That evening, Sasuke had barely returned home from a day of training when a frantic series of knocks thundered at his door.
Frowning, Sasuke opened the door to find Naruto, breathless and clearly shaken.
"What is it?" Sasuke asked.
"Come inside, I'll explain."
After settling down, Naruto, still visibly uneasy, began, "Sasuke, whatever I tell you, you absolutely must not be scared."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Just tell me. I won't be scared."
"I saw a ghost today!" Naruto declared, his voice filled with gravity.
Sasuke leaned back slightly, adjusting his posture for comfort. "A ghost? Is that the guy's codename?"
"No codename!" Naruto shook his head earnestly. "It's the ninja known as Konoha's strongest Taijutsu master."
"Might Guy?"
"Who's Might Guy? No, it's not him." Naruto paused, racking his memory for the scroll's description. "It's that Konoha hero who died in the Third Shinobi World War."
'Died in the Third Shinobi World War?'
"You mean Might Duy?" Sasuke clarified.
"Who's Might Duy?"
Naruto shook his head vigorously and shouted, "Konoha's strongest Taijutsu ninja! Sasuke, you don't know him? He's the one who created the Konoha Dragon God, died in the Third Shinobi World War, and was hailed as a hero by the village—Teacher Chen!"
'Konoha Dragon God?'
'Teacher Chen?'
'Why not just say Chen Baojun directly?' Sasuke mentally scoffed, then nodded. "I get it. Go on."
"Today at the library, I found a scroll. It said Teacher Chen's Konoha Dragon God Taijutsu was incredibly powerful, but he died in the Third Shinobi World War. But the scroll also had the address of his tombstone, so I decided to go check it out. Guess what I saw?"
Naruto's voice turned eerie, and he waved his hands excitedly.
"I actually saw Teacher Chen resurrected from the dead!!!"
"And he even picked up an onigiri from his own tombstone and started eating it!"
Naruto's eyes widened, his hair standing on end in fright.
Sasuke remained silent for a moment before asking, "That's it?"
Naruto froze, then exploded angrily, "Damn you, Sasuke! I'm not joking!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Sasuke said dismissively. "But how are you so sure he's actually Teacher Chen?"
"At first, I thought the old man was just a moocher. But when he reached for the rice ball in front of Teacher Chen's tombstone, I kicked it out of his hand."
"And then?"
"Then he casually beat me up." Naruto said, looking dejected.
"Using Taijutsu?"
"Yeah, Taijutsu!"
"Oh," Sasuke said, feigning enlightenment. "Since his Taijutsu is so strong, and you're looking for ways to get stronger, why not just ask him to teach you?"
"That's true!" Naruto exclaimed, then hesitated, lowering his voice. "But Sasuke, that old man might be a ghost! Teacher Chen died way back in the Third Shinobi World War."
"As long as you can get stronger, who cares if he's a person, a ghost, or even Teacher Chen? Or are you scared?"
"Hmph!" Naruto, predictably, couldn't resist the challenge. He thumped his chest and shouted, "I'm not scared! I'll go back tomorrow and get to the bottom of this!"
"Good," Sasuke nodded. "Anything else you need?"
"What do you mean?"
"If not, you can leave."
"...sigh..."
____
The next day, in a secluded area behind Konoha Village:
It was March, the height of spring—a season that painted the world with vibrant life!
From a distance, a row of willow trees stood gracefully. Though not towering, each tree possessed an elegant silhouette, its slender leaves cascading like a maiden's silken hair.
A green-haired girl sat beneath one, preening, while luminous red wildflowers carpeted the ground around the willows, creating a scene of ethereal beauty.
At the heart of the grove stood Sasuke, his hand gripping a Chakra-infused metal dagger.
He carved tirelessly at a waist-high boulder, the blade moving in a blur of motion, flickering with arcs of lightning that coiled around its length. The concentrated piercing power hummed within the blade.
Where the Lightning Blade passed, the stone split as if cut by a laser, chips of rock flying off in every direction. Each cut was impeccably smooth and precise.
'Lightning Release Sculpting Technique!'
Gradually, the rough stone began to take shape, revealing the vague outline of a human figure.
At that moment, Sasuke spun the dagger in his hand, executing a flourish.
The Lightning Blade, originally wreathed in crackling electricity, suddenly turned crimson red, wisps of white steam rising from its heated edge.
'Fire Release Sculpting Technique!'
Sasuke channeled his Fire Release Chakra perfectly, ensuring the stone wouldn't crack or blacken from excessive heat, nor lack the force needed to carve intricate details and textures.
It was just right!
Notably, Sasuke's gaze remained fixed on the stone sculpture, seemingly unwavering.
Yet, upon closer inspection, one would notice his pupils lacked focus, appearing entirely unfocused—a vacant stare typically seen only in the blind.
'Five Senses Seal—Sight!'
Not far from Sasuke, Kurama Yakumo stood with her easel, engrossed in painting a sketch from life.
The change in Sasuke's eyes was naturally at his request.
He knew that one day he would inevitably transplant and merge his Mangekyō Sharingan, and based on the original narrative, it took Sasuke at least a month to fully evolve from the initial transplant to achieving the Eternal Mangekyō.
A cautious man to his core, Sasuke felt a growing sense of urgency at the thought of enduring over a month of blindness in the future.
Even if he had a trusted guardian by his side during that time, his sense of impending danger wouldn't diminish in the slightest.
Therefore, he needed to prepare for that future day now. Even without his sight, he had to have the means to defend himself!
Moreover, after half a year of sculpting with his vision sealed, Sasuke felt that each completed sculpture yielded greater improvements than before.
Though he couldn't see the stone sculpture before him, Sasuke relied on his hearing, discerning its approximate shape from the sound and texture of each chisel stroke.
It was precisely this heightened auditory perception, honed through half a year of training, that allowed him to detect Sakura's irregular heartbeat earlier.
A gentle, enchanting warmth and the soft spring breeze caressed Sasuke's face, immersing him in the embrace of nature.
With his hands and heart fully devoted to the sculpture, he had been carving for nearly two and a half hours. The meticulous Chakra control required had already begun to strain his focus.
Yet this inexplicable sense of harmony with nature somehow rekindled Sasuke's mental vitality, rejuvenating his spirit.
___
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