"You're—?!"
Deidara jerked his head up. His pupils contracted, and his expression turned grave.
In a training ground in the Hidden Rain Village.
"Not enough, Sasuke! Still not enough!"
"Your anger, your negative emotions—they're nowhere near enough!"
"You're one step away. Are you going to give up?"
"You're still too weak, Sasuke. You're far behind others your age."
The low voice rang in his ears, again and again.
Sasuke's expression grew colder. His heart hammered as he launched a furious attack on the man before him.
"Do you want to be a loser?"
"I heard even that dead-last kid from Konoha is coming to the Hidden Rain Village. He says he'll knock you out and drag you back."
"You can't beat anyone here. You'll always be dead last. Go back."
"Back in Konoha, you can still be their genius."
"But is that really enough for you?"
The taunts made Sasuke clench his fists. His breathing grew ragged.
He snapped his head up and roared.
"I'm not dead last!!"
Anger made his head spin. An invisible force burst from his body and spread in every direction, kicking dust up from the ground.
The Three-Tomoe Sharingan in his eyes spun rapidly. The tomoe joined together, forming a new pattern in an instant.
The Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Hah... hah... hah..."
Sasuke panted and lowered his head.
The world looked completely different now. The people and objects around him were clearer than ever, and a mysterious power was gathering within his eyes.
Then he threw his head back, pressed his right hand to his forehead, and burst out laughing.
"I did it!"
"The Mangekyō Sharingan!!"
"This is the true power of the Uchiha Clan!"
Hearing his deafening laughter, Itachi lowered his hands and smiled at him.
"Yes, you did it, Sasuke!"
"That half year