3 Years

"Sneeze! Sneeze!"

Upon waking up in the morning, Zhang Miao sneezed twice. Downstairs, Kushina, hearing the commotion, immediately shouted to him.

"Ryunosuke, are you catching a cold? Do you need to go to the hospital and get some cold medicine?"

"No need!" Hearing Kushina's words, Zhang Miao walked downstairs, waving his hand towards her. "I'm fine. It's probably Minato, or maybe Naruto and Sasuke missing me, hehe!"

By now, Naruto and Sasuke had already gone to school, while Minato had been deployed to guard the Shrine outside the village. Only Zhang Miao and Kushina remained at home.

Seeing his playful demeanor, Kushina could only shake her head helplessly.

"You're just talking nonsense again. Alright, quickly go wash your face, brush your teeth, and then come eat breakfast!"

"Got it!"

Zhang Miao replied and then happily rushed off to wash his face and brush his teeth.

After tidying up, he sat at the dining table, ready to enjoy the sumptuous breakfast Kushina had prepared for him.

Since returning to Konoha, Zhang Miao had been having very hearty meals. This significantly improved his body's strengthening speed and efficiency. Now, he appeared to be a teenager around twelve years old.

Watching him eat heartily, Kushina chuckled.

"Hehe, Ryunosuke, I heard from Minato that you've been training Sasuke. Why not bring Naruto along too? He came to me specifically about it last night!"

"Naruto?"

Hearing Kushina mention this, Zhang Miao abruptly stopped eating, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"Naruto actually came to you for this matter? Seems like the competitive pressure is indeed effective. Alright, since he's willing, after he returns from school, we'll train together with Sasuke!"

For Zhang Miao, training one person or two didn't make much difference. Moreover, Naruto was like a younger brother to him, so he naturally wouldn't favor one over the other.

Thus, when Sasuke and Naruto returned from school that afternoon, Zhang Miao immediately summoned them and gestured broadly.

"Both of you, right now, do 200 squats and 200 push-ups, then run 150 laps around the yard. If you don't finish, no dinner. Begin!"

"Yes, Master!"

Sasuke was prepared, so upon hearing Zhang Miao's words, he immediately started. Seeing this, Naruto quickly joined in.

For Sasuke and Naruto, although the training intensity Zhang Miao set was high, it was within an acceptable range. So, the two spent almost two hours completing it all.

After the training, Zhang Miao brought the two back inside for dinner. The competitive spirit from their training spilled over to the dining table. For a while, the clinking of dishes and chopsticks filled the air.

Soon, Sasuke and Naruto finished the rice in their bowls and simultaneously extended their empty bowls toward Kushina.

"Mom, I want another bowl!"

"Auntie, please give me another bowl!"

...

After the meal, Naruto was called away by Rock Lee and Tenten, while Sasuke declined a few girls' invitations and then approached Zhang Miao.

"Master, do you know genjutsu?"

"Hmm?" Surprised by Sasuke's question, Zhang Miao glanced at him and then nodded. "I do know some genjutsu. Why do you suddenly ask?"

"Because I hope you could use genjutsu on me, like that man. This time, I won't run away!"

As he said this, Sasuke's face displayed a hint of shame, but more prominently, it held a strong sense of resentment.

Zhang Miao knew that by "that man," Sasuke meant Itachi. So, upon hearing Sasuke's words, he immediately shook his head.

"Sasuke, you've misunderstood something. There's a fundamental difference between regular genjutsu and the Sharingan's genjutsu. Besides, Itachi excels in genjutsu, and once caught in his illusion, it's challenging to defeat him!"

"How should I proceed?" Hearing Zhang Miao's question, Sasuke immediately furrowed his brow. "How can I defeat him?"

"Wait until he's at death's door!" As soon as Sasuke's words fell, this answer emerged in Zhang Miao's mind.

According to the original plotline, Itachi's body was deteriorating. In about ten years, his body would succumb to illness. At that time, even facing Sasuke with the Mangekyo Sharingan would prove to be extremely challenging for him. After sealing Orochimaru hidden within Sasuke's body, Itachi himself would exhaust his last strength and perish.

As a "Naruto" fan, Zhang Miao was well aware of these details, but he couldn't tell Sasuke.

So, after some contemplation, he spoke to Sasuke.

"Among Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and Genjutsu, Itachi excels in the latter two. So, if you want to defeat him, you need to focus on Taijutsu. Remember, only a robust body can contain and generate more chakra. So, run, young ninja!"

Hearing Zhang Miao's words, Sasuke suddenly had a moment of realization and vigorously nodded.

"I understand, Master!"

Finishing his words, he once again stretched his legs and started running in the yard. Watching him sweating profusely, Zhang Miao's face bore a smile once again.

"Things like Ninjutsu and Genjutsu will be taught to you by Orochimaru in the future. What I'm doing now is helping you build a solid physical foundation. After all, a strong body is the basis for becoming stronger. I hope that in ten years, when you face Itachi, you won't need him to go easy on you to win!"

Sasuke had no idea about Zhang Miao's thoughts. However, as the days passed and their training continued, he felt a noticeable improvement in his strength. Therefore, he became even more convinced of Zhang Miao's teachings.

Zhang Miao's approach involved gradually increasing the training intensity for both Sasuke and Naruto based on their conditions. They endured strenuous physical training, and over time, their physicality grew stronger.

Perhaps due to living, eating, and training together every day, Sasuke and Naruto were rivals and companions, making their relationship more intimate over the course of three years.

Despite their intimacy, whenever the two were together, they often displayed an antagonistic appearance, frequently engaging in staring contests, making Zhang Miao somewhat sentimental.

"It seems Indra and Asura's conflict isn't so easy to resolve. Sasuke and Naruto, as their reincarnations, are inevitably destined for a confrontation. I just hope that the bonds they've built today will prevent too much bloodshed in the future!"

With this thought in mind, Zhang Miao glanced at Sasuke and Naruto training in the yard, then grinned.

"But what's pleasing is that I've almost collected the ninja fragments from both of them. Once I recruit both of them, my Sage Body level should be able to level up, right?"