Second Pillar: More, More

In the stands, Sakura's eyes widened.

"What's going on with Sasuke? Why did he go... go crazy attacking that person the moment he saw him?"

"Weren't they welcoming guests together in Naruto's dream a few days ago? They seemed to have a pretty good relationship..."

Kakashi sighed softly at her words.

Of course, he understood why Sasuke had lost control of his emotions, but he did not know how to explain it to Sakura for the moment.

Elsewhere, Naruto stared blankly at the enormous curtain-like "screen" before him, his blue eyes full of loss.

Because tonight, he had not entered that warm dream...

Did that mean he would not get to see his father and mother?

Had yesterday been the last time?

Would he be able to see them again?

At that thought, Naruto's heart became a tangled mess, and his breathing quickened uncontrollably.

[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Naruto Uzumaki detected! Emotion Points +800!]

The scene behind the curtain continued.

Sasuke stood in the field with fury written across his face, glaring fixedly at the tall, familiar figure opposite him. Suddenly, he shouted, "I'll never forgive you! I trained so hard for so long for this day!"

Before his words had even faded, Sasuke shook both arms, and more than a dozen shuriken flashing with cold light whistled through the air!

The row of shuriken carved sharp arcs beneath the sunlight, attacking Itachi Uchiha from every direction.

Itachi's gaze sharpened. He instinctively reached into his ninja tool pouch, his body instantly turning into an afterimage.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Several crisp metallic collisions rang out as the kunai in Itachi's hand struck in rapid succession, knocking away every incoming shuriken.

Sasuke snorted coldly. Taking advantage of that brief opening, he rapidly formed hand seals, expanded his chest, and frantically gathered a massive, blazing-hot mass of chakra in his throat.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

Boom!

An enormous blazing fireball roared forth, carrying scorching heat as it swept toward Itachi.

In an instant, it scorched a large patch of the training ground's grass black, and the rolling heat distorted the air itself.

Faced with his younger brother's sudden killing move, Itachi frowned slightly and retreated at high speed. Just before the fireball could swallow him, he leaped into the air and avoided the frontal attack.

Seeing the fireball miss, Sasuke shouted angrily and used the Great Fireball Technique as cover to rush before Itachi. He raised his leg and unleashed a fierce spinning side kick.

Itachi had no time to dodge. He could only cross his arms before himself and forcefully block it.

Bang!

Sasuke's kick struck Itachi's guard squarely. The tremendous impact forced Itachi back several steps, dragging two long furrows across the ground beneath his feet.

Itachi lowered his head to look at his wrist, surprise flashing through his eyes.

His little brother's strength... had improved considerably!

After only a few days apart, Sasuke's Fire Release, taijutsu, and shuriken techniques all seemed to have improved dramatically...

At that thought, Itachi could not help feeling a little guilty.

His little brother must have secretly worked hard for a long time in preparation for today's sparring match. Otherwise, his improvement could not have been so obvious.

Yet lately, because of his busy work in the police department, he had repeatedly broken his promises and rarely had time to spend with him...

Itachi opened his mouth, intending to explain a few things, only to discover that Sasuke was not listening at all. He simply launched even more frenzied attacks!

After being forced back several moves in a row by his younger brother, Itachi was still at ease, but he also sensed Sasuke's serious determination.

His expression turned stern. He no longer merely dodged passively, instead beginning to take Sasuke's attacks seriously and defend against them in earnest.

Sasuke threw a straight punch, and Itachi raised a hand to block it precisely.

Sasuke followed with a sweeping kick. Itachi lightly jumped over it, then countered with a swift elbow strike that forced Sasuke back again and again!

Once Itachi shifted from defense to offense, Sasuke immediately felt the enormous gap between them!

The same taijutsu, the same shuriken techniques—he used them with all his strength, yet Itachi casually neutralized them. He was no match at all.

The more Sasuke fought, the more alarmed he became, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

No, the gap is too great!

[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Sasuke Uchiha detected! Emotion Points +400!]

"No... I can't lose!" Sasuke roared as he formed hand seals again, forcibly squeezing out what little chakra remained in his body.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"

More than a dozen small, blazing fireballs shot rapidly from his mouth. At the same time, he swung both hands, sending several shuriken concealed behind the flames flying toward Itachi as well.

The overwhelming flames and hidden weapons instantly filled the field of vision with firelight.

Seeing this, Itachi rapidly formed Water Release hand seals with both hands. "Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"

In an instant, a curtain of water rose from the ground, enveloping his entire body.

Sizzle...

Several fireballs struck the water curtain, kicking up large clouds of white vapor. The entire training ground was instantly shrouded in rising mist. Sasuke's Phoenix Sage Fire was completely extinguished, while the shuriken mixed within it clattered to the ground.

Sasuke's heart sank. Ignoring the fact that his chakra was nearly exhausted, he gritted his teeth and charged into the spreading vapor, throwing his final punch at Itachi's blurry figure.

In the stands.

Naruto was completely stunned.

He had to admit that Sasuke was incredible!

He rose to his feet, fists tightly clenched, staring at the curtain without blinking.

Fire Release, Phoenix Sage Fire, shuriken, taijutsu...

Sasuke's attacks were so fast they were dazzling. "That guy actually mastered the Fireball Jutsu to that extent...!"

Thinking of himself, Naruto could not help deflating.

Other than Multiple Shadow Clone, all he had was a half-finished Rasengan.

If he were in Sasuke's position, Itachi would probably counter him easily within three moves, right?

Realizing this, he clenched his fists and silently swore to himself.

He had to master the Rasengan as soon as possible!

Sakura had long since cupped her cheeks in both hands, her eyes sparkling with little stars. "Sasuke is so cool!"

The firelight reflected in her moist pupils, making her look like a fan watching her idol in a drama.

Kakashi nodded lightly as well. Though Sasuke was still slightly less impressive than him, his expression was unusually serious. "Mm—by the standards of a genin who just graduated, that performance is top-tier. Chakra control and on-the-spot adaptability—there aren't many faults to pick at."

On the screen.

Itachi also sensed Sasuke's determination and stopped holding back.

He lowered his body, lightly evading Sasuke's straight punch. Then, with a flick of his right index finger, he accurately tapped Sasuke on the forehead.

Smack! Sasuke felt a sharp pain in his forehead. His punch immediately stalled, and his body stopped moving on its own as he staggered back two steps.

The next second, Itachi's outstretched palm was already held like a blade against Sasuke's neck. A trace of helplessness appeared on his face. "Sasuke, that's enough, isn't it?"

Sasuke froze in place, staring blankly at the hand blade resting against his neck. His fists gradually loosened, his heart filled with frustration.

I can't beat him... I'm completely no match for him!

[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Sasuke Uchiha detected! Emotion Points +400!]

Just as Sasuke was despairing over the gap in their strength, a gentle, tranquil female voice suddenly came from the edge of the training ground. "Sasuke, Itachi, stop training. It's time for lunch!"

Sasuke's entire body shook as he turned toward the voice in disbelief.

At the edge of the training ground stood a gentle, dignified woman, though he had no idea when she had appeared.

With long, soft black hair and a kind, beautiful face, she was smiling as she watched the two brothers in the field.

[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Sasuke Uchiha detected! Emotion Points +2000!]