The Training Grounds - Afternoon Combat
The Uchiha clan's private training grounds echoed with the distinctive sounds of high-level combat as two of the most skilled ninja in Konoha pushed their abilities to their absolute limits. The afternoon sun filtered through the canopy of ancient trees, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow across the cleared area where centuries of Uchiha warriors had honed their deadly arts.
Ding ding!
The metallic clash of steel on steel rang out as Itachi and Sasuke's figures crossed paths once again, their movements so fluid and precise that they seemed to dance rather than fight. Each brother launched several shuriken simultaneously, the spinning projectiles meeting in midair with perfect accuracy. Sparks flew in brilliant cascades as the weapons collided, their trajectories altered by the impacts into graceful arcs that embedded them harmlessly in nearby trees.
The sight was breathtaking in its technical perfection—each throw calculated not just for accuracy, but for the aesthetic beauty of the resulting collision. This was shuriken-jutsu elevated to the level of high art, a display of skill that would have left most jonin speechless with admiration.
"Nice job, Sasuke," Itachi said, his voice carrying genuine pride and satisfaction as he observed his younger brother's performance.
The gap between them had been closing steadily over the past weeks, and now Sasuke's skills were approaching a level that even Itachi found challenging to counter. The younger Uchiha's movements had gained a fluidity and precision that spoke of not just improved technique, but fundamental growth in his understanding of combat itself.
For a moment, Itachi allowed himself to smile with the relief of an older brother who had watched his sibling grow into something magnificent. The boy who had once struggled to keep up was now a warrior who could stand as an equal on any battlefield in the ninja world.
However, the moment of celebration was brief. The next instant, the patterns in Itachi's eyes shifted and crystallized into the unmistakable design of the Mangekyō Sharingan. The sparring session was far from over, and its true purpose remained unfulfilled.
"Susanoo!" Itachi called out, his voice carrying the authority of someone invoking one of the most powerful techniques in existence.
Red chakra began to emanate from his body like liquid fire, flowing outward in patterns that defied normal understanding of energy manipulation. The chakra coalesced and hardened, forming structures that were simultaneously ethereal and devastatingly solid.
A giant hand materialized above Sasuke's head in the blink of an eye, its massive palm descending with enough force to crater the earth. The appendage was beautiful in its terrible perfection—each finger articulated with inhuman precision, the palm bearing the weight of absolute power.
The purpose of their sparring was clear to both brothers: to inspire Sasuke to unleash the dormant potential of his Mangekyō Sharingan as quickly as possible. To achieve this goal, Itachi could not afford to hold back in his attacks. Half-measures would produce half-results, and the current state of the world demanded nothing less than their absolute best.
Sasuke possessed Amaterasu, the black flames that could burn through any defense, but Itachi had already demonstrated his own mastery of those same flames. Tsukuyomi, the genjutsu that could trap minds in eternal torment, had distance restrictions that made it less effective in direct combat. These two abilities, formidable as they were, would no longer be sufficient to place meaningful pressure on his younger brother.
Bang!
The giant hand slammed into the ground with earth-shaking force, creating a crater that sent shock waves through the surrounding area. Dust and debris exploded outward in all directions, obscuring vision and filling the air with the acrid scent of pulverized stone.
Swish!
But Sasuke's figure appeared outside the attack's range, his body having moved with the instantaneous speed that marked a true master of the Body Flicker Technique. His dark eyes were wide with concentration, adrenaline sharpening his focus to a razor's edge.
"Sasuke, it won't be so easy to dodge next time," Itachi warned, his voice carrying both promise and threat.
The red chakra around him continued to expand and solidify, taking on increasingly complex forms. What had begun as a simple hand was now evolving into something far more complete and terrifying. Bone-like structures appeared first, forming a skeletal framework that pulsed with internal energy.
