After a Fierce Battle

After a fierce battle, Zabuza and his team suffered defeats in other areas. However, he did not give up his desire for revenge. Just one week later, he reappeared before Team 7 with Haku, determined to exact his revenge.

This time, Sasuke's opponent was Haku, who possessed the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai. Although Haku was extremely fast, Sasuke, having undergone rigorous training, quickly adapted to Haku's rhythm and was able to keep up with him.

Realizing he was at a disadvantage, Haku unleashed his secret technique without hesitation— the Crystal Ice Mirrors. Instantly, countless enormous ice mirrors appeared on the battlefield, Sasuke within them.

Just then, Naruto had rushed over, saw Sasuke trapped and, in a panic, impulsively stepped into Haku's trap.

Trapped in the Crystal Ice Mirrors, Sasuke did not give up; he kept trying to break free. In a fierce battle with Haku, Sasuke gradually mastered Haku's attack patterns and successfully awakened his own Kekkei Genkai — the Sharingan.

With the Sharingan, Sasuke could not only see Haku moving at the speed of light in the mirror, but also cleverly use this advantage to cover for the seriously injured Naruto.

Haku noticed Sasuke's change and realized that the situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable for him. In order to turn the tide of the battle, Haku decided to use an attack on Naruto to create an opening for Sasuke.

However, Sasuke had already seen through Haku's scheme, but he still did not hesitate to use his own body to block Haku's attack on Naruto.

As Naruto watched in astonishment as Sasuke shielded him from the attack, Sasuke arrogantly remarked, "I wasn't trying to save you; my body just acted on its own." Ultimately, fueled by the Nine-Tails' chakra, the enraged Naruto unleashed astonishing power, defeating Haku in one fell swoop. Sasuke, however, wasn't fatally injured; he simply fainted from exhaustion. He awoke shortly after, witnessing Sasuke 'Naruto victory over Haku, and a complex mix of emotions welled up within him.

Before the Chunin Exams, Rock Lee suddenly challenged Sasuke. Sasuke was unaware of Rock Lee's strength, but he was full of confidence in his Sharingan, believing that these eyes could copy any technique, so he didn't take Rock Lee seriously.

However, when the two actually clashed, Sasuke discovered that Rock Lee had a considerable advantage in speed and skill. Although Sasuke kept Sharingan Rock Lee's moves with his Sharingan, Rock Lee's speed was simply too fast, and Sasuke could never keep up with his pace.

Although the battle ultimately ended in a draw, Sasuke was extremely displeased. He had originally thought that his Sharingan would easily defeat Rock Lee, but reality had greatly disappointed him.

When it came to the first written exam of the Chunin Exams, Sasuke was surprised to find that he couldn't answer a single question. He stared at the questions on the exam paper, completely baffled. However, Sasuke quickly realized that the focus of this exam wasn't on whether he could answer the questions on his own, but on how to cheat without being caught.

In other words, this exam tests a ninja's observation skills—the ability to find someone who has the answers—and their ability to quickly obtain information without being detected, which is essentially copying answers. Sasuke Satori that this was the true purpose of the Chunin Exams.

Sasuke used his Sharingan to complete the exam by copying the pencil movements of other examinees. Shortly after the start of the second exam, Sasuke and Sakura were attacked by Orochimaru in the Forest of Death. Orochimaru displayed immense power, filling Sasuke with extreme fear.

Faced with Orochimaru's threat, Sasuke decided to hand over the scroll to Orochimaru in order to save his life. However, at that moment, Naruto suddenly appeared and bravely engaged Orochimaru in battle. Naruto's appearance surprised Sasuke and also ignited his fighting spirit.

Naruto used reverse psychology to provoke Sasuke, accusing him of being a coward. This angered Sasuke, who decided to no longer back down and fight Orochimaru. Sasuke used "Sharingan Technique: Third Great Sword" and successfully suppressed Orochimaru. Then, he used Fire Release: Dragon Flame Technique to burn Orochimaru's face.

Orochimaru admired Sasuke's talent and strength, believing him to be a ninja with great potential. Therefore, Sasuke decided to Heaven Cursed Seal in Sasuke Orochimaru, a powerful seal that would also bring Sasuke immense pain.

Sasuke collapsed in agony while enduring the pain of the Heaven Cursed Seal. Before leaving, Orochimaru told Sakura that Sasuke would eventually come to him for power, because only he could help Sasuke break free from the Curse Mark.

Because of the Curse Mark, Sasuke, like Naruto, lost consciousness, and Sakura took care of him. Just then, a group of Sound Ninja, ordered by Orochimaru, arrived to kill Sasuke. They found that both Sasuke and Naruto were unconscious, so they decided to attack Sasuke first.

