Konoha: The Honored One

Time passed slowly as the Jonin supervising the exam watched the match unfold. At first, they were casual, perhaps expecting another typical Genin battle. But soon, their attention sharpened, especially on Sasuke Uchiha, whose power was becoming evident. Even Asuma Sarutobi , a seasoned Elite Jonin, raised an eyebrow in surprise. Sasuke's strength was far beyond what anyone had anticipated from a Genin.

Across from Sasuke stood the Yoroï Akadô, a bulky shinobi with an unsettling aura. He sneered, "Stinky boy, if I catch you, you will be dead. My ability is to absorb chakra!" His voice dripped with arrogance as the red copper armor slithered around him like a serpent, its presence suffocating the air.

It was a dangerous ability—absorbing chakra. It took time, but once it reached its peak, it could drain a ninja dry, leaving them powerless. But Sasuke seemed unfazed. His Sharingan glinted with cold contempt, and his lips curled into a smirk. "So what?" he scoffed.

"In the face of Uchiha's power, your ability is nothing but a joke!" Sasuke's eyes flared with the power of his Sharingan, and the tables turned in an instant.

Yoroï Akadô, once constricting Sasuke like a snake, now wrapped itself around its own user. Yoroï Akadô's face twisted in horror. "This... an illusion!" he realized too late, as his chakra was siphoned away by his own technique.

"That's it? Pathetic." Sasuke mocked, the disdain clear in his voice. He raised his right hand, channeling chakra into it. A light blue sphere began to form between his fingers, swirling and spinning faster and faster. "Rasengan!" Sasuke shouted, launching the spiraling ball of chakra into Yoroï Akadô's midsection.

The impact was deafening. Yoroï Akadô's eyes widened as he was blasted off his feet, blood spattering from his mouth. He was thrown back, spinning through the air like a ragdoll before crashing into the wall with a sickening thud. A small crater formed in the wall where he hit.

"Impossible..." Yoroï Akadô wheezed, clutching his bleeding stomach as he fell to the ground in agony. His body was broken—five ribs snapped, and his injuries were critical. He could barely move.

The spectators were stunned into silence. Rasengan. That jutsu was the signature technique of the Fourth Hokage, and to see a Genin use it with such proficiency was beyond shocking. Even the Jonin were left speechless.

"Did Sasuke just use Rasengan?" one whispered to another.

Sasuke didn't even break a sweat as he stood tall, looking down at his fallen opponent. "This is the power of the Uchiha. Your chakra absorption is meaningless against it."

Hiruzen, sitting atop the spectator stand, scowled in disapproval. "Gojo..." he muttered under his breath, glancing at the perpetually unbothered figure of Gojo Satoru standing nearby.

Gojo was munching on a lollipop, leaning casually against the rail as if watching a comedy show. He saw Hiruzen's scowl and gave him a lazy wave, unfazed. "What? It's just a Rasengan. No big deal."

Hiruzen clenched his pipe between his teeth, trying to remain composed. "Gojo Satoru, Rasengan is a dangerous jutsu. Teaching it to a Genin is reckless! What were you thinking?"

Gojo didn't look at all concerned. "Relax, old man," he said, eyes twinkling mischievously. "These kids are tough. Sasuke's a natural with jutsu like Rasengan. They'll handle it."

"Handle it? This is a jutsu that can tear apart even seasoned shinobi," Hiruzen said, clearly frustrated. "It's too risky for a kid like him to learn it so soon."

Gojo's grin only widened. "You think it's risky? Trust me, Sasuke's got this. And if he doesn't, well, it'll be one heck of a lesson, right?"

Asuma raised an eyebrow at Gojo's nonchalant attitude. "I'm still curious, though. How did you teach Sasuke to do it? Rasengan requires control of chakra that even some Jonin struggle with. Did you have some secret method?"

Gojo chuckled, looking at Asuma with a knowing smirk. "Secret method? Well... it's less about methods and more about making sure Sasuke had the right... 'motivation'."

Sasuke, now walking away from the battlefield, raised an eyebrow as he overheard the conversation. He wasn't one to boast, but this time, he couldn't resist. "The Rasengan was taught to me by my teacher, Gojo-sensei. Of course, no one else could've taught it to me."

The man in question shot him a thumbs-up from across the room. "That's my boy!" he cheered, not missing a beat.

Sasuke, a little embarrassed by Gojo's loud support, muttered under his breath, "Well, maybe... but still, I did most of the work."

Asuma was impressed despite himself. "So you taught him the Rasengan… you've really outdone yourself, Gojo-san."

"Of course, I'm the best teacher in the village. You should all be thanking me!" Gojo said with absolute confidence, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You're welcome, by the way."

Kurenai gave Gojo a skeptical look. "Are you really sure this is a good idea? What if Sasuke's power gets out of control?"

Gojo shrugged carelessly. "Eh, worst case, he gets a little cocky. But the kid's smart. He'll handle it. Besides, I'm right here if he needs any... extra guidance."

At this point, Kakashi cleared his throat, trying to regain some semblance of order. "Uh, right. Well, the winner of this match is Sasuke Uchiha. Congratulations."

The crowd erupted into applause, though many were still in shock from Sasuke's Rasengan. The next match was already being prepared. "Next up: Tenten vs. Temari."

Sasuke, his hands in his pockets, turned and walked off the field. But then he stopped abruptly, glancing over at Gojo, who was watching him with a grin. Sasuke's eyes narrowed, and he turned back to the fallen Yoroï Akadô an expression of annoyance crossing his face.

"The Rasengan was taught to me by Gojo-sensei," he muttered under his breath, adding in a slightly bitter tone, "Not that it mattered. You couldn't even land a hit."

Sasuke quickly walked off the stage, rubbing his temples in mild embarrassment. He hadn't meant to sound so cocky, but it was Gojo's constant reminder of how much he'd grown that pushed him into saying it.

Meanwhile, Tenten and Temari were preparing for their match. Both looked confident, their eyes locked in determination.

Gojo Satoru watched the scene unfold, an amused grin on his face. "Very nice, Sasuke," he said, giving the boy an imaginary thumbs-up. "You really know how to pretend to be humble."

"Wasting time…" Sasuke muttered, settling down on the side, leaning back against a wall as he shut his eyes.

Kurenai leaned toward Gojo. "So, can you share your 'teaching techniques' with me? I mean, really, how do you get them to learn these impossible jutsu?"

Gojo grinned, "You want my secrets? Sure, but only if you help me rub my back with all that 'humiliation' you keep getting from Sasuke."

Kurenai raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "You're insufferable."

Gojo just winked, chewing on his lollipop. "It's all part of the process, Red. All part of the process."

Hinata Hyūga , shy and awkward as always, approached Gojo with a piece of candy in hand. "M-Mr. Gojo... it's… it's for you," she stammered, her cheeks blushing.

Gojo looked down at her, pausing mid-lollipop. "Language barrier, Hinata? Is that your way of asking me for candy?"

Hinata's face turned even redder, causing Kurenai to chuckle quietly from the side.

"Well, whatever. It's delicious," Gojo said, popping the candy into his mouth. He gave Hinata a pat on the head, causing her to stiffen with bashfulness. "Work hard for the exam, okay?"

Hinata, now practically glowing red, nodded shyly. "T-thank you… Gojo-sama."

"Good kid," Gojo said with a grin, turning back to the ongoing match.

It seemed that despite the chaos, Gojo was never short of ways to keep things interesting.