The Match

At the training ground, a handsome, cold-looking boy of somewhat short stature stood straight as a pine tree, while another boy stood with one hand on his hip, looking a little lazy.

They faced each other in the center of the field.

"Come on. Let's see how strong you are now, Sasuke-kun," Yi Xiang said, his tone carrying a hint of provocation.

Sasuke didn't respond. He fixed Yi Xiang with a sharp gaze, four Shuriken already in his hands.

"Whoosh, whoosh."

He suddenly swung both arms with all his might, sending the four Shuriken toward Yi Xiang's head, shoulders, and lower body.

Yi Xiang remained calm. Gripping a Kunai in his right hand, he immediately leaned to the left to dodge three Shuriken, then swept his right hand across to knock away the one aimed at his right shoulder.

In that instant, Sasuke used the Body Flicker Technique to appear in front of Yi Xiang. He abruptly twisted in midair and kicked straight at Yi Xiang's left cheek.

"Thud!"

Yi Xiang reacted quickly, blocking with his left arm. He immediately followed with a grab, but Sasuke was just as fast. He turned to dodge, then changed his move in midair and kicked straight at Yi Xiang with his right foot.

Yi Xiang brought both hands up to guard his chest. Sasuke used the momentum to push off and flip backward, then pulled a Kunai from the ninja pouch behind him.

A Kunai appeared in Yi Xiang's right hand as well.

"Clang!"

"Clang, clang, clang!"

Amid the clashing Kunai, the two exchanged dozens of blows. Their Taijutsu was evenly matched, which surprised Yi Xiang a little.

Before long, beads of sweat appeared on Yi Xiang's fair face, and his breathing grew heavier. Even so, a faint smile still played on his lips.

Sasuke, meanwhile, was already dripping sweat onto the ground. His breathing had grown more erratic, and he looked astonished.

As expected of the Uchiha Clan's genius, Uchiha Sasuke. If I weren't a year older than him, and if my increased Chakra hadn't boosted my endurance, he might have had the upper hand in Taijutsu.

Yi Xiang thought to himself, growing more serious as he realized the match was about to be decided.

Sasuke had regained his usual cool composure. He kept his eyes on Yi Xiang and spoke with arrogant confidence:

"You've got decent stamina, but this ends now."

As soon as he finished speaking, Sasuke's eyes suddenly turned blood-red, each with a single Tomoe. More Shuriken and Kunai appeared in his hands.

With a swish, both of them attacked almost simultaneously. Two Shuriken collided precisely in midair, while the rest flew toward their respective targets.

Yi Xiang deftly dodged to the side. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sasuke forming Hand Seals, so he began forming them too. He was half a beat behind, but his technique was highly practiced, and his hands moved a little faster than Sasuke's.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

A huge crimson fireball burst from Yi Xiang's mouth with a roar. Sasuke completed his Hand Seals a moment later, but the fireball he spat out was only two-thirds the size of Yi Xiang's.

"Boom!"

Sasuke didn't have time to use the Substitution Technique. The scorching shock wave sent him flying back at least four meters. He looked even worse for wear now: his clothes were scorched, and the heat had turned his face bright red.

Surprisingly, Yi Xiang was completely unharmed, because his fireball had quickly swallowed Sasuke's.

"How is that possible?! You know the Great Fireball Technique too? And you're so good at it!"

After seeing how the match had gone, Sasuke asked in disbelief, still sitting on the ground and panting.

He understood that if Yi Xiang had used that Ninjutsu earlier, he would have lost long ago.

It was obvious that Yi Xiang had been testing his strength.

"There's nothing impossible about it. With enough practice, this Ninjutsu is easy to master."

Watching Sasuke slowly get to his feet, Yi Xiang took credit for learning the C-rank Ninjutsu through his diligence and talent, without so much as blushing.

At the same time, his eyes suddenly turned crimson.

Sasuke froze at the sight, murmuring, "Two-Tomoe Sharingan... It's a Two-Tomoe Sharingan."

He's only a few years older than me. Why have I never heard anyone in the clan mention him? A genius like him couldn't have gone unnoticed.

Could he have awakened it only recently? Right, that must be it.

"All right, it's time to make good on our bet. You owe me a 'Big Brother.'"

Yi Xiang smiled. He had revealed his Sharingan so that Sasuke would accept his defeat wholeheartedly. Otherwise, how could he get Sasuke to willingly become his underling?

Remembering the promise they'd made on the bet, Sasuke quickly came to his senses. He hesitated for a few seconds, then slowly said, "Big Brother."

Then he added, "It's only temporary. I'll beat you soon."

Sasuke was proud of his own genius. A temporary loss hadn't shaken his confidence; if anything, it had fired him up, even though his opponent seemed to be more talented.

[ Ding! Congratulations, Host, you have completed Mission Two. Reward: 20 Luck Points. Current Luck Points: 86 ]

Seeing the system's notification that the mission was complete, Yi Xiang's smile brightened. He had received the notification for completing Mission Three as soon as he used the Great Fireball Technique.

Looks like I'll need to spend more time with the main characters to trigger more system missions.

At that thought, Yi Xiang looked at Sasuke with even greater enthusiasm, then said:

"Sasuke, since you want to beat me, why not train with me? That way, you'll be able to beat me sooner."

Yi Xiang's suggestion surprised Sasuke. He was used to training and living alone, but he still had to be Yi Xiang's underling, and Yi Xiang was a member of the Uchiha Clan too.

In the end, he nodded in agreement.

"Fine. From now on, let's meet here at two in the afternoon."

"Would you look at that, it's already dinnertime. Sasuke, come try the cooking of my other underling. You probably know him; he's your classmate."

Before Sasuke could respond, Yi Xiang pulled him along by the shoulder and headed for his place.

Sasuke couldn't get out of it, so he relaxed and went with him. On the way, he grew curious about the identity of Yi Xiang's other underling.

Along the way, Yi Xiang stopped with Sasuke so he could change clothes.

The sky was gradually darkening. A few stars were already twinkling overhead, and the shops lining the street had lit their brightly colored lanterns and fluorescent lights here and there.

Outside Yi Xiang's residence.

Yi Xiang didn't use a key to unlock the door. He gave it a gentle twist, and it swung open. A delicious aroma immediately wafted out.

"That's the smell of Ichiraku Ramen, and my favorite grilled meat. It smells amazing."

After closing the door, Yi Xiang spoke with a contented look. Sasuke, standing beside him, began to look forward to the food as well.

On the dining table in the living room were two white plates covered by large bowls, along with two medium-sized bowls and two pairs of chopsticks.

Just then, Naruto came out of the kitchen carrying a pot of ramen. He was about to greet Yi Xiang when he suddenly froze.

"Uchiha Sasuke, what are you doing here?"

"You're... that dead-last kid."

"Bastard! Who are you calling a dead-last kid?! I'm Naruto Uzumaki, the future Hokage!"

Seeing that the two looked ready to fight, Yi Xiang hurriedly tried to smooth things over:

"All right, Naruto. Sasuke's our guest today. You two will be training together from now on, anyway."

Yi Xiang said a few more words to Sasuke, and only then did the two reluctantly sit down at the table.

But once they started eating the food on the table, the three of them fell silent in perfect unison, eagerly savoring every bite.

At the end, Naruto said smugly:

"Well, Sasuke? Your cooking can't compare to mine, can it?"