Flesh-like texture quickly spread across the bones, creating muscle and sinew that seemed almost organic in their realism. The construct was taking on the appearance of a titanic samurai warrior, complete with traditional armor and the bearing of an ancient battlefield commander.
Itachi's Susanoo had almost reached its complete form, a manifestation of power that represented the absolute pinnacle of Uchiha clan abilities. The massive amount of chakra required to maintain such a construct created an oppressive pressure that seemed to thicken the very air around Sasuke.
This was Susanoo without the enhancement of legendary spiritual weapons—its base form was already beyond what most ninja could comprehend, let alone counter. The gap in power between the brothers had suddenly become a chasm that seemed impossible to bridge.
Sasuke's brow furrowed as he analyzed the situation with the cold calculation that marked all true tacticians. The most powerful techniques at his disposal—whether Thunder Eagle or Amaterasu—seemed fragile and inadequate when measured against the towering construct that now dominated the battlefield.
The difference in pupil power between them was stark and undeniable. Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan had been active for years, honed through countless battles and refined through careful study. Sasuke's newly awakened eyes, formidable as they were, simply lacked the accumulated experience and raw output of his brother's legendary gaze.
The Mangekyō pattern in his eyes, resembling a six-pointed star, began to spin with increasing rapidity. The rotation was hypnotic and beautiful, but also spoke of the tremendous strain he was placing on his optical nerves.
Just as helplessness began to creep into his thoughts, the towering Susanoo began its advance. Each step sent tremors through the ground, and the massive hand was already clenching into a fist that promised devastation beyond imagination.
"You must get out of the way, Sasuke!" Itachi called out, genuine concern coloring his voice despite his role as aggressor.
The training exercise was balancing on a knife's edge between productive challenge and genuine danger. Itachi activated his Susanoo's attack sequence, the giant fist beginning its descent like a crimson meteor falling from heaven.
The massive red fist grew larger and larger in Sasuke's vision, its approach accompanied by a sound like approaching thunder. At this speed, with the construct's reach and power, there would be no time for complex hand seals or elaborate defensive techniques.
"Amaterasu!" Sasuke roared, activating the pupil technique of his left eye without hesitation.
Black flames erupted into existence at the exact point where his vision focused, appearing with the suddenness of divine judgment. The fires were beautiful and terrible, darker than the deepest shadow yet somehow burning with their own internal light.
Sasuke's eyes became bloodshot as he pushed his technique beyond its normal limits, blood beginning to leak from the corner of his left eye as he strained his optical nerves to their breaking point. The black flames grew increasingly dense, layer upon layer of infernal fire building into a barrier of pure destruction.
"Not enough!" he thought desperately, watching the black flame that was about to make contact with the red giant fist.
Even as more Amaterasu appeared under his desperate command, Sasuke remained convinced that these flames alone could not block the overwhelming power of Susanoo's attack. The difference in scale was simply too great—his technique was like trying to stop an avalanche with a torch.
Gradually, his other Mangekyō eye began to rotate as well, its pattern spinning in perfect synchronization with its partner. At this critical moment, with destruction bearing down upon him, the only thought in Sasuke's mind was pure, desperate defense.
Boom!
Suddenly, something extraordinary occurred. The black flames that had originally appeared in an irregular, chaotic pattern began to change with purpose and intelligence. The Amaterasu fires moved as if they possessed their own will, flowing and reshaping themselves with deliberate intent.
Multiple streams of black flame converged and overlapped, weaving together like the threads of some infernal tapestry. The individual fires merged and compressed, forming a thick, substantial shield of pure darkness just before the moment of impact with the giant red fist.
The defensive barrier was unlike anything either brother had ever seen—it was Amaterasu, but Amaterasu transformed and controlled with a precision that shouldn't have been possible. The flames maintained their essential nature while taking on organized structure, creating something that was both beautiful and absolutely terrifying.
The red punch struck the black flame shield with cataclysmic force, immediately tearing a hole through the defensive barrier. The impact sent shock waves rippling outward, and for a moment it seemed as though Sasuke's desperate gambit had failed completely.
