Evening.
Drenched in sweat after a day of training, Sasuke stepped out of the ninja academy under the setting sun.
Naruto caught up to him, suggesting: "Sasuke, I've got two coupons—wanna grab some ramen together?"
"Hmph!"
Sasuke let out a soft snort.
No doubt about it.
He was still fuming over the day's discussions at the academy about team strength rankings.
The thought that he'd been pegged as the weakest of the "four geniuses" at the academy—and that he needed Naruto to prop up his team's rank—filled him with frustration.
Naruto, carefree as ever, said: "Don't worry about it—I've got your back! We'll work hard together, and our ranking's bound to climb!"
Sasuke shot him an irritated glance: "Can you stop bothering me?"
Naruto pouted: "Fine, I'll go by myself then!"
After shooing Naruto away, Sasuke made his way alone to a secluded training ground near a small lake, not far from his apartment.
Staring at the calm water, he suddenly raised his hands, formed seals, and shouted: "Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Boom!
In an instant, a massive burst of flames erupted from his mouth, surging forward and scorching the lake's surface, sending waves rippling and steam rising.
"Phew…"
A moment later, Sasuke stopped the Fire Release and exhaled.
For his age, unleashing such a powerful Fire Release was already well beyond the average academy student's level. Yet he wasn't satisfied.
Because a Fire Release like this couldn't even scratch Yakumo's "Wood Release."
"How do I counter 'Wood Release'? Maybe I could follow Shinji's lead and contract a ninja cat from the Land of Cats?"
After mulling it over, he shook his head.
Though he'd grown used to imitating Shinji, he had a clear-headed judgment on this.
Shinji's victory over Yakumo's "Wood Release" was a fluke—a convergence of multiple factors. If they fought again today, Shinji might be the one to lose.
So Shinji's tactic for beating "Wood Release" had been pushed to its limit. Repeating it to defeat Yakumo again simply wasn't realistic.
Thud.
Thinking this, Sasuke slammed his fist into a nearby tree: "Damn it, am I really never going to beat Yakumo again?"
Whoosh.
Just then, a figure landed in the training ground.
Sasuke glanced over, frowning: "Kakashi, what do you want with me?"
"Hey, skipping meals won't help you grow taller, you know!" Kakashi greeted lazily, pulling a bento box from behind him.
"Tch, boring!"
Sasuke spat dismissively, uninterested.
Glancing at the lake still steaming with faint smoke, Kakashi asked: "Still thinking about how to counter 'Wood Release'?"
Sasuke neither confirmed nor denied it.
Kakashi sighed and strolled over: "Sasuke, figuring out how to break 'Wood Release' is too much for you right now. You don't need to burden yourself with such a heavy shackle!"
Sasuke growled: "But Shinji beat 'Wood Release'—and he hasn't even awakened his Sharingan!"
"Shinji's performance last time was impressive, no doubt, but…" Kakashi shook his head, continuing: "That was pretty much his limit."
Sasuke glared at him: "Are you trying to make me admit I'm inferior to Shinji?"
Kakashi said calmly: "I'm telling you there's no need to obsess over 'Wood Release.'"
"'Wood Release' isn't even that big a deal!" Sasuke instinctively activated his Sharingan, staring Kakashi down: "As long as I awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan and gain 'Susanoo,' beating 'Wood Release' will be a piece of cake! If Shinji can win, so can I!"
"Not the right time yet…"
Seeing Sasuke's near-hysterical state, Kakashi shook his head again. Then, without a word, he set the bento box down and turned to leave.
He'd come to check on Sasuke after the recent string of setbacks, worried the boy's spirit might be breaking. His plan had been to teach Sasuke "Chidori," giving him a powerful ninjutsu to master.
But seeing Sasuke's current reckless mindset, he scrapped the idea.
"Chidori" rivaled the "Rasengan" in destructive power. In Sasuke's aggressive state, learning it now could lead to irreparable disaster.
Kakashi's silent departure only deepened Sasuke's scowl. Gritting his teeth, he muttered: "Go ahead and look down on me now—one day, I'll make you all see me differently!"
With his resolve hardened, he shifted his focus and headed toward the village archives.
Moments later, he arrived at the archive building and told the clerk: "I want to see the Uchiha clan's Fire Release ninjutsu scrolls!"
The clerk asked: "All of them?"
Sasuke nodded: "Yes, all of them!"
The clerk said no more and turned to fetch them from the storage room.
After the Uchiha clan's massacre, many of their possessions—including scrolls—had naturally been transferred to the village archives for shinobi to study.
Of course, access wasn't free for all. Even jonin needed the Hokage's permission.
But as an Uchiha orphan, Sasuke had the right to freely browse these Uchiha Fire Release scrolls.
Shinji shared the same privilege.
That's how Shinji had been able to use the B-rank Fire Release: "Majestic Destroyer Flame" against Yakumo.
Sasuke had previously fixated on developing his Sharingan, neglecting Fire Release. Now, hitting a bottleneck, he decided to follow Shinji's example and master the clan's Fire Release techniques first.
Soon, the clerk returned with several scrolls and handed them to Sasuke, cautioning: "I don't need to repeat the rules, right? These scrolls can only be read here—you can't take them out!"
"Got it!"
Sasuke acknowledged, taking all the scrolls.
Lost in thought, he hurried to the reading area with the scrolls in his arms. But just as he was about to sit, he spotted a familiar figure already there.
"Shinji!?"
Sasuke was startled, though he quickly relaxed.
In his mind, Shinji's purpose at the archives had to be the same as his—searching for a way to counter "Wood Release."
After all, the tactic that beat Yakumo last time wouldn't work again. If Shinji wanted to hold onto the top spot at the academy, he'd need a new strategy.
"This guy's finally feeling the pressure!"
Muttering to himself, Sasuke walked over.
Just as he was about to call out, his peripheral vision caught something odd. Shinji wasn't reading ninjutsu scrolls—he was flipping through a book on medicinal herbs. His face darkened as he demanded: "Shinji, have you lost it? At a time like this, you're reading something useless like that?"