Uchiha Madara…
Was acting a little unusually.
When he realized the Eye of the Moon Plan couldn't yet proceed, he personally volunteered to take over Sasuke's training and guidance.
While Black Zetsu searched for Obito's whereabouts, Madara opened up a private training ground and began subjecting Uchiha Sasuke to the most grueling regimen imaginable.
"Faster! Stronger strikes!"
Madara stood in the training ground with arms crossed, expression cold as he effortlessly dodged Sasuke's attacks, barking criticisms at the boy's lack of precision and power.
To Madara, Sasuke's current fighting style was utterly unworthy.
Even though Sasuke was only twelve years old and had just awakened the two-tomoe Sharingan, Madara made him spar directly against his own near-peak strength. The intensity was monstrous for someone that age.
Yet…
The results were clear and drastic.
Having grown up training alongside his brother Izuna, Madara knew exactly how to forge a child into a true killer.
Naturally, taijutsu was only the foundation.
Ninjutsu was emphasized just as much.
Madara didn't hold back, especially with Fire Release techniques. His mastery of fire far exceeded anyone in the ninja world, surpassing even Jiraiya, who had previously trained Sasuke.
But above all…
He focused on the Sharingan.
Madara noticed that Sasuke's use of the eye was primitive. He couldn't even use genjutsu—his greatest strengths were mimicking opponents' movements and high-speed visual tracking.
"Genjutsu…"
"Is far more useful in combat than you realize."
"Against anyone below the level of Hashirama or Lord Shigen, genjutsu alone can end a fight instantly."
"For you, genjutsu will conserve chakra and exploit enemy weaknesses."
"…"
Sasuke frowned, impatient. He wanted power.
"Will this help me kill Uchiha Itachi?" he asked. "I want to learn what you used that day—the power called Susanoo!"
"Susanoo?"
Madara smirked, clearly proud of his own.
"That power only manifests after awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan," he said. "But to awaken it… you must experience immense pain, pain that breaks your soul. The deeper the wound, the greater the eye's power."
The fastest way…
Was to suffer.
Shigen, who had been listening nearby, furrowed his brow slightly. Was this really how far the Uchiha had strayed?
But…
It was undeniably effective.
Rather than trying to guide Sasuke to intensify his emotions and stimulate the special chakra pathways of the Uchiha brain, triggering the eye through trauma had countless successful precedents.
"Enough."
"Continue training."
Madara glanced at Sasuke and dropped the topic.
"Without a strong body, the Sharingan's burden will destroy you."
"…"
Sasuke gritted his teeth and stood straight again.
He couldn't deny—
Madara's training worked.
Where once he was completely overpowered, he was now landing more and more hits, enduring more rounds in their spars.
Slowly but surely…
Sasuke was growing stronger.
He had begun accompanying Akatsuki on missions, and his combat prowess rivaled—sometimes exceeded—other members.
There was only one issue…
He still hadn't awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
But under Madara's tutelage, Sasuke had already evolved to the three-tomoe stage, and now fully mastered many of the Uchiha clan's legendary techniques.
In fact…
He was stronger than several Akatsuki members.
Still—
His mind was singularly focused.
Kill Itachi. That was all that mattered to Sasuke. He cared nothing for Akatsuki's vision of world peace through weaponized fear.
Land of Rain.
On Akatsuki's training field…
Two figures moved with lightning speed, clashing in a blur of strikes.
Sasuke slashed at Madara with ruthless fury. He didn't hold back. Their training had no need to preserve Madara's life—he was already dead.
"Still too slow! Still too soft!"
Madara parried casually, commenting coldly on Sasuke's weaknesses.
This boy…
Was too merciful.
Madara could see through the façade—Sasuke's cold mask hid a fragile heart. Unless pushed to the brink, he couldn't bring himself to truly kill anyone except Itachi.
"Listen, brat!"
"In the Warring States Era, that weakness would've gotten you killed!"
Madara countered mid-combat, scolding him loudly.
"If you can't finish your enemy up close…"
"Then use overwhelming ninjutsu to end it!"
Sasuke leapt back, forming hand signs mid-air, then spewed a blazing wall of fire.
"Fire Style: Majestic Flame Destroyer!"
"Still too weak!"
Madara's blue Susanoo erupted from the flames.
He slashed through the fire with ease, advancing steadily.
"Even that won't pierce Itachi's Susanoo," Madara warned. "His is defended by one of the divine treasures."
Above them…
Lightning danced in the storm clouds.
Sasuke raised a hand, summoning a massive beast of lightning—
"Lightning Style: Kirin!"
His signature jutsu!
Harnessing the weather itself, the lightning beast plunged downward with godlike speed and power—impossible to dodge.
But to Madara…
It was nothing.
"Useless techniques with environmental limitations."
Madara scoffed. His armored fourth-stage Susanoo absorbed the strike, only slightly rattled.
"Failed?"
Sasuke slumped, breathless.
"Against a fourth-stage Susanoo…"
"Your attacks aren't enough."
Madara approached.
"To break it—you need your own Mangekyō Sharingan."
"…"
Sasuke didn't reply.
He already knew what Madara wanted him to do.
Kill someone precious. Give in to rage. Feel the agony.
Team 7.
Naruto.
Sasuke knew the path to Mangekyō—but the thought of killing Naruto, someone he once entrusted his life to, was unbearable.
Even after all these years, he couldn't bring himself to do it.
Naruto… was his last remaining warmth after the Uchiha massacre.
"Doesn't matter," he muttered, gripping his sword and standing again.
"Even without the Mangekyō—I'll kill Itachi!"
"…"
Madara stared at him blankly.
"Fine."
"We haven't found them anyway…"
He mocked, half-joking, half-annoyed.
"Come help with Akatsuki's missions. To prevent any more Tailed Beast trouble, we'll start collecting them now."
"Besides…"
"No matter how well they hide—"
"They won't sit idly by while we gather all the Tailed Beasts."
Madara's eyes gleamed dangerously as he folded his fingers together.
He was ready.
Time to smoke the rats out of their holes.
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Powerstones?
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