Itachi nodded. He thought what Fugaku said implied that Shisui had also awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Hahahahaha, as expected of my son!" Fugaku, having received what he believed was an affirmative answer, beamed with joy, patted Itachi on the shoulder, and laughed heartily.
Alas, this same sentence echoed every time.
Sasuke silently placed a hand on his forehead, grumbling in his heart.
Unexpectedly, Fugaku turned around and directed his focus toward him.
"Sasuke, what stage is your Sharingan at now?" After praising Itachi, Fugaku looked toward his younger son and asked.
"Ahem… Father, you know I only awakened my Sharingan recently. I've managed to reach the two-tomoe level." Sasuke's gaze drifted slightly.
"Your brother had already awakened a two-tomoe Sharingan when he was eight. You're almost thirteen and still at that stage? Although developing your own bloodline-limit is truly remarkable, you must still train in the techniques passed down within the Uchiha clan. Our eyes are what make the clan feared across the shinobi world."
Fugaku's tone carried earnest weight. Though his second son possessed great talent, he had a habit of avoiding the traditional clan teachings. So far, he had only excelled in Fire Release, and his Sharingan and shurikenjutsu skills were at best "promising."
"Understood. I'll make sure to focus more on developing my Sharingan from now on," Sasuke assured him seriously.
Fugaku grunted in acknowledgment and then changed the topic: "The Chūnin Exams are starting soon, aren't they?"
Itachi and Sasuke both nodded at the same time.
"I'll register Sasuke. His strength already surpasses that of a standard Chūnin," Itachi added.
Sasuke agreed inwardly. Once he was promoted to Jōnin, he could begin taking missions alone, which would allow him to leave the village to continue training toward achieving Bankai. The simulated Bankai training he'd undergone had helped him adapt significantly. He could now swing his blade in a sea of flames, endure duels in the forest of spears, and even graze Senbonzakura's form during combat.
In short, his progress was considerable—though a complete Bankai was still a long way off.
"Very well, go ahead and register." Fugaku nodded. Then he turned to Sasuke again. "Although you're the only one from your team this time, if you get eliminated, don't even say you belong to the Uchiha clan."
"No need to worry about that. If I can't even pass the Chūnin Exams, I might as well dig a hole outside and bury myself." Sasuke responded with complete confidence.
What a joke—he had his current strength and knowledge of the original timeline. Failing the Chūnin Exams was simply not an option.
The next day, Itachi went to register Team 11 for the Chūnin Exams. Since Sai was already a Chūnin, Sasuke would be the only one representing their team this time.
The exams were scheduled to begin on July 25. Coincidentally, July 23 was Sasuke's birthday—but unfortunately, the system wouldn't allow another sign-in.
The check-in timeline calculated by the system began from the moment he arrived in this world. That meant he could only check in on Naruto's birthday.
A subtle connection between him and Naruto seemed to grow from this, even if indirectly.
Due to the upcoming Chūnin Exams, numerous shinobi from other villages had started arriving in Konoha.
These ninjas, hailing from various hidden villages, varied greatly in power and temperament. Recently, the Konoha Military Police Force had been dealing with frequent disturbances caused by foreign ninja.
At the entrance to Ichiraku Ramen, the increased foot traffic had resulted in a long line. Sasuke, holding a lunchbox, was also waiting in line. Bringing lunch to Ryūka had become a daily routine.
After waiting about ten minutes, it was finally his turn.
"Yo, Sasuke! Same as usual?" Teuchi, now very familiar with Sasuke, wiped sweat from his forehead and greeted him with a smile.
"Yeah. Sorry to trouble you," Sasuke nodded. He no longer even needed to say what he wanted—Teuchi had it memorized.
While he was waiting, a shinobi from Amegakure holding a black umbrella stormed forward from the long line behind.
"Damn it, how long are we supposed to wait?! Kid, hand over your ramen. I'll pay for it—got it?" The Ame-nin stepped in front of Sasuke and gave an order.
"If you want to eat, get in line like everyone else. Don't be an eyesore," Sasuke said flatly, glancing at him.
"What did you say!?"
The Ame-nin's anger exploded, and he reached out to grab Sasuke's collar.
Nearby foreign shinobi watched, intrigued by the tension.
"That Ame-nin's finished. This brat's from the Uchiha clan and he dares pick a fight here? Still, it'll be a good show. Let's see how strong a Konoha ninja really is," a Rock-nin said to his teammate, eyes locked on the confrontation.
Snap!
Sasuke grabbed the Ame-nin's wrist and slowly began to squeeze.
Crack, click, crack
The Ame-nin's wrist deformed under Sasuke's grip. Physical conditioning was one of the things Sasuke had trained the hardest during his Zanpakutō meditation sessions.
"Let go, you little—argh!" The Ame-nin's face contorted in pain as he tried to pull his arm back with his free hand.
"I said don't be a nuisance. Do you understand?"
Sasuke released his grip and turned away. After all, the guy was still willing to pay—he wasn't entirely detestable. A minor punishment was enough.
The Ame-nin stumbled back several steps, face twisted with humiliation and hatred.
Stunned by his own embarrassment, he yanked the umbrella off his back and aimed it directly at Sasuke.
"Die, brat! Shigure Senbon!"
From the umbrella, a torrent of gleaming senbon needles shot toward Sasuke and several nearby civilians.
Sasuke sighed silently to himself.
So many idiots in the world.
He picked up his Zanpakutō—still sheathed—and swept it casually.
Ding ding ding ding!
The senbon needles scattered and clattered to the ground, deflected effortlessly. Two civilians behind Sasuke crouched in fear, shielding their heads.
What?
The Ame-nin's eyes went wide. His attack had no effect whatsoever—it had been brushed aside like dust.
Whoosh!
Before he could even react, Sasuke vanished—and reappeared behind him.
Bang!
Sasuke's palm struck the back of the Ame-nin's neck like a blade. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed unconscious.
Just then, two members of the Konoha Military Police Force arrived.
"Young Patriarch, are you alright?"
The two guards, both Uchiha clan members, recognized Sasuke immediately.
"I'm fine. This Ame-nin just launched an attack using ninjutsu against innocent villagers. You know what to do."
"Yes, sir!"
The two nodded and dragged the unconscious Ame-nin away.
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