruto felt a little tired after studying all morning.]

[He looked out of the window, his thoughts wandering.]

[Today, Sasuke had not come to class again.]

[Naruto felt a bad premonition building in his heart.]

[A few nights ago, he had gone to the back mountain to practice as usual, but he was stopped by a masked ninja who forbade him from going out that night.]

[What made it even more outrageous was that the masked, purple-haired ninja stayed at his home all night to keep watch over him.]

[The next day, Sasuke didn't come to class.]

[Naruto didn't know if the two events were connected, but he had an unsettling feeling that something big was about to happen.]

["This afternoon's class is scheduled for self-study,"] Iruka announced.

["Please read the books I handed out on Konoha Village's history."]

["I have a meeting this afternoon, so you all must stay in the classroom and not wander around."]

[Naruto glanced at Iruka and noticed that the teacher's expression seemed unusually grim.]

[The bad premonition in Naruto's heart grew stronger and stronger.]

["Hey, have you heard?"]

[Shortly after Iruka left, whispers began spreading in the classroom.]

["Something big happened with Sasuke and the Uchiha clan."]

["Ah! What happened?"]

["I overheard my father chatting with his friends. They said Sasuke's family was killed, and he's the only one left."]

["What!? Don't talk nonsense."]

["Didn't you notice Sensei Iruka's face earlier? I think he knows something."]

What!?

The Uchiha clan was wiped out?

[Naruto, overhearing the whispers, was instantly shocked.]

[He vividly remembered how much of Sasuke's pride when they first entered school stemmed from his family.]

[And he had heard that almost all of them were elite ninjas of Konoha Village.]

[Yet, such a powerful family had been completely wiped out—and within Konoha Village itself.]

[As soon as this news sank in, Naruto's face darkened.]

[Even the Uchiha clan could be killed in Konoha Village. What kind of world was this ninja world?]

[Naruto sat there in a daze, stunned by the revelation.]

[Life in Konoha Village was generally peaceful. Except for the villagers' bad attitude toward him, most people wore warm smiles and treated others kindly.]

[But now, the idea that such a powerful family could disappear overnight...]

[This kind of news was like thunder to Naruto.]

["Does this mean I can't even be as strong as the Uchiha clan?"]

[Thinking of this, Naruto trembled slightly, his mind racing.]

["No, I can't let this happen.

There's no time to waste.

I must become stronger—so strong that no one in this world will ever dare to bully me."]