In the ninja world.
Sasuke Uchiha and Shisui Uchiha were seen inside an arena within the Light Village. One could tell, based on their faces, that they had been sparring.
In a combative stance, Shisui wore a white cloak that billowed slightly against the wind. His eyes, hidden behind a blindfold, betrayed nothing of his emotions, but his stance was relaxed and confident.
They faced each other with focused expressions as Sasuke kept his fists clenched and his Sharingan active.
Then, without haste, he launched the first attack by charging forward.
"Chidori!"
The lightning chakra crackled as he thrust it toward Shisui. Shisui evaded the attack by sidestepping and flipping. Then he closed the distance and countered by slamming Sasuke to the ground.
Sasuke hit the dirt hard but rolled to his feet quickly, refusing to show weakness. He then looked up and smirked, saying, "I almost had you."
Shisui lowered his stance and offered a faint smile. "Yes… almost. But not quite. Though I can't deny that you're getting better, Sasuke.
Sasuke brushed dirt from his clothes before rising to his feet and deactivating his Kekkei Genkai. He was undeterred by the fall.
"I still have a long way to go," he admitted. "I need to get stronger."
"Good to know you have the right mindset. Just remember what I told you: there are several ways to advance your Sharingan."
It was clear that Shisui had been informed by Arthur of all the means to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"You still haven't told me about yours," Sasuke informed.
Shisui softly chuckled and said, "It's not really something I can control yet."
Sasuke's curiosity piqued as he asked, "What do ya mean?"
Shisui reached up and slightly adjusted his blindfold.
"Thanks to lord Arthur," he began, "My new eyes are from a fallen Uchiha that wasn't resurrected. I was given them as compensation for my old ones." Regarding what happened to Shisui's eyes, one was still with Itachi, while the other was destroyed alongside Danzo Shimura. "These new eyes are special because of their Mangekyō Sharingan. That's why I wear this blindfold."
"And what makes them so special…?"
Shisui's expression softened as he said, "For one, they shoot out a highly condensed blast that I can't seem to control. Since I can't regulate the flow of chakra well yet, wearing this blindfold helps me keep my chakra in check when they're activated."
"I see," Sasuke thought. "It acts like a safety measure."
Shisui could tell that Sasuke understood. To think Fugaku's youngest son had advanced like he had after the entire clan fell. Shisui couldn't help but admire the boy.
Since coming to this new village, Sasuke's goals had inevitably changed. After reuniting with his clanmates again, he wanted to preserve what was left of his family, he wanted to confront his brother, Itachi, and he wanted to destroy the Leaf Village.
Shisui himself had heard the stories—how Itachi and Obito had slaughtered the clan, leaving only Sasuke. The truth about Itachi's motivations had come out to everyone in the village by now. So much so that Itachi was perhaps the most talked about after Arthur.
But Sasuke's feelings were more complicated than the others; he didn't hate his brother entirely, nor was he driven by hatred. Not completely. Sasuke's real wish was to save Itachi and free him from the burden he carried.
He wanted to tell his brother that he loved him, that he no longer wanted him to carry the pain of their past.
But Sasuke knew he couldn't do that unless he became stronger first. He wanted power to face his brother and the Akatsuki, to reach him and make him listen.
That was his main goal.
Regarding Orochimaru, there were rumours spreading that the snake was desperately looking for Sasuke. Of course, Sasuke had no desire to return either to the Sound Village or the Leaf.
All he wants is to see his clan rise above the world. Everything he was doing was out of pride for his clan.
Shisui understood Sasuke's feelings more than anyone. He even claimed that to be a worthy goal, and he promised he would help Sasuke as much as he could. That's why they had been training together ever since.
Sasuke looked around the arena as his mind drifted to his plans. And every time he thought about it, it always led back to one person: Arthur.
He remembered the first time he saw Arthur. The "kid" had a quiet presence back in the academy, and Sasuke didn't think much of him. Now Arthur's influence over the village and the clan was undeniable.
Sasuke understood that Arthur was orchestrating everything behind the scenes by pulling strings that no one else saw. More importantly, Sasuke knew that if he wanted to succeed, he had to keep that in mind.
"I've got something to do outside the village," Shisui suddenly said, breaking Sasuke's thoughts. "There's a matter I need to handle on the outskirts. We can continue this tomorrow if you're free."
"What's stopping us from training tonight?"
"As you know, I'm in charge of training a lot more shinobi. Tonight's session is going to be another private one."
"I see... I'll be here then."
Shisui offered a small smile, proud that the boy was still looking to train despite his needed departure.
After Shisui left, Sasuke rubbed his fingers through his hair. He had time—time to grow stronger, time to understand what all this truly meant. And he had a strong desire to ask questions.
For the next hour, he used his Sharingan to continue training. His body grew tired, and sweat dripped from his forehead as he kept pushing himself to improve his speed and accuracy. After a while, he slowed down upon feeling fatigue.
Deciding he had done enough, he lowered his stance and stopped, knowing rest was necessary to get stronger.
As such, he set out across the village to seek someone who could give him answers to the questions lingering in his mind. Not just anyone but a member wearing a white cloak.
