Konoha,
On a great river not far from the Uchiha Clan Land:
Clang—!
Clang—!
The [Wood Clone · Chen Yiban] was fighting [Sasuke Uchiha] in the middle of the river, battling on the surface of the water.
For the most part, the Wood Clone defended with ease, while Sasuke Uchiha struggled to attack with his kunai, accomplishing nothing.
"Fire Release: Fire—"
During the fight, Uchiha Sasuke prepared to unleash a jutsu on the Wood Clone, Chen Yiban.
But—
Whoosh—
Thud—!
The Wood Clone, Chen Yiban, suddenly accelerated and darted aside. With a kick of overwhelming force, he sent Uchiha Sasuke flying.
"So fast!"
"I've just awakened the Three Tomoe Sharingan, and I can barely catch a glimpse of his movements..."
The kick struck Sasuke in the stomach. He was sent flying seven or eight meters, then fell into the water, astonished.
The Fire Release Ninjutsu he had been preparing was interrupted!
Soon, Uchiha Sasuke used "Chakra Water Walking" to climb back onto the surface of the water.
"Again!"
Seeing the drenched Sasuke, the Wood Clone, Chen Yiban, motioned for him to attack again.
"Damn it!" Uchiha Sasuke couldn't help marveling at Chen Yiban's strength.
Even one of his clones could easily overpower him!
But it made sense. After all, during the battle in Konoha a few days ago, just one Shadow Clone of Chen Yiban's had held off countless Konoha Ninja, including Tsunade Hime, the Fifth Hokage!
Chen Yiban was using a clone to train him, which did feel a little like being brushed off.
But after fighting him, Sasuke realized just how powerful Chen Yiban's clone was!
Even if it was only a clone, having such a powerful expert train him...
He would definitely grow stronger quickly!
"Senior, I'm going to use my strongest move right now."
"Please be careful!"
Uchiha Sasuke clasped his right wrist with his left hand, then spread the fingers of his right hand and began rapidly gathering the Chakra within his body.
Crackle, crackle—
It was Lightning Release: Chidori!!
The story had only just passed the start of the Chunin Exams, which meant that Uchiha Sasuke had only recently learned Lightning Style: Chidori.
"Oh?" The Wood Clone, Chen Yiban, curled his lips into a faint smile, showing a sliver of interest.
Then, in the next instant—
Whoosh—
The Wood Clone, Chen Yiban, slowly raised his right hand. In his palm... pure, natureless Chakra rapidly gathered.
It quickly took shape, forming a visible, round ball of Chakra!
"That's... Naruto's..."
Uchiha Sasuke stared in surprise. What the Wood Clone, Chen Yiban, had just formed was none other than Naruto Uzumaki's signature technique.
Rasengan!!
"Naruto..."
Gradually, Uchiha Sasuke began to imagine that the Wood Clone, Chen Yiban, standing opposite him was Naruto Uzumaki.
"This time, I won't lose like I did on the rooftop."
Something came back to Sasuke. The gaze of his Three Tomoe Sharingan turned fierce.
Whoosh—
In the next instant, he charged toward the Wood Clone, Chen Yiban, moving at great speed with a [Chidori] in his hand and the Three Tomoe Sharingan fixed on his target.
"Lightning Release: Chidori!!"
Sasuke roared.
"Heh." The Wood Clone, Chen Yiban, smiled.
He did his best to keep his Chakra output close to Sasuke's as he formed the Rasengan!
Then—
Boom—!!
Chidori and Rasengan collided.
"Ugh..." Uchiha Sasuke was sent flying.
Just then, a figure identical in appearance to the Wood Clone, Chen Yiban, appeared.
He caught Sasuke as he flew through the air!
It was Chen Yiban himself, arriving just in time!
"Did I... lose again?" Blood trickled from the corner of Uchiha Sasuke's mouth. Then he passed out against Chen Yiban.
"Did you lose? Not necessarily!" Chen Yiban looked at the unconscious Sasuke, blood at the corner of his mouth, then turned his gaze toward the Wood Clone ahead.
There—
The Wood Clone that had kept its Chakra close to Sasuke's and traded a blow with him had some damage to its right hand.
