The parents of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, for reasons unknown, decided that since they were about to graduate and become Low Ninjas of Konoha, it was time to foster their independence. To this end, they cut off their allowances.
Shikamaru, who was only a day older than Ino, was twelve years old. Being a regular student was manageable, but once they started practicing their Clan Secret Techniques, refining Chakra, and undergoing various training sessions, the expenses skyrocketed.
Especially since they had to bring along Choji, the foodie, and occasionally Ino would also bring Hinata. The money flowed like water! With only about two months left until graduation, they were so broke that they had no choice but to figure out how to make some money. At the very least, they needed to survive these two months without income.
They were future clan leaders, not the current ones. Even if they were the current clan leaders, they couldn't order the clan's ninjas to use ox carts for odd jobs. After much thought, renting out property seemed the most suitable option for their "low-income" status.
"Will Shikaku agree?" Ino asked.
Shikamaru pondered for a moment. "They only said they cut off our allowances, not that we couldn't make money in other ways. Besides, we're not ninjas yet, so we can't take on missions. We have to find other means. I think it's worth a try."
Ino shared a similar thought. The parents' intention was likely to make them understand the difficulty of earning money, not to starve them. Bringing up the idea of renting out property when they returned home should work.
Their constant "I'm so poor" act annoyed Sakura. Were they really that poor? She was the one who had spent all her allowance and could only afford one rice ball a day!
She couldn't help but grumble a bit.
Ino didn't hold back either, immediately retorting with a look of disdain, "Always going on about Sasuke, Sasuke. Do you even like him? You're just lusting after his body!"
Their voices weren't loud, and the people around couldn't hear them clearly, let alone those further away. However, Sasuke, who was sitting in the distance, had his senses greatly enhanced due to his impending awakening. He heard everything clearly.
He frowned in disgust. These women were nothing but fools, and the most infuriating part was that he had been defeated by one of them!
After school, Sasuke roughly pushed aside a few girls who wanted to play riddles with him. He needed to attempt awakening his eyes again. Sakura, holding a tree-climbing technique, tried to get closer to him, but Sasuke was too fast. She only caught a glimpse of his shadow.
Sasuke ran all the way to the river, using the cold water to calm himself and think of a strategy.
What could he, the so-called "Second Pillar," do? His parents were dead, all his elders were gone, his brother was far away and his mortal enemy, and there was no one around to consult. He had no choice but to brute force it! He gathered his Chakra and directed it towards his eyes, but the more he pushed, the more his head hurt. When he finally stopped his reckless actions, he was horrified to find that a portion of his Chakra had settled in his eyes and wouldn't move!
His eyes burned with pain, every second was agony, and it seemed like there was no end to it.
"Ah—!" After enduring for just three seconds, he couldn't take it anymore and screamed, clutching his eyes in unbearable pain.
Naruto, who happened to be passing by the riverbank in the distance, saw this scene. After a brief hesitation, he rushed down towards Sasuke.
"Sasuke, what's wrong with you? Are you... having a stomachache? Did you drink expired milk?"
With Naruto's limited knowledge at the age of 12, he couldn't possibly figure out the problem. Sasuke was in increasing pain, and Naruto was so anxious that he was scratching his head, completely at a loss.
"Sasuke, what's wrong with you? Tell me! Wait, I'll be right back! Right back! Never mind, I'll carry you!"
In his desperation, he thought of Teacher Iruka. Maybe the teacher would have a solution? Naruto carried Sasuke on his back, not even hearing Sakura's calls from afar. He ran quickly and soon found Iruka, who was still preparing lessons in the school office.
After examining Sasuke, Iruka discovered that there was an issue with Sasuke's Chakra, but he wasn't sure what exactly was wrong.
"Teacher, what should we do now?" Naruto asked urgently.
Iruka frowned, feeling helpless. He was just a Middle Ninja; what could he do? He had been on the battlefield and had some decisiveness, but he doubted that the Konoha Hospital could handle such a tricky problem.
"Let's go find the Shadow of Fire."
Iruka had been trained by the Third Hokage and was a recognized inheritor of the Will of Fire. Naruto also received a monthly allowance from the Third Hokage, so neither of them felt uncomfortable about meeting the village's big boss.
They rushed out of the school, with Sakura panting as she chased after them, but she was too late.
Iruka led the way, with Naruto carrying the unconscious Sasuke behind him. They quickly arrived at the Shadow of Fire's building and soon met the Third Hokage, who was in his office.
"Third Hokage, you have to save Sasuke," Naruto said anxiously.
The Third Hokage raised a hand. "Don't worry, Naruto, let me take a look."
He first used a small technique to seal the Chakra around Sasuke's eyes. In just a short while, Sasuke was almost awake from the pain.
The Sealing Technique was applied, and Sasuke's expression immediately calmed down, his breathing gradually slowing.
The Third Hokage frowned in thought. His insight was far greater than Iruka's, and although the situation was complex, he quickly identified the crux of the problem.
After a moment of consideration, he said to Iruka, "Please bring Kakashi here. I need his professional advice."
"Yes, Third Hokage."
Kakashi wasn't on any mission today and was at home reading his adult books. He quickly arrived at the Shadow of Fire's office.
"Kakashi, take a look at this child. There seems to be a problem with the Chakra in his body," the Third Hokage said.
Kakashi knew Sasuke and understood why the Third Hokage had called him. Ignoring Naruto, he lifted his eye patch, revealing a Sharingan with three tomoe.
The Three Tomoe slowly rotated as he observed intently for a while before speaking, "It's indeed an issue with the Chakra, or more precisely, a problem with the Dojutsu. The main reason is... well, I suspect it's due to some unknown change caused by the collision between the Yamanaka clan's Mind Body Switch Technique and the Dojutsu left by Itachi. This change has created a certain discrepancy and has already merged with Sasuke's Chakra. The Uchiha clan's spiritual energy is exceptionally powerful. If the Sharingan had been activated normally, Itachi's Dojutsu could have been transformed into Sasuke's Dojutsu, and we wouldn't have the problem we're facing today. However, his eye activation is still in an incomplete state, which is why..."
Kakashi scratched his head as he spoke, then summarized, "This Dojutsu power from Itachi's Sharingan seems to be stuck right now, caught between Sasuke himself and the Sharingan, like an unexpected wall that has suddenly appeared."