Chapter 69: Electric Type Pokémon, Sasuke

Not long after, Senshi returned to Konoha.

Without delay, he headed straight for the Uchiha district. Once there, he saw his Wood Clone teaching Karin and Sasuke. The "Pokémon," Sasuke, was drenched in sweat from ninjutsu training and didn't notice Senshi's arrival.

But Karin, being a sensory-type ninja, had sensed him already. She dashed over and climbed onto his shoulder at once.

Senshi smiled and patted Karin's red hair, feeling his mood brighten considerably. After enjoying that warmth for a moment, Karin tilted her head in curiosity.

"How come you came back alone? Where's the other one?"

The instant Karin asked this, Senshi's expression turned cold. "Itachi? He had something to deal with at home and went back early."

Even Karin couldn't help shivering at Senshi's cold tone. She had no idea why Itachi had left, but just seeing how Senshi looked made it clear that someone was in for a rough time. Not that she minded—if that Uchiha Itachi had angered Senshi, he deserved anything that was coming to him.

Senshi walked over to Sasuke and pulled him away from his ninjutsu training in one quick motion. Sasuke had just been about to launch his Lightning Release: Lightning Ball, but before he could, he felt himself lifted off the ground like a little chicken. Instinctively, he was about to fight back—until he saw the person grabbing him was Senshi.

Frowning in annoyance, he mumbled, "Sensei, what are you doing?"

Then he realized. "Wait, you're not the Wood Clone—Sensei, you're back?"

Seeing two versions of Senshi—one real, one clone—Sasuke got excited. While the Wood Clone could teach him ninjutsu just fine, he knew how overwhelmingly strong the real Senshi was. In Sasuke's mind, being taught by the actual Senshi was multiple times more effective than being taught by a clone. His power would grow much faster that way.

Sasuke was just about to ask what new training Senshi had planned for him, when he saw Senshi produce a few odd-looking items and thrust them into his hands.

Puzzled, Sasuke stared at the strange objects. "Sensei…what are these?"

It wasn't Sasuke's fault for having limited knowledge—these things were just too bizarre. He'd never seen anything like them, not even in rumors.

Calmly, Senshi told him, "They'll make you stronger—strong enough to stand a chance against Itachi."

Hearing that, Sasuke murmured in confusion, lowering his head to study the items carefully. On the far left was a deep-green gemstone with a streak of orange lightning etched inside it. Apart from that, it looked just like an ordinary jewel. At least it was identifiable as some type of gemstone.

The other two were even more abstract—two thin, silvery discs with holes in the center. They looked a bit like weapons but seemed too soft to serve that purpose. If anyone else had handed him such items, Sasuke would have taken them for junk salvaged from somewhere.

"These…really make me stronger?" Skepticism filled Sasuke's face. He couldn't figure out how such weird objects could possibly be as powerful as Senshi claimed.

But Senshi nodded resolutely, as if utterly certain. Inwardly, he was fuming: "Sasuke, I'm seriously going all in here! With these things, you'd better beat the crap out of Itachi for making me lose a fat paycheck. I'll make him regret every choice he made!"

While Senshi's mind raced, Sasuke just looked clueless, worried that maybe his teacher had been traumatized somehow after traveling with Itachi—enough to dump this random stuff on him. Could it be…Itachi actually drove Sensei insane, worried that I'd catch up to him if Sensei trained me further?

The more Sasuke thought about that possibility, the more convinced he became, and the angrier he felt. "Damn you, Itachi. I swear I'll kill you!"

Senshi, oblivious to Sasuke's wild speculations, just said, "Use your Lightning Ball."

Though still confused, Sasuke nodded. "Lightning Release: Lightning Ball!"

The moment he conjured the Lightning Ball, something felt off. A mysterious energy surged out of the "Thunder Stone" in his hand and flooded into his body. As the Lightning Ball grew, the powerful energy radiating from the stone boosted it even further.

For the first time, Sasuke realized that this unremarkable jewel was in fact a precious item capable of amplifying his lightning-style jutsu. It was astonishing—almost terrifying. The lightning chakra from the stone was so strong that Sasuke, with his current skills, simply couldn't manage it.

The Lightning Ball swelled beyond his control and exploded, blasting Sasuke like a kite with a snapped string. He flew backward before collapsing in a heap. Only after a while did he manage to force himself upright, suppressing the pain that wracked his whole body.