Many villagers greeted him, which filled his heart with a sense of purpose. Practically everyone had heard his story, and they were proud to know that the youngest son of their Torikage held the clan in high regard.
Not long after, he spotted a figure leaning against a pillar near the edge of Sun Stream. He could tell it was a female. So, without hesitation, he moved toward her.
"I'd like to talk to you," he greeted.
The figure straightened before slowly removing her hood. The face that emerged was sharp, with a hint of amused eyes. Tayuya.
These two had only ever interacted once, during the time Arthur helped Sasuke abandon the village.
"And what do you want?" she asked, smirking.
Sasuke didn't bother with formalities as he plainly said, "I want to know more about Arthur."
Tayuya's smile widened, and she couldn't help but laugh. "You're asking about lord Arthur?"
"Yes," he repeated. "I need to understand him better. So, tell me what you know."
Tayuya chuckled again, crossing her arms. "You really don't beat around the bush, do you?"
"I just want answers."
She studied him for a moment and said, "Your meddling might get you more than you bargained for."
"Tayuya… I'm not here to play games."
Tayuya's smirk turned into a knowing grin. "Please… You can't even address him properly. It's true that during the time Orochimaru was after you, you were valuable." She paused to let that sink in. "But that was then, and this is now. And as far as I'm concerned, son of the Torikage, you're not as important to lord Arthur."
"What was that?" Sasuke's brow furrowed.
Tayuya's smile remained. "You heard me. Unlike you, I know how things work around here."
"If you can't help me," he said in a firm voice, "I'll find someone else who can."
Now she was intrigued by his resolve. "You're either brave or an idiot like Jirōbō. Either way, I find it interesting enough to hear why you care so much."
"You may not know this," he admitted, "Arthur and I had attended the Leaf Academy once, and I'd wanna know how he got so strong so quick."
Not many had known about Arthur's background. The only thing someone like Tayuya knew was that he had taken the guise of Kaito. But prior to that, she didn't quite understand who he was, apart from that he was worthy of serving.
Because Sasuke revealed such intriguing information, she said, "Wait until you find out."
"Find out what?"
She stepped back and gestured toward the main plaza. "Follow me if you dare."
Skeptical but curious, Sasuke walked after her. He figured this might lead him to Arthur himself—or at least closer to understanding the man's true nature.
The plaza was a lively place as they moved through the crowds. It was undoubtedly the heart of the village and even the country, since almost every important transaction, judicial ruling, and economic overview passed through here.
Sasuke, a ninja, didn't care for those things. The only thing the plaza made him wonder was just how much more influence Arthur wielded to construct it.
Eventually, they reached a wall, blocking off a section of the plaza. Tayuya pressed her hand against it, causing a hidden pocket to appear. She then reached in and pressed a button.
The wall responded immediately by smoothly descending to the ground to reveal a passage into what looked like a secret chamber.
"What's this?" Sasuke asked, eyes wide.
Tayuya smirked. "This is lord Arthur's special training room."
He stepped inside, walking cautiously around the space. It looked like a high-tech dojo—clean, organized, with advanced-looking equipment and strange magnetic devices lining the walls. It was unlike any training facility he had seen before.
"Wanna know what makes it so special?" she asked him with mischievous eyes.
Sasuke finished inspecting the room before asking what. This allowed Tayuya to move to a control panel and press a button. Suddenly, the room's walls purred, and a series of magnets activated.
A strange, almost electric sensation filled the air as Sasuke felt a sudden pull. Before he could react, he was slammed to the floor with incredible force!
A relentless pain shot through him. It was as if he was drowning under the sea as his lungs tightened and his body struggled to breathe. Every muscle ached, and every nerve screamed for him to get out. Things became so bad that his vision blurred and he clutched at his chest, fighting to stay conscious.
Tayuya herself felt similar effects, but she managed to smirk, saying, "To think… you were once in the same class as lord Arthur…"
How could anyone endure this? How could a shinobi, even one as talented as him, survive such torture?
The pain intensified as Sasuke's mind went haywire. He felt the darkness creeping in as his limbs trembled as he fought to stay awake.
Suddenly, the magnetic field shut off on Tayuya's command. The room returned to normal instantly. Sasuke stayed collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air. His chest was beyond heavy as he tried to process what had just happened.
Even Tayuya had to take a breather by leaning against the wall. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she also gasped for air.
After a moment of recovery, she looked at him with pity and said, "That's what lord Arthur trains in almost every day. It's designed to push us all past our limits and make us stronger. But someone like me can barely withstand it."
Sasuke's eyes were still widened as he tried to understand the significance of the situation.
This made her chuckle, saying, "You look like me when I first experienced this room. Let me guess: you thought you'd die. All you can do is endure it; there's no getting used to this room."
Finally, Sasuke slowly sat up. He looked around, feeling the lingering ache in his body.
How could anyone survive that? No. What if they could survive that? That shinobi would grow so powerful in a very short time. But even so, how could a mere Genin like Arthur have trained in such an environment?
Sasuke, a prodigy and a genius who had grown beyond the typical limits of a ninja, couldn't even last a few seconds!