[ Sakura's fingers curl into fists at her side, back straightening, and while she knows he's trying to instigate her, that he's doing his best to push her, it-

It just doesn't work the way it would with Naruto.

He rises to Sasuke's challenges, steps in line with him, always fights to get ahead. All Sakura has wanted is equal footing, so this-

This isn't effective, not like it would be with their other counterpart.

Instead, Sakura's head tilts down, gaze sliding away. ]

You're wrong, you know. [ Because as much as they (still) underestimate her out of habit alone, there's so much more to her than there used to be. ] I didn't succeed because I hesitated at the last second, not because you stopped me before I was able to follow through.