Teacher Mizuki actually had no intention of interfering too much with Sasuke Uchiha's future. The more he learned about this world, the greater his sense of awe grew. As the Chakra Reincarnation body of Indra, just how many secrets lay hidden within Sasuke remained unknowable. The very concept of "Chakra Reincarnation" revealed the deepest mysteries of this world. Although he was familiar with the idea of soul reincarnation, applying the concept of "reincarnation" to chakra itself—was that a hint at something hidden? Teacher Mizuki had speculated on this countless times, but unfortunately, his abilities hadn't reached that level yet. His understanding remained shallow, and further insights continued to elude him.
It came as somewhat of a surprise when Sasuke Uchiha sought him out this time. What kind of matter couldn't be resolved by Kakashi Hatake—or perhaps couldn't be discussed with him—that required him to turn to someone else instead?
Teacher Mizuki and Sasuke arrived at a relatively quiet training ground. It was still early, so few others were around.
"These past few days, I've been training here..."
Standing not far from Teacher Mizuki, Sasuke ran his fingers over the trunks of large trees scarred by repeated kunai and shuriken strikes, speaking with some sentiment.
"Have you been alone?"
"Sakura sometimes helped me," Sasuke answered honestly.
"I see!" Sakura wouldn't miss a chance to be around Sasuke if she had one. But without Naruto being around, things might have stayed peaceful—at least until he found out, which might've led to another fight.
"So then, what do you want to know?"
Time was tight today—Teacher Mizuki still had plenty on his plate. Unless it was urgent, there was no point wasting too much time here.
After pausing in thought, Sasuke seemed to make up his mind. Looking straight into Teacher Mizuki's eyes, he asked earnestly, "Regarding my brother Itachi's strength, you, who've fought him yourself, must understand it well. Kakashi-sensei also went against him, and you witnessed that battle too. I need to know—who is stronger between Kakashi and Itachi?"
"Hmm? What exactly do you already know?"
Teacher Mizuki already knew the answer all too well. Right now, Kakashi indeed couldn't match Itachi. The difference in their use of the Mangekyō Sharingan fundamentally separated their strengths.
Sasuke seemed to have more than just a few things on his mind today: "Several months ago, during our mission in the Land of Waves, Kakashi-sensei once said that there are shinobi younger than even me who surpass him in strength."
"That statement isn't wrong either. Even though most ninjas eventually reach similar levels of power, the paths they take to get there can vary widely. Your aptitude plays a huge role in how fast you grow early on. Take yourself, for example—you're naturally more gifted than Naruto Uzumaki, but that doesn't necessarily mean you'll end up stronger than him in the future. Of course, many factors influence your future—it depends on your own efforts..."
"It's precisely about this future, Teacher Mizuki." Sasuke spoke with clear dissatisfaction. "Naruto's growing stronger quickly—he's nearly caught up with me now."
"You're right, Teacher Mizuki," Sasuke said. "As a friend and teammate, I acknowledge Naruto's strength and dedication. But..."
He hesitated for a moment but went on anyway. "If there was a future to look forward to, maybe I could endure it. However, you know as well as I do that the gap between me and Itachi Uchiha keeps widening. Can I really catch up to that man's power through hard work alone?"
This was heavy wording—almost an outright accusation saying he doubted his ability to defeat Itachi Uchiha even under Kakashi Hatake's guidance.
"What did Kakashi say to you?"
"Teacher Kakashi once casually mentioned that he himself currently isn't a match for that man."
At this, Mizuki instantly sensed danger—not so much blaming Kakashi for careless speech, but rather realizing how gravely Kakashi had underestimated the intensity of Sasuke's thirst for vengeance.
『You're a lousy sensei, Kakashi...』
There was no denying that Kakashi Hatake was practically impeccable in both ability and sense of duty. Despite possible favoritism, he never slackened in his duties toward his students. During the Chunin Exams, he sacrificed pride by begging Ebisu and Mizuki to personally train Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno respectively—an act demonstrating clearly that Kakashi hadn't abandoned his responsibilities.
However, Kakashi did have one flaw: he was far too idealistic when judging human hearts. Having experienced Obito Uchiha's death and eventually understanding his own heart, thus emerging from darkness, he naively believed others would achieve similar breakthroughs. Unfortunately, differing life experiences lead each person down unique paths.
Therefore, letting Sasuke learn about his inferiority compared to Itachi Uchiha was indeed irresponsible on Kakashi's part. Of course, stories of the pupil surpassing the master are not rare—Take the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze with his Flying Thunder God Technique; he wasn't necessarily weaker than Jiraiya. Even Orochimaru managed to kill the Third Hokage. So just because Kakashi was temporarily inferior to Itachi didn't mean he couldn't still guide Sasuke to kill Itachi. That process would not be easy at all.
