"I think you owe me an explanation!"
Standing in Shigeo Aburame's office, Sasuke's pale face was filled with anger.
"Why did you leave me behind at the Daimyo's estate without a word while you disappeared?"
Faced with Sasuke's questioning, Shigeo Aburame adjusted his sunglasses calmly.
"It was for your own good. Your body was in poor condition at the time, and traveling wouldn't have been safe."
"And why was my body in poor condition?"
Sasuke narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze toward Shigeo Aburame sharp and scrutinizing.
"I don't believe you would place me somewhere dangerous. If I'm not mistaken, the reason my body failed back then... was you, wasn't it?"
"..."
How did this brat suddenly become so perceptive?
Shigeo Aburame's eye twitched slightly before he pulled out his trump card—a bloodworm.
"As compensation, your mission contribution points remain unchanged, and here's a bonus reward."
"Hmph!"
Sasuke snorted coldly, ignoring the bloodworm. Instead, he presented a different demand.
"Fight me. Do that, and we'll call it even."
"You want to fight me?"
Hearing Sasuke's request, Shigeo Aburame was momentarily surprised, but then he chuckled.
"Heh, you should go find Naruto. He's a more suitable opponent for you. Fighting me won't help you gain much."
The implication was clear: the gap in their abilities was too vast, and Sasuke would only taste defeat.
Sasuke understood but didn't care, waving dismissively.
"Winning or losing doesn't matter. I just want to see how strong I've become and how far I am from *him*!"
"I see."
Shigeo Aburame nodded in understanding.
"Fine, I'll fight you. But let me make this clear—you can't blame me if you get hurt."
"You don't need to tell me that!"
Sasuke impatiently turned and walked toward the door.
"I'll be waiting at Training Ground No. 2."
With those words, he vanished from sight.
Shigeo Aburame smiled, stowing the bloodworm back into his palm before resuming his work. As the captain of the Security Forces, some decisions required his direct involvement, even if it was just writing "approved" on a document.
After working through a backlog of files that had piled up over the past few days, the afternoon had arrived. Remembering his promise to Sasuke, he informed Kazuma Arashi of his early departure and made his way to Training Ground No. 2.
His speed was impressive, and he arrived in under five minutes.
Seeing him finally appear, Sasuke, who had been waiting impatiently, frowned.
"Too slow!"
"Apologies, work delayed me," Shigeo Aburame apologized sincerely, treating Sasuke with respect despite his subordinate status.
This attitude surprised Sasuke slightly.
Back when he trained under Kakashi, his mentor was often late with flimsy excuses, showing little sincerity.
But Shigeo Aburame—renowned for his status and strength—was apologizing genuinely for being late.
This man really is different.
A gleam flashed in Sasuke's eyes as he activated his Sharingan and assumed a fighting stance.
"It's late—let's begin."
"Heh, alright."
Shigeo Aburame smiled faintly, raising his right hand and forming a single-handed seal.
"Sage Art: Wood Clone."
As he spoke, a wooden clone emerged from his back, landing beside him and taking on his exact appearance.
After creating the clone, Shigeo Aburame stepped back and spoke softly, "Go easy—no ninjutsu."
"Understood."
The wooden clone nodded before charging toward Sasuke, and the battle commenced.
Sasuke's Sharingan allowed him to analyze and counter his opponent's taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu, making it a formidable combat tool.
However, Shigeo Aburame's wood clone inherited his combat skills and experience, boasting taijutsu abilities rivaling the First and Second Hokage.
Even with minimal effort from the clone, Sasuke's three-tomoe Sharingan struggled to keep up. Despite using all his strength and fire-style techniques, Sasuke couldn't gain the upper hand.
Frustrated by his inability to land a decisive blow, Sasuke's confidence began to waver, and his attacks weakened.
Noticing this, Shigeo Aburame frowned.
"This won't do... I need to provoke him a little."
With that thought, he formed a seal with one hand and muttered:
"Transformation Jutsu."
*Poof!*
In a puff of smoke, his appearance changed to that of Itachi Uchiha.
This immediately caught Sasuke's attention.
"Itachi!"
With a roar, Sasuke's composure snapped. Ignoring the wood clone, he lunged directly at the transformed Shigeo Aburame.
"I'll kill you!"
But the wood clone wouldn't allow such recklessness. A swift kick sent Sasuke flying several meters, leaving him sprawled on the ground.
Watching from afar, Shigeo Aburame—still in Itachi's guise—smirked mockingly.
"Foolish little brother, you're still so weak. Even if I stood here unmoving, you couldn't kill me."
"AAAAHHHH!"
Enraged by these taunts, Sasuke screamed and charged again. However, the wood clone intercepted him once more, quickly subduing him with a series of precise strikes.
Bruised and bleeding, Sasuke shakily stood and gripped his left wrist with his right hand.
"Chidori!"
With a shout, crackling white lightning erupted in his palm.
Using the lightning-boosted technique, Sasuke darted toward Shigeo Aburame like a bolt of energy.
"Die!"
The wood clone stepped in again, but Sasuke lashed out with his Chidori, yelling, "Get out of my way!"
*Boom!*
Despite the powerful attack, the clone remained unharmed and promptly kicked Sasuke away once more.
As Sasuke struggled back to his feet, Shigeo Aburame raised his hand.
"That's enough."
Dispelling the Transformation Jutsu with a *poof*, he returned to his normal appearance.
Seeing the anger still lingering in Sasuke's eyes, he sighed.
"Sasuke, your strength is indeed above that of most Chunin, but you're still far from a Jonin. Defeating Itachi? That's... unlikely."
"..."
Hearing this evaluation, Sasuke's anger began to fade, replaced by a frown as he processed the words.
After a moment of silence, he asked, "Then what do I have to do to kill *that man*?"
"It's simple—gain the same eyes as him."
Shigeo Aburame smiled faintly and spoke a name that stunned Sasuke:
"The Mangekyo Sharingan."
*(End of Chapter)*