Bonds Level Up: The Cursed Seal and Nine-Tails Chakra

Meanwhile, in the Hokage's Office.

The door opened with a soft sound, yet there was an unsettling deliberateness to it.

Shimura Danzō walked in with his cane. His bandaged arm hung at his side, and his one exposed eye swept over Hiruzen Sarutobi behind the desk.

"Hiruzen."

The Third Hokage looked up. His pipe paused between his fingers, and his brow creased almost imperceptibly.

He knew his old friend too well. When Danzo addressed him in that tone, what came next was rarely something he wanted to hear.

"Danzo, what is it?"

Danzo walked to the center of the office, his cane striking the floor with a dull thud.

He stopped before Hiruzen's desk and tossed a dossier onto it. The parchment fell open, revealing densely packed records.

"Sahiro Uchiha." Danzo's voice held no warmth. "First place in the Graduation Exam. Chakra control far beyond a Genin's level. In combat, he subdued two ANBU in three moves and even escaped unscathed from the three ANBU you sent to surround him."

The Third Hokage said nothing. He merely put his pipe back in his mouth and took a slow drag.

"More importantly," Danzo said, tapping the dossier as a cold glint flashed in his eye, "his eyes. I saw that child's eyes when I went to count the bodies five years ago. They didn't show grief over losing his family, or fear after the clan's slaughter. They showed... hatred."

"Danzo!"

"Let me finish." Danzo cut him off, striking his cane hard against the floor. "I've watched him for five years. You think he holds no grudge against Konoha? You think he'll obediently serve as a Genin?"

"Hiruzen, you're too naive. The way that boy looks at ANBU is exactly how you used to look at spies from Iwagakure."

The Third Hokage lowered his pipe. Smoke slowly rose between them. "So? What do you want to do?"

"Kill him." Danzo said the words as calmly as if he were discussing something trivial. "Before he grows stronger, while he's still just a Genin. Uproot the threat. We can't leave another danger in the Uchiha Clan's bloodline."

"Absolutely not."

"Danzo, I didn't stop you five years ago, when the Uchiha Clan was massacred. But not this time."

"Why not?" Danzo sneered, the corner of his mouth twisting beneath the bandages. "Guilt? Because you think Konoha owes the Uchiha an explanation? Stop fooling yourself, Hiruzen. You know better than I do why the Uchiha Clan was wiped out."

"And we both tacitly accepted Itachi's decision to act."

"I said no." The Third Hokage's voice sank, each word landing like a nail driven into the floor. "Sahiro is different from Sasuke. Sasuke is still consumed by hatred, but that child sees things differently from everyone else. He isn't someone who would easily let hatred blind him."

"How can you be so sure?" Danzo pressed a step closer, his lone eye fixed on the Third Hokage. "Because of his performance in the Graduation Exam? Because he spared the ANBU?"

"Have you still not figured it out? He held back not because he was merciful, but because he didn't consider the ANBU worth his attention!"

The air in the office seemed to freeze.

"I spoke to Kakashi today." The Third Hokage's voice regained some of its composure. "I've assigned Team 7 to him, with both Sahiro and Sasuke named as members."

The cane creaked faintly in Danzo's hand.

"Hiruzen, you'll regret this."

Meanwhile, at the Ninja Academy, Sahiro had just stepped out of the classroom when a blue screen appeared before his eyes.

[Bond relationship upgrade detected.]

[Sasuke Uchiha — Bond Level increased to Lv. 2.]

[Upgrade reward: Cursed Seal of Heaven (no side effects)]

A scorching force erupted at the back of his neck, as though someone had pressed a red-hot iron to his skin. The pain lasted less than half a second before vanishing.

In its place, a strange energy poured from the Cursed Seal and spread through his meridians to every part of his body.

The Cursed Seal of Heaven contained Senjutsu power Orochimaru had extracted from Jūgo. Originally, it had been the madman's tool for devouring his host's consciousness.

But the version granted by the system had none of the side effects. Only the pure enhancements remained: an explosive increase in chakra, an all-around boost to his physical abilities, and a distinctive pulse of Natural Energy that made his skin tingle.

Sahiro raised a hand to the back of his neck. His fingertips found three slightly raised Tomoe-shaped marks, still warm to the touch.

The corner of his mouth lifted. He was about to lower his hand when he noticed the words on the screen had not yet faded.

[Naruto Uzumaki — Bond Level increased to Lv. 2.]

[Upgrade reward: Nine-Tails Chakra (available for use)]

The second surge of power erupted almost immediately afterward.

Unlike the heat of the Cursed Seal of Heaven, the influx of Nine-Tails Chakra carried a savage pressure that threatened to tear his meridians apart.

Crimson chakra surged up from his abdomen like a beast locked in a cage, roaring and thrashing as it tried to break free.

Sahiro stopped in his tracks.

A faint crimson tint crept into the edges of his vision. Within seconds, the amount of chakra inside him had nearly doubled.

"Big brother?"

Sasuke's voice came from behind him, carrying a trace of concern that was almost impossible to detect.

He had seen Sahiro stop abruptly in the middle of the corridor, his fingers still resting on the back of his neck and his eyes faintly red.

Sahiro blinked. The crimson vanished from his eyes at once. He lowered his hand and tugged up his collar to hide the Cursed Seal.

He turned around, still wearing that carefree look. "I'm fine. Let's go."

Sasuke stared at him for two seconds. His lips moved as though he wanted to ask something, but in the end he said nothing and merely nodded.

At the end of the corridor, Kakashi was leaning against the windowsill.

"Everyone here? Let's go to the Training Ground."

Naruto was the first to jump up. "The Training Ground? Kakashi-sensei, aren't we going on a mission? I'm the man who's going to become Hokage! Mere training—"

"First of all," Kakashi said, raising a finger to cut off Naruto's outburst, "you aren't official ninja yet."

"Huh?!"

"Passing the Graduation Exam only qualified you to become Genin. The real test starts now."

He turned and headed for the stairs, his voice drifting back over his shoulder.

"Keep up. Once we reach the Training Ground, I'll show you what a real Survival Exercise is."

Sakura went a little pale and instinctively looked toward Sasuke.

Sasuke followed without a change in expression. Sahiro brought up the rear with his hands in his pockets.