At night, the Uchiha clan compound was pitch black, except for one courtyard where a light was on.
Sasuke stood silently in the training grounds, his mind churning with memories of the past few years flashing through his mind like a revolving lantern. From that man's massacre of his clan, his vow of revenge, his aimless training, to his alliance with Hyuga Kaze, acquiring abundant resources and ninjutsu scrolls, his rapid improvement in strength, and then, after graduation, being gradually overtaken by the former underdog...
Thinking of this, Sasuke's expression was very complicated. He had trained so hard, so why was he still surpassed by Naruto? The strength that Naruto displayed during the Chunin Exams was something he had never even imagined.
And there's Uchiha Itachi and that so-called "brother"!
Sasuke had already heard that Itachi Uchiha had caused trouble in Konoha and was defeated and forced to flee by Hyuga Kaze, and he also knew that the entire Hyuga clan had disappeared from Konoha.
"I never imagined that sleazy so-called brother was so powerful. I should have learned more from him!"
Sasuke muttered to himself, but in his heart he felt it was too shameful for the Uchiha clan to bow down and ask the Hyuga clan for guidance.
"Damn it, at this rate, when will I ever get my revenge!"
"Sasuke-kun."
As he was deep in thought, a soft, feminine voice sounded from behind. Sasuke reacted quickly, his eyes spinning rapidly with two tomoe, and he leaped forward, turning back in mid-air to observe.
Sasuke's Sharingan's excellent vision allowed him to quickly recognize and lock onto his enemy, Kabuto Yakushi, who had been exposed during the Chunin Exams. Sasuke immediately fired a string of shuriken into the air.
The shuriken flew along a mysterious path, interacting and changing course in the air, but ultimately came up empty-handed; Kabuto Yakushi vanished into thin air.
"Don't get agitated, Sasuke-kun, we're not enemies."
Sasuke had barely landed and hadn't even had time to search for Kabuto's whereabouts when his voice came from behind him. His body reacted instinctively, and he lunged to the side, only turning back to speak after flashing more than ten meters away.
"The Sound Ninja just destroyed Konoha not long ago, and you dare to infiltrate Konoha? Aren't you afraid I'll send a signal?"
"Hehehe, Sasuke-kun, I've said before that we're not enemies. Don't worry, I came to Konoha this time because Orochimaru-sama asked me to give you a message."
With a faint smile on his face, he asked, enunciating each word clearly, "Do you need power?"
The mention of power shattered Sasuke's composure. His eyes flashed with a burning rage, but also a hint of surprise and uncertainty.
"Power! As long as I have enough power to take revenge, I'm willing to give anything!"
After pausing and looking Kabuto up and down, Sasuke asked again, "But why should I believe Orochimaru can give me this kind of power? During the Chunin Exams, Orochimaru was also seriously injured by that palm strike and had to flee, wasn't he?"
Hearing Sasuke question Orochimaru's words, Kabuto Yakushi wasn't angry. He pushed up his glasses and used the reflection in the lenses to hide his true feelings.
"It's understandable that you have such doubts because you know nothing about Lord Orochimaru's true power."
Lord Orochimaru still has many hidden trump cards and powers.
Kabuto spoke with an air of profound mystery, his eyes fixed on Sasuke's neck, reminding him of the enigmatic nature of the cursed seal on his body.
"As for that attack," Kabuto paused for a moment when talking about the earth-shattering palm strike that descended from the sky.
"Although the power was indeed very strong, it was just a sneak attack and that doesn't prove anything."
"If Lord Orochimaru were to use his full strength, he might be able to achieve that level."
Having witnessed Hyuga Kaze's palm strike in its entirety, Kabuto, despite his immense admiration for Orochimaru, dared not claim that Orochimaru was stronger and could only vaguely gloss over the details.
Under Kabuto's gaze, Sasuke couldn't help but cover his neck with his hand. "The power of the cursed seal is not bad, but it's far from enough for me to take revenge. If this is all you have to offer, you'd better leave as soon as possible."
Having witnessed more advanced powers, Sasuke's standards rose, and he was no longer misled by Kabuto's vague and unrealistic words.
In reality, Sasuke most wanted to contact the expert who unleashed that palm strike that day, followed by Hyuga Kaze. During this time, he even pondered what he could offer them in exchange for the power to defeat Uchiha Itachi.
Orochimaru was also within his considerations, but he ranked much lower.
Sasuke was still somewhat bothered by the words he heard in the Forest of Death that threatened to take his body. Although he craved the power of revenge, he wasn't yet at his wit's end.
"The curse seal is not such a simple thing; you have only experienced a part of its effects."
A complete cursed seal could even grant you the power to temporarily contend with Itachi Uchiha.
Kabuto's voice whispered in Sasuke's ear like a devil's, causing Sasuke's mind to waver.
Seeing Sasuke's thoughtful expression, Kabuto pressed on, saying, "The cursed seal contains profound and mysterious contents."
Without Orochimaru's guidance, how much of the Cursed Seal's power can you develop on your own?
Moreover, Lord Orochimaru can offer you more than just the cursed seal!
As one of the legendary Sannin, Jiraiya greatly enhanced Naruto's strength; Orochimaru can help you improve even more!
Sasuke's resolve was completely shaken. He found it extremely difficult to accept that Naruto had surpassed him and had been determined to defeat Naruto again.
After much deliberation, Sasuke finally asked coldly, "What kind of power can Orochimaru give me, and what does he want me to do?"
Kabuto smiled slightly and said, "My lord has endless ninjutsu to teach you. First, let me help you master the next level of the cursed seal, so that you can truly understand the greatness of Lord Orochimaru."
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