After years of training, Yamato's current strength had already reached the peak of the Shichibukai level in the One Piece world.
For Sasuke, who hadn't even awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan yet, Yamato was an insurmountable mountain.
Sasuke knew very well just how wide the gap between them was, but he still couldn't accept losing so easily.
Naruto sighed helplessly, walked up to Sasuke, patted him on the shoulder, and said,
"Let it go, Sasuke. Yamato is Kaito-senpai's disciple—losing to her isn't something to be ashamed of!"
Naruto should've known better than to say that—his words had the opposite effect.
Sasuke brushed Naruto's hand off and roared,
"Stay out of this! It's none of your business!"
Naruto froze for a moment, then muttered,
"I was just trying to help you. After all…"
"Move!"
Sasuke shoved Naruto aside, his hand once again sparking with lightning. Yamato had Black Zetsu stand behind her, then turned around to face him.
She raised her spiked club and said coldly,
"Seems like the only way to shut you up is to beat you down!"
When Sasuke saw Yamato finally raise her weapon, excitement flickered across his face. He shouted,
"Come on! Show me your real power!"
Buzz!
The color of the spiked club deepened slightly. Yamato narrowed her eyes, and in the next instant, she vanished. Even though Sasuke had anticipated it and used Chidori Stream, that little lightning attack barely tickled Yamato.
Bathed in crackling thunderlight, she swung her club toward Sasuke.
Yamato still held back in the end—her club didn't actually touch Sasuke's body but stopped short, striking through the air.
Even so, Sasuke coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed, his Sharingan fading back into ordinary black eyes.
Thud!
Sasuke dropped to his knees in front of Yamato and then fell flat on his face.
That startled Yamato. She tossed aside her club, grabbed Sasuke by the back of his neck with one hand, and lifted him up.
"Hey! You okay? Don't scare me like that! Say something!"
Sasuke groggily opened his eyes and mumbled,
"I'm fine… just a little sleepy…"
"What? No, no, no! You can't fall asleep right now! Geez, I shouldn't have humored you in the first place!"
Naruto came running over in a panic. He took Sasuke from Yamato's hands and held him in a princess carry.
Sasuke rolled his eyes and grumbled,
"You again? Stop meddling in my business!"
Black Zetsu nudged Yamato's arm, then gestured toward Sasuke and whispered,
"See? Didn't I tell you all Uchiha are hopeless tsundere?"
Yamato nodded in complete agreement.
Good grief, she'd truly witnessed it firsthand today.
Sasuke's body was completely limp, but his mouth was still stubborn as ever.
Fortunately, Naruto was already used to it. He gave Yamato an apologetic smile and said,
"Sorry about that, Yamato-san. He really gave you trouble."
Having parents made all the difference—ever since Minato and Kushina came back, Naruto had grown much more polite.
He'd seen everything from start to finish. Sasuke had brought this entirely on himself, while Yamato had held back at every step. If she hadn't, they'd be begging Kaito for a Yomi Yomi no Mi resurrection right about now.
Yamato nodded and said,
"Take him for treatment right away. His body's too fragile—if anything happens to him, Sensei won't be happy."
"Pff!"
Sasuke spat out another mouthful of blood—whether from anger or injury, who knew.Naruto didn't dare delay any longer and sprinted off with Sasuke in his arms.
After they were gone, Yamato sighed and muttered to Black Zetsu,
"This clan member of Sensei's is kind of weak. I was holding back the whole time—it wasn't satisfying at all!"
"Didn't I tell you? He's the youngest of the bunch… and probably the weakest too. Don't expect any real fun from him."
"Ugh, I guess my expectations were too high~"
Yamato pouted, picked up her spiked club, and walked off alongside Black Zetsu.
...
Inside the hospital—
Sasuke was wrapped up like a mummy, lying motionless on the bed. Madara and Itachi stood at his bedside.
Itachi's eyes were filled with both pity and helplessness. He already knew what had happened—Sasuke had pestered Yamato into fighting him, practically daring her to kill him.
If Yamato hadn't held back, Sasuke wouldn't even have made it to the hospital.
Madara crossed his arms and snorted coldly.
"Hmph! You still have no clear understanding of your own strength. If that Yamato had been an enemy, you'd have died a dozen times already!"
His words were harsh, but his gaze still carried an almost imperceptible trace of concern.
Sasuke's face flushed with embarrassment. But right now, he didn't even have the strength to turn his head, so he simply shut his eyes—out of sight, out of mind.
Still, Madara didn't stop lecturing.
"What's wrong? Don't like hearing the truth? Should I tell you instead that your bravery in challenging the strong is commendable? Hah! Let me tell you something—if this were the Warring States era, you wouldn't survive a single day!"
"Enough!"
Sasuke's eyes snapped open.
"If… if I had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, I wouldn't have lost so badly!"
Madara raised an eyebrow.
"You want to awaken the Mangekyō?"
"Of course! Even Kakashi has one, but I'm still stuck with just three tomoe!"
Sasuke forced his head to turn, expecting Madara to scold him for relying on external power. But to his surprise, Madara actually nodded and said,
"You're right. It's about time you awakened a pair of Mangekyō."
Most shinobi had to train their bodies, refine their chakra, and struggle endlessly for power—but the Uchiha?
They only needed to evolve their Sharingan and gained an all-around boost. It sounded unfair, but fairness never existed in this world to begin with.
To Madara, the Sharingan was their birthright. For Kakashi, it might be an external tool—but for a true Uchiha, it was their own power.
And as for helping someone awaken the Mangekyō? That was a business Madara knew all too well. Take Obito's Kamui, for instance—Madara had practically designed that awakening himself.
Itachi looked at Madara in shock. He knew exactly how painful the process of awakening the Mangekyō was. Ever since peace had returned to the shinobi world, he'd never wanted Sasuke to experience that torment.
He didn't know what method Madara planned to use, but one thing was certain— Sasuke would suffer unimaginable pain in the process.
And that pain would also torture Itachi—the ultimate older brother who loved his little brother more than anything.
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