The screams tore through the silence of the night, echoing through the empty streets. The sound of hurried footsteps followed—his own. Fear gripped him, a frantic, pounding heartbeat in his chest. Sasuke fled hysterically, trying to get home, back to the peace and happiness he had known just hours before.
However, what awaited him was a scene from an even deeper hell. His parents had already fallen in a pool of their own blood. The cruel executioner was none other than his most beloved older brother, Uchiha Itachi. His eyes, hot as fire and red as blood, glared down at him. The look in them was that of a bloodthirsty demon, a brutal beast ready to tear him to pieces.
"Sasuke..."
Little Sasuke was terrified, trapped in the most horrific nightmare imaginable. He covered his ears and fled, his mind screaming.
"No, don't kill me!"
He ran and ran, and after an unknown amount of time, he finally stopped, panting for breath. But when he looked up, he still saw that pair of scarlet eyes watching him from the darkness.
Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Ahhhhhhhhh—"
Sasuke suddenly awoke from the memory, his entire body soaked in a cold sweat. He was shaking violently, gasping for air as if he had just relived hell on earth. After so many years, the memories he had dared not touch came flooding back like a tidal wave. The deep-rooted bitterness seeped into his bones, filling every cell in his body with an aching rage. The pain and sorrow were an abyss, pulling him down into a darkness with no end. It was torture, revisited again and again.
However, as Sasuke forced himself to endure the torment, he suddenly opened his eyes. The single tomoe in his Sharingan had evolved. In the blood-red pupils, two tomoe on each side were now spinning rapidly, emitting an aura of profound grief and fury.
It was the Double Tomoe Sharingan.
In the original timeline, this was a form Sasuke would not unlock until after becoming a Genin and surviving the mission in the Land of Waves. He would only awaken it during the Chunin Exams. But now, spurred on by his rivalry with Naruto, he had forced himself into despair and pain, unlocking it far ahead of schedule.
Though he was in immense pain, Sasuke felt a strange surge of surprise as he sensed the improvement in his visual prowess. His emotions were a tangled mess. The more painful it was, the stronger he became. The more he fixated on his goal, the more powerful he grew. This was the curse and the nature of the Uchiha clan. Though no one had taught him, Sasuke was beginning to figure it all out.
He activated his new Sharingan and instantly felt the world shift. Things that were previously unclear were now sharp and distinct. He could even feel his own chakra and physical strength amplifying along with his enhanced eyes.
"Good," he whispered, his voice hoarse. "As long as I continue like this, I can definitely defeat Naruto. And if I keep going, one day... I will have the power to kill Itachi."
His brother's words echoed in his mind.
"Why are you so weak? Because your loathing for me is not yet enough."
Now, Sasuke felt as if he truly understood. It wasn't just an emotional outburst. It was the truth of the Uchiha.
***
Elsewhere, Naruto continued his grueling training with Asuma. Even though Asuma knew Naruto worked hard, he hadn't expected this. Naruto had summoned five shadow clones, and together with his real body, they trained from morning until night without a single pause or rest. The intensity was so great that even a seasoned jonin like Asuma would find it difficult to bear, let alone a child. But Naruto seemed to have grown accustomed to it.
Asuma couldn't help but wipe a bead of sweat from his forehead. "What a hard-working monster," he muttered. "The last time I saw someone push themselves this hard was Might Guy. But Guy was truly at the bottom of his class back then. He had nothing but his work ethic. Naruto's natural talent is leagues beyond what Guy had."
He wasn't aware that Naruto's previous slacker attitude wasn't much different from Guy's in his early days.
The training continued for the entire day until Naruto finally reached his absolute limit and collapsed. Afterward, he released the shadow clones, causing an even greater wave of agony to wash over him. His face twisted in pain, but because he was in front of Asuma, he held back from rolling on the ground. Still, his struggle was obvious.
"Naruto, do you realize that training this hard with shadow clones could actually kill you?" Asuma warned, his voice stern.
Of course, Naruto knew. More than one person had told him. "I... I know, but... I have reasons to work this hard."
Asuma frowned. "What reason could possibly make a child like you risk his life?"
Naruto panted, catching his breath. It took him a long moment to respond. "It's nothing, really. I just want to defeat Sasuke, then defeat Neji, and then become Hokage so that everyone will finally recognize me."
Asuma let out a dry chuckle. "...Right. 'Nothing.' What you just listed are all incredible, life-defining goals."
Naruto grinned weakly. "I already defeated Sasuke once! But I know he won't accept it. I have a feeling Sasuke is going to train even harder now. If we fight again, I might not be able to win."
"Uchiha Sasuke," Asuma mused. "The Uchiha were an elite clan, and he's considered a genius even among them. You're right not to take him lightly." He walked over and helped Naruto to his feet.
Naruto thanked him, still grimacing from the residual pain.
"Even with those dreams, you're too hard on yourself," Asuma said with a bitter smile.
*I don't want to be this hard on myself,* Naruto thought, *but the system won't let me slack off!* Since he couldn't change it, he could only put on a brave face. "Ha! A little hardship like this is nothing for me, Uzumaki Naruto!"
Asuma couldn't help but be moved by his spirit. "Alright. Let me see your results for today. Release the Gale Palm one last time."
"You got it, Asuma-sensei!"
With the return of his shadow clones' experience, Naruto's proficiency with the jutsu had improved significantly. He flew through the hand seals. "Wind Release: Gale Palm!" Naruto roared, clapping his hands together.
*BOOM!*
In an instant, a violent gale roared out from his palms, like the roar of a beast. It blasted all the dust and sand from the ground and scattered it violently in every direction. The force was so great that Asuma, standing several feet away, had to take a step back and shield his eyes. When the wind died down, his eyes were wide with amazement.
"Naruto, well done!"
Naruto himself was shocked. Was his Gale Palm really that powerful? "Ha... I guess I really am a genius!"
Asuma smiled. "Its current power isn't enough to blow an enemy away completely, but it could definitely knock them off balance if they were caught off guard. Furthermore, the dust and sand can obscure the enemy's vision. In other words, while it can't defeat an enemy in one strike, it can provide an excellent opening."
"A supporting role..." Naruto said, sounding a little unsatisfied. "That's still not enough."
"Naruto, the Gale Palm is fundamentally a support technique," Asuma explained. "If you want to increase its offensive power, use it with kunai and shuriken. The force of the wind will increase the speed and power of your ninja tools. *That* is how you turn this into a technique that can defeat an enemy in one move!"
Naruto scratched his head. He'd heard this before. "But I'm not very good at shurikenjutsu. I don't think I can use its full power..."
Asuma shook his head. "While it assists with shuriken, mastering this has little to do with your shurikenjutsu skill. Think about it. The boost to the shuriken comes from the power of the wind. The important part is to better control the *wind*, not the shuriken. Do you understand?"
Naruto's eyes widened in realization. "So that's how it is! Control the wind, not the shuriken!"
He immediately moved to start practicing again, but Asuma stopped him. "Naruto, that's enough for today. Go home, eat dinner, restore your chakra and strength, and get a good night's rest. Come back tomorrow."