Chapter 36: CH 36
Sasuke, just now getting his breathing back to normal, stood and glared at Naruto, "How did you hit me so easily? You were never this good before!"
Naruto set back into a ready stance, "Well this isn't before is it? You can't hit me fighting the way you do. Trying to beat me with taijutsu would be like you trying to fight Kakashi with taijutsu, except I won't be so nice about it. No gimme shots for you to boost your ego, if you try that again I will be breaking something." Sasuke growled at Naruto, "What do you mean 'gimme shots'?" Sasuke rushed right back in as Naruto sighed in response and began defending, "Face it dobe! Those other losers couldn't match up to me!"
Naruto narrowed his eyes and caught Sasuke's fist in his grip before slamming a fist deep into his body. Sasuke dropped to his knees, spitting out blood and coughing once more. Naruto punted him in the ribs and sent him rolling for a few feet, "I meant what I said. When Kakashi trained you during the month before the finals he said he worked on your taijutsu and speed, how hard did he hit you? What was the hardest that Kakashi hit you?"
Naruto picked up Sasuke by his collar and smashed him in the face once more, "Did he ever hit you so hard that he hurt himself? Did he ever hit you so hard you actually lost consciousness for more than a day? If your answer is no then you're way more under me than I thought."
Naruto held him by his collar as Sasuke struggled to get out. Sasuke managed to reel off a shot that hit Naruto in the face, but all it did was force Naruto to turn his head, Naruto quirked his mouth before head-butting Sasuke in the face, sending him falling to the ground holding his now broken nose. Sasuke looked up to Naruto, blood coming through his finger and tears forming in his eyes.
Naruto shot a cold gaze downward, "You think you're strong but you're not as good as you think. You've been lead to believe that you're Kami's gift to Konoha, but you're not, you're just another genin with a bloodline, and that doesn't make you special at all. All you had over everyone else was a leg up and an entire village at your back."
Sasuke stood back up glaring with death in his eyes at Naruto who scoffed at his attempt at killing intent, "I'm done talking to you. Let me show you what I mean the hard way."
As Naruto finished speaking Sasuke jumped away, not really wanting to get in close with Naruto again. Sasuke flipped through hand-signs and put his fingers to his mouth, "Katon: Goukakyu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Grand Fireball Jutsu)!"
The fireball launched at Naruto who didn't move. The fireball collided with Naruto much to the approval of the crowd who up until that point were sitting on their hands. Sasuke smirked at the ruin he had created until the fire cleared and a charred log was left behind, remnants of a kawarimi. Sasuke scanned the immediate area swiftly, preparing his body for any response that it could take. He turned his head as he saw Naruto emerge from the tree in the arena, rushing at him. As he turned to react he took a sharp blow in one of his blind spots, revealing another Naruto that was currently pummeling him. The first Naruto who had gotten his notice had dispelled while the other Naruto attacked.