Two and a half years later.
The stream of the Naka River shimmered with golden ripples in the morning light, a captivating sight.
But at the Training Ground behind the Uchiha District, by the river, an air of restlessness hung over the place.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
Sasuke's fingers trembled slightly as he formed the hand seals.
He raised his right hand to his mouth. Then his chest swelled as scorching Chakra gathered in his throat—
And with a little "puff," he unleashed it with all his might!
Pfft.
A fist-sized flame had barely flown two meters before it vanished into the wind.
It hadn't even changed the temperature around him.
"Failed again..."
Sasuke clenched his teeth. Self-reproach and disappointment flashed in his eyes.
He'd been trying to learn Fire Style for six months.
And he'd been working on the Great Fireball Technique in particular for two months, but still couldn't quite get the hang of it.
He could barely manage to start a fire with it.
Nearby.
Disappointment flickered in Fugaku's eyes. "Perhaps I shouldn't have expected so much."
"Itachi was already a rare genius, and Jin was a genius the clan had never seen before. Sasuke... perhaps it's fine if he's just ordinary."
Two months was actually an impressive feat, but compared to his older brother, who'd mastered it in a second, Sasuke's progress was nothing to write home about.
As Fugaku thought this, he gently patted Sasuke's shoulder in comfort. "It's all right, Sasuke. Even One-vs-Seven could only spit out a fireball five meters across when he first started."
Over the years, under Jin's influence, they'd naturally picked up the nickname One-vs-Seven.
"Hm? At least mine went two meters..." Sasuke's little face lit up at that. "Then how long did it take Big Brother One-vs-Seven to learn?"
"Uh..." Fugaku hesitated, unsure how to explain.
Should he tell him the truth?
It would break the boy's heart.
But if he didn't...
While he was still hesitating, a lazy voice drifted down from the courtyard wall.
"Oh, One-vs-Seven just watched Father perform it, tried copying him, and got it on the first try."
"By the way, Sasuke, when Father said five meters, he meant the diameter, not the length."
Jin waved a hand and told it like it was.
Then he rolled over and grinned at the two of them, whom he hadn't chatted with yet today.
Those words left Sasuke unable to raise his head.
Drip.
Drip.
Sweat trickled down the side of his nose.
He bit down hard on his lower lip, his nails digging into his palm until it went white!
He'd been practicing like mad for two months, and still couldn't match his brother copying the technique once!
But the more anxious he got, the more his Chakra became like a wild horse, charging recklessly through his meridians.
He was even starting to lose control of it.
Fugaku patted him, unsure what to say.
"Father, perhaps Sasuke just isn't suited to Fire Style."
Uchiha Jin propped one leg against the wall, letting the other dangle over the side. He spoke again as he idly swung it.
This wasn't just to finish his Ten-Minute Talk. It was also the truth.
Sasuke's Fire Style really was nothing special, especially compared with his astonishing talent for Lightning Release. It couldn't even come close.
Back then, Sasuke had been surrounded by lightning whenever he drew his sword, with all the flashy effects turned up to the max!
When Kirin appeared, it raised the standard of Lightning Release across the entire Shinobi World.
So, to get better results from copying him, Jin thought it was necessary to Restore Order a little.
All these years, he hadn't copied a single worthwhile trait from Sasuke!
"Don't be ridiculous!" Fugaku scoffed at Jin's words. "The Uchiha Clan has been renowned for Fire Style since the Warring States period. Especially that legendary man—his Fire Style could even burn through Lord Hashirama's Wood Release!"
"What an honor!"
Right, right. Not only did it burn through Wood Release, he's also lying underground now, ready to come after you at any moment.
Jin rolled his eyes and leaped down.
When he landed, the dust he kicked up eerily swerved around the hem of his clothes.
After two and a half years of "photosynthesis," the Chakra surrounding him had long since grown as solid as a deep pool!
As he looked at Sasuke, a faint network of pale blue-white veins suddenly appeared around his right eye!
This was the Byakugan of the Hyuga Main Family!
Over the past two and a half years, he'd grown more and more adept at using it.
He could activate it at any moment and conceal it just as easily.
Under the Main Family's 360-degree, unobstructed vision, Sasuke's bodily pathways appeared clearly before him.
Inside him, a crisscrossing network of blue-purple Chakra pathways was visible in every detail.
The restless sparks of lightning traveled along his meridians, colliding violently with the scarlet Chakra each time he used Fire Style.
"Lightning overcomes Earth, and Fire overcomes Wind, but Lightning and Fire..." Jin raised two fingers. "It's like throwing an Explosive Tag into a bonfire. It's too much for you."
As soon as he finished speaking, dazzling lightning burst from his fingertips!
Sasuke's eyes went wide.
"B-B-Big Bro! When did you learn Lightning Release?!"
Beside him, Uchiha Fugaku was just as curious.
He even looked a little delighted.
As far as he remembered, his second son had awakened his Sharingan early, but seemed to do nothing but sleep.
So where had this Lightning Release come from?
Had it fallen from the sky?
Instinctively, three tomoe flickered scarlet in Fugaku's eyes.
The tomoe seemed on the verge of changing.
As if they were about to merge into one...
At that moment, Jin spoke again, stopping the change.
"Father."
"The Uchiha Sharingan can predict the path of lightning."
"But Lightning Release..." He turned to look at his stunned younger brother. "It can make lightning catch up to our eyes."
As he spoke, Jin clenched his right hand, gathering the lightning in his fingertips.
"Chirp—"
In an instant, the Chidori cried out.
Countless high-voltage currents converged on his hand!
Densely packed azure light swallowed everything around it!
"This is!!"
"Is that the Lightning Release: Chidori?!"
Uchiha Fugaku's pupils trembled violently. The three tomoe instantly returned to normal, and his eyes grew clearer.
Lightning Release: Chidori.
Kakashi's signature technique.
Even Fugaku had heard of it.
But—how had it appeared in his second son's hands?
Had Kakashi taught Jin?
No, no, that couldn't be...
At the very least, the Third Hokage wouldn't allow that to happen.
Perhaps it was time to launch the coup ahead of schedule!
At that moment, Fugaku's thoughts were in turmoil. A thousand things crossed his mind.
As for Sasuke, only one word remained on his little face: "Want!"
He wanted it!
He wanted it so badly!
Such a flashy, cool, spectacular technique—he loved it!
But when had the laid-back Jin learned it?
Had he learned it by sunbathing again?
Or by getting chased by a dog?
Even with natural talent, a technique of this level should take a great deal of effort to control so freely, shouldn't it?
But Jin seemed to have mastered it without practicing at all?!
At that moment, as Sasuke looked at his second older brother, who never studied and did nothing but sunbathe, his face slowly turned red.
He even felt ashamed.
He'd worked so hard to train, yet Jin learned faster and mastered more just by sunbathing!
A thought suddenly sprang into his mind:
"So it's the genius's older brother, the prodigy Jin, and... him, the fool!"
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