Chapter 102: Phoenix Fire Technique
Under the nourishment of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, Fugaku Uchiha's body had already undergone tremendous transformation. At this point, traveling long distances was a mere trifle for him. Even after several hours of continuous travel, he felt no fatigue and had barely used any chakra.
This is the power of the Eternal Eyes, Fugaku thought. If it were the Rinnegan's boost, that would be something else entirely—I'd be striding through the air itself.
Of course, he could already fly with his Eternal Eyes. The Complete Body Susanoo was capable of floating in the sky. But maintaining it required a significant amount of chakra, and Fugaku had no intention of wasting energy unnecessarily.
There's still a long way to the border. Using Susanoo for travel would be far too extravagant. If I were alone, perhaps I'd indulge in that luxury, but with these Konoha shinobi following me… No, I'll save that. The first time they see the Complete Body Susanoo should be when it strikes the greatest shock into their hearts.
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Meanwhile, in the Uchiha training grounds back in Konoha, Sasuke frowned in frustration.
"Then how do I awaken the Sharingan?" he asked.
Mikoto could only shake her head. "You'll have to wait until your brother comes back. Ask him then."
Sasuke's eyes lit up. "How many more days until big brother returns?"
"I don't know exactly," Mikoto admitted. "But it should be within the next few days."
"Tch. He's so slow! Can't he hurry up?" Sasuke grumbled.
Mikoto chuckled softly. "Now then, do you still want to learn a C-rank ninjutsu?"
"Of course!" Sasuke said eagerly. In his mind he thought, Why not? Free lessons from Mother are always worth it. My chakra isn't strong enough for B-rank jutsu anyway.
"Which one do you want to learn?"
Sasuke picked at random. "The Phoenix Fire Technique."
In his opinion, all the C-rank fire techniques seemed about the same. But the truth was different: even a basic fire jutsu, in the hands of a skilled shinobi, could become deadly. Sasuke didn't yet understand that the strength of ninjutsu depended not on its rank, but on the shinobi who wielded it.
Mikoto nodded and began teaching him the Fire Release: Phoenix Fire Jutsu.
Naruto, who had been practicing his Shadow Clone Technique nearby, couldn't resist butting in. "Auntie, can I learn that too?"
Mikoto smiled warmly. "You could, Naruto. But remember—you shouldn't bite off more than you can chew. Focus on mastering the Shadow Clone first. Fire Style can wait, I'll teach you any time."
Naruto nodded, half-understanding, and went back to practicing his seals.
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Twenty minutes later, Sasuke had already memorized the seal sequence:
Boar → Tiger → Dog → Ox → Rabbit → Tiger.
He muttered the sequence in his head while forming the signs, determined not to make a mistake. Chakra surged through his chest and gathered at the back of his throat. Heat built inside him.
Sasuke opened his mouth—only for a wisp of smoke to escape before the chakra collapsed.
"Again!" Sasuke's face fell. It was exactly like his first attempts at the Great Fireball Jutsu—so close, yet it fizzled at his throat.
Mikoto gave him an encouraging look. "You just need more practice, Sasuke. Don't give up."
Glancing at Naruto, who was still diligently repeating hand seals for Shadow Clone, Sasuke clenched his fists. If he can keep at it, so can I!
Fueled by determination, he tried again.
Mikoto quietly stepped back, sitting in a chair at the side. She watched her sons' rivalrous training with a faint smile, ready to intervene if anything went wrong.
Time passed quickly. By 10 p.m., Mikoto called out, "That's enough for tonight. It's time to go home. You two have school tomorrow."
Reluctantly, both Naruto and Sasuke stopped practicing. They hadn't mastered their new jutsu yet, but the joy of training together glowed in their faces.
The moonlight stretched their three shadows across the training ground as they walked home.
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Far from Konoha, in a dense forest, two dark figures paused.
The great scorpion tail hidden beneath Sasori's cloak twitched restlessly. "There's a tail," he said flatly. "Do you want to handle it, or shall I?"
Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed. He licked his lips with his serpentine tongue. "An old friend of mine. I'll go."
Sasori's eyes narrowed, disdain flashing. "Don't make me wait too long."
Orochimaru only chuckled as he slipped away toward a nearby tree. His smile slowly faded, replaced by cold calculation. Sasori dares to command me? A mere puppeteer? If not for my interest in the Akatsuki's leader and the funds they provide… I would have killed him long ago.
Arriving beneath a towering tree, Orochimaru looked up into its branches. A massive silhouette was waiting there.
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