Sasuke's Observations

"Sasuke, I have a favor to ask of you."

Before the two of them had even reached Hui's house, Hui suddenly spoke to Sasuke.

"Is there a problem?" Sasuke asked, somewhat confused.

"When we get home, don't mention what happened today. I'll be the one to ask about the lack of memory feedback."

Sasuke was even more puzzled: "Of course, no problem."

"Father, do you know what it means when there's no memory feedback after a Shadow Clone is dispelled?" Upon returning home, Hui asked, stammering slightly.

"Hmm? I've never heard of such a thing. Where did you hear about it?" Chuanhe, who had been called out by his son, was fiddling with a strange metal object in his hands as he spoke casually.

"Uh, a friend... no, wait, it's a friend of Sasuke's who ran into trouble while practicing ninjutsu, so I thought of you, Father," Hui said, stuttering a little.

Hearing this, Chuanhe suddenly stopped what he was doing.

Sasuke's friend? That's a very niche term; could it be Naruto?

Chuanhe looked at Sasuke, who was standing to the side without saying a word. Sasuke looked like he wanted to say something but was holding it back. Chuanhe understood immediately.

Good lad, the moment you make a friend, you pull this on me.

Chuanhe looked at Hui with a meaningful expression: "A friend, huh? That is indeed a very important matter. Hui, do you know how old he is?"

Hui had managed to steady his tone by now: "Does it have anything to do with age? Sasuke, how old is he?"

Sasuke held his breath for a long moment before squeezing out a few words: "He should be six years old this year."

"Oh~ six years old, I see."

Chuanhe's gaze made Hui feel a bit uneasy. Just as he was about to offer an explanation, he saw his father's expression change.

"No chakra feedback received? Hui, take off your shirt and let me see your back." Chuanhe seemed to have thought of something very important and didn't care that there was an outsider present.

"O-okay." Hui was startled by his father's tone and immediately complied.

Sasuke, standing to the side, saw a strange tattoo on Hui's back, shaped like a whirlpool.

Chuanhe covered the tattoo with his right hand, closed his eyes, and began to sense it, a look of joy appearing on his face. Unfortunately, Hui did not see any of this.

Sasuke took it all in.

"Senior, is Hui okay now?" Sasuke asked.

"No problem, it's a normal phenomenon. Don't use your friend as a cover next time," Chuanhe said, letting go and joking.

"Father, you knew all along," Hui said, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Haha, I've seen every trick you've ever played, son."

Chuanhe seemed very happy, so Hui didn't take it to heart.

"Sasuke, please keep this matter confidential," Chuanhe said, turning to Sasuke.

"Rest assured, Senior."

Hearing this result, Sasuke felt the burden lift from his heart and promised accordingly.

Having made his first friend, only to put him in danger twice, Sasuke had been feeling very guilty. At this moment, he finally felt at ease.

"As it happens, it looks like your brother is here to pick you up. Come visit often when you have time; you're always welcome. It's rare for this kid Hui to make a friend, so please look after him," Chuanhe said to Sasuke with a smile.

Hearing the word "brother," Sasuke seemed to have been injected with adrenaline, his entire demeanor becoming extremely excited.

"Okay, Senior. I'll be going now. See you tomorrow, Hui."

Only Chuanhe and Hui remained in the room. Chuanhe turned to look at Hui but said nothing.

Hui felt a bit uneasy under his father's gaze: "Father, is my situation really that serious?"

"No, I didn't lie to you; there isn't a single problem. In fact, it's a good thing. However, Hui, you must promise me one thing."

"W-what is it?"

Chuanhe leaned forward slightly, placed both hands on Hui's shoulders, and said solemnly: "Promise me that unless it is absolutely necessary, you will not use the Flame Explosion Technique again, okay?"

Hui was stunned and asked: "Why?"

Hui couldn't understand; if it was a good thing, why couldn't he continue to use it?

"I can't tell you that for now; there is a lot involved. It's not that I'm forbidding you from using it; if you encounter danger, it's fine to use it normally."

Although Hui felt a bit disappointed, he accepted it. This was the first time his father had asked him for something like this; even when he was told not to leak the theory, it hadn't been this serious.

"Forgive me, Sasuke. Something came up at the last minute; I'll make it up to you next time," Itachi said apologetically upon seeing Sasuke.

Sasuke, who had been quite excited, pouted upon hearing this: "Fine, I forgive you, Brother. Are you free next weekend? Can you teach me the Shadow Clone Technique? Hui showed me the scroll for the Flame Explosion Technique today."

"That scroll is practically cheating. As long as I learn the Shadow Clone Technique, I'm sure I can blast a crater even bigger than Hui's," Sasuke said to Itachi with excitement.

Itachi was left between laughter and tears: "To practice that technique, Sasuke, you'll have to go to the training grounds and do it properly. Next weekend, then? I will make time to teach you."

"Yes!"

"How is it? Do you find learning ninjutsu difficult?" Itachi asked.

Sasuke shook his head: "Not difficult. The Flame Explosion Technique feels even simpler than the Fireball Jutsu."

Hearing this, Itachi suddenly stopped in his tracks and scanned his surroundings. After confirming they were alone, he quickly pulled Sasuke back home.

Initially, Itachi had assumed this was just two children bickering. After all, he knew Sasuke's personality better than anyone.

"Sasuke, tell me in detail about the Flame Explosion Technique you saw today. This is very important."

Itachi said to Sasuke with a grave expression.

Brother must know this ninjutsu too, so it shouldn't count as leaking it, Sasuke thought to himself.

As Sasuke described it, Itachi finally confirmed the answer he was looking for.

"Sasuke, the version Hui showed you is the original Flame Explosion Technique. You must keep this strictly confidential; it is one of the highest secrets of our Uchiha clan. Not even other clansmen can know." Itachi explained to Sasuke.

"Why? Isn't this a technique that all clansmen who have awakened their eyes can learn?" Sasuke couldn't understand.

"Sasuke, the most terrifying thing about this technique isn't its power; that is actually secondary. There are other techniques that can achieve this level of destruction with the same amount of chakra." Itachi replied in a low voice.

"The version currently circulating in the clan has severe limitations. It requires 36 hand seals and is classified as an A-rank difficulty. Yet, even under those conditions, this technique holds immense tactical value."

"However, the original version of this technique is only D-rank in difficulty! That's right, one rank lower than the Fireball Jutsu. The hand seals are also reduced to just six!"

"But brother, isn't lower difficulty better? Everyone would be able to learn a powerful ninjutsu." Sasuke asked, puzzled.

Itachi wore an apologetic expression and, instead of answering Sasuke's question, said: "Forgive me, Sasuke. It is too early for you to know this. Be careful when you test this technique in the future. Next time you see Hui, make sure he understands the gravity of this matter."

Sasuke could rarely refuse his brother's requests, especially when it involved clan secrets. He nodded heavily: "I will keep the clan's secret well."

"As for Hui, I will be going to school with him tomorrow. I'll take the opportunity to talk to him about this issue."