Naruto: Talent Entry Perks

How strong is Uchiha Itachi when he gets serious?

Perhaps no one knows!

Even though Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Itachi were so close, the vines had already grown into towering trees and swallowed them.

Yet, Uchiha Itachi, who had been running on the water, instantly appeared behind Uchiha Sasuke.

Even with his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, Sasuke couldn't trace the instant movement. All he felt was a gust of wind behind him, followed by Itachi's calm voice.

"You've gotten stronger. But with just this level of eye power, you still don't have the same eyes as me. Trying to kill me with half-baked Wood Release is too naive."

As he finished speaking, Uchiha Itachi thrust a kunai at Sasuke's back.

Sasuke raised the corner of his mouth and sneered. "It's enough to kill you!"

His back twisted, and several long wooden spikes burst out, piercing through Itachi.

Itachi's body made a squelching sound as the sharp wooden thorns pierced through, splitting and branching out. Blood splattered—the scene was brutal.

Sasuke only glanced briefly, then turned and looked in a certain direction, speaking coldly to the air, "Is this Mangekyō Sharingan illusion? Or is it a unique Mangekyō technique?"

As he finished, the bloody corpse of Uchiha Itachi faded away like a mirage.

From the direction Sasuke was looking, a figure appeared—it was the unscathed Uchiha Itachi.

Looking at Sasuke, whose face had returned to an eerie calmness, Itachi showed interest. "It seems you know quite a lot."

"Hmph. I know more than you think," Sasuke sneered. "Like why you spared me back then, why you kept torturing me, and told me how to get the Mangekyō Sharingan by killing the one you care about most… All of it was to use me to gain the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan."

Hearing this, Itachi's expression finally shifted—surprise flickered in his eyes, but in his heart, he was secretly pleased.

He had intended to use Tsukuyomi to pass on the Mangekyō's secret to Sasuke.

But now, it wasn't necessary.

Sasuke had found a better teacher.

On the surface, Itachi said coldly, "Was it Izayoi who told you? Your Wood Release also came from his cells. Konoha has tried Wood Release experiments. All who received Hashirama's cells died. Only immature Wood Release users' cells could give you this half-formed power."

"Heh... It doesn't matter whose cells they are. As long as I get the power to kill you." Sasuke grinned. "Looks like your Mangekyō illusion is nothing much in front of this power."

"Now, let me show you an illusion of my own!"

He formed hand signs and shouted: "Genjutsu: Darkness Walking Technique!"

In the next moment, Itachi's vision was swallowed by darkness.

"Even this forbidden technique?" Itachi was secretly pleased—this confirmed his suspicion. Izayoi, the future Sixth Hokage, had become Sasuke's guide.

Izayoi not only gave Sasuke his cells, but also taught him Mangekyō secrets, forbidden illusions, and even the Storm Release Secret Technique he created.

That meant Izayoi valued Sasuke deeply and was training him as his right-hand man.

Just as Itachi had hoped.

Sasuke would become a hero of Konoha—avenging the Uchiha, killing an S-rank traitor, gaining Eternal Mangekyō, and reviving the clan.

If Izayoi and Sasuke became the new-era Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, Konoha might stand a chance against the two wielders of the Sage's Eye.

At the very least, they'd survive.

In the darkness, Sasuke's chakra stood out vividly.

Sorry, Sasuke, Itachi thought. You still don't have the same eyes as me. I can't die yet—not until I know more.

Itachi leaned sideways, dodged, and counterattacked with a punch—painful grunts rang out in the dark.

He spun and delivered a side-kick—bang! In his chakra vision, Sasuke was sent flying.

Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan flashed, and the darkness shattered.

Sasuke lay on the water, clutching his stomach in disbelief.

With a flat tone, Itachi said, "Your eye power is above a normal three-tomoe. You even broke free of my Mangekyō illusion."

"But you don't have the same eyes as me. So you don't understand their power."

"Any illusion is just a product of Yin Chakra. Your Yin is too weak. Even a forbidden illusion is nothing to my Mangekyō Sharingan."

"Now let me show you a real illusion."

Using Sasuke's own words against him, Itachi's Mangekyō flared. "Tsukuyomi."

Sasuke's pupils shrank.

Then suddenly, purple eye shadow appeared at the corners of his eyes.

Both brothers started panting heavily.

Itachi clutched his Tsukuyomi eye in disbelief. "You... You broke Tsukuyomi? What kind of power is that!"

Sasuke, face proud, said, "So that's the Mangekyō's exclusive illusion? It's not much."

