Watching Sasuke walk away, Sakura scratched her head.
Was he feeling defeated?
Sakura could understand and respect that. After all, someone burdened with a blood feud must constantly seek to grow stronger.
---
Sasuke returned alone to the tent. The first thing he saw was Kakashi, lying idly on the bed, flipping through his beloved Make-Out Paradise novel.
Due to the wartime situation, each tent was generally shared by four people. However, considering Kakashi's status and his mentor-disciple relationship with Sasuke, the two were given a tent to themselves.
"What's the matter?"
"Did you lose badly?"
Kakashi didn't even glance at Sasuke, who was now sitting on the opposite bed. He simply flipped another page and asked lazily.
However, Sasuke didn't answer his question. Instead, with a heavy expression, he asked:
"Kakashi… Just how strong has Sakura become?"
Hearing that, Kakashi's exposed eye glanced at the calm-faced boy before him.
"Sakura… is different from the others."
Still flipping the pages, Kakashi responded nonchalantly:
"I wasn't planning on discouraging you, but since you're asking, I'll be honest."
He closed his explicit novel, sat up straight, and looked at Sasuke with a serious expression.
"Do you know where Sakura went during the four years after graduation?"
Sasuke remained silent.
"She joined the ANBU."
"And within four years, she had already risen to the position of ANBU Squad Leader."
"She was only twelve at the time."
"If not for the Hokage deliberately slowing down her promotions, she'd probably be a full Jōnin by now, not just a Special Jōnin."
Sasuke listened silently to Kakashi's words. His expression was unreadable, making Kakashi unsure of what he was thinking.
"Even that man…"
Kakashi narrowed his eyes slightly, as if cautiously probing Sasuke's mental state.
"That man—your brother, Uchiha…"
"He's not my brother."
Sasuke suddenly interrupted him. Though abrupt, his tone was chillingly calm.
"Even Uchiha Itachi only became an ANBU Squad Leader at thirteen."
Kakashi's words made Sasuke lift his head slightly. His crimson Sharingan eyes locked onto Kakashi with a glint of emotion.
A twisted smile appeared on Sasuke's lips, a mix of bitterness and malice.
"Heh… So even he has someone who's surpassed him."
Kakashi looked at the boy in front of him, slightly surprised.
He had expected the typical Uchiha reaction—more obsession, more madness.
But Sasuke had actually managed to suppress the rage boiling inside him.
"Welp, that's how it is."
"Even I pale in comparison to Sakura nowadays."
Kakashi smiled, his eyes forming crescent moons.
"That's only natural. If even you were no match for her, then Sakura wouldn't be Sakura."
Sasuke smirked in response, then looked at Kakashi with serious determination.
"I still need to get stronger."
"Kakashi, teach me."
Seeing the young man before him not grow discouraged but instead fueled with determination, Kakashi was inwardly relieved.
"Of course. You are, after all, my student."
Saying that, Kakashi pulled a scroll from his vest and handed it to Sasuke.
"This contains my insights on Lightning Style techniques."
"Don't think I'm just a guy who only knows Chidori and how to copy others' jutsu."
Kakashi tapped his head with a grin.
"You should know—I became a Jōnin at twelve, and Chidori, that so-called S-rank technique, was something I created at that age."
"Twelve years have passed. If I had stayed stagnant since then, that'd be quite embarrassing."
Though Kakashi spoke lightly, every word exuded confidence.
"You…"
Sasuke looked at Kakashi in surprise.
He still remembered vividly that time in the Land of Waves when Kakashi had been caught off-guard by Zabuza's Mist Jutsu.
As if reading Sasuke's mind, Kakashi replied casually:
"Well, I had Sakura with me back then, didn't I?"
He chuckled inwardly. As if I'd tell you I slipped up like a rookie…
Sasuke didn't pursue the matter further. He opened the scroll Kakashi had given him and found a collection of advanced Lightning Release techniques.
Lightning Style: Thunder Tiger Killing,
Lightning Style: Lightning Transmission,
Lightning Style: Lightning Clone…
The rest of the scroll was filled with Kakashi's deep insights and research into Lightning-style chakra manipulation.
"Rather than just inheriting my techniques, I'm more excited to see you develop a jutsu of your own."
Kakashi looked at Sasuke with the same spark in his eye he had back when he first created Chidori.
---
Compared to the strangely quiet battlefield in the Land of Frost, the Land of Rivers was in utter chaos.
From the very first day Danzo Shimura arrived with his forces, they clashed head-on with the Sand Village's invading troops.
Say what you will about Danzo's character, but in terms of strategic command and battlefield tactics, his status as a disciple of the Second Hokage was well-earned.
Danzo's deployment style was like an ancient tree with entangled roots—interconnected, layered, and highly efficient. Under his command, the Sand shinobi were completely pinned down in the Land of Rivers, unable to advance even a step.
In the main command tent of the Sand Army—
An elderly woman with silver hair sat calmly at the head of the table. On either side of her were the key officers managing this war.
"Elder Chiyo, what should we do next?"
One of the subordinates asked cautiously.
The elderly woman, Chiyo, slowly raised her eyelids and responded in a measured tone:
"Any word from the Hidden Cloud?"
At the mention of the Cloud Village, the man immediately grew anxious.
"Elder Chiyo, we can't place all our hopes on the Cloud Village!"
"They've always been ambitious and untrustworthy. Now that we've clashed with Konoha, they're sure to use this chance to backstab us. It's obvious they were waiting for this."
"Hmph?"
The old woman slightly raised her voice, and the man instantly fell silent, lips pressed into a tight line.
Seeing his discontented expression, Chiyo's face softened just a little.
"I know exactly how untrustworthy the Cloud Village is. But just like their ambition, they have one other advantage—troops."
"They are the only village besides Konoha with an abundant supply of manpower."
"If they're not anxious, why should we be?"
"Pass the order down. We rest for two days in place. Increase patrols."
"Wait for Cloud Village to make a move."
Just as her words fell, a streak of white light tore through the sky and landed with a loud boom in the very center of the Sand Village command tent.
It was a sealed metal box—delivered via teleportation technique.
"The Heaven-Sending Technique from Cloud Village!"
Looking at the iron container brought by the technique, Chiyo chuckled and shook her head.
"What did I tell you? See? They couldn't sit still after all."
---
End of Chapter 116