Uchiha clan grounds, training field.
Night had fallen deep; moonlight spilled like liquid silver.
Sasuke's figure darted swiftly between the wooden posts, fists and feet whistling through the air with sharp force.
Sweat had long since soaked his black training outfit, clinging tightly to his body and outlining the lean, powerful lines of a boy not yet fully grown but already brimming with strength.
His chest heaved violently, breaths coming rough and ragged, yet his movements showed no sign of stopping.
In his mind, the scene from the afternoon replayed endlessly—being floored by Karin's single punch.
Humiliation.
That feeling burned far more painfully than the bruise on his back.
He—the prodigy of the Uchiha clan—had actually lost to some red-haired girl of unknown origins.
What he found even more intolerable was her smug expression at the hot pot table.
"My big brother trains with me every day."
Those words stabbed like a thorn deep into his heart.
Why?
Why did that guy named Akashi Sora devote such effort to teaching her?
While his own brother...
Sasuke's movements faltered; he came to an abrupt stop.
He turned toward the large tree at the field's edge.
Uchiha Itachi stood quietly beneath it, bathed in moonlight that seemed to cloak him in a layer of silver gauze.
"Brother."
Sasuke's voice came out hoarse.
Itachi stepped out from the shadows.
"You're too impatient, Sasuke."
"I'm not!" Sasuke nearly shouted. "I just... I can't accept it!"
He clenched his fists until his nails dug painfully into his palms.
"Who exactly is that Akashi Sora? And this Sage Mode Karin mentioned—what is it?"
"Is Sage Mode... stronger than the Sharingan?"
The barrage of questions laid bare his inner anxiety and confusion.
Itachi gazed at his younger brother's black eyes—filled with unyielding defiance—and remained silent for a moment.
"There are many forms of power."
Itachi's voice was calm, as if stating a simple fact.
"The Sharingan can perceive the flow of chakra and discern the essence of ninjutsu. But in this world, there exist forces that the eye cannot fully capture."
"Sage Mode is one such power."
"It draws upon natural energy—the force that permeates heaven and earth—utterly different from the chakra within our bodies."
This explanation did not ease Sasuke's mind; if anything, it heightened his frustration.
"Then... who is stronger—him or me?"
Sasuke blurted out the question, only realizing afterward how foolish it sounded.
Itachi did not mock him.
"Right now, you are no match for him."
Itachi delivered a cruel yet undeniably truthful answer.
"You couldn't even defeat his 'little sister.'"
Those words struck Sasuke harder than any physical blow.
He lowered his head, staring at his own hands.
Weak.
An unprecedented loathing for his own weakness surged through his entire body.
"Go rest."
Itachi turned to leave.
"Brother!" Sasuke's head snapped up. "Teach me stronger techniques!"
"I have to get stronger! I will defeat them!"
Itachi's steps paused.
He did not turn back.
"Your talent should not be wasted on meaningless rivalries."
"When you truly understand the power of the Sharingan, I will teach you."
With those words, Itachi's figure dissolved into a flock of crows, vanishing into the night.
Leaving Sasuke alone on the empty training field.
The moonlight stretched his shadow long—very long.
...
The next morning.
Sunlight filtered through the window, casting warm patches across the apartment floor.
Sora lounged deeply in the sofa, engrossed in an ancient tome on barrier techniques.
Light sounds came from the kitchen.
Karin, wearing an oversized apron tied around her waist, hummed a tuneless little song while diligently scrubbing the pots from last night.
Her face carried a genuine, relaxed contentment.
This place was her home.
That realization filled her with profound security.
Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang.
Karin wiped her hands and trotted over to answer it.
Standing at the door was the Yamanaka clan head she had met yesterday—Yamanaka Inoichi.
"Clan Head Inoichi," Karin greeted politely.
"Hello," Inoichi replied with a kind nod. His gaze passed over her to Sora in the living room.
Sora sat up from the sofa, his face breaking into his signature bright smile.
"Clan Head Inoichi—good morning! So early—have you eaten breakfast yet?"
"Captain Akashi," Inoichi entered directly. "Regarding the partnership you mentioned yesterday—the Ino-Shika-Cho clans have discussed it."
"We agree to join."
"Fantastic!" Sora clapped his hands, smile widening even further. "I knew Clan Head Inoichi was a decisive man!"
Inoichi observed the young man's radiant cheerfulness, but his own mind remained crystal clear.
This boy was far from as simple as he appeared on the surface.
"Details of the cooperation—such as shop location, staffing, and profit distribution—I'll have dedicated clan members coordinate with you," Inoichi continued.
"No problem—handle those details however you see fit," Sora said with a casual wave, fully embodying the hands-off boss.
As if suddenly remembering something, he clapped his hands together.
Poof!
Two new scrolls materialized in a puff of smoke.
"Oh, right—these are recipes for the newly developed tomato and mushroom broths."
He handed the scrolls to Inoichi.
"Not everyone likes spicy food. A diverse product line covers more customers."
Inoichi accepted the scrolls, noting the clear ingredient lists and preparation methods. His estimation of the young man rose several notches.
Meticulous thinking, thorough consideration.
He possessed not only the ambition and strength to stir storms—but the terrifying execution to turn plans into reality.
After seeing Inoichi out, the apartment fell quiet once more.
Sora's smile gradually faded.
He turned to Karin, who had stood quietly aside the entire time, trying to minimize her presence.
"Karin."
"Yes!" Karin straightened instinctively.
"Phase one is complete."
Sora approached her; his amber eyes gazed calmly into hers.
"Now—we begin phase two."
"Shadow Clone training is merely to give you another tool in combat; its primary use is for accelerated practice."
"What comes next is the true power belonging to the Uzumaki clan."
His voice was soft yet carried an undeniable magnetism.
The Uzumaki clan's power?
Karin's breath caught.
She only knew her surname was special, that her red hair marked her as Uzumaki, and that her unique chakra and constitution made her a "blood pack" in others' eyes.
Beyond that—nothing.
"Teacher Sora..."
"It's an innate gift flowing in your bloodline."
"A secret ninjutsu that manifests your chakra into physical chains."
"Its name is Adamantine Sealing Chains."
"These chains are forged from your life force and spiritual energy—indestructible."
Sora's voice grew almost bewitching.
"They can bind anything, suppress anything."
"From restraining an enemy's movements... to subduing and sealing tailed beasts."
Binding... tailed beasts?
Karin's eyes widened in shock.
Those were legendary strategic weapons—catastrophes incarnate!
Such terrifying power slumbered in her bloodline?
An unprecedented surge of pride, mingled with overwhelming awe, erupted from deep within her heart.
She was no longer just a exploitable blood pack.
She was a descendant of the Uzumaki clan!
A shinobi who could wield Adamantine Sealing Chains!
Karin looked at Sora; for the first time, flames of true "pride" ignited in her red eyes.
Trembling with excitement, lips quivering, she asked the question burning brightest in her heart.
"Brother Sora... are you also from the Uzumaki clan?"
Sora met her eyes—filled with eager hope—and shook his head lightly, expression unchanged.
"Nope."
"Then... why do you know so much about Adamantine Sealing Chains?"
His voice remained light, carrying a hint of amused self-evidence.
"Because your Brother Sora..."
"Is a genius."