#80

Naruto froze.

He hadn't expected Sasuke to be so cold, so decisive.

His mouth opened on instinct, the words pouring out before he could stop them. "Sasuke, I get it. I've been alone too, and I know how much it hurts." His voice wavered. "I know—"

Sasuke cut him off with a sharp glare. "Don't compare your suffering to mine."

Naruto flinched.

"Did you watch your parents die in front of you? Your entire family slaughtered while you stood powerless?"

Naruto couldn't answer.

"You lived in malice," Sasuke continued, his voice ice-cold. "I live in nightmares. Malice can be changed, but nightmares?"

He shook his head and turned away.

Naruto clenched his fists. "Sasuke, just hear me out!"

Sasuke stopped, barely glancing over his shoulder. "Fine. If you can beat me in the Desert Storm F4 competition, I'll give you a chance."

And just like that, he walked away, Karin trailing behind him with a smug grin.

Sakura frowned. "Naruto… what the hell is Desert Storm?"

Naruto scratched his head. "No idea. But I know where to find out."

The old man at the ramen stand, Sanji, was more than happy to explain.

"Desert Storm? It's a high-speed racing competition out in the desert. Hiddem Sand Ninja Village's latest obsession. Since the village started mass-producing cars, racing became the new thrill for young people.

It started out simple—just a bunch of kids pushing the limits of speed—but now? It's a full-fledged event, with official rankings and rules."

Naruto leaned in. "And F4?"

Sanji chuckled, shaking his head.

"That's the highest and most dangerous level. Long, unforgiving tracks, unpredictable terrain, and—" he tapped the counter for emphasis

 "—no rules. Anything goes. Attack your opponent, sabotage their car—whatever it takes to win. Only the toughest survive."

Naruto whistled. "And Sasuke won that?"

"He's the reigning champion," Sanji confirmed. "You sure you can take him on, kid?"

Naruto grinned. "I'll beat him for sure."

Sanji smirked and slid a business card across the counter. "Then you'll need a car. My nephew runs a second-hand dealership. Go see what you can afford."

Naruto looked at his wallet. He barely had anything.

Two days later, Naruto and Sakura set out for the race in the only vehicle he could afford.

A three-wheeled, beat-up junker.

Sakura, sitting in the back, looked ready to explode. "Naruto! I gave you all my money, and THIS is what you bought?!"

Naruto laughed, gripping the handlebars. "It's all I could afford, but it's got a chakra-powered engine. The guy swore it could go as fast as a missile."

Sakura crossed her arms, unimpressed. "I swear, if we die before even getting to the track—"

"Relax!" Naruto grinned. "Watch this."

He channeled chakra into the engine.

The trike lurched forward, kicking up a storm of sand as it shot across the desert. The wind roared in their ears, grains of sand smacking against their faces. Sakura shrieked, clinging to her seat for dear life.

"Okay, okay! I get it! Just slow down!"

Naruto laughed, easing up on the speed. "Told ya! This baby's got power."

Sakura exhaled, running a hand through her wind-blown hair. "You better pray it holds up against Sasuke."

"Don't worry." Naruto gave her a thumbs-up. "I'm gonna win. And I'm bringing him home."

Two hours later, the track was nowhere in sight.

Sakura groaned. "Naruto, are you SURE we're going the right way?"

Naruto checked the map, frowning. "I think so… everything looks the same."

They glanced around. The village was long gone, replaced by endless dunes of golden sand.

They were lost.

Just as panic began to set in, an engine roared in the distance. A massive off-road vehicle rolled up beside them, kicking up a small sandstorm.

A figure leaned out, waving.

"Yo! Need a ride?"

Naruto and Sakura cheered in excitement.

"Yeah! We're really doing this! We're joining the F4 race!"

Yoruya glanced at their tricycle and burst into laughter. "Hah! You two seriously think you're competing with that thing?"

They both nodded without hesitation.

Yoruya smirked. "Alright then, suit yourselves. Just follow us, we're heading to the track too."

Naruto and Sakura beamed. "That's great! Thanks a lot!"

Yoruya waved dismissively. "It's our team's job to assist both contestants and spectators. No big deal. Just remember to pay attention to those navigation pillars next time."

He pointed at a column-like dune in the distance.

Naruto blinked. "That's a pillar? I thought it was just a sand dune."

Sakura sighed before delivering a firm smack to the back of his head. "Just drive."

