Training

This hatred was etched into every swing of his sword, into every Hand Seals practice he did late into the night, and into the depths of his dark pupils before he awakened his Sharingan.

Mikoto saw it all and felt a pang of pain in her heart.

Both were her children, and she knew better than anyone that the rift between Natsu and Itachi was irreparable, but she never imagined that this hatred would drag Sasuke into it as well.

She wanted to offer advice, but didn't know who to advise. Fugaku, on the other hand, hadn't mentioned the name "Itachi" since the day he withdrew from Konoha.

He remembered it clearly—the night he left Konoha, Itachi stood outside the Blazing Sun Formation, his Mangekyō Sharingan meeting his gaze through the surging flames.

That was the most heartbreaking look he had ever seen in his life.

From that day on, he swore that he would never have Uchiha Itachi as his son again.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the commercial street on Origin Island was already bustling with activity.

The steam from the breakfast stalls, mingled with the aroma of grilled fish and miso soup, wafted from one end of the street to the other.

With the Sasuke money Natsu had given him yesterday tucked in his pocket, Sasuke stood on tiptoe for a while in front of the shop, picking out three-colored Dango. He remembered that his Natsu loved these, they were sweet.

I asked the owner to pack two more servings of grilled rice balls and two cups of hot tea, since Sister Quan was also there.

The owner, a middle-aged woman, already recognized the young man who frequently ran errands. While efficiently packing the food, she jokingly asked him if he was going to offer gifts to his master again.

Sasuke took the paper bag and hugged it to his chest, a slight smile involuntarily playing on his lips, but he didn't admit it aloud. He simply said, "I'm leaving now," and jogged back.

As he passed by the entrance of the Clan Academy, he bumped into Uchiha Izumi, who was coming from the direction of the laboratory.

Quan was wearing a plain white lab coat, her hair casually tied back, with a few strands still glistening with morning dew.

She had been working overtime since last night and was preparing to go home to change her clothes before going to see Natsu.

Seeing the paper bag in Sasuke's arms, she knelt down and straightened his disheveled collar, her tone teasing. "Going to curry favor with your Natsu Yin so early?"

Sasuke blushed slightly, refusing to admit it, saying that his master had scolded him too harshly yesterday and was afraid he would go hungry, so he brought it for him. Izumi smiled, not calling him out, took the heavy paper bag from his hand, and led him by the hand to Natsu's courtyard.

When the two pushed open the courtyard gate, the courtyard was quiet, with only a few early birds pecking at the water by the lake.

The bedroom door was ajar, and there was no sound from inside.

Quan gently pushed open the door and peeked inside. Sure enough, Natsu was still wrapped in a blanket, curled up in bed, fast asleep, with a very faint smile on her lips, probably having a sweet dream.

"Natsu, wake up!" Sasuke rushed to the bedside as soon as he entered the room, grabbing the corner of the blanket and pulling it down hard.

Natsu turned over, turning the back of her head towards him, and mumbled, "Let me sleep a little longer."

Quan stood at the door, smiling helplessly, and shook his head.

She walked over and placed the breakfast items on the table one by one, then set the teacups down, and gently patted Sasuke's shoulder, signaling him not to rush.

She said that Natsu went to the Naka Shrine to review clan affairs after returning from the Training Ground last night, and only went back to his room to lie down in the early hours of the morning, so she asked him to sleep a little longer.

Sasuke squatted by the bed and stared at Natsu for a long time.

Is this guy really the Void Demon Tamer Subduer with a bounty of 15 billion?

Is that the Uchiha Clan Head who cleaved Marineford with a single strike?

He was just like his classmates at the Clan Academy who didn't want to attend early classes, and he was always reluctant to get out of bed.

He suddenly recalled Xia Yin's expression last night Natsu she said, "You are stronger than Itachi"—that perpetually cold face, which, unusually, carried a hint of solemnity when she uttered those words.

Now, his face was sleepy, like a child who wanted to stay in bed. The contrast between his previous appearance and his current state made him feel a little amused, yet also inexplicably at ease.

Natsu ultimately couldn't sleep because of the persistent gaze fixed on the back of her head.

He sat up abruptly, his hair sticking up high. He glanced at Sasuke's "I knew it" expression, reached out and ruffled his hair haphazardly, saying irritably, "What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen a master who sleeps in?"

Then he put on his coat, sat down at the table, picked up a tricolor Dango, took a bite, and nodded to Quan as a thank you. Quan just smiled and shook his head, then set out the chopsticks.

Sasuke climbed onto the stool, picked up a grilled rice ball, and started munching on it.

The morning light outside the window was perfect, and the rising sun was reflected on the lake, bathing the entire courtyard in a warm glow.

He took a bite of his rice ball and suddenly thought this wasn't so bad—his teacher who was sleeping in, Sister Quan who was coming home from working overtime, and himself who wanted to improve a little more every day.

This is probably why Natsu went to great lengths to bring them to this sea two years ago.

It's not about revenge, it's not about dominating the world, it's about ensuring that every Uchiha can have a morning like this.

In the days that followed, Sasuke's life was redefined by Natsu Yin.

There was no excessive strain on physical strength, no extreme training regardless of age— Natsu had a good grasp of this. At nine years old, the body was still developing, and excessive exertion would only backfire.

He focused on practical combat experience and teaching Ninjutsu.

Every evening after dinner, the Shadow Clone would appear in the backyard on time, using all sorts of tricky angles and unexpected tactics to beat Sasuke to a pulp. Then, after he got up, they would dissect every single mistake he had made.

One taught with ruthless abandon, the other learned with gritted teeth; surprisingly, the master and apprentice were a perfect match.

The Heavenly Awakening Hall welcomed its first batch of trial participants shortly after its completion.

Elder Uchiha Setsuna, Tekka, Taoho, as core members of the Night Owl Guard, were the first to enter, accompanied by seven elite Night Owl Guard.

Uchiha Fugaku personally oversaw the activation of the Phantom Night Prison outside the palace. The entire Heavenly Awakening Hall was enveloped in the dark red light of the Year-Punishing Deity Contract Formation Runes, which lasted for five full days.

Five days later, the palace doors opened, and ten people filed out, each with a different expression.

At Setsuna very front, his face, which had become decades younger due to the Long-Lived Species, was filled with barely suppressed excitement, and his eyes held a pair of brand-new Mangekyo Sharingan.

Tekka and Taoho followed closely behind, the crimson markings in their eyes also blooming for the first time—the three of them had been stuck at the peak of the Three Tomoe for many years, their pupil power already fully charged, lacking only that final push.

The mirror images of himself in the Phantom Night Prison, who were exactly like him and constantly overpowered him, were precisely that final push.

The expressions of the seven Night Owl Guard members behind them were not so uniform.

Two of them successfully Awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan, but the expressions on their faces, as if they had swallowed flies, made it clear at a glance that they hadn't even had time to feel smug after Awakening before being thoroughly humiliated by the updated version of the mirror image.