The Sound Ninja relentlessly attacked Sasuke was powerless to retaliate. Sakura was frantic with worry; she desperately tried to protect Sasuke, but the disparity in strength was too great, and she was no match for the Sound Ninja.

Just when the battle had reached a critical moment of life and death, Sasuke, who should have been unconscious, suddenly awoke without warning. His body seemed to be awakened by a mysterious force, and his entire being exuded a chilling aura.

Upon closer inspection, Sasuke's body was covered with black Curse Mark patterns. These patterns writhed on his skin like living things, as if an ancient and powerful force Awakening within him. As the Curse Mark manifested, Sasuke's aura continued to rise, and his eyes turned blood-red, revealing endless anger and killing intent.

Sasuke's gaze swept across the battlefield, quickly landing on Zaku, who was attacking Sakura. When he saw Sakura in danger, the anger in his heart was instantly ignited, as if he wanted to burn the whole world to ashes.

Without the slightest hesitation, Sasuke charged towards Zaku like a bolt of Inazuma. His speed was astonishing, like a ghost, making it impossible for anyone to catch a glimpse of him. In the blink of an eye, Sasuke was already in front of Zaku, and his fist slammed down on Zaku with the force of a thunderbolt.

Fueled by the power of the Curse Mark, Sasuke's punch was incredibly powerful. Zaku didn't even have time to react before being sent flying by the force. His body arced through the air before crashing heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Zaku struggled to his feet, staring at Sasuke in terror. He couldn't believe that Sasuke had become so powerful in such a short time. However, Sasuke gave him no chance to catch his breath; his attacks came down like Zhou Yu, leaving Zaku with no way to defend himself.

Every punch and kick from Sasuke contained immense power, and Zaku's body trembled under his attacks. Soon, Zaku was completely overwhelmed by Sasuke and could only passively take the beating.

However, Sasuke's anger did not subside because of Zaku's miserable state; instead, it burned even more fiercely. His eyes became even more bloodshot, as if they were about to bleed. Finally, in a fierce attack, Sasuke twisted Zaku's arm hard, and with a crisp "crack," Zaku's scream echoed throughout the entire battlefield.

After taking down Zaku, Sasuke didn't stop. He turned his attention to the other two Sound Ninja, preparing to continue his attack.

Sakura keenly sensed that Sasuke's condition had completely spiraled out of control; his body seemed to be dominated by a powerful force, and he had lost his self-awareness. Sakura was frantic; she couldn't bear to watch Sasuke be eliminated from the competition, nor could she allow him to suffer serious injury due to his loss of control.

Without hesitation, Sakura rushed forward and hugged Sasuke tightly with all her might. Her tears flowed like a burst dam as she cried and begged Sasuke to stop. Her voice trembled, filled with fear and worry.

"Sasuke, please, stop! You'll be eliminated if you keep going like this!" Sakura's cries echoed in the empty arena, seemingly piercing the darkness in Sasuke's heart.

Perhaps it was Sakura's sincerity that moved Sasuke, or perhaps a sliver of reason remained deep within him; Sasuke's body gradually relaxed, and his eyes slowly returned to normal. He gazed at Sakura, who was crying in his arms, and the anger in his heart gradually subsided.

Meanwhile, the Sound Ninja, who had been terrified, realized the situation was dire. They knew that Sasuke had regained his senses and that staying would likely result in a fierce counterattack. So, they hastily left a scroll behind and fled the scene like startled rabbits.

This thrilling battle finally came to an end, and Sasuke's strength had been greatly enhanced in the process. However, he also deeply realized that although the power of the Curse Mark was strong, it was also easy for him to lose control. It was a double-edged sword, and a slight mistake could hurt both himself and others.

In the upcoming third qualifying round, Sasuke's opponent is the Sound Ninja with the Akadō Yoroi. How will Sasuke cope with this formidable foe? Will he be able to control the power of the Curse Mark and unleash his true strength? Before the match, Kakashi warns Sasuke not to use the power of the Curse Mark, or he might be eliminated immediately.

From the very start of the battle, Kai displayed formidable strength, skillfully employing ninjutsu to absorb large amounts of Sasuke's chakra. Sasuke clearly at a disadvantage, his chakra being continuously devoured by Kai, and his situation was extremely critical.

However, Sasuke did not give up easily. Unable to use the Curse Mark, his mind Inazuma, devising a solution. Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind—the taijutsu he had copied from Lee!

Sasuke immediately recalled the techniques and movements of those taijutsu, and then began to ponder them repeatedly in his mind, trying to change and integrate them to create his own unique moves. After a lot of hard work and exploration, Sasuke finally succeeded in creating a brand new taijutsu— Lion's Barrage!