As they drove, one of Yoruya's teammates leaned over. "Captain, are we seriously taking them to the competition? Their ride is a joke."

Yoruya chuckled.

"Let them try if they want to. They'll figure out soon enough that they don't belong here. That tricycle won't last more than a few minutes before they understand the gap between them and the real racers."

Naruto's tricycle sped down the track, joining the convoy of heavily modified, high-speed racing machines.

The contrast was ridiculous.

The Sand Village had constructed a massive half-open stadium near the track, providing seats for thousands of spectators along with an official referee area.

Every race drew in massive crowds, but F4 races? Those were always packed to capacity.

Today was no different.

The stands were already full, buzzing with excitement as eager fans waited for the race to begin.

 On the track, twenty vehicles lined up, their pilots preparing for the chaos ahead.

The crowd erupted into cheers as Yoruya's vehicle rolled into the arena.

He picked up the microphone, and his voice boomed over the loudspeakers.

"Alright, everyone! Today's race is about to begin!"

A roar of excitement spread through the stadium.

Yoruya continued, "Let's go over the rules real quick. As always, the F4 race has no rules—except one. No killing."

The crowd booed, impatient.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Other than that, the only requirement is that both the racer and the car must cross the finish line after ten laps. You lose either one, you're out."

More boos. Everyone knew these rules by heart.

"Alright, alright! Settle down! Before we start, we've got a new racer joining us today. Let's get him registered first."

The crowd murmured in curiosity as Yoruya stepped out of his car and approached Naruto. Then, laughter erupted throughout the stadium.

Naruto, sitting proudly on his rickety tricycle, was a complete joke compared to the other racers.

Naruto and Sakura swallowed hard as they took in the competition.

Every other vehicle was a pod racer—sleek, futuristic machines with massive engines pulling the cockpit behind them, hovering effortlessly above the ground.

Each one was built for insane speeds and brutal collisions.

And then there was Naruto… on a tricycle.

Across the track, Sasuke stood beside his twin-engine, black-and-red pod racer, his arms crossed, his gaze cold and unreadable.

"Naruto, stop wasting your time," he called out. "You can't win."

Naruto's hands tightened around the handlebars. "We'll see about that!"

From the stands, Karin cheered loudly. "Let's go, Sasuke! Show them why you're the champion!"

A wave of Sasuke's fans erupted into chants.

"Sasuke is number one!"

"Sasuke's taking this easy!"

Meanwhile, Yoruya eyed Naruto's registration form. "Huh, a ninja from Konoha, huh? That explains a lot. Well, kid, just do your best. Doesn't matter if you win or lose, just enjoy the experience."

Naruto grinned, pumping his fist. "I'm not here to lose!"

Yoruya chuckled before climbing back into his car. He grabbed the mic once more.

"Alright, everyone! The race is officially starting!"

A massive countdown appeared on the big screen.

5…

4…

3…

2…

1…

A moment of silence.

Then—

ZIIIIIII!

The engines of the pod racers screamed to life, their energy thrusters igniting in a burst of light. As soon as the countdown hit zero—

WHOOSH!

They shot off like missiles, roaring across the desert, their cockpits barely trailing behind their massive engines.

Naruto?

Naruto hadn't even moved.

A storm of sand blasted into his face as the other racers left him in the dust. By the time he managed to kick-start his tricycle, he was already alone on the track.

The stadium exploded with laughter.

"Oh, man! This is priceless!"

"A tricycle? Seriously?!"

Naruto gritted his teeth, gripping the handlebars tighter.

"NARUTO, GO FOR IT!" Sakura's voice rang out over the noise. "DON'T GIVE UP!"

Naruto's resolve burned. He took a deep breath and poured his chakra into the engine.

The tricycle sputtered… then roared.

With a determined shout, Naruto took off, struggling to pick up speed.

Meanwhile, Yoruya activated his communicator. "All observation points and rescue stations, be ready. The race is officially underway."

A flurry of voices responded.

"Copy that."

"Surveillance drones deployed."

Above the track, high-speed drones zipped through the sky, capturing every moment of the race and feeding it back to the stadium's big screen.

The crowd gasped as they watched the intense battle between the pod racers. Two vehicles clashed mid-air, struggling for position.

BOOM!

One of them lost control, flipping violently through the air before crashing into the dunes.

A moment later, the engine detonated in a fiery explosion.

Naruto's eyes widened.

'This is insane!'

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Word count: 1532

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