Dubious Treasure

"Ahem." Sasuke spat out a mouthful of blood, clutching his abdomen as he struggled to stand. His legs wobbled, and with a defeated groan, he crumpled to the ground again.

His chakra was in disarray, his ribs felt like shattered glass, and the dull ache in his abdomen told him his internal organs weren't faring any better.

"How... how is this possible? An ugly girl..." Sasuke muttered, disbelief plastered across his face as he stared up at Haruno Sakura.

The air still buzzed from the force of her punch, a blow that could rival an B-rank Wind Style technique. This wasn't the same timid Sakura who had once been nothing more than a tag-along in Team 7 missions.

No. This Sakura had transformed into someone unrecognizable.

The genius of the Uchiha clan... bested by her?!

First, he had lost to Naruto. That was bad enough. But now, Sakura? This had to be some cruel cosmic joke.

"Am I..." Sasuke swallowed hard, his pride stinging worse than his broken ribs. "The weakest... in Team 7?"

The thought was unbearable.

"Damn it!" Sasuke hissed, his eyes flaring with a mix of anger and desperation. Ignoring the searing pain in his side, he forced himself upright, chakra swirling clumsily in his hand as a Rasengan began to form.

"Take this!" he growled, staggering toward Sakura like a man possessed.

Unfortunately, he only managed two steps before his legs gave out, sending him crashing face-first into the dirt. The Rasengan fizzled out, leaving nothing but a small, unimpressive crater.

"Damn it... damn it... DAMN IT!" Sasuke pounded the ground weakly, his pride crumbling with every second. He was supposed to be an avenger, someone destined to gain power beyond anyone else. So why... why was this happening?

Sakura knelt beside him, her expression soft but determined. Light blue chakra glowed from her hands as she began to heal his injuries.

"Sasuke," she said gently, "you were wide open. I had no choice but to take the opportunity."

Her words only made his humiliation worse.

This wasn't just brute strength. Sakura had anticipated his moves, willingly taking a hit to create an opening. She had outsmarted him.

And all because of Gojo's unorthodox training.

Two minutes later, Sasuke's wounds were mostly healed, but his pride was far from mended. He shoved Sakura away with what little strength he had left.

"Don't touch me!" he barked, limping toward the waterfall. He needed to train. He needed to be stronger—stronger than Naruto, stronger than Sakura, stronger than anyone.

Sakura watched him leave, worry flickering in her eyes. "Sasuke..." she murmured under her breath.

In her ear, Gojo's voice chimed in through a sound transmission jutsu, casual as ever. "Nicely done, Sakura-chan. Don't go soft on him, though. That humiliation is the fertilizer he needs to grow his Mangekyō."

Sakura sighed. "Gojo-sensei, please be serious. And what's a Mangekyō?"

"Ah, it's complicated. Just think of it as a super-cheat code for the Uchiha clan," Gojo replied breezily.

Sakura blinked. That didn't explain anything.

Before she could ask further, Gojo added, "Anyway, great job. I'll teach you Earth Style: Weighted Rock later. For now, I'm busy breaking in that knucklehead fox brat."

Meanwhile, atop Mao Mountain, the scene was anything but serene.

"Is this him? Meow," said a black cat wearing a white silk dress, a pearl necklace glinting around its neck. It circled Naruto, sniffing him with curiosity.

This was no ordinary cat. It was the boss's younger sister, known affectionately—or not—as 'Katie.' And she did not like dogs. Especially those summon beasts Kakashi was so fond of.

"Smells like a fox," she said, her voice lilting with interest. She rubbed herself against Naruto's leg, purring loudly.

Naruto flinched, his face scrunching in horror. "Hey, cut that out, you weirdo cat!"

"Since you like him so much," Gojo said with a sly grin, "why don't you marry him?"

Naruto's eyes bulged. "WHAT?! Who wants to marry a cat?!"

Katie glared, her tail swishing menacingly. "Watch your mouth, brat. I've had lines of suitors stretching from the front of this mountain to the back."

Before Naruto could retort, her tail lashed out, slapping him across the face with a loud thwack.

"Ow! What the heck?!" Naruto fumed, rubbing the red mark on his cheek. "You dumb cat!"

"Enough!" Gojo interrupted, pulling out a lollipop and unwrapping it with one hand. "We're wasting time. Katie, give him the treasure."

"Right, meow." Katie the cat dug into a nearby pouch, her movements exaggeratedly dramatic. "For the sake of Mr. Gojo, I'll share the treasure of Mao Mountain with you."

Naruto's ears perked up. A treasure? Was it a legendary weapon? A rare scroll?

Katie finally pulled out... a fishbone.

Naruto stared at it, disbelief etched into his features. "This is a joke, right?"

"Not at all," Gojo said, popping the lollipop into his mouth. "That fishbone is packed with natural energy. It's priceless."

"It's a leftover fishbone!" Naruto shouted, waving it around. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

Katie rolled her eyes. "That 'leftover fishbone,' as you call it, absorbed more natural energy than the oils of Mount Myōboku. Use it wisely, or don't. Your loss, meow."

Naruto squinted at the fishbone suspiciously. "How do I know you're not just messing with me?"

"Simple," Gojo said, grinning. "You'll figure it out the hard way when you try to eat it."

Naruto groaned, slapping his forehead. Why did his training always have to be this weird?

But deep down, as frustrating as it all was, he couldn't help but feel a small spark of hope. Maybe, just maybe, this fishbone wasn't entirely useless.