“Sasuke, let’s see if you’ve made any progress this month.”

Itachi and Sasuke stood on opposite ends of the training ground.

“Hmph! I’ll definitely surprise you.”

Over the past month, Sasuke had not only mastered the Shadow Clone Technique, the Nirvana Sight Technique, the Mist Servant Technique, and the art of kunai throwing, but he had also utilized the Shadow Clone Technique to create two clones—one focused on refining chakra, the other on honing taijutsu—while his true self concentrated on ninjutsu and genjutsu. He had attempted to create more clones but found that his chakra reserves were insufficient; two clones were his limit. Sasuke couldn’t help but envy Naruto, with his seemingly infinite chakra, allowing him to create as many clones as he desired. This envy and resentment fueled Sasuke’s determination.

“Then show me how you plan to surprise me.”

Itachi pulled out two kunai from his pouch, readying himself for Sasuke’s attack.

“Begin!”

Sasuke dashed towards Itachi, swiftly drawing three kunai and launching them in a triangular formation. The speed was so great that the kunai sliced through the air with a sharp, piercing sound.

Bang, bang, bang! Itachi deflected all three kunai.

“Not bad.”

Itachi praised, “But it’s not over yet. Come at me!”

Sasuke hurled five more kunai.

“It’s useless. Huh! Didn’t expect your aim to worsen. Not good...”

Itachi deflected three kunai but noticed the other two veering towards him. The kunai collided mid-air, altering their trajectory—one headed straight for him.

“Too bad.”

Sasuke was already beside Itachi, witnessing him bend backward at the last moment, allowing the kunai to whizz past his head.

“Well done. Not only did you master the art of redirecting kunai, but you’ve also applied it with remarkable skill. Your kunai throwing technique is impressive. Now, show me your taijutsu and ninjutsu.”

Itachi straightened up and beckoned Sasuke forward.

“As you wish.”

Sasuke replied, pushing off the ground and using the momentum to leap into the air, delivering a straight punch aimed at Itachi’s face. “So fast!”

Itachi caught Sasuke’s fist just ten centimeters from his face. “Again!”

Sasuke landed, pivoting on his right foot, and spun his left leg in the air, aiming a kick at Itachi’s side.

“Damn!”

Sasuke felt nothing against his left leg, indicating Itachi had dodged it. Before he could retract his left leg, he realized Itachi had grabbed his right leg. When Sasuke attempted the kick, Itachi had swiftly ducked, grabbing Sasuke’s leg with both hands. Now, balanced on one leg, Sasuke was vulnerable.

“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”

Itachi gripped Sasuke’s right leg and spun him around in the air, creating a sound as Sasuke sliced through the air.

“Bang!”

After several spins, Itachi flung Sasuke into the air.

“Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!” Sasuke shot up into the sky. Mid-air, he channeled all his strength into his waist, adjusting his body to face downward. He rapidly formed hand seals and unleashed a massive fireball from his mouth, aiming it at Itachi below. (Sasuke had been practicing hand seals since infancy, now capable of forming two seals per second. If not for his lack of hand strength, he could be even faster. Sasuke was confident that, once grown, his seal speed would rival Itachi’s.) Sasuke descended rapidly, instinctively bending his knees to absorb the impact, his eyes never leaving the spot where Itachi had stood. The area was now engulfed in flames, obscuring Itachi’s presence. The fire gradually receded until it was entirely extinguished, revealing only a patch of scorched earth, with no sign of Itachi.

“Where is he?”

Sasuke couldn’t believe that Itachi could have been incinerated. If Itachi could be killed so easily, he wouldn’t be the man Sasuke knew.

“Well done, Sasuke. If I hadn’t used a substitution jutsu earlier, it might have been dangerous.”

As Sasuke searched for Itachi, his brother’s voice emerged from behind him, accompanied by the cold touch of a kunai against his neck. Sasuke knew it was the cold steel of Itachi’s kunai. He glanced back at the scorched ground, spotting a tiny fragment of burnt wood.

“Bang!”

The Sasuke that Itachi held vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving behind a chunk of wood.

“Not good!” Itachi exclaimed. At that moment, he felt a kunai pierce his body. Sasuke had emerged from the ground where he had been standing, stabbing Itachi with a kunai. Sasuke had used a shadow clone upon landing, while his real self merged into the earth beneath the clone.

“Bang!”

The Itachi impaled by the kunai also vanished in a cloud of smoke, leaving behind another piece of wood.

“How is this possible? That was a clone too?”

Sasuke was stunned, scanning the area in all directions, desperately trying to locate Itachi’s true form, but he found no trace.

“Sharingan!”

Minutes passed, and still, Sasuke found nothing. He dared not relax for a moment, his legs slightly bent, ready to spring into action, while his hands gripped kunai tightly. Activating his Sharingan, he scrutinized his surroundings.

“Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!”

After several more minutes, there was finally movement, though it wasn’t good news for Sasuke. Suddenly, two hands emerged from the ground beneath him, grabbing his legs and swiftly pulling him into the earth.

“Damn it! Is it too late?”

Sasuke struggled, trying to free himself from Itachi’s grasp, but his brother’s grip was unnervingly strong. Within seconds, Sasuke’s legs were pulled into the ground, leaving only his upper body above.

“If that’s how it is, there’s only one way. Even if it means hurting myself, I have no choice.” “Lightning Style: Earth Walk!” Sasuke pressed his hands to the ground, sending surges of electricity in all directions.

“Ahh!”

The electricity coursed through the earth, reaching Sasuke and causing him to cry out in pain. But it wasn’t without effect; he felt the hands gripping his legs vanish.

Gasping for breath, Sasuke pulled his legs free from the ground and collapsed onto the earth, his body still numb. “It seems I can’t continue fighting.” Sasuke’s face was etched with frustration.

“Sasuke, you shouldn’t push yourself so hard. Since you can’t go on, we’ll end here for today. I’ll test your genjutsu another time.”

Itachi slowly rose from the ground before Sasuke.

“How is this possible?”

Sasuke saw that Itachi was completely unharmed, realizing that this Itachi was also a clone.

“I thought I was strong, but even after using such a desperate move, I couldn’t touch Itachi. I must intensify my training.”