On the deserted island, Sasuke naturally had no idea that Orochimaru had set his sights on him again. At that moment, he was training drenched in sweat, his expression incomparably serious.
After a long while, the sun slanted westward, and the light on the island gradually dimmed.
Stopping his training, Sasuke wiped the sweat from his face and gazed toward the other end of the island. He muttered, "It's already been three days. Why hasn't Teacher come to test me?"
The island was not particularly large. He could clearly sense Hyuga Kagami's chakra fluctuations at the other end and knew that Hyuga Kagami had remained on the island these past few days. That was why he found it strange that Hyuga Kagami had not come to test him every day as before.
Moreover, Hyuga Kagami had set rules and warned him not to leave the side of the island where he was, so no matter how curious he was, he could only suppress it.
As night fell, Sasuke lit a bonfire on the beach. While eating the food Hyuga Kagami had prepared for him, he pondered his concerns.
Then, the sound of steady footsteps came from the distance.
Sasuke's face immediately lit up. He hurried over and asked Hyuga Kagami, who was slowly approaching through the night, "Teacher, are you going to begin my test?"
Hyuga Kagami nodded. "Mm."
"That's great!" Sasuke smiled. "I've been ready for ages. I was just waiting for you!"
Hyuga Kagami carefully looked Sasuke over.
Nearly a week of training had stripped away the childishness from Sasuke's face. On the surface, none of his former impetuosity remained, and even his inborn arrogance had diminished considerably.
Yet his sharp edge remained. One could tell from his eyes that the youth before him was still Second Pillar.