Whir...
Within Sasuke's blood-red pupils, the single tomoe that had defined his Sharingan for months began rotating with increasing speed. As he watched, a second tomoe materialized alongside the first, the two patterns spinning in perfect synchronization.
Two-Tomoe Sharingan!
The evolution brought with it a surge of enhanced ocular power, and Sasuke immediately became aware of the dramatic improvement in his visual capabilities. His gaze shifted toward Shibi, who was positioned at the front of their formation, and his newly enhanced eyes focused with startling clarity.
"This is incredible," Sasuke thought with amazement as an entirely new level of perception opened before him.
What now appeared in his field of vision was a detailed map of Shibi's entire chakra network—every meridian, every flow pattern, every circulation route throughout the Aburame's body. More remarkable still, he could clearly observe the countless parasitic insects of various species that inhabited Shibi's internal systems, creatures so numerous and diverse that they would be impossible to count with ordinary vision.
These insects were continuously consuming chakra from their host's body, creating a symbiotic relationship that formed the foundation of the Aburame clan's unique combat techniques. The stronger and more experienced the user, the greater the number and variety of insects that could be sustained within their biological ecosystem.
The sheer quantity of insects living within Shibi's body made Sasuke's scalp tingle with unease. While he understood intellectually that this represented the secret technique of the Aburame clan, the thought of hosting so many creatures within one's own body remained deeply disturbing on a visceral level.
After recovering from his initial shock, the corners of Sasuke's mouth slowly curved upward in a satisfied smile, joy evident in his newly evolved eyes.
Only now did he truly comprehend that the recent battle had provided far more than just an increase in his raw ocular power. In its previous single-tomoe configuration, his Sharingan had been incapable of directly perceiving chakra flow patterns or detecting the distribution of parasitic organisms.
The fact that he could now observe these details with such clarity confirmed that his Sharingan had indeed evolved to a significantly higher level of capability.
"Remarkable talent," Shibi thought to himself, having immediately noticed the intensity of Sasuke's enhanced observation. "To achieve two-tomoe Sharingan evolution through a single battle experience is genuinely impressive."
Throughout the current era, the entire Uchiha clan regarded Itachi, the eldest son of clan leader Fugaku, as their most exceptional prodigy. Indeed, Itachi had consistently broken records and established new benchmarks since his enrollment in the Ninja Academy, earning recognition that bordered on legendary status.
Living under the shadow of such an accomplished older brother, few people paid serious attention to what appeared to be a relatively ordinary younger sibling. Most observers assumed that Sasuke simply lacked his brother's extraordinary gifts.
However, today's events suggested that popular perception might be fundamentally flawed. While Itachi was undoubtedly a genius of unprecedented caliber, the gap between the two brothers might not be as insurmountable as everyone believed.
"Captain, all the enemy chakra signatures from the second group have completely disappeared," reported the sensory ninja who had detected the additional threat approaching from behind. His expression showed puzzlement as he added, "It's as if they simply vanished without any trace of battle or retreat."
"Understood," Shibi acknowledged with a simple nod, knowing exactly what had transpired but unable to explain the situation to his subordinate.
Meanwhile, in Konoha's training grounds, dozens of Naruto's shadow clones had formed a wide circle around Kushina, each one displaying obvious nervousness and reluctance.
"Come on then," Kushina said with deceptive sweetness, raising her eyebrows and crooking her finger in an inviting gesture toward the assembled clones.
Ever since discovering the true nature of Naruto and Jiraiya's training sessions several days earlier, Kushina had personally assumed responsibility for her son's combat education. Her approach to instruction, however, differed dramatically from the legendary Sannin's methods.
Upon hearing her challenge, the dozens of Naruto clones surrounding Kushina visibly trembled with apprehension, exchanging fearful glances as they recognized the dangerous gleam in their instructor's eyes.
Kushina's personality was fundamentally different from Jiraiya's relaxed and permissive teaching style. While her strength was certainly formidable, her impatience with perceived dawdling created a much more intense training environment.
"You're all moving too slowly," she declared with sudden irritation. "I'll start us off properly!"
Bringing her hands together in a familiar configuration, golden chains erupted from behind her back with lightning speed, seeking out their targets with predatory efficiency.
Several of Naruto's shadow clones disappeared immediately upon contact with the Adamantine Chains, dispelling in clouds of chakra smoke.
"Mom, wait!" Naruto called out in panic, waving his hands desperately in an attempt to call for mercy.
However, Kushina showed no signs of stopping her assault. If anything, her attacks became even more aggressive and precisely targeted as her combat instincts fully engaged.
One minute later, the training ground had been completely cleared of shadow clones. The original Naruto sat collapsed on the ground in exhaustion, staring with horror at a golden chain that had embedded itself in the earth mere inches from his face.
