A few days later, somewhere deep within the forests of the Land of Waves—
A dark figure darted across the treetops. Instantly, eight other silhouettes gave chase, agile and relentless.
When the gap between them narrowed to less than ten meters, the lead pursuer came to an abrupt halt. He wore a plain, featureless black mask.
"Shadow Possession Jutsu!"
The dark figure ahead spun around sharply. He, too, wore a similar mask and rapidly formed the Tiger hand seal.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
A massive fireball, roughly three meters in diameter, roared toward the group. The blaze ignited the forest with searing heat and blinding flames. Without hesitation, the black figure turned and continued his escape.
Boom!
The masked pursuer who had initiated the Shadow Possession technique exploded into smoke—just a Shadow Clone. Around him, several trees were left as charred stumps, scorched black at their roots.
The remaining seven attackers had already split up the moment their target turned. Six of them flanked wide and resumed pursuit, while one silently dropped to the forest floor.
Moments later, the six regrouped after spotting the dark figure again. Two of them surged forward in a flash of lightning, closing the gap and performing hand signs in sync.
"Lightning Water Dragon Bullet!"
A colossal dragon made of electrified water roared as it barreled through the forest, smashing through trees before slamming into the black figure and knocking him from the air.
Seeing this, the remaining four dove from the trees, rushing toward the crash site. But as they descended, a flurry of kunai launched at them from multiple angles.
They reacted instantly, each tossing a shuriken in response—
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The kunai were knocked off course, embedding into nearby trees and the forest floor. But in the same instant, they realized the "black figure" they'd just slammed into was nothing but a log—a textbook Substitution Jutsu.
Looking up, they spotted the real one standing calmly atop a nearby tree branch.
The two attackers who had used the Water Dragon technique leapt over, just about to act again when the figure on the tree smirked—and flicked a single shuriken.
Clink!
It struck one of the kunai still embedded in the ground—immediately triggering a trap.
All six enemies suddenly felt something binding their feet. One of them glanced down and muttered,
"So the earlier kunai... they were for a wire trap?"
Dozens of nearly invisible steel wires had been wound around their limbs. As they struggled, they were jerked together like puppets, completely immobilized.
Up above, the masked figure's left hand sparked with electricity—and the current surged down the wires.
Boom!
The six attackers all burst into puffs of smoke. Shadow Clones—gone.
On the tree, the black-masked shinobi removed his disguise, revealing a pair of blood-red Sharingan eyes.
"All the clones are gone now…"
It was Sasuke.
Muttering to himself, he began retrieving the ninja wire—but didn't come down. He moved slowly, scanning the forest with his Sharingan.
Minutes passed as he retrieved wires and kunai from the tree trunks. A few kunai still lay scattered on the ground.
Sasuke eyed them cautiously. The silence of the forest felt… off.
"Knowing how sneaky Naruto is, there's no way he doesn't have a clone underground…"
He tapped the engraved seal on his wrist brace, drawing a longsword. Then, warily stepping down the trunk, he moved even more slowly than before.
After a long descent, he finally reached the ground, still cautious.
Step by step, he edged toward a kunai lying just a few meters away—then, alarm bells went off in his head. He leapt straight up—
Boom!
The ground burst open, and a hand shot out from where he'd just been.
Emerging from the dirt, Naruto removed his mask.
"So what if you knew it was a trap? You still fell for it."
Sasuke scowled, ready to speak—but Naruto slammed his palm onto the ground.
"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
A ferocious dragon head burst from the soil and spewed a stream of mud straight toward him.
Sasuke darted behind a tree trunk, using it for cover, then leapt to a neighboring branch—but Naruto redirected the jutsu. The earthen dragon twisted in pursuit.
As Sasuke landed, the mud blast hit him head-on, blasting him into the air.
Naruto smiled and slapped the ground, dispelling the jutsu.
Seeing Sasuke crash down, Naruto took a step forward—
POOF!
The fallen Sasuke vanished in a cloud of smoke.
"Chidori!"
From behind, the chirping screech of lightning echoed. Naruto didn't flinch.
An electrified hand pierced through his back and out his chest—then Naruto, too, burst into smoke.
Sasuke's lips curled slightly in triumph.
Time to find the real Naruto.
With all Naruto's clones eliminated, Sasuke deactivated his Sharingan and began gathering the remaining wires and kunai. He moved quickly this time.
But just as he turned a corner, he noticed a lone kunai lying behind a tree.
He didn't think twice—reached down to grab it—
POOF!
The kunai transformed into Naruto.
"Crap!"
Before Sasuke could react, Naruto grabbed his wrist and detonated—
A Lightning Clone, exploding with a massive electric shock.
"Damn it! He used a Lightning Release Shadow Clone to self-destruct!"
Sasuke collapsed to the ground, body trembling.
Elsewhere in the forest, the real Naruto smiled faintly.
Sasuke's gonna be out for a while.
After greeting the two Tailed Beasts sealed inside him, he entered the Mirror World.
Half an hour later, a battered Sasuke staggered out from the woods.
The moment he spotted Naruto, his eyes went red with fury. He stomped over, growling,
"Clever move. But don't think you'll catch me like that again!"
Naruto nodded.
"Appreciate the compliment. Though I'm surprised you fell for it so easily."
"With your Sharingan, you should've seen through the Transformation Jutsu."
Sasuke's eye twitched. He regretted deactivating his Sharingan too soon. But really, how could he have guessed Naruto disguised himself as a kunai?
Naruto smirked.
"Sit down. I'll patch you up before we head back."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes.
"You know medical ninjutsu?"
Naruto took his wrist without waiting for permission. A soft green glow emerged from his hand.
In seconds, Sasuke felt his wounds healing at an astonishing rate.
Staring in disbelief with his Sharingan active, Sasuke finally asked,
"Just how many jutsu do you know?"
He'd always thought Naruto only knew combat-heavy techniques. But after their trip to the bounty station, he realized Naruto also mastered traps, seal formulas, and barrier techniques.
And now—he was a medic ninja too?
Naruto chuckled.
"Once your Sharingan reaches the third tomoe, you'll be like Kakashi Hatake. You'll be able to copy any jutsu just by seeing it once."
"Legend has it he's copied over a thousand jutsu."
Sasuke went silent.
His right eye had only recently evolved to two tomoe, and even that took him three years since first awakening his Sharingan.
He remembered his father saying: most Uchiha, even those lucky enough to awaken their Sharingan, never reached three tomoe before they died.
Would he end up like that too...?
Naruto finished healing him. Sensing Sasuke zoning out, he activated Flying Thunder God—
Whoosh!
The two reappeared in the forest by Naka River.
Back in familiar territory, Sasuke's tone turned serious.
"Naruto… is there any other way to evolve the Sharingan faster?"
Naruto's eyes narrowed.
"I already told you what the Second Hokage discovered."
"To evolve the eyes, you first need to understand 'love'—and then lose it. Only through intense emotional trauma can the Sharingan evolve."
"But that path often leads to madness… and unfortunately, you're too mentally stable for that."
Sasuke's expression darkened.
"Understand love... and then lose it. I've already lost everything there is to lose."
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