Chapter 23. Sasuke

Natsuki, enjoying a leisurely life for a few days, found himself caught in a situation when Fugaku insisted that Sasuke become his disciple.

Initially considering sending Sasuke out of the village, Fugaku was halted by Natsuki's intervention.

Natsuki argued that the current ninja world was teeming with opportunists, making it more dangerous for Sasuke to be alone outside unless he was protected by the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Just kidding, Natsuki thought that separating Sasuke from Konoha would hinder his bonding with Naruto, growth, lessons, more growth, further lessons, and yet more growth.

Despite his seemingly casual approach, Natsuki wasn't overly optimistic about Sasuke.

While both were children of destiny, Sasuke, being the reincarnation of Indra, consistently lagged behind Naruto, who was the reincarnation of Asura.

Natsuki acknowledged Sasuke's prowess but noted that he lacked the qualifications to match Naruto's achievements.

Sasuke's accomplishments, such as killing Itachi and obtaining three tomoe in a year, were still overshadowed by Naruto's bond and the Nine-Tails' influence.

In Itachi's envisioned plan, Sasuke should have activated the mangekyo by now, engaging in an evenly matched battle that would ultimately lead to his demise at Itachi's hands.

This was expected to release the hatred in Sasuke's heart, paving the way for the Eternal mangekyo.

However, when Sasuke confronted Itachi, he possessed only mangekyo. The battle became one of the most challenging in Itachi's life, as he had to calculate Sasuke's chakra, his own chakra, his lifespan, and the power of his eyes. 

Itachi couldn't afford to let Sasuke see the full extent of his abilities. Sasuke, while powerful in water release, lacked intellectual acuity.

His family's tragic extinction and Itachi's illusion left Sasuke with an unstable mind, exposed to pride and inferiority.

Despite growing older, at 16, Sasuke hadn't critically examined the events surrounding his family's massacre and Itachi's actions.

He struggled with an unstable mindset, going back between pride and feelings of inadequacy. Each power upgrade fueled his confidence and arrogance.

With the Mangekyō Sharingan, he believed himself invincible, continually challenging stronger opponents—leaping from three tomoe to the mangekyo, defeating the Eight-Tails, and aspiring to surpass even the Eternal Kaleidoscope.

Unfortunately, each hurried action led to severe defeats. It took Itachi years to master the Mangekyō Sharingan, but Sasuke, upon unlocking it, faced blindness within a month, with actual usage not exceeding an hour.

The influence of the Sharingan compelled Sasuke to ruthlessly kill everyone he encountered after achieving revenge.

Ultimately, Sasuke and Naruto joined forces to seal Kaguya. Natsuki, unsure of unpredictable factors, favored Itachi's stability.

Itachi's exceptional learning ability, superior weapon skills, and unparalleled speed in seal formation distinguished him among ninjas of the same level.

Itachi's strategic prowess in using the enemy's attacks to control the entire battle situation resonated with his method.

To control the entire battle situation, Itachi mastered the art of utilizing the enemy's attacks.

Upon joining ANBU, his growth outpaced the genius Kakashi, reaching shadow-level powerhouse status during the rebellion against the village.

Itachi excelled in genjutsu, possessing the strongest abilities in Konoha. A single glance could counter Kurenai's genjutsu, and a month of reading allowed him to overcome Kakashi.

Even veteran ninja Orochimaru fell victim to Itachi's illusions, leading to his end.

Itachi maintained a calm and composed demeanor, swiftly analyzing enemy weaknesses during combat.

His on-the-spot judgments were impeccable, always armed with a trump card to reverse the situation.

Despite being a highly capable individual, Natsuki arranged for him to go to the land due to his health issues.

Shisui, another young genius, activated the kaleidoscope earlier and faster than Sasuke.

His genjutsu surpassed even Itachi's, and his body skills were exceptional. Few could match his speed, although he faced challenges against the formidable Kumogakure and an individual with space-time ninjutsu.

In the original world, Shisui's potential was considered limitless if he had not met an early death. Recognizing this, Natsuki made Shisui a key training target.

Consequently, Natsuki lacked interest in Sasuke's training, prioritizing the development of Shisui's extraordinary abilities.

Fugaku sought his assistance, creating a situation that he couldn't easily refuse. Despite the support from the system, Fugaku's unwavering support for his decisions played a crucial role in their smooth execution.

As the reincarnation of Indra, he felt forced to explore whether Sasuke's path could be rescued.

The first step involved addressing Sasuke's tendency to show off. Stability could potentially lead to a linear increase in his combat power.

Beyond strategic considerations, there was also a sense of unease associated with Sasuke's behavior.

Upon Sasuke's return to the village, he discovered the profound changes within his family—Shisui's eyes gouged out, a deputy clan leader in the clan, and his admired brother fleeing with numerous Uchiha members, leaving behind a destroyed home.

Sasuke's parents were still present, but the five-year-old couldn't comprehend the reasons behind these disruptions.

Walking alone through the streets, Sasuke maintained a stoic expression, a reflection of his Uchiha heritage.

Villagers looked at him with mixed emotions, but most expressed kindness, understanding the significant changes his family had undergone. Sasuke, however, felt an inexplicable sadness.

Running as fast as his little legs could carry him, he found comfort in the familiar small woods. 

Amidst the rustling leaves in the woods, his attention was drawn to the sharp yelling of a child nearby.

"Get lost! You fox demon, who wants to play with you!"

"Just wait, I will definitely become Hokage!"

"Hahahaha, you still become Hokage like this?"

"It was you, the fox demon, who killed my father!"

"Hit him!"

"Hit him!"

Sasuke, walking through the woods, discovered a group of children engaged in a fight.

Several kids were riding on Naruto's back, beating him relentlessly. Despite tears streaming down Naruto's face, he refused to admit defeat and continued struggling.

Interrupting the scene, Sasuke stepped forward and confronted the bullies.

"Hey! Who allowed you to bully others!"

"Who are you!?"

"None of your business!"

Sasuke, hands in his pockets, identified himself: "I am Uchiha Sasuke! Let him go quickly! Otherwise, don't blame me for being rude."

"Uchiha!?"

The bullies exchanged glances before bursting into mocking laughter.

"What's so great about Uchiha, hahaha."

"Uchiha is no longer able to survive."

"Your next Uchiha leader has defected; why are you still showing off your power?"

Outraged, Sasuke declared, "I'm going to teach you brats a lesson today."

Rushing forward, he delivered a punch to the child pressing Naruto down. Naruto seized the opportunity to stand up, appearing rough but not seriously injured.

Together, Sasuke and Naruto confronted the remaining three children. Drawing from the Uchiha, he used precise physical techniques, using tripping and elbow strikes.

Two of the bullies were swiftly knocked down, while Naruto continued to hold his own against the other two.

Eventually, Naruto landed a strong punch, bringing the confrontation to an end.

Witnessing their inability to overpower Sasuke and Naruto, the remaining bullies reluctantly helped each other to their feet and fled, hurling threats behind them.

"A fox demon, a traitorous member. Just wait for me..."

With the departure of the tormentors, only Naruto remained in the forest, visibly disheartened and tear-streaked.

Despite Sasuke being physically unharmed, his expression mirrored the somber atmosphere.