The Hokage was truly furious when he learned about Naruto’s issues with all the stores in Konoha.

Apparently, Naruto was reluctant to share his problems with him because he was always busy, and Naruto didn’t want to be an extra burden.

Sasuke shared Naruto’s problems with the Hokage and informed him about his arrangements. Hiruzen was grateful for Sasuke’s kindness but told him that he would take care of Naruto’s problems because they were his mistakes.

Naruto felt uncomfortable the whole time.

After saying goodbye, Sasuke took a bath and went straight to bed.

---

The next morning, Sasuke greeted everyone as his new instructor, Daikoku Funeno, introduced him to his new class. Daikoku had been Itachi’s instructor in the academy and had previously told Sasuke that he expected great things from him.

'I wonder what his opinion is now after Itachi’s killing spree. It’s better to avoid him and ask Iruka for help in calligraphy, as I had originally planned.'

As the new kid in class, he was once again the center of attention. This class mostly consisted of clanless kids, and Sasuke lost his chance to make important social connections. However, he still had to promote the personality of a future Hokage who is fair, polite, and doesn’t make distinctions.

Once again, many girls showed interest in him and introduced themselves during breaks. However, this time he had competition: Neji Hyuga, a genius with the Byakugan.

'Hyuga’s Gentle Fist is one of the strongest taijutsu styles in this world. He would be a good partner to help me adapt to my new body. I need to make him my rival in class. However, Uchiha taijutsu style is not enough for him. I need to combine my Hakuda techniques with the Uchiha style. The most powerful Hakuda techniques can only be emulated if I manage to freely control chakra through all my body parts and attain better control of my muscles and bones. However, right now, I can only emulate the basic fighting styles. Either way, gradual change is better and won’t create suspicions with my watchers.'

It was once again time for the running exercise, and Sasuke found himself in the third place. Sasuke was pleasantly surprised. He expected Neji to be faster than him for the time being but didn’t expect the strange kid, Rock Lee, to be so advanced. Rock Lee already had a one-turn advantage against him and almost half a turn against Neji.

After that, Sasuke lost the first place to Neji Hyuga in the shuriken throw. The kid managed to hit 10/10 easily. Also, he shared the second place with a girl called Tenten.

It was time for Taijutsu, and Sasuke decided to copy Neji’s Gentle Fist. However, Neji obliterated the kid with a simple normal punch. Then he turned and faced him with a cocky smile. Sasuke smiled back.

'It seems that I don’t really need to do anything to make this kid my rival,' Sasuke thought.

'Rock Lee and Sasuke Uchiha,' Daikoku sensei said.

'I need to take this a little seriously considering how weak my current body is. It’s a little embarrassing not being able to hit 10/10 in shuriken throw. I need to adapt to my new body as soon as possible,' Sasuke thought.

Both contestants made the Seal of Confrontation, and the spar began.

Hakuda is the combination of a thousand combat styles. As a pinnacle captain, Aizen had already mastered Hakuda to grand master level. He wasn’t focused on it like Yoruichi, but that’s because his other powers were much stronger. But to play around with these kids? A walk in the park.

The arena was charged with tension as Rock Lee unleashed a straight punch aimed at Sasuke. The air reverberated with the force of the blow, but Sasuke smoothly sidestepped, utilizing a sidelong shifting maneuver.

Sensing an opportunity, Rock Lee followed up with a sweeping roundhouse kick. However, Sasuke, having observed the pattern, executed a precise block using a classic Karate technique. With a well-timed redirection, Sasuke seamlessly transitioned into a fluid, circular motion, guiding the force of the kick harmlessly past.

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As the confrontation continued, Rock Lee attempted a series of rapid punches, each one propelled by his great strength. Sasuke, drawing upon the principles of one of Hakuda styles, employed the concept of trapping. Swiftly closing the distance, Sasuke intercepted the punches, nullifying their impact and exposing vulnerabilities in Rock Lee’s guard.

In a surprising turn, Sasuke smoothly transitioned into a Judo-inspired hip throw, leveraging the raw strength of Rock Lee against him. The arena floor resonated with the thud of impact as Lee found himself momentarily airborne before crashing down.