This move combines the essence of various taijutsu techniques, making it incredibly powerful. When Sasuke unleashed this attack, he was like a ferocious lion, charging towards Kai with overwhelming force. Kai was completely caught off guard, never expecting Sasuke to use such a powerful move.

Despite the simmering power of the Curse Mark within him, Sasuke, with his unwavering willpower, forcefully suppressed its Curse Mark. He pushed his strength to the limit, every movement brimming with power and skill.

In the end, Sasuke struck Kai hard with a Lion's Barrage, sending him flying. Kai crashed heavily to the ground, unable to get up again. The bell rang to end the match, and Sasuke won the game with an absolute advantage.

However, Kakashi did not let his guard down after the match. He knew that the Curse Mark on Sasuke was still a huge hidden danger, and if it was not dealt with in time, it could cause Sasuke even greater trouble.

Kakashi decided to immediately seal the Curse Mark on Sasuke to prevent it from flaring up again. Just as Kakashi was about to begin sealing the Curse Mark, an unexpected situation occurred— Orochimaru suddenly appeared before them! He coldly told Kakashi and Sasuke that the power of the Curse Mark could not be sealed, and even if it was temporarily sealed, it would eventually flare up again. After saying this, Orochimaru turned and left, leaving Kakashi and Sasuke deep in thought.

To prevent Sasuke from succumbing to the temptation of the Curse Mark's power and using it again, Kakashi decided to spend the next month training Sasuke alone. During this time, Sasuke not only learned Kakashi's signature technique, Chidori, but also practiced high-speed taijutsu copied from Lee, specifically targeting Gaara.

Although Sasuke was late for the official match, everyone was stunned by his astonishing speed when he finally appeared on the field. He was like a bolt of Inazuma, instantly traversing the entire arena, leaving Gaara no time to react.

Gaara stared wide-eyed at Sasuke's ghostly figure, a sense of fear rising within him. He quickly mobilized his chakra, gathering a large amount of sand around himself to form a thick sand wall, attempting to block Sasuke's attack.

However, Sasuke was no ordinary opponent. His Sharingan unleashed astonishing power in battle, seemingly able to perceive Deidara's every subtle movement and attack intention. Sasuke with the agility of a ghost, skillfully weaving through Deidara's attacks and dodging them one by one. Moreover, Sasuke launched a counterattack against Deidara with his superb ninjutsu skills, like a Zhou Yu.

The two sides exchanged blows, neither giving an inch, and the battle quickly escalated to a fever pitch. Amidst the flashing blades and exploding ninjutsu, the entire battlefield was shrouded in a cloud of smoke and dust. After a harrowing and arduous struggle, both were severely wounded, but they gritted their teeth, refusing to give up easily, and continued to fight on.

Seeing himself gradually losing ground, Deidara's resentment grew stronger. Knowing he could no longer defeat Sasuke, he resolutely decided to use his final move—self-destruction. This was his last vestige of dignity and pride; even if he perished alongside Sasuke, he would never accept defeat.

Just as Deidara was about to self-destruct, Sasuke seemed to sense his intention. He widened his eyes, staring intently at Deidara, and his chakra surged like a raging wave to his hands. At this critical moment of life and death, the two brothers simultaneously unleashed their ultimate techniques, and a thrilling duel began.

Sasuke's strength is now vastly different from what it used to be, and the power of his ninjutsu has undergone a qualitative leap. In his fierce battle with Deidara, he displayed extraordinary combat skills and unparalleled strength.

After a fierce battle, Sasuke successfully broke through Itachi's strongest mental attack, "Tsukuyomi," and his strongest physical attack, "Amaterasu." However, this also cost Sasuke a large amount of chakra. Despite this, Sasuke showed no sign of backing down and resolutely decided to use his carefully prepared strongest technique to fight Itachi to the death.

It turns out that Sasuke's previous use of the Great Dragon Fire Technique, which shot into the sky, was not intended to directly attack Itachi, but rather had a far more profound purpose. He cleverly used this skill to create cumulonimbus clouds, thereby triggering powerful lightning forces in nature. Sasuke then used the lightning in his hand to guide this enormous natural force towards Itachi, forming a terrifyingly powerful attack called "Qilin".

This "Qilin" attack was like a thunderbolt, unstoppable, instantly shattering the entire stronghold. Sasuke secretly breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this, thinking Itachi was already dead under such a powerful attack. However, to his utter surprise, just as Qilin was about to strike, Itachi activated Susanoo, blocking Sasuke's fatal blow.

