Sasuke, both unwilling to admit defeat and reluctant to break his word by using his Mangekyo Sharingan, writhed, trying to break free from the steel wires.
Creak, creak.
As Sasuke struggled, the wires binding him tightened further, cutting into his flesh and leaving several gashes on his body.
Kakashi didn't intervene, only stating coldly, "Give up! Unless you use your Mangekyo Sharingan, you won't escape."
"Damn it!"
After several moments of hesitation, Sasuke finally suppressed the violent urge within him.
This was mainly because, during his last encounter with the 'Upper Moon Two,' recklessly using his Mangekyo dojutsu had temporarily drained the power in his right eye, leaving him wary of repeating the mistake.
Moreover, Shinji, as the leader of the Akatsuki, had warned him about it, so after weighing his options, Sasuke abandoned the idea of using his Mangekyo dojutsu against Kakashi.
Seeing Sasuke calm down, Kakashi quietly breathed a sigh of relief. He casually tossed a few kunai, cutting the wires binding Sasuke, and said, "You're too focused on winning!"
Freed, Sasuke stretched his body. "Is wanting to win so wrong?"
"Because you're so fixated on winning, you only think about yourself, not your opponent! You only consider victory, not the possibility of failure!" Pausing, Kakashi continued casually, "When shinobi clash, victory or defeat often hinges on a single moment. Wanting to win isn't wrong, but obsessing over victory without considering the consequences of failure—that's your biggest problem right now!"
Sasuke retorted defiantly, "If I'm strong enough, I'll win!"
"Unfortunately, you're not strong enough yet!"
With that, Kakashi pulled a roll of bandages from his pouch and tossed it to Sasuke.
"Tch!"
Catching the bandages, Sasuke realized his body was covered in cuts from the wires, his expression flickering between frustration and resignation.
"Get some rest!"
With a lazy wave, Kakashi vanished with a whoosh.
On the outskirts.
"This master-student duo is quite something…"
"Kakashi is still Kakashi! Uchiha Sasuke may be a genius, but challenging Kakashi now is still too early for him!"
"The show's over. Let's disperse!"
The shinobi watching from a distance commented as they scattered.
On the tree.
The Third Hokage turned to the advisory elders beside him. "What do you think?"
Homura Mitokado said, "It seems Kakashi can still keep Uchiha Sasuke in check for now. We don't need to worry too much."
Danzo said coldly, "Even so, we can't let our guard down with Uchiha Sasuke. I propose reinstating round-the-clock surveillance on him!"
Koharu Utatane nodded. "I agree with Danzo, but since Uchiha Sasuke has awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, few in the Anbu can safely monitor him. I suggest assigning Uchiha Shinji to oversee Uchiha Sasuke's surveillance!"
Using an Uchiha to counter an Uchiha had always been a standard tactic of the Hokage's faction, so even the Third didn't object.
Danzo's expression darkened. "Uchiha Shinji isn't trustworthy either!"
Koharu frowned. "Danzo, your suspicions are excessive!"
It was Shinji's recent standout performances that had restored some of Koharu's waning influence.
Word had just come from the Land of Iron: Shinji not only personally defeated the notorious 'Upper Moon Two' but also forced the Akatsuki's 'A' and 'E' to retreat. His impressive feats earned praise even from Tsunade and Jiraiya.
Thus, Koharu was resolute in defending Shinji.
She knew well that without her own people among the village's new generation, her authority would gradually erode over time. After all, in the shinobi world, strength reigned supreme!
Homura also spoke up. "The village now only has Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Shinji left. There's no need to be overly tense!"
Danzo, frustrated, thought to himself, "You two aren't the ones who've clashed with Uchiha Shinji!"
Frustrated as he was, he knew he couldn't oppose the Third, whose authority in the village was growing, without the support of Koharu and Homura. So, he chose silence.
"Let's hold off on the surveillance for now," the Third decided firmly.
He aimed to win Sasuke over and naturally wouldn't allow Koharu's proposal for Shinji to monitor him. If that got out, his plan to sway Sasuke would collapse.
At the same time, Shinji's rising prominence made him faintly uneasy.
After all, Shinji was now part of the advisory council, and both Koharu and Homura clearly favored him. There was a chance Shinji could inherit their political influence in the future.
A few days later, Tsunade's team returned to the village, travel-worn.
In the Hokage's office, Tsunade and Jiraiya gave the Third a detailed report of everything that happened in the Land of Iron, including the suspicions raised by the Third Tsuchikage and Fourth Raikage regarding Sasuke.
After hearing the report, the Third turned to Shinji in the team and asked, "When you encountered the 'Upper Moon Two,' why did you choose to strike alone?"
"Because our target was the 'Upper Moon Two.' When we unexpectedly encountered them, I chose to act decisively!"
Shinji's response was precise and formal, carrying the hallmark Uchiha demeanor.
The Third nodded lightly, not pressing further.
He already knew the situation. In that context, having a team member step forward to unleash a large-scale offensive jutsu was the correct response.
Otherwise, a sudden enemy could have broken their formation.
Moreover, Tsunade's team didn't know at the time that the 'Upper Moon Two' had been relentlessly pursued for three days by a joint force from the Hidden Rock Village, Hidden Cloud Village, and the Land of Iron, along with the Akatsuki's 'A' and 'E,' and was already at their limit. Thus, there was no basis for claims that Shinji acted recklessly to steal the kill.
"First, successfully developing the Type-3 Aging Potion, and now slaying the 'Upper Moon Two'—this kid's luck is something else!" the Third remarked with a wry sigh before announcing to Tsunade's team, "The target 'Upper Moon Two' was eliminated, and the mission was completed with no losses. Your team performed exceptionally well! The entire team is credited with one A-rank mission. Uchiha Shinji, for personally slaying the 'Upper Moon Two,' is credited with one S-rank mission!"
Had they captured the 'Upper Moon Two' alive, like they did with the 'Upper Moon Five,' the entire team would have been credited with an S-rank mission.
But since they couldn't capture the 'Upper Moon Two' alive this time, though the mission was completed, the gains were limited. Thus, the team received one A-rank mission credit, with only Shinji, who personally killed the 'Upper Moon Two,' earning an S-rank mission credit!
The team all turned to look at Shinji.
Even Yakumo's face was filled with envy.