The small courtyard in front of the Tajima Family home.
Ding-dong—
The crisp sound of the doorbell broke the courtyard's silence.
From inside the house came Mori Chie's slightly sluggish response, "Coming, coming!"
Accompanied by the sound of footsteps, the door was pulled open.
Mori Chie had a smile on her face, but when she saw clearly who was standing outside, a look of surprise crossed her face.
Outside, Uchiha Sasuke was wearing a clean, dark blue short-sleeved shirt; although his expression still held a hint of the coldness typical of his age, his eyes were much calmer than usual.
When he saw Mori Chie, he immediately bowed slightly and spoke politely.
"Hello, Aunt Chie... I am Uchiha Sasuke, Shinichi's friend!"
Mori Chie was stunned for a moment, and then a warm smile blossomed on her face.
Not to mention seeing her son bring a friend home... this was the first time she had ever seen her son have a friend come over to visit, let alone a child from the Uchiha clan, which made her both surprised and happy.
"Oh my! So you're Shinichi's friend! Please come in, come in!" She hurriedly stepped aside. "Are you here to see Shinichi?"
Sasuke nodded, his gaze instinctively looking past Mori Chie. "Yes, Auntie. Is... is Shinichi at home?"
An apologetic look appeared on Mori Chie's face as she explained.
"Shinichi, ah, I'm so sorry. He went out early this morning and didn't say exactly where he was going. However... he's probably off preparing for the Chunin Exams finals in a month."
Hearing this answer, a flicker of imperceptible disappointment flashed in Sasuke's eyes, but he remained polite and nodded slightly.
"I see. Then I won't disturb you..."
"No disturbance at all!" Mori Chie quickly waved her hand. "I'm very happy you came to see Shinichi. That boy doesn't talk much usually; it's wonderful that he has a friend like you. Feel free to visit often whenever you're free!"
'Friend...'
Sasuke couldn't help but mutter the word to himself.
Looking at the polite young man before her, Mori Chie remembered that Sasuke had also advanced to the third round of the Chunin Exams and naturally encouraged him.
"By the way, I heard from Shinichi that you also successfully made it to the third round! Please keep working hard for the match in a month!"
Feeling the sincere concern in Mori Chie's words, Sasuke was slightly taken aback.
This kind of purposeless encouragement from an elder was somewhat foreign to him; after all... he hadn't heard it in many years.
After a moment of distraction, Sasuke came back to his senses and bowed again, his movement more solemn than before.
"Thank you very much for your encouragement, Aunt Chie... I will give it my all!"
Just then, a voice came from behind him.
"Sasuke!?"
Sasuke and Mori Chie turned their heads at the same time.
They saw Tejima Shinichi standing at the entrance of the courtyard at some point, looking at them.
Tejima Shinichi's gaze lingered on Sasuke for a moment.
Though he looked energetic on the surface, Shinichi still sensed his internal weakness. The flow of his chakra carried an unnatural sluggishness; clearly, the negative effects of the Curse Mark planted by Orochimaru had not yet fully subsided.
'Discharged from the hospital on the very first day...'
Tejima Shinichi immediately understood the purpose of Sasuke's visit.
Unlike the original story where he went to find Kakashi, this time, Sasuke chose to come to him. The goal was self-evident—he felt that Shinichi could provide better training to make him stronger quickly within a month.
"Oh!" Mori Chie's face immediately lit up with joy upon seeing him. "Shinichi, you've returned at just the right time! Your friend Sasuke just happened to come looking for you! What a coincidence!"
She looked warmly at Sasuke again.
"Sasuke, look, hasn't Shinichi returned? What a coincidence! Don't just stand at the door; come in and sit down. I just happened to make some mochi."
Tejima Shinichi nodded to his mother, turned his gaze to Sasuke, and spoke directly.
"I know what you've come to see me for... but since you're already here, come in and sit for a while!"
These words made Sasuke's eyes narrow, his curiosity piqued. He no longer declined and followed Tejima Shinichi into the house.
In the living room, the two sat down at the dining table.
Mori Chie soon brought out mochi and tea, warmly inviting Sasuke to eat more, then considerately left the living room, leaving the space to the two young men.
Sasuke looked at the mochi on the table, feeling momentarily dazed.
Tejima Shinichi noticed his odd behavior and asked, "What's wrong?"
Sasuke was silent for a moment, his voice slightly lower than usual. "...It's nothing. I just feel that Aunt Chie... is a bit like the mother in my memories!"
After Sasuke said this, not only did he fall silent, but Tejima Shinichi was also silenced!
Tejima Shinichi looked at Sasuke, who had lowered his eyes, and a complex thought flashed through his mind.
'Even for a ninja who kills without blinking, there are few who can be absolutely heartless when it comes to family.' He picked up the teacup, feeling the warmth from the porcelain wall. 'Because of this, I can never understand you—Uchiha Itachi!'
Uchiha Itachi's decision was always an unsolvable paradox in Shinichi's logic.
No matter the grand reason, inflicting all that pain on a six-year-old child, making him witness the death of his loved ones, and bearing the hatred of the entire clan... weren't these the kinds of methods used on enemies!?
