Training Ground Seven was quiet in the early morning. A lone figure sat atop a wooden post, casually eating four sticks of dango. "Mm. Not bad," he muttered, checking the watch he had… borrowed… from a store. He should be here any minute. Right on cue, a loud voice rang out. "HEYYY, KAZU-SENSEI!" Sasuke sighed. He's too loud. I'll fix that. Naruto skidded to a stop in front of him, grinning ear to ear. "Are you ready?" Sasuke asked, calm and serious. Naruto nodded with conviction. "Good. What are they teaching you in the academy?" "Umm… we're throwing shuriken, practicing taijutsu, learning about the Hokages, and… catra?" "Chakra," Sasuke corrected. "Yeah! That! And we're trying to control it." Sasuke nodded. "Normally, I'd start there, but I have something better in mind. Remember the jutsu I used yesterday?" "Yeah! That clone thing!" "Shadow Clone Jutsu. I'll teach you—but you only use it with me or if your life is in danger. Understood?" Naruto nodded firmly. "Good. Hold still."
"Sharingan."
The world shifted
Sasuke stood in a dim corridor inside Naruto's mindscape, a long sewer leading to a massive red gate. Behind it, two enormous crimson eyes snapped open
Sasuke met the fox's massive gaze without flinching. "I need you to suppress your chakra from leaking into Naruto's system for the time being. Stop interfering with his control. Let him train properly."
The Nine-Tails' eyes narrowed. "And why should I listen to you, Uchiha?"
"Because if he remains weak, he dies. And if he dies… so do you." Sasuke's voice stayed calm, matter-of-fact. "He's being sabotaged at the academy. His chakra control is unstable because of you. I'm trying to fix that."
The fox studied him carefully. The Rinnegan glowed faintly in the dim sewer. "Those eyes…" Kurama rumbled. "They are like his. The Sage of Six Paths. Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki. How are you connected to him?"
Sasuke's expression didn't change. "I inherited his power."
Kurama's pupils thinned. "So the old man's chakra lives on… in an Uchiha."
"For now," Sasuke replied evenly. "I'm not here to control you. I'm here to ensure Naruto survives long enough to become what he's meant to be."
Silence stretched between them. The killing intent faded completely.
"You are different from the others," Kurama muttered. "You do not reek of hatred."
"I've had enough of hatred," Sasuke said quietly.
Another long pause.
"…Very well, Uchiha," Kurama finally rumbled. "I will suppress my chakra leakage. The boy's control will stabilize. But if you attempt to enslave me—"
"I won't," Sasuke interrupted calmly. "Not unless you force my hand."
A low chuckle echoed through the chamber. "Begone, then."
The mindscape dissolved.
Less than a second had passed in the real world.
Naruto blinked. "Uh… you okay, Kazu-sensei?"
"Fine," Sasuke replied. "Now pay attention."
He drew the hand signs slowly in the dirt. "Watch carefully."
Naruto memorized them and formed the seals. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
The first attempt fizzled. The second collapsed into smoke. The third wobbled.
On the fourth try—
Poof!
Twenty perfect shadow clones appeared.
Naruto's jaw dropped. "I DID IT!"
Sasuke's eyes sharpened slightly. The chakra flow was already smoother. Good.
"How much do you have left?"
"A lot!"
"Show me."
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Sixty more clones filled the field.
Sasuke allowed a faint smirk. With Kurama suppressing interference, his reserves are even more stable.
"Good. Now we begin real training."
And the forging of a legend truly began.