Naruto: The Chosen Undead

Read advance chapters of all my works or want to support me.

https/www.p.a.t.r.e.on/Adamo_Amet

Join us on discord:

https://di..scord.gg/h3kDw7ma

••••••••••••••••••

Chapter no.68 What Do You Want, Sasuke?

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Well, Team 7, I have to say, everyone's been showing a lot of improvement. Sakura, how's the Barrier Corps treating you?"

"It's tough," Sakura admitted, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Iwashi-sensei doesn't go easy on me, but I can see why you picked him."

Kakashi nodded, pleased.

"And you, refining your kenjutsu through sheer stubbornness and… I'm guessing hundreds of shadow clones?"

Naruto puffed up with pride. "What can I say? I'm a natural genius."

Yeah, like Kakashi believed a word of that. Thousands of shadow clones to figure out swordsmanship was one thing, but Naruto didn't have that one thing. Stances, grips, footwork—all of it couldn't magically be perfected through trial and error, no matter how many clones he used, especially in the span of a day.

As far as Kakashi knew, Naruto had only been taught the basics by Tenten. Basics were information, not instinct. You couldn't just conjure up the level of refined skill Naruto had displayed—effortlessly, at that—by fumbling your way through it. No, the more Kakashi thought about it, the more it solidified the theory that Naruto had already mastered this and was simply pretending. Pretending to be a beginner, pretending to figure things out.

And if Naruto was so keen on hiding these abilities, why show off his swordsmanship now? Why go through the effort to keep that hidden, while freely revealing other things like that shockwave technique, the fire jutsu, or even that ridiculous armor and sword? None of it added up.

Kakashi felt the tension building behind his temple, the start of what was sure to be an aneurysm-inducing headache.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he pushed down his rising frustration. With a flick of his wrist, his orange book came down on Naruto's head with a soft thwap.

"Humility, Naruto," Kakashi said. "It's a good trait to have."

Naruto rubbed his head, grumbling, "It's true, though…"

"And you, Sasuke? Still working on your painting?"

Sasuke gave a curt nod, his brush moving smoothly over the canvas. "Hn."

Kakashi laid onto Sakura's mat and flipped open his book. "So, same plan as yesterday: personalized training. Unless anyone has something specific they need?"

Sakura raised her hand. "Actually, I could use some extra help with barrier techniques."

Kakashi snapped his fingers, and one of his clones materialized beside her. "All yours," the original said as the clone nodded and shunshined away with Sakura.

Naruto crossed his arms. "Can I get a powerful jutsu? Something that makes everyone know I'm awesome."

Would this mean Naruto would suddenly start showing off more ninjutsu under this new excuse? Kakashi wondered, his mind racing.

"Academics?" he asked, keeping his tone casual.

He needed time—time to process the boy's rapidly unfolding abilities, time to report this to the Hokage, before Naruto inevitably hit him with some new, mind-breaking jutsu that would send his headache into overdrive.

Still, that left him curious. What exactly was Naruto's chakra nature?

Naruto groaned. "Should've put more points into intelligence," he muttered, walking off with a grumble as one of Kakashi's clones followed him.

Sasuke and Kakashi were left alone as the faint sound of leaves rustling filled the silence between them. Sasuke dipped his brush into the ink, his strokes slow and deliberate. The dark pigment glided across the canvas, his hand steady despite the storm roiling inside him.

"Exciting morning," Kakashi said lightly, breaking the quiet.

"Hn," Sasuke replied, his voice barely audible.

The silence returned, tense and thick. Kakashi turned a page, eyes skimming the text, but his focus wasn't on the book. His gaze flicked to Sasuke's painting, then back to the boy.

"Got bored of just practicing strokes of ink with chakra?"

"It doesn't waste enough of my time," Sasuke replied flatly, his brush moving with precision.

"So… what do you think of Naruto's new kenjutsu?"

Sasuke's hand froze for the briefest moment, so brief that most wouldn't have noticed. But Kakashi wasn't most.

"You were watching?"

"Of course," Kakashi said. "It's hard not to when someone goes from flailing like a child to wielding a massive sword like a seasoned warrior overnight. Quite the transformation, don't you think?"

"You're impressed," Sasuke said, his tone clipped.

"I am," Kakashi admitted freely. "Naruto's come a long way, hasn't he? Physically stronger than most jonin, and that's just scratching the surface. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if he surpassed me one day."

