The Defection of Uchiha Sasuke

[Dervon]

You know, that is a good point, but now I'm left wondering: What level of influence did the cursed seal have in canon exactly? Was it ever stated?

[Tempest Kitsune]

Not really, it was mostly implied, like a lot of the stuff Kishi-tan did.

[Minion]

Is the Curse Seal actually gone or do the doctors only think it is? If the Seal really is gone is that the real reason he's working better and feeling like he's more a part of Team 7? If the Seal isn't really gone then is his determination to have Team 7 trained because of how bad they lost?

I never got that anyone who knew about it thought the CS was gone, but maybe I missed something.

To me, it's the same either way, because Sasuke was concerned about how his team did, which I doubt his canon counterpart can claim. Canon Sasuke had solo training for fifteen days, and didn't seem to care at all about how his teammates did, especially Sakura.

[Jasruv]

Frankly. I always blamed Itachi's second mind-screw for Sasuke's defection to the Roachy One.

In canon, Kakashi makes a special point of saying that the restraining seal needs Sasuke's will to function, something that being in a coma induced by watching your clan being murdered over and over again for 72 hours straight would probably prevent. So the Curse Seal would have had several weeks to work on Sasuke's mind with effectivily no resistance. After all, Sasuke was shown to be able to suppress the Curse Seal with pure will power and that was before Kakashi applied the restraining seal.

So, in my opinion, Itachi essentially gift wrapped Sasuke and handed him over to Orochimaru when he mind-screwed his little brother the second time.

[Kirai]

And destroying Sasukes ego by telling him that he's weak and doesn't amount to much the first time definitly helped.

In my oppinion all those who read him as I'm Uchiha therefore I'm great are wrong. He's more like: I'm Uchiha therfore I must be strong. And if anybody is stronger he is a failure.

And after the chunnin exams he's very, very close to feeling like that his already low ego, because really if you are self confident do you need to rub it in everybodys face? He's desperatly tring to proof that he is worthy of the Uchiha name. Not the other way around.

Uhh at least I think so...

[Kage Husha]

The worst for Sasuke is that:

1: Naruto of all people...the dead-last is getting waaaay ahead of him strength wise...

2: Itachi has his eyes on Naruto and wants him for something...though he misunderstands what that is...and considers him irrelevant...which in Sasuke's mind equates to Itachi thinking Naruto is waaaay more powerful than Sasuke and worthy of his attention...

[WarriorDrgnMage]

^ Both of which have already been said.

I wonder though if Naruto's defeat of Sasuke, Hinata's courage and strength (she did keep standing up after all) and Shino's win has had a greater effect on him then anything else in this story. He seems to care for his team more, though I'm kinda sorry that Sasuke and Naruto aren't going to be friends well aren't friends yet.

[Stormseed]

Something else I noticed - he did seem concerned about Sakura in chapter 13, and nodded at her when she popped that snake. I think that he was gaining some respect for them before the seal was put on.

[unknown3027]

hmm an inturesting point to consider about Sasuke potintial defection is the outcome of the invasion durring the Exam.

The Third survived the fight with Orochimaru, proving he was at least the equal in power to Orochimaru. the village also fought off the sand/sound forces more easily. compared to the original timeline, the attack was a much bigger failure.

This could easily lower the preceved power of Orochimaru and sound in Sasuke's eyes. why should he go to a village that is weaker then his current one? Orochimaru didn't kill the third but tied him, so he is only the thirds Equal not his superior. Sound failed the invasion even with a surprise ally, making it significantly weaker in appearance to Leaf. sure, there is the curse seal, a quick boost in power, but it would mean going to the (precived) weaker party and offending the (precived) stronger village of the leaf. why would he go to the village that could offer him only a small quick boost in power that won't even put him close to Itachi's level power instead of staying where he is for a larger though slightly more slowly gained boost of power?

not to say he still won't have the rather significant potential to defect to another village, but it would have to be to a village and/or leader that he precives as more powerful then the Leaf village.


of course, he could still previce learning to use the cursed seal is worth it.

[MrRigger2]

I think you raise a few good points. If the Leaf had faired better against the invaders, Sasuke probably wouldn't have been so ready to defect. However, I do want to point out a bit of information I do feel the need to dispute, and that's the Third's power level. You said that because Orochimaru was the one who came out alive, he was stronger than Sarutobi, or at least that's how I read it. I can't agree with that. I'm of the opinion that the Third was stronger than Orochimaru, no matter how you slice it.

