The Thing I'm About to Tell You-Don't Be Afraid

That evening, Sasuke had barely returned home after a day of training when urgent knocks rang out at the door. Knock, knock, knock.

Frowning, Sasuke opened the door. Sure enough, it was Naruto, panting heavily with lingering fear written all over his face.

"What is it?"

"Come on, let's go inside so I can tell you."

After sitting down, Naruto spoke uneasily. "Sasuke, the thing I'm about to tell you... don't be afraid."

Sasuke raised a brow. "Go ahead. I won't be afraid."

"I saw a ghost today!"

Naruto looked utterly serious.

Sasuke leaned back slightly, making himself more comfortable. "Is Ghost that guy's codename?"

"It's not anyone's codename!" Naruto shook his head and said earnestly, "It was that ninja known as Konoha's strongest taijutsu user."

"Might Guy?"

"Who's Might Guy? Not him."

Naruto thought for a moment, recalling the description on the scroll.

"It was that Konoha hero who died in the Third Shinobi World War."

Died in the Third Shinobi World War?

Sasuke spoke up. "You mean Might Duy?"

Who was Might Duy?

Naruto hurriedly shook his head and shouted, "Konoha's strongest taijutsu ninja! Sasuke, don't you know? The one who created the Konoha Dragon God, died in the Third Shinobi World War, and was called a Konoha hero by the village—Teacher Chen!"

Konoha Dragon God?

Teacher Chen?

Why didn't you just say Chen Baojun?

Sasuke grumbled inwardly, then nodded. "Got it. Keep going."

"Today, I found a scroll in the library. It said Teacher Chen's Konoha Dragon God taijutsu was incredibly powerful, but Teacher Chen died in the Third Shinobi World War. Still, it had the location of Teacher Chen's grave recorded on it, so I decided to go take a look. Guess what I saw?"

As he said this, Naruto's voice turned ominous, and he waved his hands excitedly.

"I actually saw Teacher Chen come back from the dead!!!"

"He even picked up a rice ball from in front of his own grave and started eating it!"

Naruto's eyes widened, every hair on his body seemingly standing on end.

Sasuke was silent for a while before saying, "That's it?"

Naruto froze, then shouted in displeasure, "You bastard, Sasuke! I'm not joking!"

"Yeah, yeah." Sasuke brushed him off. "So how did you determine that he was Teacher Chen?"

"At first, I thought that old man was just some freeloader. When he picked up the rice ball in front of Teacher Chen's grave, I kicked it out of his hand."

"And then?"

"Then he beat me up very casually."

Naruto said it with a dejected look on his face.

"With taijutsu?"

"Yeah, taijutsu!"

"Oh." Sasuke looked enlightened. "Then if his taijutsu is that strong, aren't you looking for ways to become stronger right now? Why not ask him to teach you?"

"That's right!" Naruto froze, then hesitated and said quietly, "But Sasuke, that old man might be a ghost. Teacher Chen died during the Third Shinobi World War."

"As long as you can become stronger, what does it matter whether he's human or ghost, whether he's Teacher Chen or not? Or are you scared?"

"Hmph!" Naruto predictably couldn't stand being provoked. He immediately patted his chest and shouted, "I'm not scared! Tomorrow, I'll go back there and get to the bottom of this!"

"Fine." Sasuke nodded and asked, "Do you have anything else?"

"What do you mean?"

"If not, then you can leave."

"..."

The next day, somewhere on Konoha's back mountain.

March was the season of spring, and spring was absolutely a painting saturated with the flourishing vitality of life!

From afar stood rows of willow trees. They were not tall, but each one was graceful and lovely. Their slender leaves hung softly like a young girl's hair, as though a green-haired maiden were dressing herself. Around the willows grew bright green-red clover, displaying countless gentle and delicate poses.

At the center of the willow trees, Sasuke held a short blade made of Chakra Metal and continuously carved a boulder half as tall as a person. The blade danced so swiftly it was nearly a blur, sparks of lightning occasionally flashing around it as tremendous piercing force condensed within.

Wherever the Lightning Blade passed, the stone was like material beneath a laser cutter. Fragments and scraps flew away without pause, while every cut was incomparably smooth and even.

Lightning Style Sculpting Method!

Gradually, the entire stone blank began to take on a rough form—that of a human figure.

At that moment, Sasuke spun the short blade in his hand and performed a flourish. The blade that had been wreathed in lightning suddenly turned crimson, releasing wisps of white vapor.

Fire Style Sculpting Method!

Sasuke's input of Fire Release chakra was perfectly measured. It would not blacken or crack the stone from excessive chakra, nor would it lack the power needed to carve the statue's details and textures due to insufficient chakra.

It was just right!

What was worth mentioning was Sasuke's gaze. On the surface, his eyes seemed completely fixed on the stone statue without moving, but a closer look would reveal that his pupils had no point of focus at all. They were completely unfocused.

Such eyes were usually seen only on blind people.

Five Senses Seal—Visual Sense!

Not far from Sasuke stood Kurama Yakumo. She held an easel and was wholly absorbed in painting from life.

Naturally, Sasuke had asked Kurama Yakumo to alter his eyes, because one day he would inevitably transplant and fuse a Mangekyo. Judging from the original work, it had taken Sasuke at least over a month to fully advance to the Eternal Mangekyo after the transplant.

Sasuke was someone who was cautious, then even more cautious. The thought of spending more than a month blind in the future filled him with waves of unease.

Even if someone he trusted were constantly protecting him at that time, that sense of danger would not lessen in the slightest.

So he had to prepare now for that future day. Even without sight, he needed the ability to protect himself!

Moreover, after spending the past half year carving with his vision sealed, Sasuke felt that the improvement he gained after every completed sculpture had become greater.

Although Sasuke could not see the stone statue before him, he used his hearing to listen to the sounds and traces of every cut against the stone, judging the sculpture's rough appearance from them.

It was precisely through the hearing he had trained over half a year that he had detected Sakura's abnormal heartbeat.

Waves of warm, gentle spring breeze blew against Sasuke's face. At that moment, he seemed to have immersed himself in nature.

His hands and heart were entirely focused on the stone sculpture. He had already been carving for nearly two hours, and the precise control of chakra had left his mind somewhat exhausted.

Yet that indescribable feeling of harmony with nature actually caused Sasuke's mental strength to begin revitalizing once more.