Genjutsu: First Graduation

Perhaps it was time to state his purpose.

"Whew, I didn't come to settle who was stronger. Among people our age, I need an opponent to train my Taijutsu with. So? Am I qualified to be your opponent?"

Neji had yet to recover his stamina and estimated that they truly could not continue fighting. Faced with the polite opening Sasuke offered, he hesitated briefly before changing the subject.

"What, are there barely any people in your entire grade who can exchange a few moves with you? Your class is really weak."

After all, nine of the Konoha 12 were in Sasuke's class.

"In Taijutsu, that's true. But in Ninjutsu, there are still a few promising talents. What about your grade? Is there anyone who can trade blows with you? I'm quite interested."

Neji opened his mouth... He somewhat wanted to mention a thick-browed guy with incredible stamina, but then remembered that the guy even had trouble graduating. He only had stamina; his Ninjutsu and Genjutsu scores were both zeroes.

Seeing Neji hesitate without answering immediately, Sasuke mocked him in return.

"Looks like the others in your grade aren't much either."

Since they were both mocking other people, neither of them got angry.

"Want to have dinner together? I'll treat you to ramen."

Though they had not decided a winner, he had called the other guy out and beaten him up, after all... Their ways of thinking might differ somewhat, but Sasuke still felt he should take the initiative to make some gesture.

"No. I still have clan training today. Next time."

"How about we settle who wins next time?"

Neji politely declined. That counted as a polite decline, right?

"Is winning or losing that important?"

"Isn't it important?"

"You're not afraid of losing, are you? If you don't dare face victory and defeat now, there'll be even more unavoidable things for you to face once you become a ninja."

Neji had thought Sasuke would argue back.

Who knew Sasuke would ponder for a moment before saying, "You're right."

This was not a case of fine, you win the argument. He would inevitably have to face many dangerous things in the future. Though he did not look forward to a life spent walking the edge of a blade, the surname "Uchiha" left him with no choice.

"I was still holding back. You'd better prepare yourself mentally for next time."

"Likewise. It's still uncertain who'll lose."

Neji left the small grove first. Sasuke lifted his shirt and inspected his wounds.

There were no fewer than twenty red spots, and Chakra that did not belong to him had accumulated beneath them. That was manageable. After circulating his Chakra through his body a few times and trying to blow out two fireballs, he was fine.

None of the wounds were bleeding, but they hurt badly. Mosquito bites only itched and would heal in half a day or a day. These red spots probably would not fade for two or three days. He did not know what sort of injury this was or whether there was any internal bleeding.

The medicine used for damaged blood vessels was different from the medicine used for bruising.

Go to Konoha Hospital?

No, no, no. Of course he should go to the Nara... Though that seemed like he was going over just to beg for medicine, which did not feel very appropriate.

He would observe it tonight first. It was clearly not serious. Once the injury showed itself more clearly, he could make some judgments himself.

After being struck by the Hyuga clan's tenketsu-sealing techniques, given his current Physical fitness and without medicine, the pain would only lessen over three days and the red spots would fade. Full recovery would take around a week.

But after sparring with Neji every few days, the marks on his body might not show bruises, yet the faint aches had not fully disappeared for a long time.

Sasuke was not stubborn, nor was he short on money. After seeking out Neji for a second spar, he obediently went to Konoha Hospital with a body full of minor injuries.

At Konoha Hospital, injuries suffered while carrying out missions were naturally treated free of charge—life-saving treatment, so long as it did not reach the level of cosmetic medicine. Of course, if they failed to save your life, forget that last sentence. But if you came in injured from your own training or roughhousing, then be prepared to pay. The cost was not outrageously high, but compared to free, any price was expensive.

With external injury medicine in hand, he asked clearly about the type of injury he had, thinking he could try making his own wound medicine.

After all, this was a world with at least some magical elements. Who would not want to experience being a potion maker?

Konohagakure was not large, and only a few herbal medicine shops were scattered throughout it. Yet more than half of their signs bore the Nara clan crest in one corner.

Medicinal wine, tinctures, decoctions, plasters, pills... The various medicines looked plain and unremarkable, nothing like the miraculous effects they possessed.

Even refined medicines that resembled Western drugs and whose ingredients could not be identified were considered rare.

The most common Soldier Pill had only one effect—staving off hunger. As for restoring stamina and Chakra, it merely contained ingredients that promoted digestion, allowing food to be digested and absorbed faster than normal. Chakra still had to be actively refined, and the Side Effect was obvious: it harmed the stomach.

Of course, for people like the Otsutsuki branch, whose Physical fitness was exceptional, stomach damage was almost nonexistent.

Sasuke had already found several formulas in libraries and bookstores. They were largely similar. Aside from key catalysts and such, the effects of the other ingredients seemed to concern nothing more than adjusting the flavor.

Since he was staying in the village and not going anywhere, Sasuke chose to simply eat properly.

He had seen Chakra Pills in games. Sasuke had deliberately looked for them, but publicly available Books contained only scattered mentions. The general meaning was: something that directly replenished Chakra had to be made using "medicine" containing Chakra.

Clearly, this was not on the same level as a Soldier Pill.

A casual inquiry at any herbal shop would tell him that any animal- or plant-based medicinal ingredient containing Chakra cost at least dozens of times more than ordinary herbs.

Following the logic behind Chakra Pills, it would be better to find a container capable of storing Chakra and squeeze some into it himself during ordinary times... Uh, it felt like he had heard of that method somewhere before.

More than a month earlier, Teacher Shikaku had acknowledged that Sasuke had received Full License in the basic knowledge of Genjutsu.

After all, Shikaku did not specialize in Genjutsu. Teaching Genjutsu to an Uchiha? Graduating from the basics was enough. If he taught any further, the relationship between teacher and student might become awkward.

As the price of silence for making Sasuke "stop asking," Shikaku taught him the A-rank Nirvana Sealing Technique. The name looked complicated, but it was simply the large-scale hypnosis technique Kabuto had used during the Chunin Exams. Its drawback was that it could easily be dispelled. It could only restrict Ordinary People on a large scale; it was nearly useless against Chunin and above.

When Shikaku demonstrated the technique, Sasuke could still be knocked unconscious alongside Shikamaru if he did not activate his Sharingan.

The first time, Sasuke successfully dispelled it before he completely passed out. After practicing several times, Shikamaru also learned how to break it.

It was obvious from Shikaku's casting that he was not proficient with this technique.

Sasuke did not know where it had come from. Perhaps it was arranged by the Third Hokage, or perhaps Shikaku had specifically requested it for him. In any case, it was quite safe to teach this technique to an Uchiha. An A-rank Ninjutsu—there was face to it, and there was substance to it.

Shikaku had also offered to find him a Genjutsu teacher, but Sasuke politely declined.

How should he put it? He had some confidence in the Sharingan, and together with the Sharingan training methods and secret techniques among his inheritance, he had more than enough to practice for a long while.

After all, Shikaku had given him another Ninjutsu to add to his arsenal. Sasuke was quite grateful to him.