Countless stars filled the sky, illuminated by the oblique, silvery moonlight.
Beneath the dim moonlight, a five- or six-year-old boy dressed in a deep blue short-sleeved t-shirt moved his hands in a rapid blur, then brought one hand up in front of his mouth.
Boom—
Crimson flames erupted from the young boy's mouth, converging above the calm surface of the lake into a fireball two meters in diameter.
Half a breath later,
the young boy wore an exhausted expression, breathing heavily as his eyes were filled with confusion while he muttered to himself, "Is my natural talent really that inferior to his?"
"The Great Fireball that he learned with ease requires me to pour in effort and sweat."
That young boy was none other than Sasuke Uchiha.
Not long ago, he was still the second young master of the Uchiha Clan, the premier noble house of Konoha. He possessed a powerful father, a kind mother, a gentle older brother, and respectful clansmen.
Yet all of this had been shattered just a short while ago on an evening after school.
And the one who had shattered it all was none other than the older brother he cherished the most, Itachi Uchiha.
Sasuke's parents were dead, slain by the hands of his own biological brother. Too many clansmen had died at Itachi's hands, causing him to now be someone within the clan who, if not universally loathed and despised, was at least actively avoided by everyone.
Whenever he returned home now, he could no longer see the father who provided him with a profound sense of security, nor the mother who cared for him meticulously, nor could he see the older brother who once cherished him.
At home, there were only cold stoves and a room filled everywhere with memories bitter and