Back at home, Hatake Kusuo, who was in the middle of swinging his sword, suddenly felt a jolt in his mind as a full day's worth of information from his shadow clone flooded into his brain.
"Heh, another uneventful day," he remarked with a shake of his head. He quickly dismissed it and returned to his training.
"Parhelion Rainbow!"
As the words fell, a blade sliced through the air with a sharp SWISH!
It carved a crescent-shaped arc of light, as dazzling as a rainbow under a phantom sun. Only those who came close to the blade could feel the sharp, dangerous edge it possessed.
"Hah... Shhh... Hah... Shhh..."
Long, deep breaths rose and fell in Kusuo's chest. He could feel that his Total Concentration: Constant breathing had reached a critical point. Perhaps it was due to the presence of chakra in this world, or perhaps it was because the power system had been elevated and his talent had integrated more deeply. Kusuo felt keenly that he needed some kind of catalyst to achieve a breakthrough.
And what that catalyst was, he did not yet know.
[Current Role-Play Percentage: 55%.]
He was not far from unlocking the next achievement for his Yoriichi Tsugikuni role-play. The percentage gained from his daily sword swings and use of techniques was now minimal.
If I want to break through again... perhaps real combat is what I need right now?
With this thought, Kusuo picked up his sword, dressed, and set out under the moonlight. His destination was a remote training ground on the outskirts of Konoha.
The training ground was empty and deserted. Aside from the Youthful Duo, few people ever came here. Kusuo, however, unwilling to let others see his sword techniques, frequented this place.
This time, he approached it step by step.
At the same time, in the woods at the far end of the training ground, a solitary figure stood on a tree branch, wearing the animal mask of an ANBU.
"How did you know about me?"
"You evaded the Konoha Military Police Force, and you investigated the secret stone tablet in the Naka Shrine."
Another figure, also hidden in the darkness, was impossible to make out clearly, though one could vaguely see that he also wore a mask.
"I'm just rather interested in you," Itachi said, showing no tension at being discovered. His cold gaze, carrying a hint of scrutiny, shot towards the other figure through his mask.
Uchiha Madara—or rather, Uchiha Obito—laughed at his words.
"From there, I learned what kind of person you are and what kind of ideology you possess. So let's be direct. You should also know the hatred I, as a fellow Uchiha, hold for both Konoha and our clan."
From a distance, Kusuo's pupils contracted when he heard these words.
Itachi has already made contact with Obito?
"I have one condition," Itachi's voice was cold. "I will assist you in your revenge against the Uchiha clan, but you are not to make a move on the village. Also, you will not touch Uchiha Sasuke. You know the consequences."
With that warning, Itachi's figure vanished from the spot. Soon after, Obito's face distorted in a spatial ripple and he, too, disappeared.
"Tch, I can't believe I stumbled upon such a huge secret."
Kusuo only emerged after both had left. He had originally come to the training ground simply to test his techniques but had unexpectedly reaped a different harvest, stumbling upon this meeting.
"It seems the night of the Uchiha clan massacre is not far off..."
With a sigh, Kusuo drew his sword. His calm face showed no ripples of emotion; he was completely indifferent. Even if the Uchiha clan were to be annihilated, while it was a major event, what did it have to do with him? This was a matter of the village's internal strife. He had no desire to save them, nor the ability to do so. Kusuo only wanted to protect the people he cared about.
Right now, the only fundamental truth was to increase his own strength. As long as he was strong enough, no conspiracy or plot mattered.
"Sun Breathing, First Form—Dance!"
The breathing technique he had been holding back for so long finally had room to be unleashed. This time, Kusuo used one hundred percent of his strength, no longer needing to hold back for fear of destroying his small courtyard.
BOOM!
A massive fire dragon, following the arc of his sword, devoured everything in its path, cutting a brilliant streak of light through the dark night.
"Impressive swordsmanship. That Nin-Taijutsu technique isn't bad either."
Suddenly, a clear, cold voice came from behind him. A figure was hidden in the night, with only a pair of crimson eyes piercing the darkness, sending a chill down the spine.
"Itachi? You didn't leave?" Kusuo was slightly surprised when he saw who it was.
"I assume you heard our previous conversation," Itachi said, walking towards Kusuo step by step. An immense, formless pressure rolled off him.
"So... are you planning to silence me?" Kusuo's tone was still nonchalant. He was certain that Itachi had no killing intent at this moment. Since Itachi had discovered him eavesdropping yet didn't stop his conversation with Obito, it could only mean one thing—Itachi had done it on purpose. Or rather, he had sensed Kusuo's accidental intrusion and decided to play along without interfering.
"Very well. My father has mentioned you, and Sasuke lost to you. Let me see for myself just how strong you are."
With those words, Itachi used the Body Flicker Technique and rushed forward.
So fast! Kusuo was shocked. Usually, he was the one people said was fast. But this time was different. He was facing Uchiha Itachi, Konoha's number one genius. The difference was stark.
Quickly adjusting his breathing rhythm, Kusuo instantly entered the state of Total Concentration Breathing.
CLANG!
The sound of a kunai clashing against a sword was crisp and sharp.
Kusuo looked up and met Itachi's crimson eyes. The pinwheel shape of the Mangekyo Sharingan was slowly rotating.
Not good! Tsukuyomi!
Kusuo was greatly alarmed. At this moment, with no defense against genjutsu, if he were caught in Tsukuyomi, defeat would be almost certain.
The two separated as quickly as they clashed.
Itachi's voice came again from behind him. "You don't need to close your eyes. I don't need to use my dojutsu on you."
His tone was incredibly calm, his words arrogant, as if he were stating a matter of fact.
Kusuo's eyes narrowed slightly. If that's the case...
Mark, open!
The black mark on the right side of his forehead rapidly spread across his face, the scalding pattern glowing with a bewitching red hue.
Seeing this, Itachi's brow furrowed slightly. He suddenly felt the force he had to counter become much heavier. "Your strength... it suddenly increased by a large margin," Itachi commented as he struggled to parry Kusuo's slashes.
"Is that so? But it's not just my strength that's been enhanced," Kusuo replied. "Take a look at this—"
"Sun Breathing, Third Form—Raging Sun's Crimson Mirror!!!"
SCHLICK!
A massive, crimson, crescent-shaped slash, wrapped around the body of his sword, flashed past in an instant.
The powerful sword qi... instantly cut Itachi's body in half!
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