But the flames proved to be far more resilient than anyone had anticipated. The shield was thick and heavy, its multiple layers providing defense in depth that even Susanoo's overwhelming power could not completely penetrate. The black fires absorbed and redirected the kinetic energy, distributing the impact across their entire structure.
Swish!
Taking advantage of this crucial moment, Sasuke employed the Body Flicker Technique with perfect timing, evacuating his position just as the shield finally began to give way. His movement was so precise, so expertly timed, that he escaped with mere inches to spare.
Itachi stared at the scene unfolding before him with genuine shock and amazement. Both he and Uchiha Yoruki possessed mastery over Amaterasu, having trained extensively in the technique's applications and limitations. But neither of them had ever imagined that the black flames could be controlled and shaped with such precision.
The revelation was staggering in its implications. If Amaterasu could be manipulated into organized defensive structures, what other applications might be possible? The technique had always been viewed as purely offensive—a weapon of uncontrolled destruction. But Sasuke had just demonstrated that it could be far more versatile than anyone had realized.
Shortly after Sasuke vacated the attack zone, the black flame shield was finally pierced completely. But the Amaterasu fires proved to be far from finished. Like parasites clinging to their host, the black flames continued to burn the Susanoo's fist with ever-increasing intensity.
The fires spread from the point of contact, flowing up the construct's arm like living things driven by hunger and purpose. Even Susanoo, the ultimate defense of the Uchiha clan, was being consumed by flames that acknowledged no limits and respected no barriers.
"So that's how it works," Sasuke murmured, gently stroking the socket of his right eye with trembling fingers.
Understanding flooded through him as the mechanics of his new ability became clear. Even Susanoo, legendary for its near-invulnerability, was unable to destroy Amaterasu. But with his right eye's power, he could control and direct those indestructible flames with precision that bordered on artistry.
"It seems that this is the ability of Sasuke's right eye," Itachi observed, his voice carrying a mixture of delight and bittersweet recognition.
He was genuinely thrilled that Sasuke had finally awakened his unique ocular ability, but there was also a hint of melancholy in his smile. The achievement they had been working toward had been reached, but it came with the stark reminder of how much his younger brother had been forced to sacrifice for this power.
The immediate problem, however, was that Amaterasu was notoriously difficult to extinguish. The black flames would continue burning until their target was completely consumed, regardless of any defensive measures or attempts at suppression. Itachi reached for a solution, unrolling a scroll that bore the unmistakable seal of advanced fuinjutsu.
The fire scroll had been given to him by Minato himself, a masterwork of sealing technique capable of containing any flame—even the legendary Amaterasu. It represented one of the Fourth Hokage's most sophisticated achievements in the field of elemental suppression.
Just as Itachi prepared to activate the sealing scroll, Sasuke suddenly turned his attention to the black flames that continued their relentless assault on the Susanoo construct. His right eye's pattern condensed with focused intensity, and he spoke a single word that would change everything.
"Flame Control: Kagutsuchi!"
The pattern in his right eye suddenly crystallized into perfect focus, and above the burning Susanoo, something impossible occurred. The Amaterasu fires that had been causing Itachi such concern began to diminish and fade, disappearing as if they had never existed at all.
"Amaterasu... disappeared?" Itachi exclaimed, his voice carrying genuine surprise as he looked at his younger brother with new understanding.
The technique defied everything they thought they knew about the black flames. Amaterasu was supposed to be unquenchable, eternal, unstoppable. Yet Sasuke had just demonstrated the ability to not only shape and control the flames, but to extinguish them entirely at will.
When the last trace of Amaterasu finally vanished, Itachi's samurai-form Susanoo showed significant damage from the sustained burning. Large sections of the construct's arm and torso had been consumed by the black flames, leaving gaps in its structure that would require considerable chakra to repair.
