Provocation

That was just as he'd thought. To obtain an ability, it had to be something the ninja already possessed!

The timeline was still too early, though. Sasuke hadn't awakened the Mangekyo yet, so he hadn't mastered a single devastating Ninjutsu like Kagutsuchi!

Forget those... He hadn't even gotten Chidori!

Still, he'd obtained this Sharingan (Modified)... The "modified" part was especially intriguing!

It definitely wasn't the original Sharingan, and he had no idea what had changed about its abilities. Nanfeng couldn't reveal his trump card just yet, either. He'd wait until he got home that night, when he was alone, and try it out!

"Hokage-sama!" While Nanfeng was still deep in thought, several seniors behind him spoke respectfully.

Hearing them, Nanfeng quickly turned around and respectfully greeted Hiruzen Sarutobi.

The old man had done plenty of despicable things, but at least in his later years, he'd treated the younger generation pretty well.

"Nanfeng, you're here too. How is Sasuke doing?" Hiruzen wasn't particularly surprised to see Nanfeng still there. He glanced at Sasuke, then asked about his condition.

Nanfeng dutifully repeated what he'd said earlier, while discreetly studying the Hokage's reaction.

"In that case, I'll leave Sasuke's continued recovery to you. If anything else comes up, you can come straight to the Hokage Office and let me know." With that, Hiruzen hurried off.

As Hokage, he had plenty of important matters to attend to!

That old man's in such a hurry. Is he going to spy on the Women's Bathhouse again? Nanfeng grumbled to himself.

He'd been spied on with the Scrying Jutsu plenty of times back then. Most of the time, Hiruzen used the Ninjutsu for anything but proper business!

"We'll leave the rest to you. There aren't many injured ninjas today, so you can take a break too," one of the senior staff at the Ninja Hospital said with a smile. They all liked the boy.

He was capable, good-natured, never made a mistake during treatment, and was polite too. Where else could you find a child like that?

"Sorry for the trouble." Nanfeng nodded, pulled over a stool, and sat beside Sasuke's bed. He could take a little breather while he waited!

Time passed, second by second. Just as Nanfeng was starting to get bored, Sasuke finally stirred in bed.

"Water..." Sasuke's voice was dry and faint. Nanfeng quickly fetched a cup of warm water and carefully helped him drink.

"Thanks..." After coughing a couple of times, Sasuke finally made out the person beside him. He sat up in surprise.

But the sudden movement sent a sharp pain through his shoulder wound, making him suck in a breath.

"Try not to move too much. Your wounds have been treated, but you still need to rest for a while, especially your mind..." Nanfeng spoke slowly.

"Why are you here?" Sasuke seemed to remember something. His eyes gradually turned cold, and his tone grew hostile.

"I'm a Medical Ninja. I learned Medical Ninjutsu before enrolling, and I often help out here. I'm the one who treated your wounds, so you could at least say thank you..." Nanfeng retorted irritably.

"Thanks, but I'm leaving now. Get me the discharge papers." There was an icy finality in Sasuke's voice. His almost thuggish attitude quickly wore away what little patience Nanfeng had left for him.

"Is that how you speak to the person who treated your wounds? I don't know what happened to you, but as the second son of a great clan, you don't even know basic manners. It makes me question the upbringing of Konoha's great clans!"

Nanfeng spoke with biting sarcasm. Sasuke's expression twisted at his words.

"Don't bring up my clan in front of me!" Sasuke roared. The scarlet Sharingan appeared in an instant, and his frigid gaze made Nanfeng feel vaguely uncomfortable.

It was as though Sasuke could see straight through his soul!

So this is what the Sharingan feels like. Just as the Second Hokage once described, this is a... pitiful, evil clan, cursed...

Nanfeng grumbled to himself.

Sasuke felt his pride take another hit when Nanfeng showed no reaction at all. He struggled to his feet, and the force of the movement made blood seep from his shoulder wound, staining the white bandages red.

"Akiya Nanfeng, I challenge you! I'll show you that even if you've mastered Medical Ninjutsu, it doesn't matter! I'll show you the difference between a genius and an ordinary person!"

Sasuke stared into Nanfeng's eyes and spoke through clenched teeth.

"Don't worry. Even if you hadn't said that today, I would've come to find you for a match. And I'll teach you a thing or two while I'm at it. Hard work really can overcome the gap between an ordinary person and a genius. Or have you been so sheltered that you think the world is just the way you see it?"

"Or maybe there's something you'd rather not know?" Nanfeng leaned close to Sasuke's ear and whispered.

Those words left Sasuke frozen in place. He turned his head in a daze, confusion in his eyes as he looked at Nanfeng.

"If you want to know, keep treating me the way you are now and come see me tonight. I'll give you a good thrashing and teach you why flowers are red..."

The strange smile on Nanfeng's face as he said this sent a shiver down Sasuke's spine.

Thinking of how Medical Ninjas trained, Sasuke trembled even harder. But out of pride in the Uchiha Clan, he forced himself not to say anything.

"I don't need you to tell me. I'll beat you until you're eating dirt!" After that little exchange, Sasuke felt less depressed than before. He glared at Nanfeng and spoke fiercely.

Nanfeng simply waved his hand. "Lie down. The bandages are stained, so I need to change them."

"Th-thank you..." Sasuke turned his head away, too embarrassed to look Nanfeng in the eye. His face was a little red.

"Don't make it weird. If you want to thank me, let me beat you up properly tonight. That'll be more than enough!" Nanfeng smacked Sasuke on the head. The Uchiha Clan's famously long, straight black hair felt pretty nice to the touch.

"Nanfeng! I'm going to kill you!" Sasuke's roar echoed throughout the hospital.