Then he turned his head and looked into the distance.
Several figures were racing toward them.
"Konoha ninja. We should go!" Kisame said quietly.
Itachi wasted no words. He glanced once more at Sasuke, who lay motionless on the ground.
"I hope you'll surprise me the next time we meet!"
"Right now, you're still too weak!"
Sasuke lay dazed on the ground, his mind still reeling.
A gust of wind swept past. By the time he sat up, rubbing his aching forehead, the two men were gone.
"Who's there?"
"Sasuke, are you all right?"
"Damn it, how did they sneak in? Did the Military Police Force notice nothing?"
Angry voices echoed around Sasuke. His head swam, then another wave of dizziness hit. He closed his eyes and passed out.
"Sasuke?!"
"Quick, get him to the hospital!"
Their cries rang out along the riverbank.
The crimson setting sun slowly sank into the river, and evening arrived without a sound.
Sasuke slept deeply. He had a long dream.
In it, the mysterious man in a conical hat and a black cloak patterned with red clouds appeared again.
The entire world was a blood-red space. A cross stood before him, and a blood-red full moon hung in the sky.
"As an Uchiha, the Sharingan is your defining mark."
"Only with those eyes can you wield the Uchiha Clan's true power!"
The low voice reached his ears.
"For certain reasons, I can't stay in Konoha long, so I can't teach you in person."
"I can only use Genjutsu to teach you how to awaken the Sharingan."
At that, Sasuke's eyes widened despite his fear and unease.
A way to awaken the Sharingan?!
He had always excelled at the Ninja Academy. People even called him a genius of the Uchiha Clan.
Yet for all that,