Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, and Shino had all begun learning their clan's Hidden Techniques at an early age and were now showing promising results.
The most notable change was probably Naruto. Unlike before, when he was lonely and hated by everyone, this time Naruto had Sakura and others by his side. Thanks to Kakashi and Mr. Ichiraku's support, his life had improved drastically. Since Naruto no longer played pranks for attention and instead dedicated himself fully to taijutsu training under Guy's guidance, many people in Konoha were gradually forgetting about the Nine-Tails' previous reputation.
At first, Naruto had really wanted to train ninjutsu with Kakashi, but due to the Nine-Tails' refusal to cooperate, Naruto struggled greatly with chakra control. Eventually, he decided to focus on taijutsu training alongside Lee under Guy's guidance.
As for Sasuke, although he had not yet awakened his Sharingan, he was naturally very gifted. Surrounded by driven peers, he worked extremely hard at his training, which pleased Fugaku Uchiha while also leaving him somewhat disappointed. Originally, he had hoped his younger son could live a simple, ordinary life so that he and his wife could experience the fulfillment of being parents. It turned out, though, that Sasuke was just as talented as Itachi.
Although his abilities improved rapidly, Sasuke's resentment did not decrease—particularly his frustration toward Sakura.
It went without saying where Sasuke's frustration came from—it was all due to his Brother, Itachi Uchiha. Through the combined efforts of Sakura, Sasuke, Fugaku Uchiha, and Mikoto Uchiha, Itachi and Izumi Uchiha had finally become a couple. Although Itachi hadn't said anything romantic or sentimental, everyone knew the two were together. The subtle affection casually displayed between them felt like couple goals constantly flaunted in the face of single men, especially painful for Kakashi, who had been mockingly dubbed a "single dog" by Sakura.
Of course, it wasn't that Sasuke resented Itachi having a girlfriend—it was because even after finding a girlfriend, Itachi still had no free time to spend with him, becoming even busier than before and always running here and there.
Speaking of which, Sakura couldn't help but feel a headache coming. Just six months ago, Itachi had joined Anbu. As for the specific reason, Fugaku Uchiha had privately explained it to her. Even though the Uchiha clan had changed and relations with Konoha had improved significantly, there were still some stubborn elders within the clan who kept trying to stir up trouble. These elders saw their influence waning as more followers shifted allegiance to Fugaku, so they took drastic action—they pressured Itachi to join Anbu under the guise of intelligence-gathering, quietly laying the groundwork for future moves.
Although these elders had lost much of their former power, collectively they still represented a considerable force. Left with no choice, Fugaku could do nothing but let Itachi enter Anbu. However, rather than have Itachi gather intelligence for the clan, he had instead placed Itachi directly under the Third Hokage's command, freeing him from worries related to the Uchiha clan.
Despite that, those six months in the Anbu had left Itachi quieter than ever. No one knew exactly what agreement Danzo and the Uchiha elders had reached, but behind the scenes, both sides had already begun cooperating in several areas. Aside from those directly involved, hardly anyone else knew about it.
Since Itachi didn't speak about it voluntarily, Sakura and the others couldn't force him to reveal anything. For now, they could only watch helplessly—but deep down, they added yet another grudge against Danzo.
Recently, Shisui had become increasingly mysterious, often disappearing without a trace. His mood had also grown more somber, which worried Sakura. She feared he might still fall victim to Danzo's deception and ambush—just like in the original story—and eventually throw himself into the river.
"Kakashi-sensei, how's your Sharingan doing?"
Looking at Kakashi sitting on a tree branch holding his infamous orange book, Sakura felt a strong headache coming on. Ever since he discovered that his Sharingan used less chakra, Kakashi had completely resigned from his Anbu duties and devoted himself entirely to training. With his substantial savings and the inheritance from the Hatake family, money was never an issue. As soon as his training ended each day, he would immediately slip away to read Make-Out Paradise again. He was slowly turning into that same shady old man from the original story.
"Mm, thanks to Sakura, my Sharingan's chakra consumption has dropped significantly, and it's becoming easier to use too!"
Kakashi lifted his forehead protector. The three tomoe briefly rotated before vanishing entirely, making his left eye appear indistinguishable from a normal eye for a moment. Unfortunately, this effect didn't last long, as the three black rings quickly reappeared.
"I can now temporarily deactivate my Sharingan, and I've sensed there's some hidden power within it—I just can't access or use it yet."
Chapter 50: Konoha School Season [Middle Part] [Second Update]
"Is it the [Mangekyo Sharingan]?"
After listening to Kakashi's explanation, Sakura nodded understandingly. Kakashi's Sharingan had actually awakened the [Mangekyo Sharingan] back when Rin died. However, since Kakashi wasn't a true member of the Uchiha clan, he couldn't properly control the Sharingan's powers, thus never developing its full potential.
"[Mangekyo Sharingan]?" Kakashi first looked momentarily stunned, then waved his hand dismissively with a smile. "You're kidding, right? I'm not even from the Uchiha clan—how could I possibly awaken the [Mangekyo Sharingan]?"
Kakashi definitely knew something about the [Legendary Mangekyo Sharingan]. Just like Madara Uchiha, who possessed this ability and wielded enough strength to directly subjugate the Nine-Tails—for someone like himself, an outsider—it seemed utterly impossible.
"[Legendary Mangekyo Sharingan]?" Shisui was also startled for a moment before falling silent. He himself had already awakened the [Mangekyo Sharingan] and fully grasped its terrifying power. Yet due to its extremely long cooldown period, he'd never used his dojutsu on anyone before.
"As far as I know," interjected Itachi beside Izumi Uchiha, their romantic atmosphere thick between them, "only a few people in Uchiha clan history have ever awakened the [Mangekyo Sharingan], right?" Upon hearing Sakura mention it, he frowned slightly.
"I've seen the Uchiha clan's ancient stone tablet. It says that a person must lose someone they hold dearest to unlock the Mangekyo Sharingan. Only the deepest grief and absolute despair can awaken such a power!"
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