He stared at the huge crater on the ground, forgetting how disheveled and dirty he looked. His eyes shone as he turned them on Senshi.

"Sensei…that was really my jutsu that did that?"

Senshi smiled and nodded. Truth be told, he was surprised, too—the Thunder Stone's amplification was stronger than he'd anticipated. For Senshi, who already had advanced lightning abilities (thanks to the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's power), that stone barely did anything—like a drop of water added to an ocean. Besides, he found it inconvenient to carry items around for an extra boost.

But in Sasuke's hands, it caused a huge change. Senshi stroked his chin, now fairly certain that giving Sasuke the Thunder Stone had been a good decision.

By this time, Sasuke had managed to limp up to him, still brimming with excitement. Although his hair and clothes were singed, Sasuke's eyes gleamed with joy. He never expected that odd jewel would be so powerful. And his teacher hadn't just given him the jewel—he had two more peculiar items besides.

Earlier, Sasuke had dismissed those silver discs as trash, but now he was bursting with curiosity. If the jewel was this strong, maybe the discs would be equally amazing. Sasuke felt embarrassed for ever doubting his teacher.

He recalled his earlier suspicion that Sensei might be "broken" or going "insane" because of Itachi. He wanted to slap himself for the mere thought—how could he doubt such a teacher? Senshi was treating him more kindly than a father would a son!

Pointing to one of the discs, Sasuke asked excitedly, "Sensei, I get what the stone does now. But what about these?"

Senshi gave a mysterious smile. "The one you just used is called a 'Thunder Stone.' It amplifies your lightning ninjutsu if you carry it with you. As for that round one…that's called an 'Motor Drive'—or let's say, the 'Electric Engine.'"

"Electric Engine?" Sasuke repeated, baffled. It was another name he'd never heard before. But by now, he'd learned that anything Sensei gave him was guaranteed to be top-notch. It was probably another lightning-related booster.

"Is it also something you just carry around?" Sasuke asked, recalling how he hadn't felt any new effect earlier.

Shaking his head, Senshi explained, "No, this one's single-use. To activate it, you have to break it."

"Break it?"

Though uncertain, Sasuke trusted his teacher. He gripped the "electric engine" learning device and crushed it in his hands. It splintered into tiny lights, which sank into his body. A warm, gentle power began altering him from within, and even Sasuke could sense the change.

He inhaled sharply, trying another Lightning Ball. This time, keenly aware of his previous failure, he mustered all his concentration. But as soon as the Lightning Ball formed, he realized something was off. Even with the "engine," there was no obvious power boost. Confused, Sasuke allowed the Lightning Ball to disperse.

"Sensei…?" He turned to Senshi, who merely laughed.

"Electric Engine doesn't amplify your own lightning ninjutsu. Instead, it…" Mid-sentence, Senshi formed a huge crackling thunder in his hand. The lightning, under his total control, was intimidating in size but precisely measured in strength. He hurled it straight at Sasuke's chest.

To Sasuke, who didn't know Senshi had carefully restrained the lightning's power, it looked like a death sentence. Fear overwhelmed him. "Don't tell me…Sensei was never on my side? Just like Itachi—?"

In that instant, Sasuke thought his world was ending. Even the light in his Sharingan seemed to fade. But a few moments later, he heard Senshi's voice:

"Sasuke? Why are you just standing there?"

Sasuke blinked in confusion and looked down at himself. "I'm…not dead?"

Senshi almost laughed in exasperation. "Of course not. Why would I kill you after all I've invested? That'd be a massive waste."

Sure enough, Sasuke's clothes were singed around the chest area, but his body was untouched. There wasn't even a bruise.

"Don't just stand there. Hit me back," Senshi said, then quickly added, seeing Sasuke ready another Lightning Ball, "No ninjutsu—use taijutsu."

Nodding, Sasuke grabbed a kunai and charged. Even as he moved, he noticed something stunning: he was fast—far faster than he'd ever been before. He practically rocketed forward, pouring the momentum into his weapon. It crashed into Senshi with a resounding clang, sending a jolt up Sasuke's arms.

Senshi chuckled. "Feel it? That's the Electric Engine's power. An average A-rank lightning jutsu can't harm you anymore—if anything, it feeds you energy. It boosts your physical abilities."

A glow of understanding lit Sasuke's eyes. "Like what I just did, increasing my speed?"