First off, the only reason Orochimaru won was because he was able to summon the First and Second Hokages. Not just summon them, but summon them in forms that were indestructible by normal means. Sarutobi did blow them up with explosive tags at one point, knocking off at least one limb on each of the brothers, only for them to instantly regenerate (unless I'm seriously misremembering the fight, which I don't think I am). Remember, Sarutobi didn't summon the Shinigami to defeat Orochimaru (Sarutobi had the upper hand until Orochimaru summoned the Hokages), he used Shiki Fuuin to seal the Hokage Brothers. Getting Orochimaru caught in it was just a bonus. I'm also convinced that if Sarutobi hadn't had to fight the Hokage brothers, Orochimaru would have been smacked around like a kid in WalMart.

Ah, sorry, had to get that out of my system.

MrRigger

[MEKristian]

I don't think he was contending that; I think he was contending how it'd look to Sasuke.

[MorphCross]

This could easily lower the preceved power of Orochimaru and sound in Sasuke's eyes. why should he go to a village that is weaker then his current one? Orochimaru didn't kill the third but tied him, so he is only the thirds Equal not his superior. Sound failed the invasion even with a surprise ally, making it significantly weaker in appearance to Leaf. sure, there is the curse seal, a quick boost in power, but it would mean going to the (precived) weaker party and offending the (precived) stronger village of the leaf. why would he go to the village that could offer him only a small quick boost in power that won't even put him close to Itachi's level power instead of staying where he is for a larger though slightly more slowly gained boost of power.

All of this would require the ability to think rationally, a trait that Sasuke is sorely lacking in. Remember, this is the kid who mocked Hinata, to Naruto's face, in the prelims. He was knocked out in one hit because of it. Sasuke may be even more jealous when he hears that Naruto took out Gaara/Shukaku. If anything he'll start driving his own team into the ground with constant, unrelenting training with Kakashi, followed by possibly testing the limits of his Curse seal to see what advantages it might give him. It's important to remember that we don't know that Kakashi specifically warned Sasuke against the curse seal, we just assume that he did, in Team 8.

[MrRigger2]

Hm. Going back and reading that, I can see it. But wouldn't that be a story you'd want to make sure your village knew? I know that they have to consider operational security, but I'd want to let people know what happened. There were witnesses, in the form of the ANBU that were outside the barrier. Especially if you spin it the right way. You could make Orochimaru look even more monstrous because he defiled the memory of their past Hokages, and boost Sarutobi's legend even in death. He was strong enough to beat three Kage Class ninja by himself, due to the Will Of Fire. Considering that stories and reputations seem to get around, I'd want to let the story leak. It might be an effective way to get other villages to leave them alone while Konoha rebuilds. Basically saying, "Our old geezers are this kick ass, just think how strong our prime ninjas are. Don't mess with us."

MrRigger

[unknown3027]

I Agree with you one the Thirds level or power. he is/was more powerfull then Orochimaru.

I was referring to how it looked to sasuke, who did not see the actual fight, but only heard the results of it.

Orochimaru kills him, sasuke think that he is very powerfull, and worthy to learn under.

Orochimaru fails and ties the Third, even after forcing the third to fight two previous kages? Orochimaru appears significantly weaker, and the Thirds reputation with sasuke goes up a few notches.

[Ironwolf]

Now while the point of the stronger village hold more oppertunity for Sasuke is a good point, lets not forget that Sasuke (aka Mr. Self-esteam) also was motivated to leave because Naruto was getting stronger at a rather remarkible rate compared to him...a fact that Sasuke took to be a direct attack to both himself and his sense of reality, because he had dedicated his life to becoming the strongest in the village to kill his brother. That was the idenity that he had chosen for himself, only for it to be stolen piece by piece by the one person that he knew posed no threat to that idenity, moreover, the self-same person that robbed him of his brother's validation of his efforts, no breuno.

Of course, that's just the Kishi-canon!, here its much worse, nibbling to death of his idenity was bad enough, in Team 8 canon! Naruto flat out steals it. No 'how do you do' or 'by your leave,' just gone, gone without the slightest concept that Naruto had to work harder than anyone else from their year, and without that Sasuke in all of his ego-centric *snerk* glory will fixcate on Naruto as a threat to what he has accomplished since Itachi killed their clan. Sasuke's reaction to his lost in his fight with Naruto in the prelims, while brushed off as a fluke on his part, is not only compounded by Naruto's fight with Neji, but by Naruto's admittedly impossible win against Gaara (you know something like that will reach the ears of the Villager's Little Darling).

