Guidance and a Gift

"I've been ready for a long time!"

Sasuke put the bag down under the tree, returned to the field, and looked at Shuichi with a confident expression.

He felt extremely excited, in the best possible condition. He was determined to show his strength in this battle against the strongest ninja.

"Watch out, I'm coming, Lord Hokage!"

Shuichi remained composed, maintaining her smile as she replied, "I'm really looking forward to it!"

Although the current Uchiha Sasuke isn't as bitter and resentful as he was in the original story, his personality still retains the distinct characteristics of the Uchiha Clan.

Being eager to show off can easily lead to arrogance and inflated ego; perhaps only repeated beatings can help him grow up faster.

Sasuke isn't stupid; having been raised in a large clan, he couldn't possibly lack knowledge and experience.

As a mere student who isn't even Genin, I certainly couldn't possibly harm a peak ninja. Holding back would be foolish.

As for why I always unconsciously utter some cringeworthy remarks, perhaps it's just an innate habit...

Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!

Sasuke felt that Taijutsu and Shurikenjutsu couldn't showcase his skills, and with a bit of a show-off mentality, he decisively used his best Fire Release as the opening move.

Whoosh--

Several fireballs, each the size of a human head, flew towards Shuichi like blooming flowers, one of which crashed down from above, demonstrating that Sasuke maintained control over the fireballs throughout the technique.

Look at that perfectly timed landing point; it's even more flawless than many Chunin in the village. He must have put in a lot of effort.

Shuichi respected his opponent greatly. He knew that Sasuke had a strong sense of pride, and if he easily smashed the fireball, Sasuke's enthusiasm would definitely be dampened.

As a qualified actor, I naturally have a knack for dealing with naive kids.

He lightly leaped backward, simultaneously completing hand Hand Seals with unhurried speed: Water Release: Bubble Ball!

Glug glug, bubbles the size of fireballs floated out of his mouth, crashing into each incoming fireball with a sizzle...

Sasuke's attacks were all perfectly neutralized, but this spectacular Ninjutsu exchange ignited his fighting spirit.

He stomped his foot hard and charged forward, throwing out several Shuriken as he followed, closing in on Shuichi.

Ding ding ding!

Shuichi, unsure of what to do, pulled out a large, thick Senbon and precisely deflected the several Shuriken in front of him.

With astonishing eyesight, he pierced the center of the round hole, catching the last dart, and then flicked his wrist, aiming straight for Sasuke's chest.

"So fast..."

Sasuke had no time to think and could only instinctively twist his body to narrowly avoid Shuichi's counterattack.

His body, which had turned to the side, seemed about to lose its balance, but he managed to brace himself with one hand just before landing, somersaulted, and sped to Shuichi's side.

Bang!

A powerful flying kick was blocked by Shuichi's raised hand, but Sasuke was not discouraged. He did not give his opponent a chance to capture him, quickly retracted his move and kicked out again, making his attack quite fluid.

Shuichi calmly deflected the opponent's kick, pretending not to see Sasuke secretly manipulating the Steel Wire with his hands.

He was immediately taken aback when the Shuriken that had landed earlier spun back from behind, seemingly surprised by his opponent's strategy.

Fortunately, the Lord Hokage was agile and activated his Body Flicker Technique just before being hit, dodging the attack to the side.

"Unfortunately, it was just a little bit short." Sasuke was completely immersed in the battle. Seeing that his strategy had not worked, he immediately forced himself to get rid of his unwillingness and charged at the Lord Hokage again.

Thump, ding-ding, crack...

The "intense" battle lasted for nearly ten minutes. Sasuke used all his skills, including his trump card Fire Release, Shuriken clash techniques, and even Explosive Tag, but he did not put any pressure on his opponent. There was not even a speck of dust on the Hokage Robe.

When he was completely exhausted, standing panting in the middle of the field, and about to move again, Shuichi quickly smiled and waved his hand, "Let's take this one last time."

"Damn it... the gap is huge!"

Sweat dripped from his forehead to his chin, disappearing into the muddy ground. Sasuke pouted slightly, a little annoyed. He hadn't even achieved his minimum goal—to tear the Hokage's clothes—and couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed.

"Your agility is remarkable, coupled with Ninjutsu skills comparable to Chunin. No wonder you have no rivals at the Ninja Academy," Shuichi praised. "I already have an idea on how to improve."

Upon hearing this, Sasuke's face immediately brightened, and he couldn't help but smile, revealing himself to be an exceptionally innocent and kind child.

He didn't rush to ask about improvement plans, but eagerly asked, "Really? Compared to Itachi back then? Who is stronger?"

