Uchiha Sasuke spoke calmly as he drew the Kusanagi Sword from his back.
Uzumaki Naruto held his ground with a steady voice. "A guy who can't even save his own comrades has no business becoming Hokage. Isn't that right, Sasuke?"
The instant those words fell, Sasuke didn't hesitate. He thrust the blade straight toward Naruto.
At the last second, Sai rushed in and blocked the strike. Faced with the group's formation closing in, Sasuke simply murmured, "That defensive posture… not bad."
Then he opened his Sharingan. Three tomoe spun in each eye.
"His eye power is outrageous," Hatake Kakashi whispered as he watched the scene. Three years was all it had taken. Sasuke's ocular strength had already surpassed his.
Even Uchiha Itachi could sense it through the video. Sasuke's progress was astonishing. He was only a step away from the Mangekyo Sharingan. He just needed the trigger.
Which meant Sasuke really did have the talent for it.
On screen, lightning exploded from Sasuke's body. He unleashed Chidori Current, dropping everyone to the ground in a flash of blue-white light.
He looked incredible doing it.
"Chidori can be shaped that far with Lightning Release chakra nature? This kid's something else," Kakashi muttered.
He himself had created Chidori years ago, but he had never taken it further. Sasuke had learned it from him, pushed it to the limit, then developed his own variation.
Chakra nature transformation, elemental shaping, range control… Sasuke had mastered all of it.
"Chidori Current."
Kakashi mimicked Sasuke's movements, and lightning burst around him too.
Sasuke's hard-earned technique was instantly reproduced. Not because Kakashi was that much more talented, but because Chidori was his own creation. He understood its structure better than anyone.
For an elite Jonin, adjusting Lightning Release chakra into a wide-range current wasn't difficult. That was why he could recreate it so quickly.
He let the lightning fade and couldn't hide his admiration. Sasuke's talent really was frightening. He truly was that man's younger brother.
No wonder Kaede Kitahara said White Robe Sasuke never really lost. Even though this Sasuke wasn't as strong as his future Mangekyo self, the confidence and pressure he radiated were something the later version couldn't replicate.
Of course, the later Sasuke was fighting Kage Level monsters like Danzo. These enemies were only Jonin. It wasn't the same.
"Chidori Current… that was awesome," Sasuke said, staring wide-eyed at his future self's display.
He was still twelve. Revenge obsessed, yes—but still a kid. And seeing his future self looking that cool lit him up inside.
If his future self could do it, then he would too. No doubt about it.
With just one technique, Sasuke overwhelmed both Sai and Naruto, showing the clear results of three years of training.
At this point, White Robe Sasuke was definitely stronger than Naruto.
Even Sakura's monstrous strength wouldn't help. She wasn't his match either. Future Sasuke even pierced Yamato straight through the torso with a single sword strike. If Yamato hadn't had Hashirama Cells in his body, he might have died on the spot.
Naruto tried to force himself upright. His body trembled from the shock of Chidori Current, but something dark had already begun to stir inside him. His nails elongated into sharp claws.
Deep within his body, a great gate was locked shut, sealing away a monster lurking in the darkness. From behind the bars, a low laugh echoed.
"Hehehe… what a perfect chance, Naruto. Let him see your power. Hahaha. What's wrong? You hesitating? You need my strength."
The watery floor of Naruto's inner world rippled, and a massive fox head rose from the shadows.
"So? Who do you want to kill?"
"It's the Nine-Tails." Kakashi tensed immediately. Even the tiny leak of chakra was overwhelming. At this level, its chakra wasn't inferior to his at all.
He had always known the Nine-Tails was sealed inside Naruto, but he had never imagined they could communicate so directly.
Sasuke, still only a Genin in reality, felt the oppressive aura washing through the screen. His entire body trembled.
"So this is what Itachi meant… the item those people were after. The Fourth Hokage's so-called legacy inside Naruto." Sasuke stared at the monstrous fox head, stunned.
This was only a trace of leaking chakra, but the psychological pressure was immense.
"Don't come out." Naruto yelled, shaking his head.
The Nine-Tails narrowed its eyes. "What are you afraid of?"
"I don't need your power anymore!" Naruto shouted.
The Nine-Tails burst into harsh laughter.
"Up until now, every time you were in trouble, you begged me for power. You know very well you can't do anything alone. Open the seal completely and I'll give you everything."
Naruto raised his hand and pushed the fox back. "Disappear."
And then something shocking happened.
Even the Nine-Tails didn't see it coming.
Uchiha Sasuke appeared inside Naruto's spiritual world. No warning, no build-up—he was suddenly just there.
"So that's what it is… a Uchiha. You've grown strong, haven't you?" The Nine-Tails' voice dropped to a low rumble. Even it was shaken.
"How are you…?" Naruto stared at Sasuke with pure disbelief.