No...

"No." Ōnoki shook his head. "The fact that Konoha could eliminate the Uchiha, a thorn in their side, so cleanly shows that their reserves run far deeper than we imagined. Acting rashly now would only bring disaster down on us. Keep sending spies to gather intelligence and wait to see how things develop."

Sunagakure in the Land of Wind and Kirigakure in the Land of Water reacted in much the same way. The leaders of every major shinobi village realized that this Uchiha Clan Massacre was nowhere near as simple as it appeared.

The ruthlessness Konoha had displayed only made the other villages more cautious. After all, the Third Shinobi World War had only recently ended, and every village was still recovering. None wanted a large-scale conflict with Konoha at a time like this.

Toru Kujyo stood in his courtyard, sensing the tension hanging in the air. A knowing smile tugged at his lips.

Just as I expected. Rather than exposing Konoha's weakness to the other shinobi villages, the Uchiha Clan Massacre intimidated them, he mused. The next few years will be a rare period of peace in the shinobi world-the perfect opportunity for me to grow stronger.

At that thought, his gaze drifted toward the distant Hokage Building. Old foxes like Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi certainly knew how to play their cards, but they would never imagine that the real threat lay not outside Konoha, but quietly growing within it.

At the Ninja Academy, Sasuke Uchiha had been absent from class for a week.

Umino Iruka stood at the front of the classroom, looking at Sasuke's empty seat with mixed emotions. As his teacher, he worried about the boy's mental state, yet had no idea how to deal with such a devastating upheaval.

"How is Sasuke-kun doing?" Hinata quietly asked Toru Kujyo.

Toru Kujyo shook his head. "They say he still hasn't regained consciousness. The psychological shock might have been too much for him."

Of course, he had made that up. Toru Kujyo knew exactly what condition Sasuke was in-the Mangekyō Sharingan's Genjutsu, "Tsukuyomi," had forced Sasuke to relive the agony of his clan's slaughter over and over in a mental world. That kind of psychological torture was more terrifying than any physical injury.

One afternoon a week later, Sasuke finally returned to school.

But everyone could tell that this Sasuke was completely different from the one they had known.

If the old Sasuke had been a proud boy with a trace of innocence, the Sasuke before them now was a block of ice. His eyes had grown deep and cold, and he exuded an aura that sent chills down their spines.

"Sasuke-kun..." A classmate tried to approach and comfort him, but that icy aura frightened them off before they could get close.

Toru Kujyo observed Sasuke from a distance, a flicker of complicated emotion passing through his eyes. He could see Sasuke's condition clearly-outwardly calm, but inwardly so fragile that he could break down at any moment. Hatred and anguish continued to fester within him, and all he could do was hide them behind a cold exterior.

Only Naruto can truly reach your heart, Toru Kujyo thought. But Naruto is still too weak to shoulder that burden.

The final bell rang, and the students left the classroom in twos and threes. Sasuke packed his bag and was about to leave alone when a voice stopped him.

"Sasuke Uchiha."

Sasuke stopped and slowly turned around. Toru Kujyo stood a short distance away, watching him with a calm gaze.

"Toru Kujyo... What do you want?" Sasuke's voice was steady, but a careful listener could detect the tremor beneath it.

Toru Kujyo stepped closer and studied Sasuke's face. A single week had transformed the boy completely. His once slightly childish features were now sharply defined, and the light in his eyes had shifted from pride to icy coldness.

"I want to fight you," Toru Kujyo said bluntly.

Sasuke froze for a moment, apparently not expecting such a request. He looked at Toru Kujyo, a flicker of complicated emotion crossing his eyes.

"You want to take advantage of my condition to beat me?" Sasuke sneered. "Or do you think winning will let you comfort someone who's lost everything?"

"Neither." Toru Kujyo shook his head. "I just think you need a fight right now."

Sasuke remained silent for a long time before slowly nodding. "All right. I accept your challenge."

He paused, a fierce gleam flashing in his eyes. "But this time, I won't lose to you again. I have to become stronger to gain the power to take revenge on that man. Beating you will be my first step toward proving my strength."

The corners of Toru Kujyo's mouth lifted slightly. "Interesting. A week ago, Sasuke Uchiha wouldn't even discuss a challenge. Now you're actually asking for a fight."

"That was the old me." Sasuke's gaze grew colder. "Now I live only for revenge."

"Then come on." Toru Kujyo turned and headed outside. "The school's training ground is too small, though. Let's go somewhere else."

The two arrived at an abandoned training ground on the outskirts of Konoha. Toru Kujyo and Hinata had often trained here, and traces left by all kinds of Ninjutsu covered the ground.

Sasuke surveyed the area, noticing the craters and scorch marks left by chakra attacks. Surprise flickered in his eyes.

"Did your training leave all these marks?"

"Some of them," Toru Kujyo replied casually.

Sasuke examined the traces closely. They showed that whoever had made them was versed in various elemental techniques, all with considerable power. It gave him a new understanding of Toru Kujyo's strength.

"Looks like there's more to you than meets the eye." Sasuke's eagerness to fight intensified. "That makes this worthwhile."

Toru Kujyo stood in the center of the training ground and looked at Sasuke across from him. "What kind of match do you want? Pure Taijutsu, or no holds barred?"

Sasuke answered without hesitation. "No holds barred. Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, tools-anything goes."

"Are you sure?" Toru Kujyo raised an eyebrow. "You should know how dangerous a fight without rules can be."

"I'm sure." A dangerous light gleamed in Sasuke's eyes. "Only a life-and-death battle can truly draw out someone's potential. I've already lost everything. What do I have left to fear?"

Toru Kujyo nodded. "In that case, let's begin."

The two stood facing each other, and the atmosphere instantly grew tense. A battle destined to change their relationship was about to begin.

[Sage Eye (red)]!

Shock surged through Toru Kujyo like a tsunami. This was a red-quality trait, a full tier above the purple-quality [Kekkei Genkai · Byakugan] he had previously obtained from Hinata!

Trait quality was divided into six tiers, from lowest to highest: white, green, blue, purple, red, and gold. Red traits were already close to legendary, while gold traits were mythical rarities that could only be found through sheer chance.