Now, here's Sasuke, a gennin told to sit out of the fight because he would only get in the way, a completely different reality than he has ever faced, because during the academy he was used to being the gleaming-shining emo-god of ninja-ness, but here he is brushed off as useless. While on the other hand Naruto, the worst student of their entire year, fells two clan princes and slays the dragon...figuratively speaking. With his idenity so challanged by such an innitially percieved minor threat, he will start questioning what this village has to offer him regardless of its over-all strength. He knows that Oro-tan offers solid and lagitamite power, power that he has himself seen and used and felt, and knows to be real. Power that was denied to him by this village, in a manor that he will only ever interprit (and rightly so) as fearful, getting in his way of his purpose.

The point I'm trying to make is this, Sasuke will want to reclaim that idenity through any means presented to him, even if that means going elsewhere, maybe not Oto, but then again they are the only other real offer on the table, so it is at least likely.

[Uldihaa]

Orochimaru fails and ties the Third, even after forcing the third to fight two previous kages? Orochimaru appears significantly weaker, and the Thirds reputation with sasuke goes up a few notches.

Just want to point out that in Team 8 Sarutobi didn't fight the previous Kages, thanks to Haku shredding the seal-tags before Orochimaru could place them in the bodies.

As for Sasuke defecting... I think it ultimately comes down to just how he perceives himself after his total, crushing defeat at Naruto's hands in the preliminaries (which depends, in part, on just what Kakashi has talked to him about). Did Kakashi use Naruto as an example of what is possible with hard training? Or did he just up their training sessions and leave his genin to figure things out on their own (and this depends on what Kakashi thinks of what has recently happened).

Sasuke could see Naruto as an example of how strong a person can get in Leaf, but he could also see him as a massive insult to his perceptions of himself. It just comes down to what Sasuke thinks and feels about events.

I can easily see it going either way, and the foundation for both have already been laid.

[Ironwolf]

Orochimaru fails and ties the Third, even after forcing the third to fight two previous kages? Orochimaru appears significantly weaker, and the Thirds reputation with sasuke goes up a few notches.

Just want to point out that in Team 8 Sarutobi didn't fight the previous Kages, thanks to Haku shredding the seal-tags before Orochimaru could place them in the bodies.

As for Sasuke defecting... I think it ultimately comes down to just how he perceives himself after his total, crushing defeat at Naruto's hands in the preliminaries (which depends, in part, on just what Kakashi has talked to him about). Did Kakashi use Naruto as an example of what is possible with hard training? Or did he just up their training sessions and leave his genin to figure things out on their own (and this depends on what Kakashi thinks of what has recently happened).

Sasuke could see Naruto as an example of how strong a person can get in Leaf, but he could also see him as a massive insult to his perceptions of himself. It just comes down to what Sasuke thinks and feels about events.

I can easily see it going either way, and the foundation for both have already been laid.

Would it matter how Kakashi spun it? This is the second time that Sasuke has lost to Naruto, once to surprise and now to ability, and given his interest during Naruto's fights durring the third test, he knows that Naruto didn't get lucky the second time no matter how much he would like to believe otherwise. And remember, Sasuke has been coudled by the Academy and the village for years about him being the best and the strongest ninja of his year, a prodigy, now here he has evidence that it is no longer true, and worse yet, coming from the worst of their year. As for using Naruto as an example, that requires that Sasuke develoup some kind of regard or respect for Naruto, something that we all know is very unlikely to happen, so instead the Emo-God-King throughs himself into his training even more than usual in order to make up for his weaknesses. Because, in his mind, if he cannot even beat Naruto, how is he ever going to beat Itachi, a true prodigy, one that his father always compaired him to?

[MrRigger2]

And remember, Sasuke has been coudled by the Academy and the village for years about him being the best and the strongest ninja of his year, a prodigy, now here he has evidence that it is no longer true

I think I'm going to have to disagree with what I'm getting from you here. In my opinion, Sasuke really was a prodigy, though not one on the level of say, Kakashi or Itachi. Of course, they were both freaks of nature who went without childhoods, so comparing anyone to them is a bit unfair. Look at the evidence. For one, he was able to do the Grand Fireball at the age of six. And during the bell test, Kakashi claims that most genin don't have the chakra necessary to pull that technique off. And Sasuke was doing it at half the age of the average academy graduate. I think that speaks of a prodigy.

