Naruto — Chapter 3

number 3: Enter Sasuke!

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HA- HA- HA- HA...

EXCUSE ME, MAY I PASS? CLASS TODAY IS ONLY FOR THE STUDENTS WHO DIDN'T FAIL!

WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?

SA... SAKURA!!

WHAT?! CAN'T YOU SEE THE HEADBAND?!

SHE WANTS TO SIT NEXT TO ME?

NARUTO, MOVE IT! I'M TRYING TO GET AROUND YOU!

HARUNO SAKURA. A TOTAL BABE, BUT THAT'S THE PROBLEM...

THERE HE IS... THE CLASS HEART- THROB!

UCHIHA SASUKE! THINKS HE'S SO COOL. I HATE THAT GUY!

WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN? ARE YOU TALKIN' TO ME?!

GOOD MORNING, SASUKE. IS THIS SEAT TAKEN...?

TODAY'S THE DAY THAT SASUKE WILL BE MINE!!

THE MISSION GOAL-- FIRST KISS!!

INNER SAKURA

OH,

JUST DON'T GET IT

WHAT SO GREAT ABOUT HIM?!

SAKURA LOOKS LIKE SHE'S IN TOTAL ECSTASY.

NARUTO, YOU JERK!

GET LOST! LEAVE SASUKE ALONE!!

HIT HIM, SASUKE...

OH! SORRY!

OOPS.

HUNH?

UM... UM...

POISON! MY MOUTH IS RUINED!

NARUTO, YOU PIECE OF CRAP, YOU ARE DEAD!!

BLOOD- LUST!

YOU MAKE ME SICK!

NARUTO... IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!! I SWEAR!

BUT, AMONG THE RANKS OF THE SHINOBI, YOU ARE MERE NOVICES, LOWEST OF THE LOW. YOUR GREATEST CHALLENGES ALL LIE AHEAD.

FROM THIS DAY FORWARD, YOU ARE NO LONGER MERE STUDENTS OF NINJUTSU, BUT FULL- FLEDGED SHINOBI.

... WHO WILL GUIDE AND COACH YOU AS YOU BECOME FAMILIAR WITH YOUR VARIOUS ASSIGNMENTS.

THE NEXT STEP IS THE ASSIGNMENT OF OFFICIAL DUTIES TO YOU ALL ON BEHALF OF OUR VILLAGE.

忍

WE WILL BEGIN BY DIVIDING YOU INTO THREE-MAN CELLS. EACH OF WHICH WILL BE MENTORED BY A JÔNIN, A MORE SENIOR NINJA...

SO LONG AS I'M PARTNERED WITH SAKURA... I'LL TAKE ANYBODY ELSE... EXCEPT SASUKE!!

THREE MAN CELLS? SOUNDS LIKE TWO TOO MANY...

IT'S PERFECT! I KNOW THEY'LL TEAM ME UP WITH SASUKE!

I MADE THE SELECTIONS SO THAT EACH CELL'S ABILITIES WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY EQUAL.

WHA-......T!!

HARUNO SAKURA... UZUMAKI NARUTO... NEXT, CELL NUMBER SEVEN.

AND... UCHIHA SASUKE!

MASTER IRUKA!! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING OF, SADDLING A MOST EXCELLENT SHINOBI LIKE MYSELF...

...WITH THAT LOSER?!

....... OF THE TWENTY- SEVEN OF YOU, SASUKE HAS THE BEST GRADES, NARUTO. YOU WOULD BE THE BOTTOM OF THE CLASS.

THE IDEA IS TO BALANCE YOUR DIFFERENT STRENGTHS... THAT'S WHY YOU ENDED UP TOGETHER!

JUST KNOCK IT OFF, NARUTO!

HMM...

WHAT'D YOU CALL ME?!

...DUNCE!

JUST DON'T DRAG ME DOWN ...

... AWW... THEY'LL WORK IT OUT.

EVEN NARUTO...

OK, EVERYONE. I'LL BE INTRODUCING YOUR SENIOR NINJUTSU INSTRUCTORS THIS AFTERNOON.

SA- SUKE IS SUCH A JERK !!!

AND SAKURA...

UNTIL THEN, YOU'RE DIS- MISSED!

THIS SUCKS! THIS SUCKS!

THERE HAS TO BE AN UP- SIDE...

I'VE GOT IT!!

SASUKE LETS HIS GUARD DOWN WHEN HE'S EATING...

A G H K !

SHH! KEEP IT DOWN, IDIOT!

HEY! WHO THE HE... NARUTO!

FOOL..

... WHEN I GOT SO SHORT- CHANGED IN THE T & A DEPART- MENT?! THE ONLY PART OF ME THAT'S OVER- SIZED IS MY STUPID FOREHEAD!

HOW CAN I OVER- WHELM HIM BY SEX APPEAL...

IT CAN'T BE!

WHICH IS JUST...

LIKE HE CAN SEE RIGHT THROUGH ME!

WITH BED- ROOM EYES!

BUT IT IS! SASUKE– HE'S LOOKING AT ME!!

THAT'S WHAT IT'S THERE FOR!

YOU HAVE SUCH A NOBLE BROW.

SO CHARMING.. I COULD KISS IT!