Just then, Orochimaru, whose power had been stolen and absorbed by Sasuke, sensed that Sasuke's power was about to be exhausted and suddenly attacked, attempting to take over Sasuke's body. Orochimaru used his strongest technique, "Eight-Headed Serpent Technique," instantly conjuring a giant Eight-Headed Serpent that lunged at Sasuke with bared fangs and claws.

However, at this terrifying moment, Susanoo swiftly severed all eight of the eight heads of the Eight-Headed Serpent no Orochi. The enormous serpent's heads writhed, blood splattering everywhere, creating a gruesome scene. Orochimaru himself was not spared either; he was accurately pierced by Susanoo's "Totsuka Blade" and instantly sealed inside a gourd.

At the same time, Sasuke's Heaven Cursed Seal also vanished with Orochimaru's sealing. Sasuke had reached his limit; he could no longer use his Sharingan, and his body swayed precariously. Itachi's condition was equally dire; he was almost blind, blood was constantly gushing from the corners of his mouth, and even his powerful Susanoo had become somewhat blurry, seemingly on the verge of dissipating.

Faced with Itachi's invincible Susanoo, Sasuke was at a loss and could only launch attacks with the Kusanagi Sword and explosive tags. However, these attacks were easily blocked by the Yata Mirror wielded by Itachi's Susanoo, and had no effect.

Itachi approached Sasuke step by step, each step feeling like a blow to Sasuke's heart, putting him under unprecedented pressure. Sasuke could only retreat, only to find himself with nowhere to go.

Finally, Itachi walked heavily to Sasuke. His originally pale face now showed a faint smile upon seeing Sasuke. That smile seemed to contain endless meaning and helplessness.

Itachi gently raised his hand, which trembled slightly in the air as if it bore the weight of the entire world. He slowly extended his fingers toward Sasuke's forehead and gently tapped it.

"Forgive me, Sasuke, this is the last time." Itachi's voice was low and gentle, as if it were a sigh from the depths of his heart.

Before he could finish speaking, Itachi's body seemed to suddenly lose its support and slowly collapsed. In the instant he fell, his body seemed to become incredibly heavy, as if the whole world had fallen with him.

The sky gradually darkened, and the once clear sky was suddenly shrouded in dark clouds. A light drizzle fell, as if heaven were weeping for the tragedy of the two brothers.

But the Amaterasu fire continued to burn relentlessly, as if it were Itachi's last act of stubbornness and perseverance.

When Sasuke saw Itachi Fudō beside him, an indescribable sorrow welled up in his heart. He knew that Itachi had left this world forever.

Sasuke gave a desolate laugh, a laugh filled with despair and helplessness. He slowly collapsed beside Itachi, lying side by side with his brother on the ground, as if they were two beings forever separated.

Just then, Deidara prepared to launch his self-destruct attack. However, Sasuke did not sit idly by. He quickly used his Sharingan to control Manda, the giant python beside him, and used it as his shield.

As Deidara's self-destruct attack came like Gale, Sasuke successfully hid behind Manda. Manda's massive body blocked most of the explosive force, protecting Sasuke from a fatal blow.

With a deafening roar, Deidara's self-destruction triggered a massive explosion, engulfing the entire battlefield in smoke and Hikaru. However, when the smoke cleared, people were astonished to find that Sasuke had miraculously survived.

Having escaped death, Sasuke continued his journey to find Itachi, eventually arriving at the Akatsuki's base. There, he encountered Itachi again. Itachi looked at Sasuke expressionlessly and coldly instructed him to go to the Uchiha Clan's former territory, seemingly intending to settle things once and for all with Sasuke there.

Sasuke stared at Itachi expressionlessly, his eyes resolute and fearless. This fateful duel was finally about to begin, and both knew the significance of this battle.

At first, they didn't act immediately, but stood facing each other like two statues, silent. However, this silence was not calm, but rather the calm before the storm, with a suffocating tension in the air, as if you could hear their heartbeats pounding violently in the stillness.

Time ticked by, and finally, Sasuke broke the silence. His voice was low and trembling, as if suppressing his anger and pain, as he asked, "Why did you do this? Why did you wipe out our clan?"

Itachi's lips curled slightly upward, revealing a faint smile that seemed to contain endless helplessness and sorrow. His voice was calm and indifferent, as if none of this concerned him, as he replied, "This is to protect the village, and also to protect you."

Sasuke sneered, his laughter filled with mockery and disdain. "Protect me? You think this is protecting me? You killed our parents, our clan, and made me an orphan! Is this your so-called protection?"

Itachi took a deep breath and slowly said, "Sasuke, you are still too young. There are some things you cannot understand yet. Everything I have done is for the peace of the village, to avoid a greater war."