I've Surpassed You Since My Eyes Evolved

Sasuke lay on the hospital bed, staring blankly at the snow-white ceiling.

Ever since waking up, he had remained in that position, neither eating nor drinking.

Even his lips had turned pale and cracked.

Everything that had happened the previous night kept replaying in his mind.

The blood-soaked house, his parents lying on the floor, and his brother, Itachi Uchiha, holding a blade and smiling coldly.

"Hatred me, my foolish little brother. You are far too weak! You are not even worthy of being killed by me." Itachi's voice echoed endlessly through his mind, clinging to him like a nightmare.

At first, Sasuke had thought it was all just Genjutsu.

Until the Third brought him the news: the Uchiha Clan had been wiped out by Itachi Uchiha.

That meant that, from that moment on, he was alone.

Why?

Why had Itachi done that?!

Sasuke could not understand it no matter how hard he thought.

How could someone change so completely?

He tried to recall the details of yesterday, but all that came to mind was the cruelty he had witnessed within Tsukuyomi.

His parents lying in pools of blood, and Itachi's vicious grin.

Those images haunted his mind like a nightmare, impossible to drive away.

Every time he remembered them, an unstoppable hatred rose within him.

"Click." At that moment, the ward door opened, followed by a voice Sasuke recognized.

"Sasuke, Naruto and I came to see you." It was that loud, carefree Rock Lee.

Sasuke's hollow eyes shifted slightly, only to fall silent again.

Naruto and Rock Lee sat down beside the bed.

"Sasuke, I heard you haven't eaten or drunk anything all day. Have a little." Rock Lee foolishly held an apple to Sasuke's lips, but Sasuke continued staring at the ceiling without moving.

Rock Lee looked to Naruto for help.

In his heart, Naruto, who could always warm others' hearts, would surely be able to find a way to pull Sasuke out of this.

Naruto said nothing and simply sat there quietly.

He knew that Sasuke needed peace and companionship right now.

Rock Lee could only follow his lead.

Cicadas chirped outside the window as the sky gradually darkened.

The three of them remained in the same positions without moving.

It was not until Sasuke's stomach growled in hungry protest that Naruto broke the silence.

"Eat something first. Only when your body recovers can you carry on with the pride of the Uchiha Clan."

The pride of the Uchiha Clan?

A faint ripple appeared in Sasuke's lifeless eyes.

He spoke, his voice hoarse and strained.

"Pride? It's gone. The Uchiha Clan is gone, destroyed by that man." Pain surfaced in his eyes as he gritted his teeth.

"He killed everyone. He betrayed the Uchiha Clan."

"I'll kill him with these eyes of mine." Murderous intent filled Sasuke's face as his eyes suddenly turned into crimson, sinister Sharingan. Two black tomoe slowly revolved within them.

The stimulation of the night his clan was destroyed had caused his eyes to evolve once more.

He had become stronger, but also lonelier.

"Have you ever considered that perhaps it wasn't him?"

"Impossible! That man is exactly that kind of person! He killed Mom and Dad, he betrayed the Uchiha Clan, he deserves to die!" Sasuke was like a powder keg being lit, instantly flying into a rage. His eyes turned into Sharingan again, the two tomoe slowly spinning.

"Do you see this, Naruto? These eyes are proof! I'm stronger now! I'll keep getting stronger and become an avenger! I'll kill Itachi!! No one can stop me! Even you will be beneath my feet!" Sasuke roared.

"Slap." The next instant, Sasuke's face was knocked to the side, fury still frozen on his expression.

"Sasuke, do you even know what you're saying?" The one who had struck him was Rock Lee. His face was filled with anger. "Naruto has always trained with you. The moment something happened to you, he rushed here without stopping. Everyone cares about you, yet you say things like that. Are you even human? You bastard!"

Rock Lee could understand Sasuke's pain.

But what Sasuke had said was something he could not tolerate.

Naruto had brought warmth to everyone and had always helped them train.