Bang!
But the demonstration of power came at a significant cost. Sasuke suddenly felt a sharp, stabbing pain lance through his brain like a red-hot needle. The Mangekyo patterns in his eyes immediately faded and disappeared as his Mangekyō Sharingan deactivated itself in response to the severe strain.
The pain was unlike anything he had experienced before—a combination of physical agony and spiritual exhaustion that left him trembling uncontrollably. Using both his eyes' abilities simultaneously, especially for the first time, had pushed his nervous system far beyond its normal limits.
Seeing Sasuke's distress, Itachi immediately released his own Susanoo, allowing the massive construct to fade away as his chakra returned to normal levels. When Sasuke began to step backward, his balance failing as the pain overwhelmed his senses, Itachi appeared behind him with the fluid grace of a master ninja.
Strong, gentle hands supported Sasuke's body, preventing his fall and providing the physical anchor he needed while his nervous system recovered from the shock of his new abilities.
"Thank you for your hard work," Itachi's voice reached Sasuke's ears, soft and caring in a way that transported them both back to their childhood when such moments of comfort had been commonplace.
The words carried weight beyond their simple meaning. They acknowledged not just the effort Sasuke had put into this training session, but all the pain and struggle he had endured to reach this point. The awakening of the Mangekyō Sharingan was never without cost, and Itachi understood better than anyone what his brother had sacrificed.
Sasuke turned his head, blinking several times as he tried to focus his vision. Everything appeared slightly blurry, a common side effect of Mangekyō usage that would fade with time and practice. But despite the discomfort, despite the exhaustion that seemed to permeate every cell of his body, a smile spread across his handsome features.
"Brother, I succeeded!" he said, his voice filled with the pure joy of achievement mixed with the deep satisfaction of meeting expectations that had seemed impossibly high.
"I saw everything. You did a great job," Itachi replied with a gentle chuckle, carefully helping Sasuke settle into a seated position against the trunk of a nearby tree.
The bark was smooth and cool against Sasuke's back, providing comfortable support as his body gradually recovered from the ordeal. The dappled sunlight that filtered through the leaves above created a peaceful atmosphere that contrasted sharply with the intensity of their recent battle.
"Controlling Amaterasu and causing it to change form is a technique that really suits your talents," Itachi continued, his voice carrying the authority of genuine expertise.
He had observed Sasuke's development carefully over the years, noting his younger brother's exceptional aptitude for chakra manipulation and form transformation. The ability to reshape Amaterasu was a natural extension of skills that Sasuke had been demonstrating since his early Academy days.
"You've always had a gift for developing and modifying techniques," Itachi explained. "The way you created variations like 'Chidori Stream' and 'Chidori Spear' in such a short period of time proved that you possess an intuitive understanding of how chakra behaves at the molecular level."
"I'm still far behind my brother," Sasuke replied, his voice carrying the mixture of respect and determination that had always characterized his relationship with Itachi.
Even in this moment of triumph, with a unique ability that even Itachi had never displayed, Sasuke maintained the humility that kept him striving for greater heights. The gap between them might be closing, but he remained acutely aware of how much further he had to go.
"No, you have done better than me," Itachi said firmly, his voice carrying the conviction of absolute truth. "When Senior Yoruki and Shisui were teaching me how to use the power of the Mangekyō, I understood it much slower than you did."
The admission was not meant as false modesty or empty comfort. Itachi's own awakening of the Mangekyō Sharingan had been a gradual process, requiring months of careful guidance and practice before he achieved true mastery. Sasuke's rapid development was genuinely exceptional, even by Uchiha standards.
"Although I have told you this many times since you were little, you should be able to understand it by now," Itachi continued, placing a gentle hand on Sasuke's shoulder.
The gesture was both protective and supportive, conveying through touch what words alone could never fully express. Years of separation and trauma had tested their bond, but the fundamental connection between them remained unbreakable.
