Chapter 23 – Sasuke
Kaien, who had just enjoyed a few days of leisure, was suddenly approached by Fugaku, who insisted that Sasuke become his disciple.
Originally, Fugaku planned to send Sasuke out of the village due to the uncertain political climate. However, Kaien stopped him. His reasoning was simple: too many ambitious forces were stirring in the ninja world.
Unless Sasuke possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan for protection, it would be even more dangerous for him to be alone outside the village.
Are you kidding? If Sasuke left Konoha, how could he build his bond with Naruto? How could he experience growth, setbacks, growth again, then more setbacks, and grow once more?
But in truth, this was merely a casual move on the chessboard for Kaien.
While Sasuke and Naruto were both children of destiny—reincarnations of Indra and Ashura, respectively—their powers had yet to fully awaken.
You might say Sasuke was qualified. After all, he awakened his Sharingan through the trauma of his entire clan's murder. Yet you couldn't say he was truly exceptional—after spending just a year with Naruto, he lost three tomoe already. The remaining evolutions were all deeply tied to Naruto.
Only by being both Naruto's teammate and rival could Sasuke grow. According to Itachi's plan, Sasuke should have awakened the Mangekyō long ago through an evenly matched battle—one in which Itachi would die, releasing the hatred in Sasuke's heart and helping him evolve into the Eternal Mangekyō state.
But when Sasuke finally fought Itachi, he had only barely managed the standard three-tomoe Sharingan.
That battle was arguably the hardest fight of Itachi's life. He had to calculate not only Sasuke's chakra but also his own dwindling chakra, remaining lifespan, and eye power. Sasuke couldn't possibly see the layers of calculation behind that fight.
This level of long-term manipulation could only be described as peak strategy.
Sasuke had a tragic childhood. His family was destroyed, and his beloved brother deceived him, feeding him false hatred. Little Sasuke never stopped to ask himself whether any of it made sense. The Uchiha Clan was annihilated—why didn't Konoha react? Where was Anbu?
With no one to teach him, he became mentally unstable after the massacre, torn between pride and inferiority.
As he gained strength, his confidence swelled into arrogance. Every level-up increased his conceit. He challenged enemies way above his level—using three-tomoe Sharingan against Mangekyō, Mangekyō against Eight-Tails, and Eternal Mangekyō against Rinnegan.
Each time, his rage only earned him another beating.
How many years did Itachi spend mastering his Mangekyō Sharingan? And Sasuke? From the time he awakened his Mangekyō to going blind, less than a month passed. The actual usage time didn't even exceed one hour.
Whether it was due to the Sharingan's influence or his grief, Sasuke's revenge turned blind—striking down whoever stood before him.
And yet, in the end, he and Naruto stood side by side to seal Kaguya. Kaien believed that too many random factors had shaped that outcome.
But in this world, none of that has happened yet—and Sasuke no longer needs to shoulder everything alone.
Kaien didn't plan to place all his hopes on Sasuke either.
After all, Itachi was still around.
Itachi had always been a fast learner. His shuriken and kunai techniques outclassed his peers. His hand seals were blindingly fast. He had mastered how to turn the tide of battle, taking advantage of enemy movements and controlling the field. After joining Anbu, he advanced more quickly than even the genius Kakashi. By the time he left the village, he was already Kage-level.
His strongest weapon? Illusions.
With a glance, he reflected Kurenai Yuhi's genjutsu. With Tsukuyomi, he incapacitates Kakashi instantly. Even Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin, was frozen by his illusions.
Itachi had a calm, composed personality and sharp battlefield judgment. He always held a trump card.
If allowed to grow uninterrupted, he'd surpass Sasuke in both power and maturity.
The only issue? His weak constitution. That's why Kaien arranged for him to travel to the Land of Fields.
Then there's Shisui, another prodigy who awakened his Mangekyō faster and earlier than Sasuke.
His illusion techniques even surpassed Itachi's. His movement was lightning fast. Other than the Kumogakure juggernaut and space-time ninjutsu users, few could match his speed.
In the original timeline, had he not died early, his potential was limitless.
Kaien prioritized training Shisui too.
That's why Kaien didn't pay much attention to Sasuke's training. With both Itachi and Shisui backing him, Sasuke had the luxury of taking it easy.
But now, with Fugaku personally requesting his mentorship, Kaien could no longer make excuses.
After all, even with the system's help, decisions still had to be made by him. Fugaku had always been supportive—one of the reasons why everything had gone so smoothly.
Sasuke was the reincarnation of Indra, and he was still just a child. Perhaps Kaien could still save him.
If Sasuke could be steered toward stability, he would become an invaluable force in the future.
When Sasuke returned to the village, he was overwhelmed by how much had changed.
His beloved brother Shisui had lost his eyes. The clan had a new deputy leader. His idolized brother had left the village, taking many Uchiha with him.
His home was in ruins. Fortunately, his mother and father were still alive.
But as a five-year-old, he couldn't begin to comprehend the reasons behind these events.
Wandering through the streets alone, he felt downcast. Still, he kept his cool expression.
After all, I am an Uchiha.
The villagers looked at him strangely—but mostly with kindness. To them, he was just a child whose family had suffered a great tragedy. The fall of the Uchiha was, in their eyes, the fall of an old aristocracy.
Sasuke didn't understand the meaning of those looks, but they made him feel uncomfortable.
He ran aimlessly until he reached a familiar grove he often visited.
There, he heard loud voices.
"Get lost! You fox demon! Who wants to play with you!?"
"Hah! As if you could ever become Hokage!"
"You're the fox that killed my dad!"
"Hit him! Hit him!"
Sasuke emerged from the trees and saw a group of children bullying a boy—Naruto Uzumaki.
Several boys were sitting on his back, hitting him. Naruto was crying but kept resisting.
"Hey! Who gave you permission to bully someone like that?" Sasuke stepped forward.
"Huh? Who are you?"
"What's it to you?"
Sasuke slipped his hands into his pockets. "I'm Uchiha Sasuke. Let him go now. Otherwise, I won't hold back."
"Uchiha?" the kids scoffed.
Then they burst out laughing.
"What's so great about the Uchiha?"
"Your clan leader's a traitor. You think you're cool?"
"Uchiha aren't hotshots anymore!"
Sasuke's face darkened. "Tch! I'll show you, brats!"
He rushed in and punched the kid pinning Naruto down.
Naruto quickly got up, still messy but unhurt. Together, they faced the remaining kids.
Sasuke's Uchiha-style Turtle Fist gave him a clear edge—combining sweeps, elbows, and quick footwork.
Two kids were already on the ground. Naruto wrestled with the last one and managed to knock him down.
Realizing they couldn't win, the bullies scrambled up and ran off.
"A demon fox and a fallen clan! Just wait!"
Now, only Naruto and Sasuke remained in the grove.
Naruto was dusty and tear-streaked. Sasuke, though relatively clean, wore a grim expression.
…..
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Translated By – Ancient Lores
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