The images on the Sky Screen began to flip like rapidly turning pages.
No longer focused on a single event, they now depicted the passage of time—and the growth of two boys walking very different paths.
On one side was Naruto, training under Jiraiya's guidance in grueling conditions.
Cliff climbing.
Water walking.
Rasengan training…
Through countless failures and stubborn persistence, his figure gradually became taller and sturdier. The childishness on his face faded slightly, yet his eyes remained just as clear—and just as unwavering.
On the other side was Sasuke, deep within Orochimaru's sinister hideouts.
His training was far more brutal and direct—soaked in bloodshed, drug-infused agony, and the relentless struggle to control the Curse Mark's power.
His presence grew colder by the day. The chill in his eyes deepened, and his mastery of the Sharingan became increasingly refined. Three tomoe rotated slowly within his pupils, emitting an eerie, ominous glow.
At last, a critical moment arrived.
The scene shifted to a dim, rune-covered chamber.
Orochimaru—who had coveted the Uchiha body for so long—finally made his move.
A pale white serpent body burst forth from his decaying shell, filled with greed and certainty, lunging toward Sasuke in an attempt to perform Living Corpse Reincarnation and claim this perfect vessel.
But at that very instant—
The Sasuke who had been sitting motionless with eyes closed suddenly opened them!
The three-tomoe Sharingan erupted with a demonic brilliance, locking directly into Orochimaru's gaze!
"GRAAAH—!!"
Orochimaru's shrill, agonized scream echoed through the Sky Screen.
His massive white serpent form slammed into an invisible wall. The moment it came into contact with Sasuke's eyes, all of Orochimaru's consciousness—his chakra, his will—collapsed like melting ice and disintegrated completely.
All his schemes, all his preparations, appeared laughably fragile before the supreme ocular power of Uchiha blood.
The Sky Screen clearly showed Orochimaru's consciousness being dragged into a genjutsu space, where Sasuke tore it apart with ease—binding, devouring, and sealing it amid countless symbolic venomous snakes.
One of the Legendary Sannin, the master schemer Orochimaru, was utterly defeated at the height of his ambition—
Killed by the very prey he had so carefully "cultivated."
Outside an Akatsuki Hideout – Reality
Watching his own miserable defeat and sealing play out on the Sky Screen, Orochimaru's golden slit pupils shrank to pinpoints. His expression darkened to the point of dripping venom.
He had anticipated this outcome—but witnessing how utterly powerless he was before a three-tomoe Sharingan still drowned him in humiliation, rage, and an even deeper hunger.
"Uchiha… Sharingan…"
He hissed softly, his long tongue unconsciously sliding across his lips, his gaze burning hotter and more dangerous.
"So it truly is… the most perfect power…"
"But to be made this… pathetic…"
He was Orochimaru—
A legendary shinobi who had dominated the ninja world for decades!
And yet on the Sky Screen, he had been utterly outclassed.
The humiliation only strengthened his resolve to obtain the Sharingan—no matter the cost.
Nearby, Itachi Uchiha watched in silence. Seeing his younger brother successfully turn the tables on Orochimaru, he allowed himself the faintest breath of relief—though his eyes remained cold and guarded.
The Birth of Team Taka
After defeating Orochimaru and absorbing part of his power, Sasuke did not stop.
The flames of revenge burned even more fiercely within him.
He knew that alone, he could not yet confront that unfathomable man—Itachi Uchiha.
Using intelligence and resources taken from Orochimaru's bases, Sasuke deliberately sought out individuals with unique abilities.
In time, he assembled a squad centered entirely around himself—
Team Taka.
The Sky Screen flashed through brief scenes:
Suigetsu, drawn by his obsession with the Executioner's Blade.
Karin, following Sasuke with near-fanatical devotion, her sensory and healing abilities invaluable.
Jūgo, his uncontrollable berserker power restrained and exploited through Sasuke's mastery of the Curse Mark.
A team of rogues and outcasts, unified by a single purpose.
Sasuke's revenge.
They moved through the shadows of the shinobi world, gathering intelligence on Akatsuki and on Itachi Uchiha.
The great villages did not hesitate.
Intelligence divisions were immediately mobilized to collect information on Team Taka.
This was Sasuke's future elite squad—every member dangerous.
Recruit even one of them, and it would be a massive gain.
Naruto's Path
Meanwhile, Naruto never gave up.
Under Jiraiya's guidance and through his own relentless effort, he grew at an astonishing pace—taking on increasingly difficult missions, his name gradually spreading throughout the shinobi world.
Fate's threads crossed once more.
During a mission, Team Kakashi encountered Team Taka, who were conducting their own investigation.
Years after their last meeting, Naruto and Sasuke stood face to face again.
Naruto was more mature now, more resolute—but the fire in his eyes remained unchanged.
"Sasuke!" he called out, excitement and pleading mixing in his voice.
"Come back with us! Everyone's worried about you!"
But Sasuke was colder than ever.
Standing before Suigetsu, Karin, and Jūgo, he was like a drawn blade—sharp, dangerous, and unapproachable.
He looked at Naruto with detached eyes, as though gazing at someone desperately chasing after him—
Yet still left behind.
"Naruto. You're still the same. You haven't changed at all," Sasuke said calmly, an invisible distance separating them.
"I told you before—I won't go back. Not until I kill that man."
"Why?!" Naruto shouted in anguish.
"Aren't we friends?!"
"Friends?"
Sasuke's lips curled into a cold, nearly mocking smile.
"That kind of thing… is a luxury to me now. Worse—it's a burden."
He said no more.
He didn't even feel the need to fight Naruto.
In Sasuke's eyes, Naruto had grown stronger—but he still couldn't understand the hell Sasuke walked through, nor provide the power needed for revenge.
The distance between them hadn't shrunk.
It had grown wider.
Their paths, their experiences, their goals—had pulled them further apart than ever.
Once again, the encounter ended without resolution.
Under Sasuke's command, Team Taka withdrew like ghosts, avoiding large-scale conflict with the Leaf squad.
Naruto remained where he stood, watching Sasuke leave without hesitation.
His fists clenched until his nails bit deep into his palms, leaving bloody marks.
He had failed again.
He hadn't brought Sasuke back.
He hadn't even managed to make him waver.
The shinobi world watched in silence, emotions tangled and heavy.
They saw Naruto's persistence and pain.
And they saw Sasuke, walking ever farther down the road of hatred—with unwavering resolve.
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