Sasuke's Experience

"Could you do me a favor, Sasuke?"

Before they reached Hui's house, Hui suddenly spoke to Sasuke.

"Is something wrong?" Sasuke asked, confused.

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

Sasuke was even more puzzled. "Of course. No problem."

"Father, do you know what it means if there's no memory feedback when a Shadow Clone is dispelled?" Hui asked hesitantly when they got home.

"Hm? I've never heard of that. Where did you hear about it?" Chuanhe replied casually, still fiddling with a strange metal object in his hands after his son had called him over.

"Um, a friend of mine—no, a friend of Sasuke's—had a mishap while practicing a ninjutsu, so I thought I'd ask you, Father," Hui said, stumbling over his words.

At that, Chuanhe suddenly stopped what he was doing.

A friend of Sasuke's? That was a pretty specific phrase. Could he mean Naruto?

Chuanhe glanced at Sasuke, who was standing silently to the side. Sasuke seemed to want to say something, but was holding it back. Chuanhe understood immediately.

Little rascal. He'd only just made a friend, and already he was pulling this on me.

Chuanhe looked at Hui meaningfully. "A friend, huh? That really is important. Hui, do you know how old he is?"

By now, Hui had gotten his story straight. "Does it have something to do with his age? How old is Sasuke?"

After holding it in for a while, Sasuke managed to squeeze out a few words. "He should be six this year."

"Oh, six, huh?"

Chuanhe's gaze made Hui feel a little uneasy. Just as he was about to explain, he saw his father's expression change.

"No chakra feedback? Hui, take off your shirt and let me look at your back." Chuanhe seemed to have realized something important, and didn't even care that they had company.

"O-okay." Chuanhe's tone startled Hui, and he immediately did as he was told.

Sasuke noticed a strange, swirl-shaped tattoo on Hui's back.

Chuanhe covered the tattoo with his right hand and closed his eyes, sensing it. Then a delighted expression appeared on his face. Unfortunately, Hui didn't see any of it.

Sasuke saw everything.

"Is Hui all right, sir?" Sasuke asked.

"He's fine. It's normal. Don't use your friend as a cover next time, okay?" Chuanhe joked as he lowered his hand.

"Father, you knew?" Hui asked, embarrassed.

"Haha! Your old man has seen all your tricks."

Chuanhe looked very pleased, so Hui didn't dwell on it.

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

"Don't worry, sir."

Hearing the explanation, Sasuke felt the weight lift from his shoulders. He readily promised to keep quiet.

This was the first time he'd ever had a friend, yet he'd twice put him in danger. Sasuke had felt terrible about it. Now, at last, he could relax.

"Looks like your brother's here to pick you up, too. Come by whenever you're free; you're always welcome. It's not often this kid Hui makes a friend, so please look out for him," Chuanhe said with a smile.

At the mention of his brother, Sasuke seemed to get a shot of adrenaline. He looked incredibly excited.

"Of course, sir. I'd better get going. See you tomorrow, Hui."

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

His father's gaze made Hui uneasy. "Father, is my condition really serious?"

"No. I wasn't lying to you. There's nothing wrong at all—in fact, it's a good thing. But, Hui, you have to promise me something."

"W-what is it?"

Chuanhe leaned forward slightly and placed both hands on Hui's shoulders. With a grave expression, he said, "Promise me you won't use the Flame Explosion Technique again unless you have to, all right?"

Hui blinked. "Why?"

He couldn't understand. If it was a good thing, why couldn't he keep using it?

"I can't tell you yet. There's a lot involved. It's not that I don't want you to use it. If you're in danger, it's fine to use it normally."

Hui was a little disappointed, but he accepted it. This was the first time his father had ever asked him for something like this. Even when he'd told him not to share the theory, he hadn't been this serious.

"Sorry, Sasuke. Something came up at the last minute. I'll make it up to you next time," Itachi said apologetically when he saw Sasuke.

Sasuke had been excited, but at those words he immediately pouted. "Fine, I forgive you, big 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! Once I learn the Shadow Clone Technique, I'll definitely blow a bigger crater than Hui!" Sasuke said excitedly.

Itachi couldn't help laughing. "If you're going to practice that technique, you're going to do it at the Training Ground, properly. Next weekend? I'll make time to teach you."

"Yes!"

"How are you finding ninjutsu? Is it hard to learn?" Itachi asked.

Sasuke shook his head. "It's not hard. The Flame Explosion Technique feels even easier than the Great Fireball Technique."

At that, Itachi stopped and looked around. After making sure there was no one nearby, he quickly led Sasuke home.

At first, Itachi had thought it was just two children trying to outdo each other. 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 important," Itachi said, his expression grave.

My brother probably knows this technique too, so telling him shouldn't count as leaking it.

As Sasuke described it, Itachi finally confirmed what he'd been hoping to find out.

"Sasuke, what Hui showed you was the original version of the Flame Explosion Technique. You must keep it strictly secret. It's one of the Uchiha's highest secrets. You can't tell even the other clan members," Itachi explained.

"Why? Doesn't every clan member who has awakened their eyes know this technique?" Sasuke couldn't understand.

"Sasuke, the most frightening thing about this technique isn't its power. That's secondary. There are other techniques that can achieve this with the same amount of chakra," Itachi replied gravely.

"The version of this technique passed down within the clan has a lot of limitations. It requires thirty-six hand seals and is A-rank in difficulty. But even with those restrictions, it has enormous tactical value."

"However, the original version is D-rank in difficulty! That's right, one rank easier than the Great Fireball Technique. And it only requires six hand seals!"

"But, big brother, isn't a lower difficulty better? Then everyone could learn a powerful ninjutsu." Sasuke was baffled.

Itachi looked apologetic. Instead of answering Sasuke's question, he said, "Forgive me, Sasuke. This is too much for you to understand right now. Be careful when you test this technique in the future, too. The next time you see Hui, make sure he understands how important this is."

Sasuke could rarely refuse his brother, especially when it involved a clan secret. He nodded firmly. "I'll protect the clan's secret."

"As for Hui, I'll go to school with him tomorrow. I'll explain the situation to him then."