"Rasengan and Chidori each have their strengths. They just differ a little in the damage they deal!"
Chen Yiban thought to himself.
The next instant, the Wood Clone turned into wood and sank beneath the river's surface.
About three hours later!
By the riverbank,
Uchiha Sasuke slowly came to. When he opened his eyes, he saw a figure in red armor beside him, roasting fish.
"Senior Madara's Wood Clone," Sasuke said.
"Awake?" Chen Yiban glanced at Sasuke with his dark eyes as he roasted the fish.
At the same time—
"I've already dispelled the Wood Clone!"
Chen Yiban added.
"Hm?" Sasuke's eyes widened. Then he asked, with a hint of excitement, "Are you the real Senior Madara now?"
"Yeah!" Chen Yiban smiled faintly.
As he spoke, he handed Sasuke a cooked fish. "Have some."
"Th-thank you, Senior Madara!" Sasuke seemed inexplicably overwhelmed by the gesture.
He hurriedly sat up and took the roasted fish!
"Ugh...!" As Uchiha Sasuke pushed himself up from the ground, he felt a dull ache in his chest.
He couldn't help thinking about the clash between his Chidori and Chen Yiban's Wood Clone's Rasengan, and how he had lost in the end.
Sasuke's expression darkened!
Seeing the boy's expression, Chen Yiban, who had already eaten nearly half a fish, knew what he was thinking:
"Didn't the person who taught you that Lightning Release technique tell you about its properties?"
Chen Yiban slowly chewed his fish and suddenly asked.
"Senior Madara..." Sasuke looked at Chen Yiban.
In response—
"Watch."
Chen Yiban said no more. He simply stood and walked over to a nearby cliff face.
Then—
Boom—!!
He quickly formed a Rasengan and slammed it into the cliff.
A crater four or five meters wide and more than two meters deep soon appeared in the towering cliff face.
"I controlled my Chakra to roughly the same level as yours when I used that technique, the so-called Rasengan."
"Now use your Chidori to strike this cliff. See what happens!"
Turning to look at Sasuke, Chen Yiban said.
As he spoke, he remembered to take another bite of the roasted fish in his other hand!
"Yes, Senior Madara." Sasuke seemed to understand.
Soon—
Crackle, crackle—!!
The Lightning Style: Chidori struck the same cliff face, at a different spot.
In an instant, Sasuke blasted a hole into it. It was only a little over two meters wide, but nearly five meters deep.
Sasuke was almost buried inside the cliff!
"Senior Madara, I... I understand what you mean!"
"Thank you!"
The next moment, Sasuke leaped out of the crater with a smile and returned to Chen Yiban's side.
Chen Yiban only smiled. He turned and sat down, continuing to eat the roasted fish in his hand.
"Naruto, that day on the rooftop... I didn't lose to you. Like Senior Madara said, Chidori and Rasengan just deal different kinds of damage!"
Thinking this, Sasuke regained his confidence.
The dull ache in his chest seemed to disappear, too!
That was the result Chen Yiban had wanted. How could a growing ninja afford to lose confidence?
Three days passed in the blink of an eye!
That day, at a grave in Konoha's cemetery:
"Asuma..."
Kurenai Yuhi placed a bouquet in front of the gravestone. A trace of remembrance surfaced in her eyes.
"Red!" A voice suddenly sounded behind her.
Kurenai turned and saw that it was Shikaku Nara.
He, too, was holding flowers, which he placed in front of Asuma's grave!
Seeing this—
"Shikaku, I heard Shikamaru was also... Have you ever thought about finding that man and taking revenge?"
Kurenai looked at Shikaku, who was standing beside her, and couldn't help asking.
"I have," Shikaku immediately replied.
"Then..." Kurenai began, wanting to say more.
But—
"But I won't do it!"
Shikaku suddenly added.
"Why? Don't you want to avenge Shikamaru?" Kurenai asked, confused.
At the mention of Shikamaru...
A trace of sorrow surfaced in Shikaku's eyes, but—
"We can't defeat that person. Attacking him would only provoke him."
"You wouldn't want to see the people of Konoha truly wiped out, would you?"
As he spoke, Shikaku met Kurenai's gaze.
