Naruto Uzumaki's Sudden Arrival

"No, this time it's for real." Uchiha Shunichi shook his head as he spoke.

Uchiha Sasuke froze at that, suddenly unsure of what he was supposed to do.

Driven by his intense desire for revenge, Uchiha Sasuke's daily life consisted of little besides training.

Even so, Uchiha Sasuke was deeply dissatisfied with how slowly his strength was improving. Compared to his former clansmen... compared to that man at the same age, he was far too weak.

Actually, that was perfectly normal.

When Uchiha Itachi was young, Konoha was still at war. The children needed to develop combat ability quickly, so both the clan and Konoha accelerated their training.

But now was a time of peace. There was no great demand for combat power, so Konoha had instead been strengthening the ideological education of young ninjas.

In truth... it was brainwashing, instilling loyalty!

"Then... what am I supposed to do now?" Uchiha Sasuke was suddenly at a loss.

Uchiha Shunichi said absentmindedly, "Read, rest! Even Taijutsu users don't train for excessive periods, and your body still can't handle training for too long."

Hearing that, Uchiha Sasuke walked over to Uchiha Shunichi and picked up a scroll about Ninjutsu...

But he could not understand any of it!

What Uchiha Shunichi was studying now was no longer ordinary Ninjutsu. It was not advanced, but it was still difficult.

Moreover, it was not Ninjutsu specifically meant for combat.

At once, the way Uchiha Sasuke looked at Uchiha Shunichi changed.

He had always known that this fellow clansman was strong, but he had never expected that the things he read would be beyond his comprehension.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm not your opponent. The reason I study all this miscellaneous knowledge is first and foremost to solve my own physical problems." Sensing Uchiha Sasuke's gaze, Uchiha Shunichi spoke slowly.

Although Uchiha Shunichi's eyes still could not be used for extended periods, using Sensory Ninjutsu in everyday life had already become a habit for him.

Though Sensory Ninjutsu gave only vague readings of most objects, it responded strongly to the human body.

Uchiha Sasuke paused, then said leisurely, "Other than you, no one my age is a match for me."

"What wishful thinking! You just haven't met one yet." Uchiha Shunichi shook his head and dealt him a harsh blow.

Uchiha Sasuke only half believed Uchiha Shunichi's answer. He knew his own strength, but he had never encountered an opponent close to his level.

Konoha was simply too peaceful in this era.

In fact, the Ninja Academy could not teach much. Children from major clans generally had dedicated instructors, and the so-called geniuses of the Ninja Academy were merely a way to comfort children.

Only after graduating from the Ninja Academy could one be called a Genin.

"This is a Ninjutsu I came up with. If you really have nothing to do, go test it out. But be careful not to injure yourself. The moment you feel pain, stop immediately and come find me."

After hesitating for a moment, Uchiha Shunichi tossed Uchiha Sasuke a Ninjutsu scroll. It was only a half-finished product, but based on his own experience, it should still have some effect.

"Is this what you've been busy with?" Uchiha Sasuke opened the Ninjutsu scroll curiously. What was written inside looked like little more than a game, incredibly simple.

"Yeah. The effect is poor, but it does have one." Uchiha Shunichi nodded.

Hearing that, Uchiha Sasuke began to train.

It had to be said that although what was recorded on the scroll seemed like pointless busywork, it was still quite difficult. Even if it truly had little effect, it was a decent way to train Chakra control.

As time passed, night fell.

Uchiha Shunichi made dinner that day. Uchiha Sasuke had made a mistake while practicing the Ninjutsu. It was nothing serious, but his whole body hurt whenever he moved.

Just as the two were about to eat, a sudden sound came from the courtyard. Both of them immediately became alert.

The Uchiha Clan had already been wiped out. Anyone who came here besides Konoha ninjas was an enemy...

"Who's there?!" Uchiha Sasuke gripped a kunai and asked warily.

"It's me!~" A familiar voice came from the courtyard.

Naruto Uzumaki was covered in dust and grime, as though he had been hurt somehow. Upon hearing Uchiha Sasuke's familiar voice, he was overjoyed.

Seeing this, Uchiha Shunichi sheathed his blade. But he was still somewhat puzzled. Why had this guy come to his house?

The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki was extremely important to the village and was usually guarded by Anbu at all times. Uchiha Shunichi had sensed the Anbu hidden around Naruto Uzumaki several times.

"Why did you come to my house?" Uchiha Sasuke asked coldly.

To Uchiha Sasuke, Naruto Uzumaki was an annoying piece of trash at this point. He was obviously weak, yet had no awareness of it.

"Um... I don't know what happened today. I wandered around and somehow got lost. There are so many empty houses here..." Naruto Uzumaki smiled awkwardly.

The moment Uchiha Shunichi heard that, he understood what had happened. It seemed that little brat summoned through Impure World Reincarnation had erased the memories of Naruto Uzumaki and the others.

But what puzzled him was why the Anbu around Naruto had not informed Sarutobi Hiruzen. Was this a test for him?

But the risks of such a test were far too great!

Though there was something wrong with his Mangekyō Sharingan, it was still a Mangekyō Sharingan! None of its proper abilities were missing.

"Sasuke, let him in! Dinner is ready anyway, so let him eat with us!" Uchiha Shunichi thought for a moment before speaking.

He could not determine the truth of the matter, but this was a good opportunity.

Uchiha Sasuke was somewhat reluctant when he heard Uchiha Shunichi say that. Still, he let Naruto Uzumaki in with a cold expression.

"Wow! It smells so good! I never thought you two could cook." The instant Naruto Uzumaki entered the house, he caught the scent of the food.

"Hmph! Dead Last, can't you even do something this simple?" Uchiha Sasuke found Naruto increasingly unpleasant to look at.

Naruto did not mind that attitude. Compared to the villagers' cold indifference, Naruto Uzumaki actually preferred Uchiha Sasuke's attitude.

At least Sasuke was willing to acknowledge him, rather than looking at him with disgust when he had done nothing wrong.

"Eat first! Once we're done, I'll have Sasuke take you home."