7 [Training (Part 2/2)]
Sasuke observed the movement of the jutsu he had released with awe. Although the power of this D-rank jutsu seemed underwhelming compared to his memories of other anime jutsu, it finally dawned on him that he was in a world where incredible feats were within his reach.
'I... I did that?' Sasuke marvelled internally.
Approaching the tree, he could feel the searing heat radiating off it. Unlike ordinary trees, those in Konoha, crafted by Hashirama Senju's Wood-style kekkei genkai, were inherently resistant to most chakra-based attacks. Leaving a mark on them with a D-Rank jutsu was a remarkable feat.
Invigorated by his success, Sasuke returned to his initial position, ready to attempt his next jutsu. Clumsily performing hand seals and inhaling deeply, he channelled a large amount of chakra into the air in his mouth.
Horse → Tiger → Monkey → Boar → Rat → Bird → Horse → Tiger (Hand seals)
The Great Fireball Jutsu (Gōkakyū no Jutsu)
Completing the hand seals, a massive fireball, more than twice the size of the previous one, shot out and collided with the same tree, causing it to collapse.
A smile tugged at Sasuke's lips as he watched his masterpiece. However, the smile disappeared as he realised how long it took him to complete the hand seals.
"I should begin practising hand seals," Sasuke muttered under his breath.
He spent the next two hours repeating the two Ninjutsu he had just performed. After exhausting his chakra, Sasuke headed home, practising hand seals as he walked.
'However, whilst the Ninjutsu I performed were successful. I'm beginning to realise that I am not proficient in them at all. This wouldn't have been the case if I inherited the original Sasuke's Ninjutsu experience however meagre it was. I guess this means I'll have to practise all the techniques in the original Sasuke's memory myself.
But I still seem to be learning Ninjutsu much faster than the original Sasuke in my memory, which could be due to my memory of the Ninjutsu or even my soul's unique situation.' Sasuke kept reflecting on his training session in his mind, understanding the implications of it.
Once home, he made dinner and prepared for an early bedtime to recover from his mental fatigue. Just before getting into bed, Sasuke spent the next hour refining his chakra again.
The next morning, Sasuke rose early, donned the training weights he bought, and set out for a run around the village to enhance his physical strength and stamina.
After a few laps, he felt exhausted, but an enthusiastic shout caught his attention. A well-built man with a young boy approached. Sasuke recognised them as Might Guy and Rock Lee.
Guy donned a peculiar green jumpsuit adorned with vibrant orange trimmings. His distinctive bowl-shaped black hair and pronounced eyebrows accentuated his fervent personality. Lee, roughly Sasuke's age, sported a similar attire to his elder companion. The youngster boasted thick, bushy eyebrows and wore his black hair in a neatly braided fashion.
"Come on, Lee! Can you feel that vibrant youthful energy in the air this morning?" Guy sensei shouted.
"Guy sensei, I don't think I can run anymore," Lee weakly replied.
Sasuke watched in silence as they passed by him, slowly realising that his morning jogs might soon turn into consistent encounters with this eccentric duo.
After concluding his physical training, Sasuke opted to return home for recovery before delving into further exercises. Once rejuvenated, he set his sights on the river coursing through the Uchiha compound, accompanied by a storage scroll. Sasuke aimed to undertake another chakra control exercise, specifically testing his ability to stand on the surface of the water.
Upon reaching the river, Sasuke resumed channelling chakra into his feet, attempting to stand on the water's surface. However, his initial efforts ended in a swift descent into the river, leaving him thoroughly drenched. Seated on the riverbank, gasping for breath, Sasuke considered the challenges posed by the flowing water.
'It would probably be more feasible in a still body of water, like a lake or pond. Unfortunately, those are nowhere to be found here.' Sasuke contemplated the idea of relocating somewhere more conducive for practice, but realised the difficulty in doing so.
Undeterred, Sasuke gritted his teeth and persisted in trying to stand on the river's surface. After an hour of tenacious efforts, he achieved a breakthrough, managing to remain atop the water for at least 10 seconds. Satisfied with his progress, Sasuke changed into spare clothes retrieved from a storage scroll.
Before departing, he decided to visit the nearby shrine. While familiar with its contents from his memories of the anime, Sasuke wanted to verify if everything remained unchanged. Entering the shrine, he tapped a specific sequence on the right wall, a pattern taught to him by his late father.
Abruptly, the walls parted, unveiling a descending staircase. A sombre darkness embraced Sasuke as he stood atop the steps. He reached to his side, seizing a torch hanging on the wall, and ignited it using the D-rank jutsu he had recently practised. The faint glow of the torch cast flickering shadows as he descended into the unknown depths.
At the foot of the staircase lay a vast, vacant chamber. Dependent on the meagre illumination cast by the torch in his grip, Sasuke navigated the room until he found his objective.
Positioned at the room's heart was a massive stone tablet, radiating an aura of antiquity, adorned with inscrutable scribbles. As Sasuke activated his Mangekyou, the contents of the tablet started to unveil. Among the deciphered information, a pivotal revelation emerged – it outlined how 'the eyes from a pair of brothers, combined could bring forth eternal light.'
Sasuke understood that the information divulged the key to activating the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan. However, he had already planned multiple paths to unlock this advanced stage far earlier than his anime counterpart. One such approach involved utilising his Mangekyou ability to self-transform into a pair of Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan.
Nevertheless, Sasuke deemed this strategy excessively risky, uncertain whether he could execute it without descending into blindness or if he even had the chakra required for it. However, he had already devised plans for his Mangekyou ability, he aimed to employ it in facilitating the evolution of his Sharingan through an alternate yet less hazardous method.
As Sasuke neared the completion of deciphering the tablet's contents which he could currently, he unexpectedly came across a particular section.
'As the prophecy unveils its tale, a convergence of destinies, a cosmic trail. The heir of Indra, power in hand, creation and destruction, a force to withstand.
A beacon of hope in the darkest night, holding salvation, a radiant light. Transcending hatred, breaking its chain, a force eternal, where destinies reign.
When reality and illusions begin to entwine, shall a saviour emerge, bearing the Uchiha's sign. The Otsutsuki's wrath, like a storm, shall break, In the flames of Indra, a God shall wake...'
Baffled by the unfamiliar prophecy not recorded in his anime memories, Sasuke hastily departed the shrine. Upon returning to the Uchiha compound's training grounds, he immersed himself in contemplation, attempting to understand the cryptic message.
Sasuke pondered over the prophecy with a growing sense of frustration.
'Could this be another manipulation by Black Zetsu in order to control the descendants of Indra? No. It feels far too strange, especially with the reference to the Otsutsuki threat, a concept only present in Boruto rather than in the original Naruto plot. Thus, Black Zetsu should lack information about the Otsutsuki.'
Turning away from that possibility, Sasuke considered another angle.
'Could this be from the Sage of Six Paths? No, he also doesn't seem to possess enough knowledge about the Otsutsuki to write this. Then who could have written this?!'
Annoyance laced his thoughts as for the first time since arriving in this world, he confronted something beyond the scope of his memories from the anime. The mysterious message posed more questions than answers, leaving Sasuke quite unsettled in the face of this unforeseen enigma.
Shaking off these perplexing thoughts, Sasuke resolved to focus on enhancing his strength to face any potential challenges in the future. The remainder of his day was dedicated to the relentless practice of the two fireball Ninjutsu until mastery and honing his skills in hand seals, shuriken, and kunai techniques during intervals of chakra replenishment.