'If he hadn't experienced that night of the clan's massacre...'
Looking at Sasuke's thin back, Shinichi recalled childhood memories... At that time, although Uchiha Sasuke carried the characteristic pride of the Uchiha clan and was even a bit of a stubborn tsundere, his eyes truly held the sparkle of a child, and his face wasn't always as gloomy as it was now; one could often... see a smile on his face.
Gulp, gulp, gulp...
Tejima Shinichi finished the slightly cool tea in his cup, the sound of the porcelain touching the table breaking the silence in the room.
"There's no point in dwelling on the past," he spoke, bringing the topic back to reality. "You came to me for better training to prepare for the match in a month, right?"
Sasuke composed himself and looked up, the daze in his eyes instantly replaced by sharpness, offering no denial.
"Yes! I must win! I must become stronger! Only then... can I kill—that man!"
Tejima Shinichi met his gaze and, after a moment, nodded.
"I know. But, Sasuke, I'm sorry, I can't personally guide you like last time. I need to leave the village for a while; there's something I must do."
Sasuke's brow immediately furrowed tightly, his body leaning forward as his speaking speed unconsciously quickened.
"Why? Where are you going? When are you coming back? You clearly promised me before... that as long as I followed you in training and did things for you, you would give me the power to kill that man! And the third round of the exams is in a month, you..."
"I'll be back before the exams," Tejima Shinichi interrupted his series of hurried questions. "Until then, you can train with Kakashi."
"Kakashi-sensei?" A look of disapproval appeared on Sasuke's face, his voice rising slightly. "He won't do! His training methods simply..."
"It's not that Kakashi isn't capable." Tejima Shinichi interrupted him again, shaking his head and looking at Sasuke with a sharp gaze. "The problem lies with you, Sasuke. You're still like last time, always thinking you're 'good enough' or that it's 'about right,' and then you stop digging deeper."
"I haven't!" Sasuke retorted excitedly.
Tejima Shinichi didn't give him a chance to continue arguing and directly threw out a question that made Sasuke instantly freeze.
"Do you remember the Sexy Technique I used on Naruto before?"
Sasuke was stunned, all his prepared rebuttals stuck in his throat.
Looking at Sasuke's stunned expression, Tejima Shinichi knew he had taken his words from last time to heart.
"Powerful ninjutsu can indeed aid your revenge, but Sasuke, you cannot look down on any low-level ninjutsu, or even the most basic chakra control. If the foundation is unstable, the tower will collapse. Even if I gave you an S-rank ninjutsu now, with your current chakra capacity, how many times do you think you could successfully cast it? And how much of its power could you actually unleash?"
Sasuke pursed his lips and remained silent, but the defiance in his eyes had already dissipated... After all, Shinichi was so strong; what he said must be right!
Seeing that he had listened, Shinichi's tone softened slightly as he continued.
"Besides, don't underestimate Kakashi-sensei. He possesses an S-rank ninjutsu that is very suitable for you. Have you forgotten his Lightning Cutter?"
"Lightning Cutter...!"
Light instantly burst from Sasuke's eyes, and his mind suddenly cleared.
'That's right! Why didn't I think of that!' He had personally witnessed how that technique killed Zabuza Momochi; its penetration and speed were impeccable.
'If I can learn this technique...'
Thinking of this, he could no longer sit still and immediately stood up.
"I understand! I'm going to find Kakashi-sensei right now!"
Seeing him in a hurry to leave, Tejima Shinichi raised his hand to stop him.
"Wait, Sasuke."
Sasuke stopped and looked back.
Tejima Shinichi looked at him and threw out a condition that shook his soul.
"As compensation for breaking our agreement... if you can defeat Gaara fairly with your own strength in the Chunin Exams finals, then I am willing to tell you some... information about Uchiha Itachi!"
Sasuke's pupils contracted suddenly, and his breath hitched.
This news was far too tempting for him!
Tejima Shinichi said no more, instead picking up the plate of mochi from the table and handing it to Sasuke.
"This was made by my mother; it tastes pretty good. Have a taste before you go!"
Sasuke looked at the delicate snacks, then up at Tejima Shinichi, his gaze complex.
Ultimately, he said nothing and silently took a piece of mochi, putting it in his mouth.
The sweet and chewy texture melted on his taste buds, accompanied by a faint, unfamiliar warmth that belonged to "home"!
Sasuke chewed in silence. When the last bit of sweetness vanished from his mouth, he turned his back, as if hiding something!
"...Thanks. The mochi Aunt Chie made... was delicious!"
After that Sasuke walked away quickly without looking back, his figure soon disappearing outside the courtyard gate.
Tejima Shinichi looked in the direction he had disappeared and raised an eyebrow.
"Heh."
He withdrew his gaze and looked at the plate of mochi on the table, which was now missing one.
Ultimately, the greatest obsessions and fantasies of most people in this world were pitiably simple... nothing more than their parents still being alive and their home still being whole.
Sasuke was like this.
Naruto was like this.
Neji... was no different.
Tejima Shinichi let out a soft breath.
"So, my existence... to you all, perhaps... is what they call... the Infinite Tsukuyomi!"
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