Another bit of canon evidence is the Wave mission. First off, he completed the tree walking exercise with little to no help from his teacher, Kakashi. So did Naruto, but Sasuke took the tree walking exercise a step forward and actually applied it to combat, using his newly enhanced chakra control to move fast enough to keep up with Haku, who, even in the weakest of models, is a high chuunin level shinobi with fine chakra control and enough experience to live on the run from hunter nin with Zabuza. Meanwhile, all Naruto is able to do with his boosted control is the same thing he's done since the beginning, make clones and have them die messily as a distraction.

Also, when he developed his Sharingan, he immediately adapted it to his fighting style. Even with the genetic predisposition, that's impressive, considering that he hasn't had any instruction in how to fight with the Sharingan for the past five years, at the least. Sure, Kakashi might have taught him something, but it's been shown several times throughout the series that Kakashi doesn't usually teach something until his student needs to know it, (i.e. tree walking, elemental manipulation, Kage Bunshin training trick, etc.) so I doubt he did anything with teaching Sasuke how to use the Sharingan before Sasuke actually developed it.

The way I see it, Sasuke really was a prodigy and a genius, and doesn't deserve a lot of the flack he catches (when talking about Part 1. Part 2 Sasuke deserves it, for the crap that he's pulled). Was he a jerk? Absolutely. Was he a prodigy? Yes.

MrRigger

[Ironwolf]

And remember, Sasuke has been coudled by the Academy and the village for years about him being the best and the strongest ninja of his year, a prodigy, now here he has evidence that it is no longer true

I think I'm going to have to disagree with what I'm getting from you here. In my opinion, Sasuke really was a prodigy, though not one on the level of say, Kakashi or Itachi. Of course, they were both freaks of nature who went without childhoods, so comparing anyone to them is a bit unfair. Look at the evidence. For one, he was able to do the Grand Fireball at the age of six. And during the bell test, Kakashi claims that most genin don't have the chakra necessary to pull that technique off. And Sasuke was doing it at half the age of the average academy graduate. I think that speaks of a prodigy.

Another bit of canon evidence is the Wave mission. First off, he completed the tree walking exercise with little to no help from his teacher, Kakashi. So did Naruto, but Sasuke took the tree walking exercise a step forward and actually applied it to combat, using his newly enhanced chakra control to move fast enough to keep up with Haku, who, even in the weakest of models, is a high chuunin level shinobi with fine chakra control and enough experience to live on the run from hunter nin with Zabuza. Meanwhile, all Naruto is able to do with his boosted control is the same thing he's done since the beginning, make clones and have them die messily as a distraction.

Also, when he developed his Sharingan, he immediately adapted it to his fighting style. Even with the genetic predisposition, that's impressive, considering that he hasn't had any instruction in how to fight with the Sharingan for the past five years, at the least. Sure, Kakashi might have taught him something, but it's been shown several times throughout the series that Kakashi doesn't usually teach something until his student needs to know it, (i.e. tree walking, elemental manipulation, Kage Bunshin training trick, etc.) so I doubt he did anything with teaching Sasuke how to use the Sharingan before Sasuke actually developed it.

The way I see it, Sasuke really was a prodigy and a genius, and doesn't deserve a lot of the flack he catches (when talking about Part 1. Part 2 Sasuke deserves it, for the crap that he's pulled). Was he a jerk? Absolutely. Was he a prodigy? Yes.

MrRigger

You see, that's the problem, prodigy is such a buzz word that it is dropped everywhere without really thinking about its meaning. Yes, Sasuke had a lot of talent compaired to other ninja of his age, and yes he did perform a high genin jutsu when he was six, but mind you that he had to get that one justu down if he wanted to be considered an Uchiha (some sort of right of passage as I understood it) and he didn't find it at all easy. Keep in mind that we are looking at Sasuke at the tail end of years of nothing but training, even when he learned the Grand Fireball, he was doing pratically nothing else because he wanted dad's approval because he WAS being compaired to Itachi. I know of two prodigies from their age group though, Neji who reconstructed the Main Family's justu from almost scratch, and Shikamaru who will out think practically anyone...Sasuke is good, but no where near their level, so he is 'merely' a genius (if you want to use that buzz word), not a prodigy.

