(PoV Sasuke Uchiha)
Tok-tok-tok.
The sound hit the door like a drum waking the dead.
I froze in the middle of the tatami, scroll still open in my hand, and for a second — just one — I thought: Already? That fast?
I ran to the entrance — tap-tap-tap — my heart beating a little faster than it should. I slid the door open — shrrp — and there they were.
All four of them.
Hana with a backpack on and that small smile that seemed to say "Told you so."
Kurenai, elegant as always, holding a single sealing scroll — everything packed, organized, resolved.
Anko with her hands on her hips and that mischievous glint in her eyes that screamed "This is gonna be fun."
And Yugao… Yugao just nodded, silent but present.
They actually came.
A shiver ran down my spine — bzzz — the kind you get when you realize life just turned a page, and there's no going back. It wasn't fear. It was… recognition, maybe. The universe confirming I wasn't dreaming.
My face, of course, stayed stone-cold.
But my eyes? Oh, they must've betrayed me, because all four exchanged that "he's getting better" look — and Hana smiled a little wider.
"Come in," I said, stepping aside.
They entered one by one, and the house… changed.
Perfume of flowers, the scent of herbal tea, a trace of gunpowder (Anko), and something faintly metallic (Yugao).
The tomb I lived in started breathing again. Breathing people.
Hana was the first to really look at me — that look of someone who reads symptoms without asking.
"Sasuke-kun… did you sleep?"
I hesitated.
"I did."
"When?"
Silence.
She sighed — haaa — and crossed her arms.
"Your eyes are heavy. You're forcing yourself to stay up."
She stepped closer, touched my forehead with the back of her hand — tump — warm, but gentle.
"Too young to carry old men's burdens, Sasuke-kun."
I wanted to reply, but my body betrayed me. A yawn escaped — haaawn — and that was it. Game over. My resistance evaporated like mist under sunlight.
"I'm going to bed," I muttered, turning before anyone saw exhaustion win.
But Hana? Hana wasn't the type to let anyone walk away alone.
She followed — tok-tok — her steps soft but certain, like she already belonged there.
"Hana-nee… your room's on the other side, you should—"
She took my hand. No warning. No permission.
"It's okay, Sa-chan," she said, her voice low and warm. "I'll stay with you tonight."
I was going to protest. Really, I was.
But the bed was right there — fump — soft, warm, and my brain had already flipped the "fight" switch off.
I collapsed sideways, and the world turned to fog.
I felt Hana settle beside me, her hand brushing through my hair — shh... shh... — slow, rhythmic, soothing like a lullaby for a scared child.
And I slept.
Truly slept.
For the first time in days.
The next day, hell began.
But the organized kind. The kind with a schedule.
06:00 — Hana Inuzuka: Domestic Training
The kitchen became a dojo.
"Alright, Sasuke-kun. First lesson: rice." Hana set a pan in front of me. "Seems simple, right? But some people manage to burn water."
I stared at the pan. The pan stared back.
"Two cups of water for one of rice. Rinse it three times — chhh-chhh-chhh — until the water runs clear. Then, low heat. Don't stir. Don't peek. Just trust."
I followed. Washed. Cooked. Waited.
Ploc... ploc... ploc.
The bubbling sound was almost hypnotic.
Fifteen minutes later, Hana lifted the lid. Steam rose — shaaa — and the smell… the smell was victory.
"Perfect." She smiled. "You learn fast."
Because I used to cook in another life, I thought. But I just nodded.
08:00 — Anko Mitarashi: Basic Taijutsu
The backyard became a ring.
Anko cracked her knuckles — crack-crack — grinning like she was about to teach a hard lesson.
"Alright, kid. Show me what you've got."
I took the academy stance. Basic. Feet apart, knees bent, hands up.
Anko attacked — whup! — quick, but readable.
I blocked. Countered. Pivoted. Low kick. High strike.
She stopped, blinking.
"...You're not academy level."
"Taught myself," I lied. Half-true.
"Show me more."
I activated the Sharingan — wrrr — the tomoe spinning smoothly.
The air shifted.
I fell into the Uchiha stance — feet parallel, center of gravity low, hands in high guard. The Interceptor Style. Designed to read movement before it exists.
Anko whistled — fiiuu.
"Damn, kid. You really are an Uchiha."
I didn't answer. The Sharingan spoke for me.
10:00 — Kurenai Yūhi: Genjutsu and Chakra Control
The training hall became a mindscape.
Kurenai stood before me — calm, strict, elegant.
"Genjutsu is about illusion, Sasuke-kun. You don't attack the body. You attack the mind."
She formed seals — clap-clap-clap — and the world shivered.
Suddenly, I was in a forest. Towering trees. Heavy mist. The sound of distant crows — caw... caw...
But my Sharingan saw everything.
The layers. The chakra threads weaving the illusion. The structure beneath the lie.
"Kai," I whispered, and the world shattered like glass. Crash!
Kurenai blinked, surprised.
"...You broke it in three seconds."
"Sharingan sees chakra. Genjutsu is just shaped chakra," I said quietly. "If I see the threads, I can cut them."
She folded her arms, thoughtful.
"Then show me. Cast one on me."
I mimicked her seals, adjusting, amplifying.
The illusion fell over her like a silent net.
Kurenai froze. Empty eyes. For five seconds.
Then she dispelled it — paf! — and looked at me with a mix of admiration and envy.
"Being an Uchiha is a blessing, isn't it?" she said with a soft smile that carried weight. "Imagine a Uchiha child talented in genjutsu… unstoppable."
I didn't answer.
But her eyes lingered — not just on my eyes, but through them.
Something hung in the air — something that wasn't training.
It was possibility.
14:00 — Yūgao Uzuki: Kenjutsu
The courtyard turned battlefield.
I brought my sword. The sword.
Kusanagi — the Uchiha clan's legendary blade. The same one I'd lost fighting Kaguya in another life. The same one that had reappeared here, kept as a relic.
Fate or manipulation — didn't matter.
Now it was mine.
Yugao paused when she saw it.
"...That blade," she murmured. "Where did you get it?"
"Family heirloom."
She nodded. Drew her katana. Shing.
"Show me."
I activated Solar Breathing — just a sliver. Heat bloomed in my stomach, spread to my ribs, into my muscles. Haaa... haaa...
Created a clone. Puf. Sharingan on. He stood aside, recording every move.
Yugao struck — whoosh! — a clean horizontal cut.
I blocked. Slid past. Spun.
First Form: Dance of the Fire God.
The blade sang — shiiing! — splitting the air in half.
Yugao stepped back, eyes wide.
"...What was that?"
"Solar Breathing," I said, catching my breath. "Still learning."
She lowered her sword. Looked at me — really looked.
"You're not normal, Sasuke-kun."
I smiled. Just a little.
"Never was."
Night fell — shhh.
The four of them sat in the living room, chatting softly.
I lay in my room, staring at the ceiling.
And thought: This… this might actually work.
Outside, Konoha slept.
Inside, I grew.
And the roulette?
The roulette kept spinning.
Clack... clack... clack...