Sasuke stood in the woods just outside Konoha's border, the morning mist still clinging to the ground like a ghostly veil. His mind was sharp, his chakra calm, and in his hand was a kunai—its blade clean, gleaming in the light.
Today wasn't about flashy jutsu or fire techniques. Today was about understanding the evolution of his gift.
Corp.
Not just a simple mimicry of abilities. No, his power allowed him to absorb, rewrite, and evolve anything he took from others—if he could get a part of them: a drop of blood, a flicker of chakra, a strand of hair, or a whisper of energy.
He had already sampled the basics from others without them knowing: chakra control from Iruka, physical speed from one of the older Academy bullies, and a faint amount of sensory perception from Kurenai in a passing encounter.
But now, he had a plan. Something deeper.
A true DNA acquisition.
---
His target was in view. A wild boar—massive, with thick tusks and chakra stronger than most creatures its size. It wasn't human, but it was chakra-sensitive and aggressive.
Perfect test subject.
Sasuke dropped into a crouch, his hand glowing with a soft blue aura as he filtered his chakra through the ground, masking his presence.
The boar sniffed once, then twice—before charging blindly through the underbrush.
Too slow.
Sasuke activated his two-tomoe Sharingan, anticipating the exact moment the beast's head lowered.
With one smooth motion, he sidestepped, slashed the beast's side with his kunai, and reached out with his other hand—channeling his Corp ability through his fingertips.
Corp: Absorb – DNA Sample Acquired
He didn't even need a full mouthful of blood—just a fragment of energy-rich tissue.
The moment it entered him, he felt the shift.
His muscles tensed, chakra flared, and he staggered back.
"Ugh—ghhh!"
His bones burned briefly, then settled. The animal's physical durability, wild instinct, and dense cellular structure were now his.
---
Back in the Uchiha compound, he stood beneath the waterfall used for meditation. His shirt off, eyes closed, allowing the cold stream to hammer his body.
Inside, his chakra began adapting, evolving. The boar's strength merged with his own, becoming more compact, controlled—more human in structure, but beastly in performance.
And then something shifted.
From his back, brief chakra lines flared outward—like the phantom outline of tusks, but refined. Not actual transformation… yet. Just symbolic energy markers.
Sasuke... what if you could use this on ninja?
The thought was dangerous. But also necessary.
He had already touched Kurenai once—brushing against her shoulder as a polite gesture. His Corp hadn't activated fully then, but her residual chakra had passed to him. He remembered the flow: precise, fluid, and wrapped in subtle illusions.
He focused now.
Corp: Reconstruct – Genjutsu Vein: Mirage Bind
A sudden pulse echoed in his mind, and then, before him, formed the illusion of multiple figures. He blinked—and they vanished. Not real clones, but visual mirages that disoriented vision and misled targeting.
He grinned.
So this is what a Jonin's chakra thread feels like.
---
That evening, during dinner, he sat with his mother Mikoto, who smiled as she passed him more rice. "You've been eating well lately. Growing stronger?"
Sasuke nodded with a polite look, but his mind was elsewhere. Beneath the table, his hand gently pressed a chakra point beneath his arm. A tiny self-made injector—hidden inside his skin—released a preserved DNA tag from a spar he had earlier with a boy from the Hyuga clan.
Corp: Trigger – Byakugan Vein (Suppressed)
His eyes didn't change, but his vision subtly shifted. His Sharingan adjusted to accommodate it, and in that moment, he could faintly see the chakra network inside his mother's body, like blue rivers under her skin.
He didn't activate the full technique—doing so might cause side effects or raise suspicion. But even a suppressed copy of Hyuga sight, merged with the Sharingan, gave him tactical awareness no one else his age could imagine.
---
That night, he crept into the training field behind the Uchiha main house, breathing slowly.
He knelt beside a fallen leaf, focusing. His chakra danced across his fingers.
He activated his composite Corp vision—Sharingan focus merged with partial chakra-sight. He could see the veins of life running through the grass, the air pressure above the field, the flicker of insects moving underground.
Not just sensory. Not just sight.
Awareness.
---
As he practiced, a soft voice broke the silence.
"You're not like the others."
He stood immediately, turning.
From behind a tree, Kurenai Yuhi stepped out. Her eyes glowed red in the moonlight, but hers weren't the Sharingan—they were something softer.
Sasuke tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
She smiled faintly. "You're quiet. Too observant. Like someone who's been through more than people think."
He shrugged. "People see what they want to."
Kurenai looked at him a moment longer, then knelt down and held out her hand.
"You're talented. But be careful. That kind of mind… it's hard to stay pure in a world like this."
Sasuke hesitated, then touched her hand gently.
Just for a second.
Corp: Emotional Echo Sync – Trait Absorbed: Empathic Sensory
He felt it instantly—her control, her calm, her sorrow.
And beneath it all… a flicker of something else.
Affection? Trust?
Sasuke pulled back. "Thank you… Kurenai-sensei."
---
That night, as he lay in bed, he reviewed every absorbed fragment: the boar's power, Kurenai's illusions, Hyuga chakra sight, civilian adrenaline, and Anko's resilience.
Each one was his now.
But evolved. Sharpened. Better.
And this was only the beginning.