[MrRigger2]

I think that you have the two terms backwards. Shikamaru is a genius, not a prodigy. Sasuke is a prodigy, and somewhat of a genius. Neji is both, a genius and a prodigy.

Shikamaru is smarter than pretty much anyone in the series, but he's shown no advanced skills with jutsu or other ninja techniques. He uses his brain to win, not high level skills.

Sasuke is smart enough to win his fights, and he uses his advanced skills to do it. As I understand it, the average genin wouldn't be able to do the Grand Fireball. That means that an academy student has even less chance of being able to pull it off, no matter how much training. That Sasuke is able to pull it off consistently, at a young age, and use it in battle, speaks that he's a prodigy.

Neji is both. He's smart enough to reverse engineer techniques, comes up with ways to win on the fly, and pulls off high level techniques in battle. He's both a prodigy and a genius.

MrRigger

[Essex]

Sasuke is good, but no where near their level, so he is 'merely' a genius (if you want to use that buzz word), not a prodigy.

The dictionary defines a prodigy as: a person, esp. a child or young person, having extraordinary talent or ability.

This sounds like Sasuke (whom I still loathe). Judging him against his peers, it may be a bit hard to see this, as the creator purposefully made most of the characters so specialized that they could each be considered a prodigy in a specific field. Sasuke may not be quite as good as other members of the Rookie 9 in their specific fields of interest, but he is the most well rounded of the rookie genin. Not only was he rookie of the year, but I believe that he became so due to being at or near the top of his class in every single area of study.

Heck, just look at his accomplishments. While preparing for the chunin exam with Kakashi, he trained his body to operate at the level of a complete taijutsu freak like Lee (who spent years building up to that level of physical conditioning) while also mastering a Jounin level combat technique. His abilities (see the above definition) were well above normal for a genin of his age.

[serbii]

There are levels of genius/prodigies.
People like Itachi and Minato are top tier.
Neither Neji or Sasuke are on their level. Kakashi and the sannin approach it.
It's kind of a age thing. We know Itachi was ANBU before he hit puberty. Kakashi was the only one we know came close to that in the series. Naruto and Sasuke catch up, they're stupidly good for their age by the time they're 16 but both of them had a crutch.
Sasuke was above average as a genin, but he still didn't hold a candle to his brother.

[Ironwolf]

I think that you have the two terms backwards. Shikamaru is a genius, not a prodigy. Sasuke is a prodigy, and somewhat of a genius. Neji is both, a genius and a prodigy.

Shikamaru is smarter than pretty much anyone in the series, but he's shown no advanced skills with jutsu or other ninja techniques. He uses his brain to win, not high level skills.

But he has no drive to improve any of those abilities.

Sasuke is smart enough to win his fights, and he uses his advanced skills to do it. As I understand it, the average genin wouldn't be able to do the Grand Fireball. That means that an academy student has even less chance of being able to pull it off, no matter how much training. That Sasuke is able to pull it off consistently, at a young age, and use it in battle, speaks that he's a prodigy.

But how much of that is because of pure hard work? We have seen that a little hard work can do a lot, and a lot can do a whole lot more, in both canons! no less. Sasuke has forgone everything that a normal child does, even one working to become a ninja, in favore of simply training as constintly as he could, I will admit that he has a lot of talent, but to say that he is a prodigy would be pushing it. Yes, he is smarter than your average ninja, might even actually be a genius, we don't know, so it does help him out in his all consuming obsession to kill his brother.

Neji is both. He's smart enough to reverse engineer techniques, comes up with ways to win on the fly, and pulls off high level techniques in battle. He's both a prodigy and a genius.

MrRigger

Okay, I'm with you one this one.

Sasuke is good, but no where near their level, so he is 'merely' a genius (if you want to use that buzz word), not a prodigy.

The dictionary defines a prodigy as: a person, esp. a child or young person, having extraordinary talent or ability.

Definitions were never my strength, but I was always lead to understand that prodigy was of a higher order in regards to a single skill or talent than a genius was, here I mean that Shika was a prodigy for strategy, but who knows if he could have done more with what he can do with his intelegence beyond strategy, we just know that he is especially good at it.

