Down by the lake, a faint green light glowed from Emiya Shirou's palm.
He was treating Sasuke Uchiha's arm, which was slowly returning to normal under the gentle healing. The process was surprisingly painless.
This man… Sasuke thought, studying him.
His medical ninjutsu was on another level, far beyond anything Sasuke had ever seen. But it wasn't just his skill that stood out.
After the Uchiha clan massacre, Sasuke had spent time in the hospital recovering from Itachi's Tsukuyomi. He remembered the pity in the eyes of every doctor and nurse. It was written all over their faces.
"That poor boy, the only one left... what a terrible thing to happen..."
But this man, Emiya Shirou, was different. He treated Sasuke with a detached professionalism. He was a medic, and Sasuke was just another patient.
Nothing more, nothing less.
"Losing control of a Fire Style jutsu is dangerous," Emiya said, withdrawing his chakra. He sounded like a doctor giving routine instructions. "Be more careful with your chakra control next time you train."
"You lost control of a jutsu!" Naruto yelled from beside Emiya, staring at Sasuke. "You're so reckless!"
"Shut up! What does a dead-last like you know about it?!" Sasuke snapped, his frustration boiling over.
What would he know?
If Sasuke didn't push himself to the absolute limit, he'd never have a chance at revenge. That man, Itachi Uchiha, was just too powerful.
As Itachi's younger brother, Sasuke had grown up knowing just how gifted his brother was. Their father, Fugaku Uchiha, had been full of praise for Itachi, but always seemed disappointed in his second son. From the very beginning, Sasuke knew he was no match for his older brother's talent.
He hadn't been bitter about his father's favoritism, though. Itachi, the golden child, had always doted on his little brother.
But then came the nightmare.
His father, his mother, the clan members who had watched him grow up... all of them, slaughtered by Itachi in a single night.
If he couldn't even match Itachi's talent as a kid, he had to work twice as hard now or he'd never get his revenge.
"Naruto," Emiya Shirou said, stopping Naruto before he could argue back. His gaze softened as he looked at Sasuke's pained expression. "Sasuke Uchiha, if you need a training partner, you can practice with Naruto."
He then looked at the black-haired boy and added, "It's a good name."
"I once saved a ninja named Sasuke," Emiya continued, recalling a story from long ago. "He nearly died from a Fire Style jutsu, too."
Sasuke lowered his head, silent.
The truth was... he did need a training partner.
He was always number one at the academy, with no one to challenge him. The only exception was that annoying dead-last, Naruto, who had been getting stronger and stronger lately. It was starting to make Sasuke feel a sense of urgency.
"Thanks," Sasuke mumbled, his voice barely a whisper.
-----
When Jiraiya arrived, the sight of the two boys sparring by the riverbank made his eyes widen in disbelief.
Wait... what the hell is going on?
With Naruto's reputation as a troublemaker, who would actually want to train with him?
And the number one student, no less!
Jiraiya had heard all about Naruto's rivalry with the school genius, Sasuke Uchiha.
This can't be right, he thought.
Aren't these two supposed to hate each other? How did they start training together so fast?
"That kid..." Jiraiya started to ask Emiya Shirou, who was sitting nearby.
"That's Sasuke," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, appearing beside them with his pipe. He glanced from the sparring boys to Emiya.
Was it because Sasuke was Itachi's younger brother?
Emiya wasn't watching the fight. His answer caught Hiruzen by surprise. "He was given the name Sasuke?"
Jiraiya just rubbed his head in confusion.
What the hell does that mean? 'Given the name Sasuke'?
But Hiruzen understood immediately. He thought of his own father, Sarutobi Sasuke, and realized why Emiya might have a special interest in the boy. It wasn't just because of Itachi.
It was the name. It reminded him of an old friend.
"Yes," Hiruzen sighed, explaining the boy's origin. "Fugaku Uchiha wanted to honor my father by naming his second son after him."
In the ninja world, this was a sign of great respect.
"Your father was an exceptional man," Emiya said, his praise genuine. It was as if he were passing on the memory of an old friend to the living. His eyes shifted back to the young Uchiha. "I hope this boy can become an outstanding ninja like him."
A smile crept onto Hiruzen's face. "My father would be thrilled to hear you say that."