Despite the initial shock, Rock Lee rose with determination. Unleashing a barrage of kicks, he aimed to overwhelm his opponent. Sasuke, drawing from his knowledge of the Uchiha style, deftly blocked and checked each kick, turning defense into offense with well-placed counterattacks.

As Lee lunged forward with a powerful charge, Sasuke smoothly executed a flowing blend of redirection and joint manipulation. Rock Lee found himself entangled and off-balance before losing consciousness.

The class fell silent as Sasuke stood victorious with his superior taijutsu. At the same time, Sasuke faced Hyuga Neji with a smile and blinked at him.

A loud cheer erupted in the whole class. This was the best spar they had seen in the academy. Even Daikoku-sensei was surprised as he was helping Rock Lee recover.

Rock Lee faced Sasuke and spoke with a giant smile full of excitement.

‘Sasuke-kun, this was the most youthful fight ever. From now onwards, we are rivals. Let’s face each other again!’

‘It was a great fight, Lee. I want to improve my taijutsu, and you are a great opponent. We can arrange sparrings whenever you want,’ Sasuke replied happily.

‘Yosh!’ Rock Lee shouted, and both opponents made the Seal of Reconciliation.

---

For the next three days, Sasuke continued with his training, and everything went according to his plans. He increased his extra weight to 15 kgs, and he managed to perform two hours of tree walking. Today, he was planning to start his water walking training.

However, after the end of the academy, he was approached by Sakura and Ino. They were both extremely sad about his departure from their class and wanted to train together with him.

Sasuke agreed, but before the training, Sasuke wanted to visit a weapon store to find a good katana. His swordsmanship was one of his greatest skills, and he needed to get his body used to it once again. He searched for a good katana in his clan but only found good broadswords and longswords.

The group visited two stores, but Sasuke didn’t manage to find a good katana. Their third destination was a store with the name ‘Ninja Tools Roll Roll Roll,’ and to his surprise, his new classmate Tenten greeted them from behind the counter.

“Hello Sasuke. Are these your friends?” she said with a smirk on her face.

Sasuke had already taken notice of this girl from the shuriken throw. He immediately replied, ‘These are my friends Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka. And girls, this is my new classmate Tenten. She is really good with shurikens.’

The girls greeted each other, and his old classmates viewed the new one with suspicion.

“How can I help you guys?” Tenten asked.

“I am looking for your best katana. I want it to have great durability. Money is not a problem,” Sasuke said.

Tenten nodded with excitement. Immediately, she went in the door behind the counter and asked them to wait. After five minutes, she returned with a middle-aged man with a katana in his hands.

“Hello Uchiha-san. My daughter told me that you want our best katana and you want great durability. I have exactly what you are looking for. “

"This is Yūgen Kōrin. It is born of the sacred union between Chakra Metal and the artistry of the Murakami clan, unlike any other. Feel its weight, or rather, the lack thereof."

He handed the sword to Sasuke, who marveled at its surprisingly light yet resilient feel.

"Chakra Metal, young Uchiha, is a material chosen by the Murakami for its unique properties. Lightweight, tougher than any ordinary metal, and impervious to chakra-based attacks. It is a canvas upon which the Murakami forged their legacy."

The man gestured to the blade, its edges gleaming with eternal sharpness. "The secret lies in the forging method, which unfortunately is unknown.’

Having a good katana in his hands after so long, Sasuke immediately felt a connection with it.

“How much does it cost?” Sasuke asked, having already decided to buy it.

“4,000,000 Ryo,” the man said.

Sasuke knew that the minimum price for an S-rank mission was 1,000,000 Ryo. ‘Considering that this weapon is impervious to chakra-based attacks, it can make the difference between life and death. It's definitely worth the money, but only fools don’t negotiate the price,’ Sasuke thought.

After a bit of negotiation, Sasuke was able to obtain the katana for 3,700,000 Ryo.

---

After exiting the store with Ino and Sakura, his new classmate Tenten followed them and asked him.

“Sasuke, will you train with your Katana now? I really want to see it in use,” Tenten asked excited.

“Actually, the plan was to train with Ino and Sakura, but if you tag along with us, I will give you a demonstration and then we can all train together,” Sasuke said with a smile.

“Perfect, I will come with you,” said Tenten happily but failed to notice the hateful gaze of the two girls.