Shikamaru Arrives

"Shikamaru said he has something to discuss with you!" Seeing Sasuke emerge, Ino, who had been walking at the front, and Sakura hurriedly cleared a path for Shikamaru.

Of course, this wasn't because Shikamaru was particularly formidable, but rather because the two girls didn't want Sasuke to misunderstand, even though their own desire to seek him out was incredibly strong!

"What is it?" Facing the two who were trying to cover up their true intentions, Sasuke curled his lip in resignation. Although he had plenty of dissatisfaction with Sakura, he didn't intend to voice it; after all, she was still a useful tool.

As for Ino, Sasuke valued her more. Besides the fact that she had a better figure than Sakura, the most important thing was that she possessed the secret Mind Body Switch Technique.

Sasuke definitely wasn't lusting after Ino's... he was simply coveting her secret technique.

After casting aside those strange thoughts in his mind, Sasuke looked calmly at Shikamaru Nara, who had paid him this sudden visit.

"Actually, it's nothing much. If I really have to say it, I want to know how you control your chakra with such finesse!"

Faced with Sasuke's question, Shikamaru took out the leaf he had picked up—the one Sasuke had sliced—and asked with curiosity!

The moment these words left Shikamaru's mouth, he received several eye-rolls.

"Baka!"

The inner personality within Sakura's mind had already started cursing. To come looking for Sasuke just for a leaf? Are you out of your mind?

As for Ino, she silently lowered her head, wondering how she could have agreed to such an absurd request from Shikamaru. She hoped Sasuke wouldn't be angry because of this.

As for Choji, upon hearing Shikamaru's words, he stopped eating his potato chips entirely, which was enough to show the severity of the situation.

"A leaf?"

Looking at the leaf in Shikamaru's hand, Sasuke was somewhat stunned. This guy actually came to find him over a single leaf? If it were anyone else, Sasuke would have thought they were a fool!

But unfortunately! This person was Shikamaru, the future greatest brain of Konoha. The fact that he could come to him with a leaf meant he already knew what the leaf was used for.

"It doesn't seem to be against the law to train with leaves, right?" Facing Shikamaru's inquiry, Sasuke blinked innocently.

"Uh..." Shikamaru, who had originally come to see if he could learn some chakra training method from Sasuke, was left speechless after hearing Sasuke's question.

Although Shikamaru wasn't very interested in cultivation, he didn't want to let the gap between him and Sasuke grow too large. After all, he was a genius too!

"This is a training method for Wind Style chakra. If you also possess Wind Style chakra, you can perform the same training!"

To prevent Shikamaru from discovering he was bluffing and starting to grow suspicious, Sasuke told him directly how the leaf was used.

After all, this guy's brain was a huge nuisance; he was a true, high-IQ player.

"Alright, thanks!"

Shikamaru, who had originally expected Sasuke to hide this, found that Sasuke was being frank with him. He helplessly patted his own head, thinking, As expected, I overthought it.

Originally, when Shikamaru was discussing it with his father, Shikaku, he had thought Sasuke seemed to have some secrets. However, Shikaku had told him he was overthinking it, which led to this farcical visit.

"Choji, let's go!" Confirming that he had indeed overthought it, Shikamaru patted Choji, who was still in a daze, and walked out of the Uchiha compound.

"Hm?... Oh, right!"

Hearing Shikamaru's words, Choji's expression shifted from confusion to silence, and eventually, he followed behind Shikamaru while munching on his chips.

"Baka!"

Seeing Shikamaru and Choji just turn around and leave like that, Sakura felt like she was having a breakdown. What is this situation? Who is going to resolve this awkward atmosphere now?

Ino, standing to the side, was no better off than Sakura; it was just too awkward.

"I'm going to go get dinner. Do you two want to come along?" Watching the two dazed girls, Sasuke shook his head helplessly. He looked at them, hoping to diffuse the awkwardness, as he was in a hurry to see what kind of boost the Kurama Clan's Kekkei Genkai would give his Sharingan!

"Okay!"

Hearing Sasuke's invitation, Ino agreed impatiently.

"Baka!"

Seeing Ino agree, Sakura's inner personality screamed wildly in her mind. Why didn't I agree sooner!

"Then let's go!"

It was originally just an excuse for Sasuke to get rid of them, but seeing Ino agree, Sasuke couldn't very well refuse. Thus, he could only walk silently toward the distance.

Luckily, these two aren't big eaters like Hinata, otherwise, I'd be in trouble! Sasuke thought to himself while walking.

After spending a sum of money that was acceptable to him, Sasuke finally sent the two of them away.

"Shikamaru really is sharp!" Back in the basement, Sasuke recalled the suspicious look in Shikamaru's eyes that afternoon and shook his head involuntarily.

"Forget it, time for business!"

Shaking the thought of Shikamaru out of his mind, Sasuke opened the Shenlian panel. Looking at the Kurama Clan's Kekkei Genkai in his storage, he impatiently initiated the fusion.

Waves of mysterious energy surged directly into Sasuke's body and rushed toward his eyes!

The Three-Tomoe Sharingan manifested involuntarily, the tomoe spinning rapidly as if something was slowly trying to emerge.

Just as the three tomoe were about to connect, that mysterious energy vanished!

"Was that the precursor to an evolution?" Recalling the sensation, Sasuke felt like he had missed something, but evolving like that would have been a bit of a loss. If he had evolved that way, Sasuke estimated his Mangekyō Sharingan ability would have been limited to the powers of the Kurama Clan's Kekkei Genkai.

Clearly, for Sasuke, that would have been a waste of a Mangekyō ability. Since it didn't evolve, it meant he hadn't lost out.

Just as Sasuke was pondering this, a wave of fatigue suddenly washed over him, followed by a puff of smoke as his Shadow Clone Technique dissipated...

"So sleepy..." After the shadow clone vanished, Sasuke fell straight asleep, thereby achieving the feat of sleeping in his basement.

Regarding this, Sasuke only wanted to say: I have it too hard...

At the Nara residence, Shikaku looked at Shikamaru, who had returned with a dejected expression, and shook his head helplessly.

"You cannot judge other people's thoughts based on your own subjective assumptions. You must imagine every possibility and then eliminate them, so as to find that final, decisive path to victory!"

After lecturing his son, Shikaku slowly walked back into the house.

The conjecture of the Konoha strategist, the transformation of a special fusion!

Dear masters, please give me your votes (づ●─●)づ