"Fugaku… are you sure we don't need to go out and stop them?"
Listening to the shrill screams coming from outside, Mikoto glanced over with concern.
"No need, no need."
"Sasuke pulled a stunt last night. Getting beaten today is only fair."
As he spoke, Fugaku casually tossed a bamboo rod labeled Seven Wolves out the door.
Then he slid the wooden door shut and pulled his wife into his arms, soothing her gently.
"Relax. Kai might not talk much, but he knows his limits."
"But—"
"No buts. It's early. Let's sleep a bit more."
"Mmm… mmh…"
Inside the house—
Artillery fire everywhere.
Completely one-sided.
Outside the house—
The beating hadn't stopped.
Also completely one-sided.
Kai looked at Sasuke, who was hanging from the courtyard wall, and picked his teeth lazily.
"Admit your mistake yet?"
"I didn't do anything wrong! Hmph! If you weren't born two years earlier and learned more ninjutsu, you'd be the one hanging here!"
If Sasuke had one admirable trait—
It was this mouth.
Even dangling in midair, he tilted his chin up proudly, face full of stubborn arrogance.
"Oh? Playing tough, huh?"
"Fine. I'll give you a chance."
"I won't use any ninjutsu. We'll fight hand-to-hand."
Kai grinned and waved his hand, undoing the rope.
Over the past six years, while his ninjutsu had progressed steadily, his physical stats had skyrocketed.
Countless traits like Strong Physique, Agile Body, Enhanced Strength—
All fused together.
The result?
Terrifying.
With nothing but his eight-year-old body, his raw stats already rivaled a chūnin.
No chakra buffs.
No techniques.
Pure numbers.
So yes—
He was more than happy to let Sasuke experience absolute despair.
"Come on," Kai said casually.
"What do you want to compete in?"
"Compete?" Sasuke shouted.
"I challenge you to a duel! Pure physical combat!"
The moment his feet hit the ground, Sasuke lunged forward.
Years of training showed.
Quick steps.
Low stance.
Explosive acceleration.
In a blink, he crossed over ten meters.
"Hmph! How stupid—letting me get close!"
"I'll send you flying, Uchiha Kai!"
Arrogance flashed across Sasuke's face.
He could already see it—
Kai sprawled on the ground, begging.
The thought made his eyes tremble with excitement.
Blood rushed to his cheeks.
He felt like he was soaring—
…Wait.
Flying?
Why were his feet off the ground?
And why—
Did his stomach hurt?
Sasuke's expression changed. He looked down—
Kai had bent forward at the last second.
Both arms locked around Sasuke's waist.
Then—
A brutal backward slam.
Uchiha Suplex.
BOOM!
The ground shook.
Small Sasuke.
Massive confusion.
He lay in the grass by the wall, eyes blank.
Like his intelligence had been forcibly uninstalled.
Ninjutsu? Lost.
Taijutsu? Lost.
Genjutsu? Lost.
He couldn't beat this lazy salted fish in anything.
I'm tired. Destroy the world.
Kai: ???
"Was that suplex really that strong?"
"Did I actually knock him stupid…?"
Kai clicked his tongue, concern creeping in.
If he actually broke Sasuke—
What about Naruto?
But as he stepped closer, he noticed faint glowing trait orbs appearing around Sasuke.
One even rolled right to his feet.
"…Did he just drop loot?"
At the same moment, a system prompt appeared.
[Target defeated: Uchiha Sasuke. Attempting trait copy.]
[Copyable traits:
Brother Complex (Black),
Emotionally Stable (Black),
Child of Destiny (Rainbow),
Lightning Release Proficiency (Purple),
Great Fireball Technique (Green),
Three Basic Techniques (White)…]
[Copy successful. Congratulations, host has obtained Elite Trait:
Great Fireball Technique (Green).]
"…Wow. That's useless."
Kai sighed—then paused.
His gaze landed on the new black trait.
"Emotionally Stable?"
"Activates one tomoe during the massacre… yeah, that is emotionally stable."
"…Wait."
"Did I suplex him into emotional numbness?"
The thought made Kai lower his head.
His eyes filled with sympathy.
"Hey… don't break, idiot."
"If it gets bad, I'll actually teach you Lightning Release."
Sasuke: ???
What kind of look was that?!
His empty eyes snapped with fury—
Until he processed the last sentence.
Lightning Release.
Lightning.
Ever since Kai mentioned it before, it had been stuck in his head.
Especially after yesterday's class—
When Iruka had said:
"Sasuke, Lightning Release is one of the most powerful offensive natures in the shinobi world."
The itch was unbearable.
He jumped up immediately.
"Teach me. Now."
Kai exhaled in relief.
"Good. Still talking."
"As long as you can talk, you're not stupid."
"Even if you are—only a little."
But then Sasuke added eagerly—
"I want to learn the one where lightning wraps around your hand!"
"We'll start with hand seals!"
Kai's smile froze.
"…Hand seals?"
He raised two fingers subconsciously.
"At this level… isn't it 'have hands = can use'?"
He wasn't joking.
With traits, he genuinely didn't know how to form seals.
What now?
Teach like Naruto teaching Konohamaru Rasengan?
"First spin chakra, then squeeze it"?
Sasuke was a chosen one—his talent shouldn't be worse than Konohamaru, right?
Kai straightened up seriously.
"Lightning Release is different."
"You only need to deeply sense the lightning in nature."
"That's why your brother lies on the wall every day."
"Even in heavy rain."
As he spoke—
The Chidori trait flickered.
Crackle—!
Lightning burst from his fingers.
Sharp.
Condensed.
Like a blade.
Then—
Another trait began to glow.
Special Trait: Thousand Years of Death (Black).
Kai froze.
A horrifying thought formed.
"…Wait."
"Did Kakashi invent Chidori…"
"…to combo with Thousand Years of Death?"
"Middle-Finger Chidori: Thousand Years of Death?!"
Hiss—
Kai shuddered violently.
What kind of demon would design a move like that?!
Of course—
If Kakashi ever traveled to the Land of Abundance in the future—
With this single technique alone—
He'd be worshipped by countless Little Nans.
Absolute godhood.
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