"I'll probably be able to use my chakra in about another hour."
Sasuke Uchiha hid in a cave, carefully roasting the fish in his hands. It was a practical skill passed down from his sensei, Kakashi Hatake. As a student of the white-haired Jonin, he had learned many things from Kakashi—not just ninjutsu, but other strange skills as well.
However, he did occasionally refuse Kakashi's other teachings. For example, when Kakashi tried to get him to join a questionable fan club for Jiraiya's books, Sasuke naturally refused. Compared to the spicy ninja stories Jiraiya wrote, he preferred a heartwarming tale about an Uchiha and a crow.
Boom!
The sound of an explosion echoed from outside the cave.
Just as Sasuke nervously gripped his ninja sword, a familiar voice reached his ears. "Itachi Uchiha, I don't want to get tangled up with you here! Just you wait, Sasuke will kill you and avenge the Uchiha clan!"
That was Naruto's voice.
A flash of joy crossed Sasuke's face, but from Naruto's words, it was clear he was fighting Itachi. Just as Sasuke was about to leave the cave, another voice cut in.
"Sorry, Lord Fifth Hokage, but I must finish you here. Compared to Sasuke, your power is growing too fast..."
That was Itachi Uchiha's voice.
Another, somewhat unfamiliar voice also reached Sasuke's ears. "Mr. Itachi, this guy's power is just too strong. We sent people to lure away his guards and chased him for hundreds of miles, and he still has such a tenacious will to fight?"
"He's already at the end of his rope." Itachi's voice was calm, certain of victory.
Soon, the sounds of battle began again. Itachi intended to kill Naruto Uzumaki here, even if it meant getting injured himself. He couldn't allow Sasuke to have such a powerful ally when they finally faced off.
"Lord Fifth Hokage, if I kill you here, Sasuke will no longer have the power to rival me..."
The image of a crimson giant—the Susanoo—flashed outside, followed by a massive blade slicing through the air and striking the entrance of the cave. The entire cave trembled and shuddered, rocks threatening to collapse at any moment.
Just as Sasuke was about to rush out, a figure fell like a ragdoll at the cave entrance, covered in wounds.
It was Naruto Uzumaki.
Sasuke stared, stunned. How could his teammate, who had been growing stronger and stronger, be in such a sorry state?
Naruto Uzumaki struggled to open his eyes. He seemed to see Sasuke in the cave. His expression shifted from surprise to quiet acceptance. He calmly shook his head at Sasuke, warning him not to come out.
The blond-haired boy, ignoring his own injuries, looked at Sasuke with a faint smile and silently mouthed the words: "Don't come out. Find a chance to escape."
"..."
Sasuke was completely frozen. Sweat poured down his face, his heart in turmoil. Should he rush out and fight alongside his friend, or should he wait and seek revenge later?
"Wood Style: Cutting Technique!"
Naruto suddenly struggled to form a hand seal. Dozens of sharp wooden spikes shot out from the ground, blocking the entrance of the cave. In the final moments of his life, he was using his last bit of strength to protect his teammate.
Through the gaps in the wooden spikes, Sasuke saw a giant red blade descend from the sky, followed by a spray of blood.
"..."
Sasuke sat paralyzed on the ground, his mind reeling in panic. How could Naruto die here? But... he had seen it with his own eyes.
That once-arrogant teammate, the Genin from Team 7 who had always protected them, the youngest Hokage in Konoha's history...
Although they hadn't been on Team 7 together for long, they were friends—brothers—who could entrust their lives to each other. Their last interaction was Naruto seeing him, ignoring his own injuries, and using a Wood Style jutsu to block the view.
Sasuke's sweat and tears rolled down his face. The vision of the Uchiha clan's last survivor was already blurry. He subconsciously reached up to wipe his cheek, but his hand came away stained with blood.
Blood on my hand? How could there be blood?
Sasuke slowly drew his ninja sword, using its polished surface as a mirror. He stared at his own reflection, where two lines of bloody tears flowed from his eyes. His three-tomoe Sharingan had disappeared, replaced by a pair of pinwheel-shaped pupils.
"Mangekyo Sharingan?" Sasuke's face showed neither joy nor sorrow. If he had obtained these eyes earlier, he could have helped Naruto, right? With the help of a Mangekyo Sharingan user, Naruto would have surely survived that chase.
But Naruto was already dead. It was because of his best friend's death that he had obtained the Mangekyo Sharingan.
Is eternal regret the curse of the Uchiha clan?
Just as Sasuke was about to investigate his new dōjutsu and rush out for revenge, a massive ninja sword smashed through the wooden spikes at the cave entrance.
It was Kisame Hoshigaki. The shark-faced man cleared a path, allowing Itachi Uchiha to enter the cave.
The rogue Konoha ninja looked at the Mangekyo Sharingan in his younger brother's eyes and said softly, "So, you've finally awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan?"
Kisame Hoshigaki nodded and asked, "Mr. Itachi, should we take his eyes now?"
"You can go out first." Itachi gestured for him to leave, then added coldly, "I'll handle things here myself... No matter what, he is still my younger brother."
"Tsk, to be so cruel even to your own brother. As expected of you, Mr. Itachi." Kisame offered a casual compliment, glanced at Sasuke with pity, and left the cave, shouldering his greatsword, Samehada.
The cave fell silent.
Itachi looked down at the thirteen-year-old boy before him. He walked forward step by step, reaching out as if to stroke Sasuke's hair. "You've gotten stronger again, Sasuke."
"Don't touch me with your filthy hands!"
A red light flashed in Sasuke's eyes. He spun, drew his sword, and rushed forward. "Now I have the eyes you wanted. The power these cursed eyes have given me is so I can kill you right here, right now, Itachi Uchiha!"
It had come to this. A desperate struggle was the only way forward. The man before him had killed his entire clan and his best friend. Now, he was going to kill him and take his Mangekyo Sharingan.
"Calm down."
Itachi raised his hand to block Sasuke's attack but couldn't keep up with his speed. The blade sliced into his arm. Both brothers were surprised.
Sasuke tried to mobilize the chakra in his body, but a sharp pain reminded him that the effects of the poison had not completely worn off.
"Is it a space-time dōjutsu?" Itachi frowned. In an instant, he had figured it out. In that moment, it was as if the distance between him and Sasuke had been instantly shortened. The only thing that could do that was a space-time dōjutsu.
Sasuke also reacted, but there was no joy in his heart. He slowly covered his eyes. The left eye could instantly shorten the distance between people, and the right eye could lengthen it.
A wave of sorrow washed over him, a knot forming in his chest. "As I thought... these eyes... is it because I couldn't save Naruto?"
-----
Bonus:
White Zetsu Clone: "My acting, was it good?"
Sasuke: "It was pretty good."
White Zetsu Clone: "How was it good?"
Sasuke: "To be honest, I think even the real Naruto probably couldn't have acted as well as you did."
White Zetsu Clone: "Right? Didn't I perfectly portray the brotherly love?"
Sasuke: "...Yes."
White Zetsu Clone: "It's a shame. For a moment there, I even moved myself to tears!"