After receiving the sword Itachi had given him, Sasuke found it much easier to train in the Gale Sword. Whether it was day or night, whenever he had time, he would draw his sword and slash wildly, determined to form that enormous Flame Blade.
In the blink of an eye, twenty days passed as Sasuke trained like a madman.
As dusk approached, a Flame Blade suddenly appeared in midair above the Training Ground in the woods of the Uchiha Clan district. With a terrifying rush of wind, it slammed into a towering tree.
"Boom!"
With a tremendous crash, the tree split in two, and scorching flames began to burn across its surface.
Sasuke dropped back to the ground and gazed at the destroyed tree, his face slightly pale. Uncontainable delight shone in his eyes.
After twenty days and countless attempts, he had finally managed to perform the Nintaijutsu technique known as "Uchiha Style: Gale Sword."
The Flame Blade he had just created wasn't as large as the one Shisui had produced, but Sasuke believed that with enough time, he would master the Gale Sword completely. When that day came, its power would be even more terrifying than it was now.
"Whoosh!"
Just as Sasuke was about to sit down and recover some of the chakra he had spent, he sensed an outsider approaching. A blood-soaked, terrified-looking middle-aged man came rushing toward him.
"Are you a Konoha ninja?"
When he saw the symbol on Sasuke's Forehead Protector, the middle-aged man's face lit up with delight.
"Who are you?"
Sasuke didn't deny it, but asked in return.
"I'm an envoy from the Land of Grass. Please deliver this to the Hokage."
After introducing himself, the middle-aged man immediately took out a box and handed it to Sasuke.
"An envoy from the Land of Grass?"
Sasuke furrowed his brow. He remembered that the Land of Grass lay to the west of the Land of Fire, near the Land of Earth, quite a distance from here.
And why was this envoy in such a wretched state? It looked as though someone had been chasing him!
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
But just as Sasuke began to doubt the man's identity and consider whether to take the box, a rush of wind came from nearby.
"Not good!"
Sensing trouble, Sasuke didn't hesitate. He quickly leaped backward.
The instant he moved, several Kunai struck the ground around the middle-aged man. Explosive Tags were attached to their handles.
"You must give the box to the Hokage. Please!"
The middle-aged man saw the Explosive Tags, and a look of terror flashed across his face. Knowing he couldn't escape, he tossed the box toward Sasuke and shouted.
"Boom!"
As the man shouted, a thunderous blast rang out through the entire forest. Thick clouds of dust and flames spread out from the center of the explosion.
After catching the box, Sasuke looked toward the blast site. As the smoke slowly cleared, the devastation and the middle-aged man's corpse came into view, making Sasuke's heart go cold.
If Sasuke hadn't reacted quickly, he would have ended up lying there just like the middle-aged man.
"Hey, brat, hand over the box!"
Just as Sasuke began to feel relieved, a low voice sounded from above. Two figures wearing Forehead Protectors suddenly leaped down from the trees and landed in front of him.
The one on the left was powerfully built, with broad shoulders and a strong back. He looked like a strength-type ninja.
The other was comparatively lean, his unremarkable face covered with intersecting scars.
"Are you from the Land of Grass?"
Seeing the elongated symbol on their Forehead Protectors, Sasuke immediately recognized them as ninjas from Kusagakure.
"Heh, I didn't expect a brat like you to have such a good eye."
The burly ninja gave a casual laugh.
"So that middle-aged man really was an envoy from the Land of Grass. But why were Kusagakure's ninjas chasing him? Is there some important intel in this box?"
When they didn't deny it, Sasuke immediately wondered to himself.
"Heh, Okada, don't waste your breath on him. Just kill him!"
Knowing that a brat like Sasuke had no combat ability, the lean ninja let out a mocking laugh and impatiently urged his companion.
"Asai, don't let your guard down. Look, the brat is wearing a Forehead Protector too. He's a ninja. Anyone this young who's already become a ninja must have some skill."
Okada was clearly no simple-minded musclehead, so he warned Asai.
"Haha! Whatever skill he has, he'll still die to my secret technique!"
Laughing loudly, Asai drew a Kunai and stomped off the ground, charging at Sasuke.
The Kunai became a gleaming white blur as it thrust toward Sasuke's neck with vicious precision.
Facing Asai's vicious attack, Sasuke first stepped back, then drew his own Kunai and blocked the entire assault.
"Clang, clang, clang..."
As the two moved, each clash of their Kunai sent sparks flying and rang out with a sharp metallic sound.
After trading ordinary blows with Sasuke for a while, Asai finally realized that the brat was just as Okada had said: he did have some skill.
"Heh, resistance is useless!"
The corner of Asai's mouth slowly curled into a sinister smile. He hurled his Kunai at Sasuke, brought his hands together, and rapidly began forming Hand Seals.
As the Kunai shot toward him at a tricky angle, Sasuke leaned back in a hurry and stamped against the ground, using his agility to evade the attack.
After dodging, Sasuke saw that Asai had finished forming his Hand Seals and furrowed his brow.
"Ninja Art: Grass Binding!"
At Asai's shout, four grass chains immediately formed from the ground beneath Sasuke and swiftly wrapped around his feet.
Sasuke jumped, trying to snap the chains. But they were incredibly strong. Even as he rose into the air, their elasticity yanked him back down.
"What a bizarre ninjutsu!"
The thought flashed through Sasuke's mind in alarm. He quickly drew the sword from his back and cut through the grass chains binding him.
Seeing Sasuke cut through all the chains so quickly, Asai, who had been forming Hand Seals for some time, suddenly grinned viciously. "Brat, it's all over. Today, I'll show you my secret technique!"
"Advent of the Grass Demon!"
Hearing Asai's menacing laugh, Sasuke's expression changed slightly. He hadn't expected Asai to have an even more powerful technique.
"Roar!"
Just as Sasuke began to worry, a towering giant made of grass suddenly appeared behind him. The giant wrapped its thick arm tightly around Sasuke's neck.
"How... is this possible?"
His face contorted with pain and disbelief. Sasuke couldn't believe the grass giant behind him had appeared so quickly.