The night was silent — until a scream tore through the darkness.
It was a scream so raw, so filled with despair, that even the moon seemed to tremble. Footsteps echoed down the empty streets of the Uchiha compound — fast, frantic, desperate. The sound of fear itself.
Thud, thud, thud—
Little Sasuke's breath came in ragged gasps as he ran, heart pounding wildly in his chest. He didn't know what he was running from — only that he had to reach home. Home was safety. Home was family.
But when he burst through the door, what greeted him was not comfort… but hell.
His parents lay lifeless in pools of blood. The smell of iron filled the air. And standing before him, illuminated by the pale moonlight, was the man responsible — the man he admired most in the world.
Uchiha Itachi.
Those crimson eyes glowed like molten lava, emotionless and sharp, spinning with malice. His presence was that of a demon descended from darkness, a beast wearing the face of a brother.
"Itachi…" Sasuke whispered, trembling.
The man's voice was calm, cold, devoid of warmth. "Sasuke…"
The word alone shattered him.
Sasuke screamed — a broken, terrified sound — and turned to run, his small hands clamped over his ears, his mind a blur of panic and grief. "No! Don't kill me!"
He ran through endless corridors, down streets that seemed to twist and repeat, the world collapsing around him. He didn't know how long he ran — only that when he finally stopped, gasping for air, that crimson light was still there.
Still watching him.
The Mangekyō Sharingan.
"AAAAAAAHHHHH—!"
---
Sasuke jolted awake.
Cold sweat drenched his body. His breath came in short bursts as he stared at the ceiling of his room, chest heaving violently. His eyes darted around, wild, as if the walls themselves still bled.
That nightmare again…
His trembling hand reached up to his face. So many years had passed, and yet the images — his parents, his brother, the blood — had never left. They haunted every corner of his soul. The hatred that burned within him was endless — bottomless — consuming him whole.
This wasn't pain anymore.
It was torture.
Relentless, eternal torture.
He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms until blood trickled down his fingers.
And then, his eyes snapped open.
In the darkness, the Sharingan flared to life — not one tomoe this time, but two, spinning in perfect sync, glowing like twin embers of wrath.
His breath steadied. His body trembled not from fear… but from awakening.
"Double Tomoe Sharingan."
---
If this had been the original timeline, Sasuke would have only unlocked this stage of power during the Chūnin Exams, after the Land of Waves mission. But now, driven by agony and hatred far earlier, he had forced open that gate himself.
The Uchiha way — to turn suffering into strength.
As pain coursed through him, Sasuke felt something else alongside it — a twisted joy, a thrill that mixed hatred with satisfaction. The bitterer the pain, the stronger he became.
That was the curse — and the pride — of the Uchiha.
The more you lose, the more power you gain.
His vision sharpened. Every shadow in the room became clear. Every chakra trace around him pulsed like threads of light. His own energy surged, violent and untamed, flooding through his body.
Sasuke stood, eyes burning.
"If I continue like this…" he whispered, voice trembling with conviction.
"I can definitely defeat Uzumaki Naruto."
"And one day… I'll have enough power to kill Uchiha Itachi!"
The words Itachi once said to him rang in his head:
> "Why are you still weak? Because your hatred isn't deep enough."
Now, for the first time, Sasuke understood.
He smiled — a cold, lonely smile. "I'll show you, brother. You'll see."
---
Meanwhile — The Training Grounds
Elsewhere, beneath the starlit sky, Uzumaki Naruto was still training relentlessly with Asuma Sarutobi.
Sweat poured down his face as his Shadow Clones surrounded him, each one mimicking his movements perfectly. The air was thick with dust and wind from their jutsu practice.
Even though Asuma already knew Naruto's determination, seeing it firsthand was staggering. The boy barely ate, barely slept, and trained until he could no longer stand.
Five Shadow Clones plus his original body — all working simultaneously, day and night.
Most genin would have collapsed hours ago. But Naruto… just kept going.
Asuma wiped the sweat from his brow, astonished. "Unbelievable… This kid's stamina is monstrous."
