Collecting blood

"Of course not." Neji shook his head, then said, "The best way is to control a jinchūriki's heart—to control his thoughts."

"His thoughts?" Sasuke murmured, looking thoughtful.

"When everyone treats a jinchūriki with malice, the only person who treats him kindly becomes his sole light, someone he longs to be like..." Sasuke murmured. He thought of the slogan Naruto Uzumaki shouted all day about becoming Hokage.

A chill ran through Sasuke, not just at the thought of the Third Hokage, but also the Fourth Hokage and the village itself.

He asked, "Were those rumors in the village really the higher-ups' doing?"

"What else could it be?" Neji countered.

Sasuke fell silent, his thoughts churning. He had never imagined that the dead last had such a bizarre background, or that the village would do something so outrageous.

Neji asked, "Well? How do you feel now that you know all this?"

"This village feels so unfamiliar." Sasuke shook his head, as though trying to shake off the chill inside him.

He sighed. "I finally understand why you told me to prepare a convincing story. After all, we're targeting the village's strongest weapon. We can't be too careful."

Neji nodded. "As long as you understand."

Sasuke nodded. "I'll be careful."

After thinking it over, Sasuke said to Neji, "Let's find a chance to do it tomorrow. You should come too. There's bound to be someone secretly watching over Naruto."

Neji nodded. "Use your Sharingan to memorize the contents of the Medical Ninjutsu scroll, then burn it. You'd better not keep anything too important here."

Sasuke nodded. After everything Neji had told him, he no longer trusted the village. Instead, he now regarded Konoha with wariness.

After school the next day, Neji and Sasuke headed toward the Uchiha Clan's compound as usual.

As they walked, Sasuke suddenly stopped and turned toward a small thicket beside the road. He called out, "Dead last, come out. I spotted you ages ago. You've followed us plenty of times!"

The thicket rustled, and a blond boy jumped out. It was Naruto Uzumaki. He had been keeping an eye on Sasuke and Neji for some time, but stubbornly insisted, "Who's following you? I just happened to get lost."

With both hands behind his head and goggles on his forehead, Naruto let his eyes dart around as he shouted, "Sasuke, you stuck-up jerk! Keep talking nonsense and I won't go easy on you. I'll give you a good beating!"

Sasuke smirked disdainfully, extended his right hand with his thumb up, then turned it downward at Naruto. "Dead last, come over here if you've got the guts. Let's have a real ninja spar. If you lose, stop sneaking around after us."

"If you win, I'll treat you to two months of Ichiraku Ramen!"

Naruto flew into a rage. "Fine, let's go! Who's scared of you, you stuck-up jerk? The great Naruto's going to beat you until your teeth are all over the ground! Those two months of Ichiraku Ramen are as good as mine!"

Still fuming, Naruto swaggered after Sasuke and Neji to the training ground in the Uchiha Clan's compound.

Sasuke pointed at the shuriken and kunai scattered on the ground. "Don't say I didn't give you a chance. We'll both use the ninja tools on the ground for this match."

"Hmph!" Naruto snorted. "Fine, let's fight! Who's scared of you, you stuck-up jerk?"

Then Naruto looked at Neji, who was leaning against a tree, and called, "Hey, Neji! You be our witness this time, so that stuck-up Sasuke can't try to weasel out of it later."

"Sure. I'll be the witness for this match." Neji nodded and walked over.

"Are you ready, Naruto?" Sasuke formed the Seal of Confrontation.

Seeing Sasuke's serious expression, Naruto smiled and formed the Seal of Confrontation too.

Sasuke gave him a disdainful look. With a flick of his left foot, he kicked several of the scattered shuriken off the ground, sending them hurtling toward Naruto.

Naruto hurriedly scrambled aside. Watching his utterly haphazard dodging, Sasuke could only shake his head.

Seeing Sasuke shake his head made Naruto even angrier. He picked up a kunai and charged.

Sasuke kicked a kunai up into his hand and moved to meet him.

The kunai clinked against each other as the two exchanged blows.

Naruto was, after all, a proper Ninja Academy student. He at least knew the basic moves.

They seemed evenly matched, but Neji knew Sasuke was holding back considerably. Sasuke was probably trying to figure out how to draw Naruto's blood without arousing suspicion.

With a thud, Naruto took a heavy blow. Sasuke kicked him straight across the ground, sending him tumbling.

Naruto got back up, unwilling to admit defeat, and glared fiercely at Sasuke.

"Dead last, stop struggling. You're no match for me!"

As Sasuke taunted him, he flicked his hand, sending three shuriken slicing through the air.

This time, Sasuke used a little of his real skill. The shuriken flew far faster than the earlier ones. Naruto had no chance to dodge. With two sharp slicing sounds, two shuriken grazed his arms, sending up twin sprays of blood.

"Ah..." Naruto cried out in pain. Fear surfaced in his eyes, and he involuntarily staggered back several steps.

"Dead last, is that all you've got?" Sasuke continued to taunt him.

"Aaah! Sasuke, you stuck-up jerk!" Naruto's anger overwhelmed his fear, and he charged with his kunai.

His attacks had followed some semblance of a pattern before, but now they were completely disorganized. Sasuke led him around by the nose.

Seeing Naruto like this, Sasuke's lips curved upward. He lashed out twice at Naruto's wounded arms.

More blood instantly spurted out.

As Naruto fell, Sasuke swiftly picked up a kunai from the ground and held it against Naruto's forehead.

"You lost, dead last!" Sasuke announced calmly.

Staring at the kunai before him, Naruto seemed so deflated that even his blond hair looked limp.

Looking at Naruto like this, Sasuke felt utterly bored.

"You're too weak, dead last! Stop sneaking around after us from now on." Sasuke put away the kunai as he spoke.

Naruto lowered his head dejectedly and said nothing.

"Dead last, you know how to use these. Just put them over the wounds." Sasuke tossed Naruto a bag of medical supplies.

"Hmph! Sasuke, you stuck-up jerk, I'll beat you someday! I'll knock your teeth all over the ground!" Naruto took the supplies after making his threat, then turned and left.

Watching him walk away, Sasuke could not see any sign that Naruto had been discouraged by the defeat.

A while after Naruto had left, Neji spoke. "The Anbu have gone. We can collect his tissue now."

Sasuke had not merely drawn Naruto's blood during the fight. He had also sliced off tiny pieces of tissue.

As he spoke, Neji collected some tissue from Naruto's spilled blood.

Sasuke did the same, collecting some of Naruto's tissue from the blood.

With their most important task complete, the two, who knew each other's secrets, headed straight back to Sasuke's home.

Once they returned, Sasuke took out a brand-new Collection Container and collected some tissue from his own body.

After collecting the blood, Sasuke wrapped the collected tissue in a scroll on which he had written his requirements, then summoned Orange Flame, the orange cat.

"Sangbiao Mimi, please take this to Cat Granny. Tell her I'll cover all the expenses along the way, and once it's done, I'll pay ten million ryō as her reward." Sasuke handed Orange Flame both the scroll and some dried fish.

The orange cat's fur bristled. "I told you not to call me Sangbiao Mimi! Call me Lord Sangbiao!"

Sasuke's lips curved upward. "Next time, for sure!"