...FAIRY TALES DON'T COME TRUE...

YOU HAVE SUCH A NOBLE BROW.

...AND IT COULDN'T HAPPEN TO ME.

SO CHARMING... I COULD KISS IT!

IF I'M DREAMING, DON'T WAKE ME...

DREAMS DO COME TRUE!

INNER SAKURA

THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT NARUTO WOULD SAY.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF... NARUTO?

SAKURA, I HAVE TO KNOW...

YES?

HE RUINS EVERY- THING... HE ENJOYS TORMENT- ING ME!

...IF HE HAD HIS WAY, I'D NEVER FIND LOVE OR HAPPINESS...

...IS YOU, SASUKE.

IN FACT, THE ONE PERSON WHOSE OPINION I VALUE... THE ONLY ONE I REALLY WANT TO BE CLOSE TO...

NARUTO DOESN'T UNDERSTAND ME AT ALL!....... I CAN'T STAND TO HAVE HIM ANYWHERE NEAR ME!

... THE ONLY ONE I REALLY WANT TO BE CLOSE TO...

.. ONLY YOU.

I'D DO ALMOST ANYTHING TO WIN YOUR ATTENTION... YOUR RESPECT...

BECAUSE I HAVE A CRUSH ON YOU...

UHN

...WHAT I LOVE ABOUT SAKURA!

I'M FINALLY STARTING TO UNDER- STAND...

USED HIS SHINOBI ILLUSIONS TO PASS AS ME!... WHAT'S HE UP TO?!

DAMN NARUTO!

MY S- STOMACH...

...OH, SASUKE. HE'S SHY!

WHAT'S WRONG?

MAYBE HE NEEDS TO GATHER UP THE COURAGE TO...

I'M GETTING... THE... R-R... RRRUNS!!

MY STOMACH CRAMPED SO BADLY IT ALMOST BROKE THE ILLUSION!

BUT NOT BEFORE SHE SAID IT— SHE CAN'T STAND ME!

I HAD TO POSE AS PIN-UP BOY SASUKE...

THAT WAS A CLOSE ONE!

... SO I COULD FIND OUT HOW SAKURA REALLY FEELS.

I COULD MAKE SAKURA HATE SASUKE...

WAIT A MINUTE!!

THAT COULD WORK!

SASUKE! MY SWEET, OLD- FASHIONED BOY! ♡

DID YOU SUMMON UP YOUR NERVE?! I'M RIGHT HERE, READY AND WAITING!!

CAN'T WE GET AWAY FROM NARUTO FOR JUST ONE SECOND?!

WHERE'S THAT JERK, NARUTO?

RECESS IS OVER.

YOU'RE CHANGING THE SUBJECT AGAIN!

HE ALWAYS COMES BETWEEN US!

IT'S BECAUSE HE WAS BADLY BROUGHT UP!!

HE DOESN'T HAVE TO ANSWER TO ANYONE, EVER, AND IT'S MADE HIM COMPLETELY SELFISH!!! IF I DID THE KINDS OF THINGS HE GETS AWAY WITH, MY PARENTS WOULD GROUND ME FOR LIFE!

YOU KNOW... BECAUSE HE NEVER HAD ANY PARENTS?

DON'T YOU ENVY HIM BEING ALONE, NOT HAVING PARENTS NAG AT YOU ALL THE TIME?

KIDS WITHOUT FAMILIES ALWAYS GROW UP SELFISH.

YOU...

THAT, AND LONELY.

BEING SCOLDED BY YOUR FOLKS DOESN'T EVEN COMPARE!

MAKE ME SICK!

...WHA... WHAT'S GOTTEN INTO YOU ALL OF A SUDDEN?

FINALLY! IT'S OVER!

I WONDER IF SAKURA'S STILL WAITING!

A SIMPLE ROPE TRICK. ANY GOOD NINJA IS AN ESCAPE ARTIST.

TRY TO KEEP THAT IN MIND... DUNCE.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!!

HUH!

...I WONDER IF NARUTO FEELS THAT WAY, TOO...

MAYBE, FROM NOW ON, I COULD TRY BEING A LITTLE...

I MAKE HIM SICK...?

THIS IS NARUTO'S HOUSE, ISN'T IT?

HIS MILK'S EXPIRED.

YES.

HE'S CLUMSY, BUT YOU'RE THE BEST CHOICE TO WATCH HIM. YOU HAVE A TALENT FOR SNIFFING THINGS OUT!

WHAT'S MORE, ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE CELL YOU SHALL OVERSEE WILL BE SASUKE, OF THE UCHIHA CLAN. BEST OF LUCK!

THIS COULD BE A TERRIBLE MISSION, BUT...

I'LL DO MY BEST!

The picture on the right is from Karakuri ("mechanism"), the first story I submitted to Weekly Shonen Jump. Karakuri won the Hop Step Award for new manga artists, which allowed me to get picked up by my current editor and helped me begin my journey down the road of a manga artist. It's a manga that brings back a lot of memories for me. But, man, the hero sure does have intensely terrifying eyes.

The picture on the right is another one from the first manga I published in Weekly Shonen Jump...that's right, Karakuri! But when the reader polls came in, its popularity was rock bottom! Still, this manga also brings back a lot of memories for me.