Fukasaku crouched on a flat Rock at the edge of the training ground, his forelegs folded over his knees. His whiskers stirred gently in the breeze.
He looked up, his gaze passing over Naruto before shifting to Sasuke in the shadows. Then he shook his head firmly.
"You're still nowhere near a match for him. Uchiha Yongye even defeated the Rinnegan. If you two children of the Heavenly Mandate want to beat him, you'll have to work together."
Naruto's smile stiffened. His grin faded into a straight line. He opened his mouth to argue, but when he met Sage Fukasaku's calm eyes, he swallowed the words.
Sasuke stepped out of the shadows and stopped at the edge of the training ground. He looked at Naruto and forced a stiff smile he didn't even realize he was making.
"Naruto, you're only one step ahead. I'll reach the finish line before you. I'm an Uchiha, after all!"
"I'll never lose to you!"
Naruto turned, lifting his chin another fraction. His voice rose.
"Not a chance. I'll always be stronger than you!"
Sasuke said nothing more. He turned and walked back to the open space on the other side of the training ground, sat cross-legged, formed Hand Seals, and closed his eyes.
But he couldn't truly calm himself.
His thoughts ran wild, completely beyond his control.
His father, sunk in despair. His mother, crying in secret. His brother, falsely accused by Konoha. That damned Uchiha Yongye!
His breathing quickened, turning from steady to rapid, then from rapid to ragged.
Sweat beaded more thickly on his forehead. It ran down his nose and dripped onto the stone before his knees, leaving a small dark patch.
Then the Chakra gathering around him suddenly burst outward, as though something had tainted it from the outside. He