Taking Sasuke as a Disciple

"Natsu, are you really going to take me as your disciple?" Natsu put down his chopsticks, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and asked calmly, "Your father should have mentioned it to you."

Sasuke nodded vigorously, but his tone carried a rare hint of uncertainty. "But there are several people in the Clan Academy stronger than me, and I haven't even awakened my Sharingan yet. Why did you choose me?"

Natsu put down her teacup and looked at the seriousness on the face of the nine-year-old child in front of her, which was completely out of character for his age. Suddenly, she found it somewhat interesting.

Where did that fearless stubbornness from the Training Ground go? Now he's starting to doubt himself.

"Because you're a genius." Natsu's tone was flat and direct, without any embellishment. Sasuke was stunned, his dark eyes widening in surprise, clearly not expecting Natsu to praise him so bluntly.

"This isn't insincere praise." Natsu picked up her chopsticks and continued eating. "Your father talked to me about the academic records of all the students in the Clan Academy. Your Taijutsu, Ninjutsu theory, and combat simulation were all ranked at the top."

More importantly, you're willing to practice. I've seen plenty of talented people, but not many who are both talented and willing to put in the hard work. You have both, so who else would I choose if not you?"

Sasuke opened his mouth, his eyes suddenly stinging. He quickly lowered his head, shoveled a large mouthful of rice into his mouth, and mumbled a "Mmm."

Natsu didn't call him out on it. She simply picked up a piece of roasted venison and put it in his bowl, saying calmly, "Let's eat."

After the meal, Sasuke took the initiative to clear the dishes. Natsu leaned against a pillar under the eaves, looking at the sparse stars in the night sky, and suddenly spoke, her tone casual but with a hint of profound meaning.

"Your brother, Uchiha Itachi, was once hailed as a genius unseen in decades within Konoha Uchiha clan. He Sharingan at eight, became Chunin at ten, joined the Anbu at eleven, and became Anbu leader at thirteen." Sasuke paused, gently placing the last dish into the wooden basin, head bowed, remaining silent. Natsu glanced at him sideways, her tone still flat.

"But I never thought his talent was greater than yours. It's true that he matured earlier and had more real-world experience than you. But talent isn't just about the starting point; it's also about the ceiling. Your ceiling is higher than his."

Sasuke looked up, his youthful face filled with astonishment.

From childhood to adulthood, he had heard too many people say that he was Uchiha Itachi's younger brother, that he had a genius older brother, and whether he could be as outstanding as his brother.

This was the first time someone had said to his face that he was stronger than Itachi.

"You don't believe me?" Natsu raised an eyebrow. "Then prove it to me. Prove it to yourself. What you lack isn't talent, but someone who truly understands the Uchiha to teach you. Only Uchiha understand Uchiha."

He withdrew his gaze, looking back at the night sky, his voice calm yet solemn, "Now that I'm here, your starting point is already higher than your brother's. How far you can go depends on your own strength."

Sasuke remained silent for a long time, then picked up the wooden basin, walked to the porch, placed the basin aside, turned around, and bowed deeply to Natsu.

He didn't utter any grand words, but responded to Natsu's expectations with this simplest yet most solemn gesture. Natsu didn't help him up, nor did she stand on ceremony; she simply nodded slightly.

"We'll continue after dinner tomorrow. Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Genjutsu, one by one. Your Sharingan will awaken sooner or later; it can't be rushed, and don't force it. When the time comes, it will awaken naturally."

Sasuke up and responded forcefully. His youthful face regained its former radiance, but with a touch more serenity than before.

He picked up the wooden basin and jogged back to the kitchen, his footsteps filled with barely suppressed joy.

Natsu leaned against a pillar in the corridor, listening to the sound of running water coming from the kitchen, and chuckled softly.

That idiot Itachi will probably never know what a promising talent he pushed aside with his own hands.

But it doesn't matter, this promising talent is now in his hands.

He will Sasuke to a position higher than Itachi's, placing him at the very top of the Uchiha Clan.

From as far back as he can remember, Sasuke has always been surrounded by two people.

One is his older brother Uchiha Itachi, and the other is his cousin Uchiha Natsu.

He was too young then to understand what was hidden in the occasional glances exchanged between his two older brothers.

All he knew was that when Natsu cried, he would lift him up and spin him around, and when Itachi fell, he would squat down and poke his forehead, saying, "Be careful next time."

Those days were among the few complete memories of "home" in his childhood.

On the Nine-Tails Night, everything changed.

Natsu and Itachi fought fiercely in the alley of the Uchiha Clan District. Their Sharingan confronted each other in the Kakkō, and the sparks from Kunai clashing kunai illuminated the mottled bluestone pavement.

From that day on, their relationship was completely shattered.

However, Itachi still considered the feelings of his mother Mikoto and father Fugaku, and did not openly break ties with Natsu, but the two of them spoke less and less to each other.

Once Itachi awakened his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, the conflict between the two could no longer be concealed—they would brush past each other in the corridor without looking at each other, they would confront each other fiercely when they disagreed at the clan meeting, and they would only awkwardly turn their heads away when they occasionally bumped into Sasuke.

Young Sasuke was caught in the middle, tugging at Itachi's sleeve and calling him "brother," then turning to pull on Natsu's sleeve and calling Natsu," completely unable to understand why these two people closest to him were becoming more and more like two swords pressing against each other.

More than two years ago, the entire Uchiha clan disappeared from Konoha overnight and came to this unfamiliar sea.

Sasuke was initially completely baffled—why didn't they take Itachi with them?

He threw a tantrum for several days at the temporary camp on Origin Island, tugging at Natsu's clothes in an almost pleading tone, asking if he could go back and bring Itachi-nii over.

Natsu simply looked at him silently, without saying a word.

Later, he entered the Clan Academy and heard the truths he had never heard at home from his classmates' discussions.

Itachi plans to join forces with outsiders to massacre the entire Uchiha clan.

This news was like a dull knife, tearing away piece by piece all his admiration, attachment, and pride.

He didn't go to the Clan Academy for those few days. He locked himself in his room, neither eating nor drinking, nor speaking. He just stared at the ceiling.

Mikoto paced anxiously back and forth outside the door, while Fugaku stood at the end of the corridor, not uttering a single word.

Finally, Natsu kicked open the door, dragged him off the bed to the Training Ground, and beat him from head to toe with her fists, Kunai, and the coldest words.

Covered in wounds, Sasuke lay on the muddy ground of the Training Ground and finally burst into tears.

He never mentioned that name again after that.

The more I once admired Itachi, the more I now hate him.