The words landed like a blow, though Sasuke tried to mask the reaction. His jaw clenched, and his strokes turned more erratic.

Kakashi studied him quietly. "I wonder," he said after a pause, "what Naruto will think when he finds out you've been copying his moves with your Sharingan."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm not trying to say anything. I'm just pointing out how interesting it is that you, with all your natural talent and your Sharingan, feel the need to keep up with Naruto by copying him."

"I don't need to copy him," Sasuke bit out, his voice sharp.

"Don't you?"

"Really, you saw Naruto kick through that tree, saw him swing that oversized sword like it weighed nothing, and now you're wondering how the hell you're supposed to catch up. Am I close?"

"Enough," Sasuke snapped, his voice cold and cutting.

But Kakashi didn't stop. "Does it bother you, Sasuke?" he asked softly. "Knowing he's ahead of you again?"

Sasuke's hands trembled faintly, the broken brush falling to the ground. He didn't look up, his eyes fixed on the dark ink pooling on the paper.

"I was supposed to be the genius," he muttered. "I was supposed to be the one destined for greatness. And yet, he just keeps… surpassing me. Like it's nothing."

"Is that why you're upset? Because Naruto's stronger than you? Or is it because you're afraid?"

"Afraid of what?"

"Of being left behind," Kakashi said simply.

Sasuke flinched, though he tried to hide it, his expression hardening into a mask of indifference.

"What would you know about it?" Sasuke bit out. "You don't understand. You don't know what it's like to lose everything. To have nothing left but the goal of avenging your family."

Kakashi sighed, closing his book and setting it aside. "You're right," he said. "I don't know what it's like to lose everything. I only know what it's like to lose everything. My father. My sensei. My friends. My team."

Sasuke's glare faltered.

"But that's not the point, is it?" Kakashi continued. "It's not about what I've lost or what you've lost. It's about what you're doing with the pain. And right now, you're letting it consume you. You're letting it blind you to what you still have."

"I don't have anything," Sasuke spat. "Not really."

"Don't you?" Kakashi asked. "You have teammates who would fight and bleed for you without hesitation. You have people who want to see you grow stronger—not so they can compete with you, but because they care about you."

"They're just obstacles."

"No," Kakashi said firmly. "They're your greatest strengths. You just can't see it because you're too busy tearing yourself down every time they succeed. You see their progress, and instead of feeling proud, you feel threatened. And that's the real tragedy, Sasuke. Not your loss, not your pain—but the fact that you refuse to let yourself be happy."

Sasuke's throat tightened. He wanted to argue, to lash out, to deny everything Kakashi was saying. But the words wouldn't come.

"Revenge won't fill the void, Sasuke. I've seen what it does to people. It doesn't heal. It doesn't bring peace. It just leaves you emptier than before."

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Stop chasing shadows," Kakashi said. "Stop measuring yourself against Naruto and Sakura. Stop carrying this weight on your own." He paused. "You're not alone, Sasuke. You don't have to be. And the people you've lost? They wouldn't want this for you. They wouldn't want you to destroy yourself trying to live up to something they never asked for."

The words hit harder than Sasuke wanted to admit. He looked down, his bangs hiding his eyes.

Kakashi stepped back, giving him space. "Think about it, Sasuke," he said. "About what you want—and about what it's costing you."

He turned and walked away, leaving Sasuke alone with the broken brush, the unfinished painting, and the storm raging in his mind.

Sasuke stared at the shattered pieces in his hand, his thoughts a tangled mess of anger, frustration, and something else he couldn't name. He hated Kakashi for saying those things. But more than that, he hated the part of himself that couldn't ignore them.

"What do you want, Sasuke?" Kakashi's voice echoed in his mind.

Sasuke closed his eyes, his grip tightening on the broken brush. I don't know.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

[ Personal Note: First off, thanks a ton to all of you for sticking with this story. Seriously, you guys are awesome. Now, if you're interested in supporting me on P@treon, let me just say that over there, I post these massive 5k-word chapters. But heads up, if you're jumping to P@treon, you'll need to start from Chapter 32, since that's where this chapter lines up with the content there.

To everyone here just reading along, please don't forget to leave a comment! Honestly, your comments make my day, and they let me know you're as invested in this story as I am. So yeah, thanks again, and I hope you have an amazing rest of your day!