"This chakra… Natural energy? So that's how you broke my Tsukuyomi." Itachi's eyes lit up. "The three great Sage Lands... Is this the legendary Sage Mode? When did you learn it?"

"It's just Sage Mode, not a big deal. Learned it in a week," Sasuke said arrogantly.

"So that's it... Wood Release is the reason." Itachi muttered. "That clone earlier... so it was gathering natural energy."

Sasuke didn't hear, but raised a hand to form a massive spinning orb. "Though it only lasts three minutes, this Sage chakra is enough. Originally meant for Izayoi... but I'll let you taste it first—this is a technique even Izayoi hasn't seen!"

The massive ball in his hand spun faster—two inner orbs turned blue and white, then collided.

To Itachi's eyes, Sasuke held a half-human-tall white orb of light and shouted:

"Sage Technique… Storm Release: White Dragon!"

"Roar—!"

A deafening roar echoed across the valley.

Team 7, Timsey, and Hoshigaki Kisame, fighting in the distance, all turned in shock.

"That chakra… what kind of ninjutsu is that?"

"Storm Release? Is Izayoi here? Or... is that Sasuke's?"

"Wait... I sense a familiar power. Could it be… Lord Hyde?"

The white dragon was massive, but its speed was like lightning, and it could track its target.

Like the Lightning Release: Kirin, Itachi had no time to use Amaterasu. Even his Crow Stand and Instant Body techniques were useless.

He had only one option.

Orange-red chakra surged and instantly formed a skeleton-like giant upper body—Susanoo.

The white dragon struck—cracks spread across the skeleton.

Itachi gritted his teeth, pouring in more Yin Chakra—muscles, meridians, and armor formed.

The completed second stage of Susanoo resisted the blow.

Even so, Itachi was shaken.

He didn't expect Sasuke to have something this strong—to actually force out Susanoo.

"Rebellious son, rebellious son!" said a wooden clone with the Rinnegan, passing the message to Izayoi.

Izayoi's eyes turned cold.

If no one was around, he would've grinned.

Good boy… You secretly learned Sage Mode and developed Sage Storm Release? Hiding it from your adoptive father? You need a lesson!

Yet he also admired Sasuke.

In just two months, Sasuke had mastered Sage Mode and created the Sage White Dragon from Storm Release: Judgment.

Unbelievable.

Could Sasuke's talent in Sage arts rival Naruto's Sage Body? Or is it something else?

Izayoi subtly pulled down his hood and activated the Rinnegan's clairvoyance.

At first, he saw nothing.

Then his pupils shrank—his expression turned ecstatic.

If Sasuke were in front of him, he'd hug him.

Good son, you really helped me!

A great mystery was solved.

Izayoi had always wondered if Hashirama learned Sage Mode from Shikkotsu Forest, or if it naturally awakened from his Sage Body.

Now, the truth was neither.

Hashirama's quick activation and long duration came from a full-level Sage Body and his Wood Release.

The Sage Body senses natural energy. Wood Release, a mini Divine Tree, absorbs and fuses it.

Unlike Naruto, who absorbs and converts energy manually, Hashirama could instantly convert it into Sage Chakra.

If chakra ran out, he simply absorbed more—keeping Sage Mode active indefinitely.

Izayoi deeply understood Wood Release's true potential.

In a Kage's hands, it was powerful. But in a Six Paths-level user's hands—like the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki—it was divine.

It could even work with Infinite Tsukuyomi.

Then Izayoi thought of the mysterious army.

No wonder they can use powers like ninjutsu, yet my Rinnegan can't detect them—it's natural energy.

That woman who fought Sasori… her bat transformation and sound attacks… isn't that Jugo's Sage Transformation?

But they didn't absorb the energy themselves. They're using something as a medium…

Izayoi recalled the wooden clone's image—Hyde grinning while holding a photo.

On that photo was the merchant client Team 7 met at Konoha's gate when Team 8 departed.

Looks like the target needs to change. The answer may be with that old man.

Izayoi withdrew his previous chess piece and issued a new move.

Coincidentally, just as his piece withdrew, Nagato's piece landed on the same spot.

A White Zetsu clone appeared in the mobile fortress with a ring and wooden tag, triggering a summoning/storage technique.

Bang—white smoke billowed, and the Animal Path lay on the ground.

A moment later, the Animal Path's Rinnegan opened.

"Summoning Technique!"

He formed hand signs, slapped the ground—

Bang—a red-haired boy stepped from the smoke.

"Thanks, Zetsu."

Leaving only that phrase, Nagato vanished immediately.

He had no idea if Otsutsuki Toneri was watching in secret.

He had to move quickly.