He chuckled to himself. "The last time I saw someone train this hard was that maniac Might Guy. But even Guy didn't have this much chakra."
He paused, smiling wryly. "A hard-working beast indeed."
---
Hours passed.
By dawn, Naruto finally dropped to the ground, exhausted. The last of his clones vanished in a puff of smoke, and the backlash of their accumulated fatigue hit him all at once. His body spasmed in pain, but he gritted his teeth and refused to show weakness.
Asuma noticed. "Naruto, you realize that training with Shadow Clones like this can literally kill you, right?"
Naruto nodded weakly. "Yeah… I know. But… I have to keep going."
Asuma frowned. "And what could possibly drive a kid like you to risk his life over training?"
For a moment, Naruto didn't answer. His chest rose and fell heavily. Then, with a faint smile, he looked up.
"It's nothing serious. I just want to beat Sasuke. Then Neji. Then… become Hokage. So everyone will finally recognize me."
Asuma blinked. "…That's 'nothing serious' to you?"
He couldn't help but laugh softly. "Those are some mighty ambitions for a kid your age."
Naruto scratched his head. "Heh. I already beat Sasuke once! But I know he's training like crazy right now too. I can feel it. If we fight again, he might actually win next time."
"Uchiha Sasuke…" Asuma's eyes narrowed. "I've heard of him. A genius from a clan of prodigies. Don't take him lightly, Naruto."
Naruto grinned stubbornly. "He's my rival. I can't afford to."
Asuma sighed but smiled, helping the boy back onto his feet. "You're too hard on yourself. You don't even realize it."
Naruto smiled faintly. I don't want to be… but system big brother won't let me slack off…
Still, he puffed out his chest and said, "Heh! A little pain won't stop me! I'm Uzumaki Naruto!"
Asuma shook his head with a small grin. "All right, tough guy. Let's test your progress. One last time — show me your Wind Release: Gale Palm."
Naruto's eyes lit up. "Got it, Asuma-sensei!"
---
Drawing on everything he had learned from his clones, Naruto's chakra control had grown sharper, steadier. He took a deep breath and formed hand seals with renewed confidence.
"Boar! Dog! Ram!"
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
He clapped his hands together — BOOM!
A violent burst of wind exploded outward like a beast unleashed. Dust and debris were flung into the air, tearing at the ground and rattling the trees. The shockwave forced Asuma to shield his face with his arm, taking a cautious step back.
The air itself seemed to scream.
When the wind settled, Naruto stood panting — and smiling.
Asuma lowered his arm, eyes wide. "Naruto… that was incredible."
Naruto looked down at his hands in awe. "Did I really do that…? Heh, guess I'm a genius after all!"
Asuma chuckled, lighting a cigarette. "Don't get ahead of yourself. The force is strong, but it still won't kill an enemy outright. However… that much power could send a ninja flying. Combine it with the dust and debris, and you've got a perfect setup for a follow-up attack."
Naruto tilted his head. "So… it's a support jutsu?"
"Exactly," Asuma nodded. "It's great for disrupting vision and balance. And if you combine it with weapons — kunai, shuriken — the Gale Palm will boost their speed and impact dramatically."
He smiled. "That's what we call a one-hit kill technique."
Naruto's eyes sparkled with realization. "Oh! So the key isn't just throwing shuriken — it's controlling the wind!"
"Precisely," Asuma said, pleased. "Forget the weapon. Focus on mastering the wind itself."
Naruto nodded, excitement returning to his tired frame. "I get it now! Direct the wind, not the shuriken!"
He immediately tried to form hand signs again, but Asuma raised a hand to stop him. "Enough, Naruto. You've done more than enough for one day."
Naruto blinked. "Eh?"
"Go home," Asuma said firmly. "Eat, rest, recover your chakra. We'll train again tomorrow."
Naruto hesitated, then smiled sheepishly. "Heh… okay. But tomorrow, I'm gonna make the wind obey me completely!"
Asuma laughed quietly as he watched the boy walk away, dragging his feet but still smiling like the sun itself. The teacher couldn't help but think —
That kind of spirit… maybe that's what the Hokage truly needs.
---
To be continued…
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)