As Mizuki struggled to find appropriate words to respond, Sasuke rambled on regardless.
"Naruto has Jiraiya of the Legendary Sannin as his mentor, and Sakura possesses innate talent and specific strengths, benefiting from steady learning methods suited to her abilities. And me… Is this really all I can manage?"
"So then, why come to me? Are you asking whether what Kakashi says is true? Whether Itachi Uchiha is genuinely that strong?" Mizuki realized comforting words probably wouldn't sway Sasuke anymore. "Then I'll tell you straightforwardly now—it's yes. Right now, Itachi definitely holds slight superiority over Kakashi."
"Is it really like that?"
After hearing Mizuki confirm it, Sasuke murmured absentmindedly, dazed and lost.
Not long ago, he had seen [Susanoo]'s might firsthand. Those who had fought against Itachi included only Jiraiya, Might Guy, Kakashi, and Mizuki himself. Sasuke couldn't contact Jiraiya directly, was unfamiliar with Might Guy, and doubted whether such a figure could provide meaningful information. So it only made sense for him to come to Mizuki.
"So, what are you planning to do?"
"I don't know," Sasuke replied absentmindedly.
"There's something I've been meaning to say too. It may sound harsh, but it could be important for you. Want to hear it?"
"Yeah," Sasuke nodded quickly upon hearing it could help him.
"Worrying about this is normal—these are facts no one can deny. But maybe you're misunderstanding something. Tell me, how many people in this world do you think can confidently defeat Itachi Uchiha?"
"Huh?" This question caught Sasuke off guard. With little concept of top-level ninja power, he couldn't answer at all.
"Let me answer for you then. Among the people you know, the only one who can confidently defeat Itachi Uchiha is Jiraiya. The Fifth Hokage, Lady Tsunade Senju, also has a good chance. Others? Very difficult indeed..."
"How come?" Sasuke asked in surprise. "Is he really that strong? Even the Hokage isn't certain to win?"
Mizuki shook his head. "In terms of strength, the Fifth Hokage isn't necessarily weaker than Itachi Uchiha. But winning isn't that simple. Lady Tsunade excels particularly in Medical Ninjutsu. Her combat capability isn't bad by any means, but she might not necessarily defeat Itachi."
"If they're all among the Legendary Sannin, do their strengths really vary that much?"
"Of course there's a difference, though not as big as you imagine. The disparity becomes apparent only when fighting specific opponents due to different ninja styles."
Itachi Uchiha's strength had actually been approaching its peak. If his Susanoo could reach completion and he could freely use various divine weapons, the number of ninjas capable of restraining him was already very few. Even the Legendary Sannin might find it difficult to be certain of victory against him. A weakened Orochimaru might even lose outright.
"How could it be like this? Does it mean I'm definitely inferior to Itachi? Is revenge forever out of reach?"
Noticing Sasuke Uchiha slipping back into gloom, Mizuki realized this might be the moment he finally listened.
"I know Itachi Uchiha too. Could it be because someone taught him? Or did someone pass on powerful Ninjutsu to him?"
"Not at all…"
Although reluctant to admit, Sasuke couldn't help but admire Itachi's talent. Someone possessing such talent yet still working hard—that kind of person was truly frightening.
"Now tell me, who do you think could confidently train you to the level of defeating Itachi Uchiha?"
Faced with Mizuki's question, Sasuke hesitated, his lips parting more than once before falling silent again.
Mizuki waved his hand. "I know who you're thinking. Orochimaru, right?"
"How did you know?" Startled by having his secret uncovered, Sasuke showed some panic. After all, this wasn't trivial.
"Don't worry. It's natural for you to think that way. Considering Orochimaru—one of the Legendary Sannin—his reputation is indeed intimidating enough."
Mizuki said with a smile.
"By the way, let me share a piece of information with you. Very few people know this—even your teacher Kakashi might not necessarily know."
He paused, satisfied that Sasuke was fully listening now. Then he lowered his voice.
"The great Orochimaru—the one you're counting on—is actually someone Itachi Uchiha has already beaten."
"The consequences of saying this, Mizuki naturally understood. Perhaps the greatest upheaval in the ninja world was about to occur. Of course, Mizuki wouldn't say a word about how Orochimaru's spiritual instability—caused by his Living Corpse Reincarnation technique—made him vulnerable to Itachi Uchiha's genjutsu. That's why Itachi subdued him so easily."
"Orochimaru also lost? One of the Three Sannin? How could this happen?"
"That's how it goes with ninjas. Tactical counters happen all the time. Nothing unusual about it."
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