If revenge were possible, Shikaku would have welcomed the chance.
But...
Their enemy was the legendary ninja, Uchiha Madara!
Could they really succeed?
And if they failed, what would happen?
Would the civilians and ninja of all Konoha really have to pay the price for his failed revenge?
In the end...
Under Shikaku's steady gaze, Kurenai turned and walked away, her spirits low.
"Ugh..." Afterward, Shikaku looked at Asuma's gravestone and lowered his head with a sigh.
"Shikamaru, would you understand?"
Elsewhere!
Still on the same great river not far from the Uchiha Clan Land—
Clang—clang—clang—
The sound of clashing weapons rang out again and again!
Once more, Sasuke was fighting Chen Yiban's Wood Clone.
He still couldn't beat Chen Yiban's clone,
but in just a few days, Sasuke had already made clear progress.
At least, he was becoming more and more proficient at using his newly awakened Three Tomoe Sharingan!
Besides, they'd been fighting on the water's surface all these days.
Uchiha Sasuke's chakra control had also improved by a whole level!
Before, under the Wood Clone's fierce attacks, Sasuke often lost control of the chakra under his feet and fell straight into the water.
Now, that happened far less often!
Meanwhile,
while the Wood Clone and Sasuke fought on the surface of the river...
Chen Yiban's real body sat cross-legged on the riverbank the whole time. His Rinnegan had only recently awakened, and the powers of Asura and Hashirama Senju were still taking effect within him.
The power inside Chen Yiban grew stronger by the day!
Until today, Chen Yiban felt that his Rinnegan and the powers of Asura and Hashirama Senju inside him had finally stabilized completely.
It felt like...
he could move on to his other plans!
As for Konoha, Chen Yiban had more or less taken care of it.
But Konoha alone wasn't enough!
Chen Yiban wanted to follow the example of the First Emperor of Qin in another world and unite all the nations!
Chen Yiban remembered seeing a comment while scrolling through videos in another world:
[Originally, Uchiha Madara could have been the First Emperor of Qin in the Naruto world.]
Ha, why not?
Just imagine: uniting the entire Shinobi World!
What level of achievement would that be?
What kind of lottery would the system give him?
Chen Yiban thought: I can't wait!
"Phew..."
Then, as he slowly exhaled beside the riverbank, a pair of bright, ambitious black eyes appeared beneath his gradually opening eyelids.
"Konoha was the first."
"Then, for the second... Akatsuki!"
Chen Yiban revealed a faint, ambitious smile.
Just then:
"Lightning Release: Chidori!!" ×2
Sasuke and Chen Yiban's Wood Clone both used Chidori on the surface of the river.
Boom-----
In the end!
It didn't matter if the Wood Clone took a little damage.
But Sasuke came back with his right hand covered in blood to apply some medicine!
"Ha." Chen Yiban couldn't help giving a faint smile as he watched.
Sasuke really trained as if he didn't care about his life!
Was he so eager to get stronger and take revenge on Itachi Uchiha?
Sure enough, the power of hatred was not to be underestimated!
Although Chen Yiban knew the truth about Itachi Uchiha, he thought Sasuke could find out a little later.
For now, let him hold on to that hatred as motivation to train!
"Sasuke, I may need to leave for a few days."
Looking at Sasuke as he applied medicine, Chen Yiban suddenly spoke.
"Teacher, are you leaving Konoha?" Sasuke asked in surprise.
"Mm, because I want more than just Konoha," Chen Yiban said with a smile.
"Teacher..." Sasuke stared blankly at Chen Yiban, as if he still hadn't quite understood what he meant.
"Teacher, can I go with you?"
Then Sasuke gazed at Chen Yiban hopefully.
"Come with me?" Chen Yiban thought it over for a moment.
"If we're going to Akatsuki... Itachi Uchiha is there!"
"Oh?"
"Brothers meeting again. How interesting!"
"With Itachi Uchiha's temperament, he'll definitely get in my way. Maybe Itachi's death will awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan in Sasuke!"
With that thought,
Chen Yiban nodded to Uchiha Sasuke beside him.
At once, Sasuke showed a rare smile, one he didn't often wear!
Before you continue