He was the one who deserved everyone's respect the most.

Not someone for Sasuke to take his anger out on.

"Care? Hahahahahaha, an avenger doesn't need something so meaningless." Sasuke laughed maniacally, sprang up from the hospital bed, and threw a punch at Rock Lee.

"Lee, I'm not someone you can defeat anymore. These eyes of mine have seen through everything."

Bang. Caught completely off guard, Rock Lee was struck in the face and staggered back a step, anger appearing on his face.

"Let me show you the power of these eyes!" Sasuke closed in and continued his assault.

Before this, he had lost far more fights against Rock Lee than he had won.

But now, he believed the tide would turn.

With his evolved eyes, he was already stronger than Naruto!

Sasuke's movements grew faster and faster. Enhanced by the Sharingan's insight, he could predict every one of Rock Lee's movements.

Because Sasuke had suddenly launched his attack, Rock Lee was pressured into a defensive position for the moment.

Bang. Before long, he smashed through the window and was sent flying outside, landing in the open space below while clutching his waist in pain.

Sasuke followed close behind, leaping into the open space outside with a crazed expression.

Having lost his reason, Sasuke's attacks became heavier and faster.

Sasuke rapidly closed in on Rock Lee, first kicking him in the face with a dull thud that made teeth ache. He then pressed closer again and drove a knee hard into Rock Lee's abdomen, the pain and immense force launching him into the air.

While Rock Lee was airborne, Sasuke's legs erupted with explosive power. He shot above Rock Lee at even greater speed, raised his right leg high, and viciously brought it down on Rock Lee's back.

Uchiha Blackened Barrage!

With a tremendous crash, Rock Lee slammed back into the ground, smashing out a huge crater as dust billowed everywhere.

Sasuke landed and grinned wildly.

"See that? This is talent. With these eyes, no matter how hard you train, you'll never be my match."

However.

Under Sasuke's shocked gaze, Rock Lee calmly climbed out of the crater and dusted himself off.

Then he looked at Sasuke with restrained anger. "I'm going to knock some sense into you."

Boom!

Several weights were removed from Rock Lee's body, kicking up huge clouds of dust as they struck the ground.

The instant the weights came off, Rock Lee's figure became a blur in Sasuke's eyes.

"Impossible! My eyes, my eyes! They can't even track him anymore?!" Sasuke's face was filled with horror.

"Impossible! If I can't even beat you, then how am I supposed to kill him?!" Sasuke roared furiously, unwilling to accept reality.

But at that moment, he was completely unable to withstand Rock Lee's storm-like barrage of attacks and could only defend himself with extreme difficulty.

"Wake up!" Rock Lee roared, first using a heavy punch to knock aside Sasuke's arms, which were shielding his face.

The enormous force instantly numbed Sasuke's hands, making them tremble.

The next moment, Rock Lee threw a punch at Sasuke's face.

It's over. I can't dodge it! Sasuke watched in fury and shock as the fist grew larger and larger.

When the fist was less than an inch from his face, Naruto's voice rang out.

"Enough."

"Bakudo #9: Collapsing Wheel."

As the words fell, yellow rings of light suddenly bound Rock Lee.

Sasuke and Rock Lee both saw a blur before their eyes, and Naruto instantly appeared before them.

Rock Lee tested the restraints with a few struggles before finally giving up helplessly.

After dispelling Collapsing Wheel, Naruto gently comforted Rock Lee. "Lee, we're all friends. There's no need to—"

Sasuke cut Naruto off with wild laughter. "Friends? Hahahaha, I don't need them. I, Sasuke Uchiha, am an avenger. Naruto, I'll use these eyes to defeat you—and Rock Lee too!"

"Then I'll find that man and kill him!"

"Hado #11: Bound Lightning."

In an instant, lightning scattered everywhere.

Ten seconds later, Sasuke lay on the ground, slowly exhaling a puff of black smoke, every strand of his black hair standing on end.

Naruto smiled gently. "Can you listen to me now?"

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