Chapter 56:
"Today's taijutsu practice. I will now announce the matchups…"
After the morning classes ended, it was time for the afternoon taijutsu sparring session.
As expected, Naruto was once again paired against Sasuke.
The moment the match began, the outcome was decided in just a short time.
The Sasuke who had protected Naruto that morning now attacked with ruthless punches and kicks. He was far more serious than when he fought any other classmate.
"You bastard! Don't think that helping me up makes it okay. When I get the chance, I'll definitely knock you down!"
Naruto sat down grumpily after being helped to the side by Sasuke. Even though he had just been beaten, his mouth showed no sign of weakness or surrender.
"Naruto, do you usually get beaten like this at home too?"
Shikamaru had already finished his own match. He sat down beside Naruto, wanting to gossip about their daily life.
Although he knew Naruto got beaten often, the way Sasuke had gone all out just now was really brutal…
If this was how it was every day, they might need to think of a way to help Naruto. Maybe he should move out of the Uchiha house.
Getting beaten like that every day must hurt a lot.
"It's not exactly the same…"
Naruto flexed his arm, compared the sparring at home with what had just happened, and only then answered Shikamaru.
"That's good. If it was always like that, your body really might not be able to take it."
Shikamaru smiled and shook his head. He had been overthinking it.
Given how Naruto and Sasuke were, they were more like family. Training between family members was normal, but they definitely wouldn't hit too hard!
"The intensity just now was nothing compared to at home. He won't stop until I can't get up anymore…"
Naruto said the second half of the sentence only after Shikamaru had finished sighing in relief.
But he was telling the truth…
"Can't… get up?"
Shikamaru, who had just relaxed, suddenly widened his eyes. What had he just heard?
Even in a match, no one would keep hitting until the opponent literally couldn't stand up, right?
What kind of life was Naruto living at home? Was he just a punching bag for Sasuke?
"But he always lets me rest for a while before I have to cook. After training, if I don't rest, I won't be able to make dinner…"
Naruto spoke with a relaxed smile on his face. The words he said sounded painful, yet his smile was genuinely bright…
"Is your body really okay?"
Shikamaru glanced at Sasuke, who was now training alone on the other side. He was genuinely worried about Naruto's situation.
If it were him getting beaten to that extent and then still having to cook for the other person…
He definitely wouldn't be able to smile.
"I'm fine. My body is really strong. Actually, it's because I'm too stupid. Sasuke said he wants the people beside him to be evenly matched. I'm too weak, so I need to practice more. If our strengths don't match, whether as friends or anything else, I won't have the qualification to stand by his side…"
When Naruto said this, his eyes were filled with longing for the future.
But these words weren't really meant for Shikamaru. After all, Shikamaru's strength wasn't weak at all.
The Nara clan relied on brains. This genius would lose once during the Chunin Exams, but he would win a wife in the process…
Overall, he wasn't losing anything!
As for those girls, if they had any sense, they should seriously consider whether they were strong enough. If they weren't, they shouldn't dream of getting close to Sasuke — not even Sakura, who was the official pairing in the original plot.
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