This sounds like Sasuke (whom I still loathe). Judging him against his peers, it may be a bit hard to see this, as the creator purposefully made most of the characters so specialized that they could each be considered a prodigy in a specific field. Sasuke may not be quite as good as other members of the Rookie 9 in their specific fields of interest, but he is the most well rounded of the rookie genin. Not only was he rookie of the year, but I believe that he became so due to being at or near the top of his class in every single area of study.

He probably was better rounded than the rest of the class, and the average is what got him the top spot, because if we recall Sakura out did him in pure book smarts and she wasn't genin of the year. However, like you said, the rest of the class is so specialized that if they leave their limited focus in skills they would be average at best, shooting their averages right to hell, so knowing that, how hard is it really for a well rounded ninja to get better over all grades? Especially one who works abnormally hard to specialize in everything?

Heck, just look at his accomplishments. While preparing for the chunin exam with Kakashi, he trained his body to operate at the level of a complete taijutsu freak like Lee (who spent years building up to that level of physical conditioning) while also mastering a Jounin level combat technique. His abilities (see the above definition) were well above normal for a genin of his age.

Yes, but with the Sharingan he would've simply copied the moves with a glance and then worked to get that ninja speed move that we saw when they were hunting Tora to the point where it could be used in a fight and then the rest of the time it would be nothing but Chidori training...oh, wait, more Sharingan looking and then practice to use it, not seeing the special here, just hard work and a little bit of god-modding.

[QuoteMyFoot]

He probably was better rounded than the rest of the class, and the average is what got him the top spot, because if we recall Sakura out did him in pure book smarts and she wasn't genin of the year. However, like you said, the rest of the class is so specialized that if they leave their limited focus in skills they would be average at best, shooting their averages right to hell, so knowing that, how hard is it really for a well rounded ninja to get better over all grades? Especially one who works abnormally hard to specialize in everything?

Actually, in the pre-massacre flashbacks, I distinctly remember Sasuke handing a report card to his father, which placed him 1st overall, and 1st in every single category. I think that speaks of a little more than talent. Actually, you can see it on this page.

Now, granted, that's 4 years before he graduates, but I highly doubt he really slips down that much in the intervening years. If he did, he'd do anything he could to claw his way back up.

[Ironwolf]

He probably was better rounded than the rest of the class, and the average is what got him the top spot, because if we recall Sakura out did him in pure book smarts and she wasn't genin of the year. However, like you said, the rest of the class is so specialized that if they leave their limited focus in skills they would be average at best, shooting their averages right to hell, so knowing that, how hard is it really for a well rounded ninja to get better over all grades? Especially one who works abnormally hard to specialize in everything?

Actually, in the pre-massacre flashbacks, I distinctly remember Sasuke handing a report card to his father, which placed him 1st overall, and 1st in every single category. I think that speaks of a little more than talent. Actually, you can see it on this page.

Now, granted, that's 4 years before he graduates, but I highly doubt he really slips down that much in the intervening years. If he did, he'd do anything he could to claw his way back up.

I never said that he wasn't very good at being a ninja, but mind you when he handed that report card in he was already being subjected to a rather serious case of emotional neglect due to the fact that he couldn't compare to his brother, so he likely started pushing himself harder, because he knew what he needed to do inorder to get the recognition he needed from his father, than anyone else in class even pre-massacre (and then he was tutored by Itachi on a fairly regular occasion). The fact that Sasuke was part of a clan which has its own set of trainers and such tends to help with studies, especially a clan as driven as the Uchiha's are for political position within the village (because strong ninja's equals a strong clan), and that's double for the children of the clan head, tripple for the dissapointing child. While Sasuke COULD be a genius, I wouldn't say that he got where he was solely on it enough for it to be an impressive part of what makes him 'special.'

Couldn't be as likely as anything that all of this talk of Sasuke being a genius from the people around Sasuke was only meant to pad his ego? I mean, yes Sasuke is incredibly advanced for a genin his age, but so would anyone who has Sasuke's training regimen, but that doesn't change the fact that Sasuke has genuine skillz and it cannot be said that Sasuke isn't very smart as a ninja. However, it should be noted that he completely denied himself a childhood to become strong enough to kill his brother, I just want you guys to acknowledge that for what it is, someone doing nothing but training for years will be impressive even without being a 'genius.'