Shuichi chuckled inwardly, then immediately feigned deep thought, glancing out of the corner of his eye at Sasuke's expectant expression. After a moment, he pretended to be serious and offered his assessment:

"At the same age, you're probably just a tiny bit weaker than Itachi."

Upon hearing Sasuke, Sasuke seemed to have all his energy drained away. His face instantly darkened, and he gritted his teeth, trying not to show any sign of grievance, but anyone could see the resentment in his expression.

"However..." Shuichi's tone shifted, making the boy feel hopeful again, "This might be because your potential hasn't been fully realized. The Uchiha certainly has a rich heritage, but the same training methods aren't suitable for everyone."

"My potential?" Sasuke seemed to grasp at a straw, his little face involuntarily tilting upwards as he asked, "Did Father teach my brother more?"

Shuichi quickly added, "No, your chakra attribute has already been tested, right?"

"Yes, it's fire and thunder."

"That's right." Shuichi. "Fugaku- senpai's guidance might be more suitable for your brother's style and characteristics. You're not as good as Itachi at Shuriken and Fire Release techniques."

"But there's a high probability that Lightning Element, while the Uchiha definitely lacks in this area. So, all things considered, your talent should be no less than Itachi's."

Sasuke, suppressing his excitement, tentatively asked, "Then what should I do...?"

"Don't rush me. The reason I take the time to instruct the students at the Ninja Academy is to maximize each person's strengths."

Shuichi's words filled him with joy. "Perfect, to help you improve, I'll start with training in Lightning Release. A ninja must learn to play to their strengths and avoid their weaknesses. When a significant difference appears between you and Itachi, it's hard to say who will win in the future."

Seeing Sasuke clench his fists with great enthusiasm, Shuichi didn't want the kid to get too cocky. "Of course, you can't be too impatient either. At least until you're an adult, you still need to learn a lot from your brother."

"After all, he's five years older than you." Shuichi shrugged reassuringly. "I can only make a rough assessment, but you're definitely superior to him; your physical condition can't be too much worse."

"You'll naturally make up for the age difference when you grow up. As for wanting to defeat him now, you're underestimating your older brother. Itachi is also a top genius."

A ninja must always remain calm and self-aware. What you need to do now is calm down and improve your skills...

Shuichi plans to keep this kid in line for now; as for waiting until he comes of age, the story will already be over...

"I see..."

The evaluation from the Hokage himself is highly credible, and many of his insights are for his own good.

Sasuke was indirectly recognized by the strong, his wish was fulfilled, and the idea of studying hard and improving his strength once again took over his mind.

"Alright, in that case, let's begin our training in Lightning Release: Nature Transformation."

Shuichi decided to keep his opponent in suspense, "Once you complete a stage, I'll teach you two powerful Ninjutsu. Watch closely..."

Under Sasuke's focused gaze, Shuichi raised his hand and completed three hand seals, Lightning Release: Lightning Spear Technique!

Crack...

A lightning arrow, about a meter long, shot out from his mouth, flashing through the air in an instant.

It pierced through a thick tree several meters away in an instant, flew a considerable distance, and finally blasted a small part of a second tree in the distance.

"Amazing! This power is incredible..." Sasuke was extremely excited; he was so close to mastering a powerful Ninjutsu.

"This move is fast and powerful, suitable for breaking through an opponent's defenses by targeting a single point," Shuichi explained. "However, the attack area is small, and its direct approach makes it easy for the enemy to dodge. It's best to use it to deliver a decisive blow at a crucial moment."

"The next technique is called Lightning Release: Lightning Flash Set, which consists of two main parts..."

Shuichi formed several hand seals and moved swiftly around the arena. Suddenly, he rushed to a large tree, waved his hand, and a small amount of lightning instantly shot out from his palm, scorching the bark black.

This technique first stimulates the body with moderately strong Lightning Release Chakra, slightly increasing cellular activity and enhancing Taijutsu movement to a certain extent; it is called Lightning Flash Movement.

The user will temporarily maintain Lightning Release Chakra within their body, and after quickly closing in on the enemy, can unleash this portion of lightning with their palm.

When the two are within one meter of each other, a sudden enemy will find it difficult to dodge, and being hit will cause a strong feeling of paralysis.

The user can use ninja tools to easily kill, and its actual combat effect is even better than the Lightning Spear. Shuichi named this two-stage burst "Lightning Flash Wave", collectively known as the Lightning Flash Set.

Both of these techniques are C-rank (++) Lightning Release Ninjutsu created by Shuichi, and they are quite powerful in Chunin- level battles.