His father had revered Emiya Shirou, holding him in the same high regard as the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. He had often spoken of Emiya when teaching Hiruzen at home and was immensely proud that his son got to travel the world with him.
Unfortunately, Sasuke was consumed by hatred, a far cry from the man he was named after.
Hiruzen's expression grew worried again. Even knowing the truth behind the Uchiha clan's destruction, he still didn't know how to resolve the bitter hatred between Itachi and Sasuke.
Tell Sasuke the truth?
Could the boy even handle it?
Worse, would he just end up hating Konoha's leadership instead?
But if he didn't tell him... Itachi would forever be the man his brother was sworn to kill. Their hatred would follow them to the grave.
"That Sasuke kid is pretty impressive," Jiraiya commented, watching the fight. He couldn't resist a dig at his own student. "Even though Naruto's getting good at using chakra in close combat, Sasuke was already seeing the limits of that technique and finding ways around it."
-----
Training together was forcing both of them to improve at an incredible speed. They quickly adapted to each other's styles, picking up new tricks with every spar.
Every day after school, the two boys would meet at the riverbank to train under the watch of Emiya or Jiraiya.
Naruto was still focused on refining his chakra, building a solid foundation for the day he would need to control the Nine-Tails' immense power. Because he sealed the strongest Tailed Beast, his progress was naturally a bit slower.
Sasuke, on the other hand, was learning new ninjutsu from Jiraiya. The Uchiha had a natural talent for Fire Style, and Jiraiya didn't hold back, sharing his own experience and techniques.
Besides, Jiraiya thought, teaching one more kid isn't a big deal.
He just made sure to remind Sasuke not to use the advanced jutsu in academy spars.
Emiya Shirou watched it all unfold in silence.
One day, as Naruto struggled to refine his chakra and Sasuke practiced a new jutsu in the distance, Jiraiya couldn't help but complain.
"Honestly," he said, sitting beside Emiya. "His talent for this stuff is nothing compared to Sasuke's!"
Just then, Sasuke formed a series of hand seals. "Fire Style: Flame Bullet!"
A massive fireball erupted from his mouth, incinerating a distant target. It looked a little strange seeing Sasuke use one of Jiraiya's signature jutsu, but an Uchiha using Fire Style was as natural as breathing.
"Incredible talent," Jiraiya murmured, feeling a familiar pride. It was like teaching Nagato or Minato all over again.
But just as he was starting to feel smug about Sasuke's progress, Emiya's voice cut through his thoughts.
"That child," Emiya said, his eyes fixed on Sasuke. "He's your disciple now, in a way. Could he also be a child of prophecy, one who can change the ninja world?"
Jiraiya's expression froze. He stared at Emiya, his eyes wide with shock, his voice trembling slightly. "The child in the prophecy... isn't it... isn't it Naruto?"
There was only supposed to be one.
It had to be Naruto.
How could Sasuke Uchiha possibly be a candidate?
Jiraiya refused to even consider it.
"But," Emiya continued, a hint of something unreadable in his tone, "if that child also decides he wants to change the world... why couldn't he be the one?"
"In this world... no one is special."
"Those two are just like Hashirama and Madara were."
"In a world this big, you're always going to find people who are drawn to each other, who are mirror images of one another. Even if they share the same grand ideal of ending war with their power, they can walk very different paths to get there."
Emiya finally turned to look at Jiraiya, laying the groundwork for what was to come. "Until the world truly changes, all your disciples are potential children of the prophecy. They might all walk the path of changing the world. They might work together... or they might fight to the death to see whose philosophy wins out."
He paused.
"The latter is probably more likely."
"Ha... hahaha... that's... that's impossible," Jiraiya laughed, but it was a hollow sound. His head was spinning. He'd never considered such a terrifying possibility.
For years, he had worried about finding the Child of Prophecy, taking on student after student in hopes that one of them would be the one. Now, the idea that all of them could be candidates was terrifying.
Would they work together, like Yahiko's group?
Or would they be destined to fight to the death?
"Impossible!" Jiraiya gritted his teeth. "There can only be one!" He suddenly grasped onto a thought, a lifeline.
"Wait a minute... hahaha!" he laughed, a sudden wave of desperate relief washing over him. "I might have taught Sasuke a few things, but he's not actually my disciple!"