"What kind of training is this supposed to be?" Naruto grumbled, though he kept his voice low enough to avoid provoking further punishment. "This is just bullying disguised as education."
The power differential between himself and his mother was so enormous that once Kushina entered combat mode, moderating her intensity became nearly impossible. Her legendary temper and protective instincts created a training environment that bordered on genuinely dangerous.
The chains retracted with metallic sounds, and Kushina suddenly realized how carried away she had become. Walking over to where Naruto sat recovering, she shook her head with embarrassed acknowledgment of her mistake.
"Haha, I suppose I got a little too enthusiastic there," she admitted with characteristic directness, her words carrying the familiar speech pattern that marked her emotional state.
"Mom, I think we should call it a day for training," Naruto said diplomatically, quickly rising to his feet and beginning a strategic retreat from the training grounds before his mother could reconsider.
After escaping from the intensity of maternal instruction, Naruto wandered aimlessly through Konoha's rebuilt streets, enjoying the simple pleasure of not being chased by chains or subjected to life-threatening training exercises.
Swoosh!
A shadow suddenly flashed across the rooftops ahead of him, moving with the fluid grace characteristic of experienced ninja.
Naruto glanced upward casually, then focused more intently as he recognized the figure. "Sasuke?"
He hadn't seen his former teammate since the village's post-reconstruction reorganization had separated them into different units. Despite visiting the Hokage's office regularly for mission assignments, their paths simply hadn't crossed during the intervening weeks.
"Where is he going in such a hurry?" Naruto wondered aloud, his curiosity immediately piqued.
Since he had no other pressing obligations for the remainder of the day, Naruto tapped the ground lightly with his toes and leaped upward to follow Sasuke's rooftop route, maintaining enough distance to avoid immediate detection.
In the Hokage's office, the afternoon light streamed through tall windows as important discussions continued regarding recent mission developments.
"So he's achieved two-tomoe Sharingan evolution already," Uchiha Yoruki observed with satisfaction, leaning casually against the wall beside Minato's imposing desk. "It appears our strategic plan is proceeding according to schedule."
As someone who possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan himself, Yoruki understood better than most the specific conditions required for Sharingan evolution. External stimulation—particularly the psychological impact of life-threatening combat—represented the most critical factor in advancing ocular abilities.
While theoretically every member of the Uchiha clan possessed the genetic potential to awaken the Sharingan, only a small percentage actually managed to activate these dormant abilities. Similarly, evolution from one level to the next depended heavily on individual talent and circumstance. Clan members capable of advancing their eyes to three-tomoe configuration were exceptionally rare.
Without placing Sasuke in genuine mortal danger, there could be no guarantee that his Sharingan would evolve sufficiently to meet the prerequisites of their larger strategic plan.
"Is Sasuke unharmed?" Minato asked with obvious concern, his paternal instincts extending to his subordinates' welfare.
"He suffered no significant injuries during the engagement," Itachi reported with characteristic precision and objectivity.
"I'm relieved to hear that," Minato replied, though his expression remained troubled by the ethical implications of their approach.
Even though Mikoto, Fugaku, and Itachi had all given their consent to this dangerous training regimen, Minato continued to feel the weight of responsibility for putting a young person at such risk. The plan required manipulating circumstances to traumatize Sasuke sufficiently to trigger his ocular evolution—a process that felt uncomfortable close to deliberate harm.
After all, they were essentially exploiting the psychological mechanisms that governed Uchiha power development, using Sasuke's emotional responses as tools for advancing their larger objectives.
Sasuke had traveled through the village's rebuilt districts until he reached the Uchiha clan compound, where he finally came to a stop. Without turning around, he spoke with casual confidence.
"Have you followed me long enough?"
Naruto had made no particular effort to conceal his pursuit, recognizing that attempting stealth against someone with Sharingan abilities would be both pointless and potentially insulting.
Landing directly in front of Sasuke, Naruto felt irritated by his former teammate's condescending tone. "This is a public road," he retorted with characteristic defiance. "Who says I was following you specifically?"
Flash!
Without warning, Sasuke's dark eyes transformed into the distinctive crimson of the Sharingan, the two tomoe spinning slowly within each iris.
Naruto's gaze immediately focused on those evolved eyes, noting the change from their previous configuration. "Those eyes look different than before," he murmured with growing interest.
Observing Naruto's reaction, Sasuke's expression shifted slightly before he turned around with a challenging smile.
"You know, we still haven't settled the question of who's truly stronger between us," he said with obvious anticipation, his competitive spirit fully awakened by the power surge from his evolved Sharingan.
"Why don't we have a proper fight right now? I want to see exactly how much you've improved since the Chunin Exams were interrupted!"