As the forehead protector was lifted, an eye was exposed under the cold moonlight.
Within that crimson pupil, three black tomoe slowly rotated, emitting a powerful aura.
Three-tomoe Sharingan!
In that instant, Sasuke's pupils contracted sharply, and the offensive of his sword halted.
"That eye..."
He stared fixedly at Kakashi's left eye and asked, "Why? Why do you have that eye?!"
'The Sharingan was proof of the Uchiha Clan's bloodline, our pride.'
'Aside from that man and myself, there shouldn't be a third person in this world who possessed it.'
'But this guy not only had it, but it was also a fully matured three-tomoe form.'
Kakashi looked at Sasuke's shocked expression and replied calmly, "This is a gift from a friend."
"A gift?"
Sasuke's eyes instantly turned cold, "Since when did the eyes of the Uchiha clan become gifts to be given away so casually?"
He raised his hand, chanting an incantation.
"Hado #4, Byakurai!"
A bolt of lightning shot from Sasuke's fingertip.
It was just a probe, as this Kido spell didn't have much killing power. Even if it hit, it would only paralyze the enemy.
Kakashi sidestepped to dodge, somewhat surprised.
'What kind of technique is that?'
'Lightning Release Ninjutsu that does not require hand seals.'
'I've never seen it before.'
'The Sharingan can't copy it either. I didn't even feel a clear Chakra fluctuation.'
"Hado #33, Sokatsui!"
Sasuke didn't give him much time to think.
His left hand stretched forward, palm instantly gathering a mass of bluish-white flame that roared towards where Kakashi stood.
Boom…!
A violent explosion shattered the entire branch to pieces.
Kakashi's figure had already appeared on another tree. His Sharingan was locked tightly on Sasuke's form, his brain analyzing rapidly.
'Fire and Lightning Release that don't require hand seals... The attack method is very direct, but it seems to lack variation.'
"Hado #1, Sho!"
Sasuke chanted again in a low voice. An invisible impact force shot from his palm, heading straight for Kakashi.
Kakashi didn't take it head-on. Relying on his combat experience, his body flickered continuously among the trees, deflecting all of Sasuke's attacks.
Sasuke's frown deepened.
Although his Kido spells were cast quickly, they seemed to lose their effectiveness against the Sharingan.
Just as Sasuke used Shunpo again to pursue, preparing for a close-range slash, a sudden change occurred.
On the path of his charge, the ground suddenly softened. A hand reached out from underground without warning, firmly grabbing his ankle!
Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique!
The powerful pull made Sasuke instantly lose his balance, his body sinking heavily into the ground.
"Damn it!"
Sasuke was startled, only now realizing the combat style here was different from the Soul Society he was familiar with.
Before he could steady himself, Kakashi's figure had already appeared on a clearing not far away, his hands forming hand seals at a dizzying speed!
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
With a low shout, the accumulated water in the pond gathered into a ferocious water dragon, rushing to devour Sasuke who had just gotten up.
Sasuke had no choice but to use Shunpo again, dodging awkwardly to the side.
Boom…!
The water dragon crashed into the ground, sending up towering waves.
Sasuke's figure had just landed steadily, not even having time to catch his breath, when he suddenly met Kakashi's crimson Sharingan.
Genjutsu: Hell Viewing Technique!
In an instant, the world before Sasuke's eyes began to distort.
It was as if he had returned to that blood-soaked night. His parents lay in pools of blood, and his brother stood holding a dripping long sword, looking at him coldly, uttering cruel words.
"Foolish little brother..."
"Kill him, kill him!"
Hatred erupted instantly. At the same time, that icy voice rang out again in his mind.
"Get lost!"
Sasuke's soul was strong enough. The tomoe in his eyes spun desperately.
In just one second, he broke free from the Genjutsu's restraints.
But in combat, one second is enough to decide the outcome.
By the time Sasuke's vision cleared, a cold kunai was already pressed against his throat.
The battle is over.
Sasuke stood still, not moving.
"Damn it..."
He gritted his teeth, filled with unwillingness, 'It's that guy causing trouble again!'
Kakashi withdrew the kunai, looking calmly at Sasuke. "You are not yet strong. You don't have the qualification to underestimate your opponent."
"Hmph." Sasuke let out a cold snort, "If it weren't for... anyway, you got lucky this time."
He argued stubbornly, but he no longer had the contempt he had before.
Kakashi saw through his thoughts but didn't call him out, just shrugged, "Well, in battle, only the result matters. Losing is losing."
Sasuke's expression turned somewhat ugly. He was silent for a moment before speaking again, "Your capacity... I acknowledge it. You do have the qualification to stand before me."
"What you said earlier... does it still count?" He asked stiffly.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow, surprised he would say that.
"Hm? What did I say?"
"...Stay and become stronger." Sasuke almost squeezed the words out through his teeth.
"Ah, that."
Kakashi acted as if he just remembered, then smiled. "Of course it counts. What, do you want to be my student?"
"Boring." Sasuke turned his head away, no longer looking at him, but he didn't bring up leaving again either.
Kakashi hoisted Naruto onto his shoulder and prepared to turn and leave when Sasuke's voice came from behind.
"Tomorrow. What time?"
Kakashi's steps halted. He turned back, looking at him with some surprise.
Sasuke's face still wore that cold expression, as if nothing had just happened.
"Shinobi Academy."
Kakashi was taken aback for a moment, then smiled… a genuine one.
"Well, 9 AM. Don't be late."
With that, his figure flashed and disappeared.
Watching Kakashi's retreating figure, Sasuke looked down at his slightly trembling Zanpakuto and said in a low voice, "This time, we really lost. But there will be chances for you to go all out in the future."
Although he hated to admit it, staying in Konoha was indeed his best option for now.
Through this fight, Sasuke had roughly gauged his own strength.
If he went looking for Itachi now, forget about whether he could even find him, he'd probably just be walking to his death...
It was better to do as Kakashi said: stay first, get stronger.
After all, as a Shinobi, he still had a lot of room for improvement.
On his own, finding Itachi would be difficult. By staying, he could use Konoha's intelligence to find clues about Itachi.
But there was something more important at hand.
'How exactly did I return to Konoha?'
'Because of that voice inside me? Or...'
If he coulnd't figure out why he was traveling between the two worlds, it would be troublesome if he returned to the Soul Society side and couldn't come back.
But he tried various strange methods one by one, all to no avail.