The Loser That Always Wins
I doesn't owns Naruto. Eyes gots bad grammar though.
Uchiha Sasuke did not leave Konoha for power. He did not even leave for vengeance. He left because there was one thing that always seemed to contradict itself.
Uzumaki Naruto.
The conundrum that was Uzumaki Naruto made no sense to Sasuke. He was a dobe, an idiot, a dropout, a loser.
Yet at the same time, he always, always won when there was someone on the line.
Naruto had told Sasuke of the story behind his learning of the Kage Bushin. At first, Sasuke dismissed it as a hint of truth that was over exaggerated at best. However, as Naruto seemed to be able to pull more and more power, smarts, and overall skill from nowhere, he begins to believe that Naruto did create over one hundred Kage Bushin to save Iruka sensei from one rouge Chunin.
When Kakashi sensei had been trapped in a water prison by Zabuza, it was not Sasuke's plan, or even Sakura's. It was Naruto's. For Naruto to Henge himself into a Windmill Shuriken, and then have Sasuke throw it within the shadow of his own, and then for the second shuriken to transform back into Naruto, who threw a kunai to release Kakashi sensei. It was a work of genius, even by his standards. Sasuke would've expected a plan like that to come out of the Nara. (Sasuke knew that Shika was lazy, but he isn't dumb enough to not know that he is smart.)And yet, the dobe came up with it in a matter of seconds. Under pressure.
Sasuke wasn't awake to see Naruto unleash Kyuubi's chakra upon Haku, but he admits that he would not have survived long enough to activate the Sharingan had it not been for Naruto and his Kage Bushin. Although he will never admit it; that is the second reason why he intercepted the senbon meant for Naruto. The first being that Naruto was the first person to see him as Sasuke rather than the Last Uchiha. It was also the day that Sasuke acknowledged his first friend and rival.
It shames Sasuke greatly that he was not the first person on his team to stand up to Orochimaru. It was Naruto. While Sasuke was ready to run away like the prey that he was, Naruto defiantly stood up to the Hebi. "Hey kid, you're not scared are ya?" those words resounded in Sasuke's head as he remembered when he said the same damned thing, and the dobe was throwing it in his face while holding back a gigantic snake summon with nothing but two kunai. If only to prove his teammate wrong, he fought, and became cursed.
The next victory brought Sasuke to sheer awe, although he will never admit it. When Team 7 plus Kabuto got trapped in a genjutsu on the way to the tower in The Forest of Death it was only because of Naruto that they noticed at all. He had killed a giant centipede at the beginning of the illusion, and Sasuke still can't figure out whether it was dumb luck or sheer genius. But that's not all! When the Mist genins ambushed Team 7 (and Kabuto) with illusion bushins, Naruto fought them off for nearly a day with only a group of Kage Bushins and three of them were Henged into Sasuke, Sakura, and Kabuto. And after all that he still had the energy to punch the originals lights out.
Sasuke wasn't there for Naruto's fight against Kiba, but he wasn't surprised that he won. What surprised him was that Naruto defeated him with a fart, of all things. Sasuke chalked it up to either Naruto being unpredictable, or him knowing that a strong nose was a double edged sword. Sasuke seriously hoped that the person he was starting to consider a worthy rival had done the latter.
Sasuke wasn't surprised at all when Naruto told him that he had won out over the Hyuuga. He heard that Naruto had promised to win so he knew that come hell or high water, Naruto would find a way to beat the greatest Hyuuga prodigy in over a century, even if it was to be won with will and determination alone.
Sasuke was astounded beyond comprehensible thought when Naruto started to show that he stood a chance against Gaara, much less actually defeat him. It shouldn't be possible to make a thousand Kage Bushin and still have enough energy to summon, much less summon a boss like Gamabunta. And yet there Naruto was, proving him wrong. (Yet again) He was convinced. Naruto never lost.
Sasuke was no longer convinced. After the fight on the hospital rooftop, he found that even with that strange technique that seemed to be stronger than the Chidori, Naruto didn't' even fight with half the skill or power he did against Gaara. After analyzing his memories, he noticed some similarities between Naruto's victories. Maybe it was time to up the ante some.
A beaten and battered Sasuke was trudging his way towards Oto, his theory confirmed. Naruto never lost when lives were on the line. Sasuke had been will to put his life on the line for this. Sasuke knew that Naruto wanted to bring him back to Konoha, but he also knew that had it not been for Naruto's promise that he no doubt ably made to Sakura, he would no longer be among the living. In that last Chidori vs. Rasengan clash, Sasuke punched Naruto in the chest and Naruto scratched his forehead protector. Sasuke may be cold and almost heartless, but he would not stoop so low as to kill off someone who just bested him in a fair fight. He knew that only Naruto's promise to Sakura kept him from aiming two inches higher or lower in that last shot, both of which would've been fatal. Two inches up would've sliced through his scalp, and maybe into his brain, leaving him to bleed to death. Two inches down would've went through his eyes, ultimately ending his ambition of killing Itachi, if not killing him.
As he continued trudging along Sasuke thought, "Ironic. The loser that never loses and the genius that always loses. Next time we fight, I hope you win by more than a technicality. Kami knows I'm gonna need it in order to escape the hellhole known as Orochimaru's lair. Don't be lost in my dust Future Hokage of Konogakure."
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Author's Note
How do you like it? I've something written from Sasuke's non emo non uber avenger complex POV. I hope I did good. This came as a random burst of inspiration I had while reading a fanfic. I don't think that anyone within Naruto's grasp can have a complete avenger or power complex. I've been reading the recent manga and I'm proud to say that I knew Itachi wasn't dumb enough to be stabbed through a chair. The fourth level Sharingan kinda creeps me out though.
Over and out
Eye of the Blizzard.