Moreover, it doesn't require much effort, making it perfect for Sasuke's age to learn.

Therefore, the knowledgeable one's eyes lit up, and after a short rest, he immediately devoted all his enthusiasm to practicing the Lightning Release Nature Transformation...

Shuichi explained the key points of the training, then walked to the shade of a tree not far away and took out a book related to Fuinjutsu to read.

His previous assessment of Sasuke was... somewhat half true and half false.

Sasuke's current strength is not even enough to Teuchi when he was 11 years old, especially Itachi who has been trained by Shuichi for many years.

Without any special abilities, a ninja's thinking, analysis, planning, and calculation skills will influence the outcome of a battle. Sasuke excels in these aspects compared to other ninjas, but Itachi is on a different level.

Without Indra's Chakra, Sasuke would normally be suppressed by Itachi for his entire life. Of course, this excludes cases where the Sage of Six Paths directly transfers his power.

Driven by the lure of becoming stronger, Sasuke's training never stopped.

Shuichi would occasionally check on his progress while silently channeling his own chakra.

The operation we're about to perform is no simple matter; it involves a transformation of the soul, and every detail must be handled with utmost care...

"Hoo-ha hoo-ha..."

Sasuke was panting heavily, his hands supporting his knees as he bent over. A strong sense of exhaustion kept assaulting his brain, urging him to lie down and rest as soon as possible.

The training lasted for two hours. Considering his young age, it's truly remarkable that he could endure that.

He had used every trick in the book to avoid being looked down upon by the Lord Hokage.

Shuichi certainly wouldn't let Sasuke overexert himself. Seeing that Sasuke's stamina was almost depleted, he smiled and walked over, putting his arm around Sasuke's shoulder. "Take a rest. There's no need to rush this kind of training."

"... Yes, Lord Hokage..."

This skinny kid was working so hard, even though he was already number one in the Ninja Academy, he didn't slack off at all, and Shuichi's sympathy was immediately "touched".

"According to the plan, I was only supposed to provide you with guidance today and fill in some gaps in your understanding."

Shuichi spoke, Sasuke's attention, "But your performance was impeccable, I'm very satisfied. The strongest genius deserves more, so I plan to give you an extra reward."

"Really? What is it...?" Sasuke asked in surprise.

Hard work really does pay off. If you only think about maintaining your top spot, you might even have less time to get guidance from the Hokage.

"My latest secret technique allows me to share my chakra with others," Shuichi voice. "In other words, you can use my chakra to train, and your strength will increase much faster."

Sasuke immediately patted his bottom and stood up, then realized he was too excited and blushed a little embarrassedly. "Then... what should I do?"

"Haha, of course you don't need to do anything, just wait a moment."

Shuichi's expression turned serious. "The principle behind this secret technique is very simple. My chakra will help you enhance your physical vitality, thereby making your stamina abundant."

"Normally, you need to pay attention to maintaining sufficient energy intake; there are no other side effects. However, if you want to improve your strength faster, you can only do so through longer periods of tedious training. It's something specifically designed for hardworking geniuses."

"No problem, I definitely won't let you down!"

Sasuke stood quietly as ordered. Shuichi deep breath, took out a Scroll, held it between his hands, and formed a special hand seal.

Then, two fingers were extended and placed at the junction of Sasuke's neck and back. A large number of jutsu patterns surged out, converged, and disappeared, forming a Twin Swords Pattern, which was the long-lost Cursed Seal Technique.

Shuichi's face paled slightly, almost imperceptibly. This Cursed Seal was completely different from the one from many years ago; it contained a small portion of his soul and Senjutsu Chakra.

Through research into various Soul Secret Technique, they finally created a powerful device, mainly based on the technique of the Reaper Death Seal, which can strip, tear, and cut souls.

Over the next few months, I will frequently replenish my chakra, gradually extracting Indra's soul, and finally pulling it back into my body for fusion.

Considering the risks, Shuichi wasn't as greedy as Orochimaru, who swallowed it all at once; he only needed a small portion.

The system skill's doubling mechanism only applies to power that is entirely one's own, so first use Indra's Chakra to activate the ultimate Yin Release.

Once the threshold is broken, that part of your soul will instantly grow stronger, absolutely safe, reliable, and without side effects, completely avoiding the risk of backlash.

Call...

Sasuke no pain throughout the entire process, and the experience far surpassed that of the Orochimaru version, earning the customer a perfect score.

When Shuichi stopped, Sasuke seemed to be on drugs; his body was slightly warm, his muscle fatigue was slowly dissipating, and he wasn't even out of breath.

"I can still train!"