With practiced movements, the young boy formed a hand seal.
Taking a deep breath, he cautiously released his Chakra...
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A childish voice rang out, full of spirit.
But the effect... was clearly not ideal.
Only a wisp of flame emerged, peeked out forlornly into the air, and then quickly vanished...
"Damn it!"
"Why doesn't it work?!"
The boy was frustrated and discouraged.
But he didn't give up.
He took another deep breath, adjusting his mindset and Chakra flow.
A moment later...
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Again, he roared with all his might, his youthful voice filled with determination. A slightly larger flame appeared in response...
But still, the boy didn't yield!
"Fire Release: Great Fireball... Forget it."
He plopped down by the riverbank.
The boy panted heavily, trying to recover.
The repeated failures had drained his meager Chakra reserves.
Frustration flickered in his eyes.
"At this rate, how will I ever catch up to my elder brother..."
He muttered bitterly.
Having such an outstanding elder brother was truly infuriating...
All the praise from Father went to his brother alone.
No matter how hard he tried, he only ever received one sentence from his father...
"Not bad. Learn more from your elder brother."
He grimaced.
Having recovered slightly, the boy stubbornly stood up again.
He shook his head, clearing away the stray thoughts.
Determination returned to his gaze!
Hand seal, inhale, Chakra!
"Fire Release: Great Fir— Hmm?"
The Chakra he had just mustered suddenly dissipated.
The vibrations beneath his feet, and the restless ripples spreading across the river's surface.
Left the boy momentarily stunned.
"What's going on?"
His eyes widened, he looked towards the source of the tremors in the forest.
There seemed to be... some kind of commotion?
A flicker of unease and curiosity sparked within him.
After hesitating for a moment, the boy mustered his courage and cautiously crept towards the source of the disturbance...
The tremors.
Were growing stronger.
The boy grew more uneasy, and more curious...
This forest was usually deserted. Even his fellow clan members rarely came here.
Besides, he hadn't heard of any wild animals appearing in the Uchiha Clan Compound.
But these tremors...
His heart beat faster involuntarily.
The boy got closer and closer, finally nearing the source of the disturbance.
Suddenly!
The boy seemed to spot a figure in the trees.
He jumped in fright, quickly ducking behind a large tree!
So, the cause of this commotion was... a person?
The boy was taken aback.
Hiding behind the tree, he dared not move...
Five full minutes passed.
As the tremors gradually subsided and the person, whatever they were doing, seemed to stop.
The boy finally mustered the courage.
He peeked out from behind the tree.
This time.
He saw clearly.
It was indeed a person, and a... woman? A big sister?
Her long hair was loose and flowing, and based on her height, he estimated she was about as tall as his elder brother.
She held a long sword and wore a black Shihakushō, tall and graceful.
And... she looked strangely familiar.
The boy withdrew his gaze, pulling his head back behind the tree.
Doubt filled his eyes.
He felt like he knew this big sister.
Very well.
But he couldn't quite place... who it was.
No.
He had to take another look. He couldn't identify her just from the back.
The boy made up his mind, mustered his courage, and peeked out again...
This time.
He saw her clearly...
She was a very... beautiful big sister.
Delicate features, a gentle, serene aura, a lovely face.
She looked somewhat frail, somewhat delicate, but the Shihakushō and the sword in her hand added a touch of heroism.
The boy's eyes widened, disbelief etched across his face!
He knew this sister!
Even though he could only see her profile, and it had been a long time since they last met... he was absolutely certain!
Just then.
As if sensing something.
The girl in the Shihakushō suddenly looked over.
Their eyes met.
The boy flinched, his face flushing crimson...
The girl, recognizing the boy's face, raised her eyebrows slightly.
Without any visible movement, she appeared in front of the boy in an instant.
"Are you... Little Sasuke?"
"Huh?" The boy was completely baffled by the question.
The girl smiled faintly. "So it is you, Sasuke-kun!"
"Sister Haruko..." The boy lowered his head, greeting her shyly.
Yes.
The boy was Sasuke, Sasuke Uchiha.
He was five years old this year, soon to enter the academy, and like his elder brother, he came here to train.
And standing before him was Haruko, Haruko Uchiha, whose real name was Qingchuan.
Looking at Sasuke, who was now two heads taller than before, Qingchuan's expression was complex.
Since obtaining the Shinigami Robe and the fourfold training boost, it seemed he had been grinding for about three years?
Time... really flew by.
Even Little Sasuke had grown this tall.
"What are you doing here, Sasuke-kun?"
Still patting Sasuke's head, Qingchuan asked with a smile.
It wasn't that his spiritual awareness had failed, allowing this little guy to sneak up behind him unnoticed.
It was just that in the midst of such intense concentration, Qingchuan couldn't afford to pay attention to much else...
Three years.
To focus on his training, he had even requested a temporary suspension of his ANBU duties.
All for... this very moment!.
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