"You don't have to live in competition with me," Itachi said, his voice taking on the weight of deep emotional truth. "Although as the eldest brother, I must set goals for you to surpass, what Dad, Mom and I want most is for you to be safe and happy."
The words carried the accumulated wisdom of someone who had seen what obsessive pursuit of power could do to a person. Itachi had walked that dark path himself, had felt the corruption that came with prioritizing strength over all other considerations. He wanted something better for his younger brother.
"Although I am no longer qualified to say that," he added quietly, the guilt in his voice impossible to miss.
Despite the falseness of the memories he had implanted, despite the knowledge that their traumatic separation had been necessary for larger strategic purposes, Itachi still felt the weight of responsibility for Sasuke's pain. The emotions his brother had experienced were real, and that reality made the guilt equally authentic.
Although everything about the massacre had been an illusion, the pain it had caused was absolutely genuine. Sasuke's eyes—the Mangekyō pattern that marked their awakening—served as permanent proof of the trauma he had endured.
"No," Sasuke said softly, shaking his head with gentle but absolute conviction.
His voice carried a maturity and understanding that surprised even Itachi. The younger brother who had once been driven by simple emotions and straightforward goals had grown into someone capable of profound insight and emotional complexity.
"Brother, do you know what is the most important thing to me?" Sasuke asked, his question carrying the weight of deep contemplation and hard-won wisdom.
Itachi found himself momentarily speechless, caught off guard by the unexpected direction of their conversation. He had expected gratitude, perhaps continued discussion of techniques and training. But Sasuke was clearly preparing to share something far more personal and significant.
Sasuke raised his head toward the sky, allowing the sunlight to illuminate his face through the natural gaps between the leaves overhead. The golden light played across his features, highlighting the strength and determination that had always defined him while also revealing a new peace that hadn't been there before.
His smile, when it came, was radiant and genuine—the expression of someone who had found clarity in the midst of chaos and certainty in the face of an uncertain world.
"I'm not the only one who's suffering this," Sasuke said, his voice steady and sure. "My brother may feel worse than me."
The observation demonstrated a level of empathy and emotional intelligence that spoke to genuine growth and maturity. Sasuke had moved beyond his own pain to recognize and acknowledge the burden that Itachi carried, the guilt and responsibility that weighed on his older brother's shoulders.
"As for me, I just want to know that my brother is still the person I am most familiar with, and I will continue to live like this with my parents," Sasuke continued, his voice growing stronger with each word.
The simplicity of his desire was both heartbreaking and beautiful. After all the trauma, all the pain, all the complex schemes and political machinations that had shaped their lives, what Sasuke wanted most was the same thing he had always wanted—his family, whole and together.
"To me, nothing in the world is more important than this," he declared, his voice carrying absolute conviction.
Sasuke turned his head to look directly at Itachi, his dark eyes filled with a determination that burned brighter than any technique or bloodline ability. This was not the determination of someone seeking power or revenge, but the resolve of someone who had found something worth protecting above all else.
"So, I will destroy anyone who wants to destroy all this," he said, his voice taking on an edge of steel that would have intimidated seasoned jonin.
The promise was not made lightly or in anger, but with the calm certainty of someone who had weighed all possibilities and made an unshakeable decision. Sasuke had found his true strength—not in techniques or power, but in the clarity of purpose that came from knowing exactly what mattered most.
"With mom, dad, and brother!" he concluded, his voice rising with the passion of absolute commitment.
The declaration hung in the air between them, transforming what had begun as a training session into something far more profound—a moment of perfect understanding between two brothers who had found their way back to each other despite all the forces that had tried to tear them apart.
In that moment, surrounded by the peaceful sounds of the forest and bathed in the warm light of the afternoon sun, both brothers understood that they had discovered something far more valuable than any technique or power. They had rediscovered the bond that made them truly strong—not as individual warriors, but as family united by love and shared purpose.