Wearing a satisfied "you're a quick learner" expression, Senshi nodded. Delighted, Sasuke then looked to the remaining disc in his hand—the other "TM." Without waiting for instructions, he crushed it as well.

Immediately, a flood of information poured into his mind. Sasuke winced at the pain of sudden knowledge overload. Gritting his teeth, he endured it, letting that new data merge into his brain.

"'Thunder Punch'…this taijutsu is unbelievably powerful, and I just learned it in an instant?" Sasuke mumbled in awe. The learning device didn't just teach him the concept; it etched the muscle memory directly into his body. He could now execute Thunder Punch as though he'd drilled it hundreds of times.

One single device saved him what could have been months or even years of training. Sasuke grasped just how precious it was. If these learning devices could be mass-produced, no shinobi village would ever bother running a ninja academy again. (Well, except Konoha, which would probably still insist on preserving the "Will of Fire.")

Yet, for something so valuable, Senshi had handed it to him without hesitation. All Sasuke had to do was pay 12 million ryō a year for his lessons. Does Sensei really need money that badly? With his power, earning that amount must be trivial. Why would he bother teaching me so meticulously, giving me such rare tools?

Touched by the realization, Sasuke felt a surge of emotion. From Senshi, he sensed a deep warmth—a bond. Ever since that night of the Uchiha massacre, he hadn't felt anything like this. His heart brimmed with gratitude.

He started thinking that maybe the only reason Senshi even charges tuition is so Sasuke wouldn't feel guilty accepting so many benefits. Sasuke's earlier resentment—born from Senshi going off with Itachi, the traitorous Uchiha—vanished. He never imagined that once Senshi returned, he'd shower him with three incredible gifts.

Compared to that man he hated so deeply, Senshi felt more like a true big brother.

Unaware of Sasuke's emotional whirl, Senshi simply said, "Why don't you test out your new powers?"

Sasuke responded like a thrilled child who'd just received a brand-new toy. He recalled the fresh knowledge in his head and activated Thunder Punch. Golden arcs of electricity danced around his right fist as he shot forward like a cannonball, slamming into the target area.

He still had the Electric Engine's speed boost active. When combined, the result was more than just '1 + 1 = 2.'

Boom!

Amid thunderous noise, lightning surged outward in a destructive wave, snapping the trees ahead and toppling them in a neat row. The force of Thunder Punch was terrifying.

Senshi, watching Sasuke, nodded in approval. Calling Sasuke back, he said, "Good. Now that you have this level of strength, I can stop worrying."

Sasuke's face lit up, but a strange feeling nagged at him. A heavy sense of foreboding crept in, and sure enough, Senshi's next words hit him like a bolt from the blue:

"My task in Konoha is finished. I can leave without worrying now."

It was as if someone had doused Sasuke with ice water. He stared at Senshi, stunned.

"Sensei…must you really go?"

Seeing Sasuke's reluctance, Senshi tousled his hair. "Of course. I'm Akatsuki's top mercenary—if I stay here, who knows when Konoha might decide to wipe me out in one fell swoop?"

Sasuke fell silent. He knew as well as anyone how absurd it sounded to say that Senshi feared Konoha. Yet if his teacher had reasons to leave, Sasuke couldn't force him to stay. Still, he couldn't hide how upset he felt.

Over these past days, training alongside Senshi and Karin, he'd made tremendous progress. He'd even grown to enjoy their company—Sasuke found himself smiling more than he had in years. In them, he felt a warmth he never experienced among the Uchiha or even in all of Konoha—the warmth of family.

And now that source of warmth was leaving.

Reaching for a last-ditch excuse to hold Senshi back, Sasuke mumbled, "What about…my lessons? Without your guidance, I can't kill that man."

For once, the notoriously aloof Sasuke sounded hesitant. But Senshi only said, "Don't worry. No matter what happens, my Wood Clone will stay here to teach you. As long as you follow the plan, trust me—you'll be strong enough to beat the crap out of that 'Ichi-ni-san' guy."

Sasuke said nothing, even though he should be thrilled by the promise that he'd someday defeat Itachi and kill the man who betrayed his clan. But his sense of loss overshadowed that triumph.

No doubt, Sasuke hated watching Senshi leave. Pouting like a little kid, he was clearly unhappy about their impending farewell.

~~~

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