Happy times always seem fleeting.

  After Sora and Uzumaki Kushina spent the day wandering around Konoha, the night fell all too quickly.

  Relutly, Sora escorted Uzumaki Kushina back to her mansion. Once she was safely inside, he began his solitary walk back to Orochimaru's underground base.

  His own house had likely gathered a yer of dust after being unoccupied for so long. ing it just to stay for one night felt like too much trouble, so he opted for the base instead.

  As Sora walked along the dimly lit streets, his thoughts turo his earlier versation with Uzumaki Mito.

  He could sehat Uzumaki Mito saw him as a junior—a younger person deserving of her guidand affe.

  But Sora couldn't bring himself to view Uzumaki Mito as an elder worthy of his respect.

  No matter how much Uzumaki Mito cared for Uzumaki Kushina, her willio use Kushina for the sake of Konoha overshadowed everything else.

  And there was another issue: Uzumaki Mito's ability to sense malicious i.

  Her perceptive powers made her an incredibly difficult person to deceive.

  How could he possibly fool someone like Uzumaki Mito?

  Sora mulled over this problem, his mind w through potential solutions as he tinued down the road.

  But his train of thought was interrupted when two figures appeared in front of him.

  Looking up, Sora's expression darkened as he reized the Uchiha emblem ad their clothing.

  These were Uchiha shinobi.

  "Well, well, who do we have here? Isn't this Uchiha Sora?" one of them sneered mogly.

  "Uchiha Sora? Hah! His surname isn't even Uchiha," the other retorted with a smirk. "He's just a bastard."

  "Hahaha, that's right! My mistake for fetting!"

  The two Uchiha members ughed derisively, their taunts aimed squarely at Sora.

  Sora's face remained impassive, though a shadow of irritation flickered in his eyes. He had no iion of engaging with them, so he attempted to walk around them.

  However, they stepped into his path, blog his way.

  "Where are you going in such a hurry? Did we say something that hit a nerve?" one of them jeered.

  "We're just calling it like it is. Isn't that right, bastard?"

  Sora's voice dropped, cold and firm. "Get out of my way."

  Instead of plying, the two Uchiha only ughed harder at his words.

  The oanding directly in front of him reached out, clearly intending to shove him.

  But before the hand could make tact, Sora's own shot out with lightning speed, gripping the man's wrist firmly.

  Although Uchiha Yuuto was older than Sora, the rigorous training Sora had endured made him far strohan his oppo.

  As Chiba gradually tightened his grip, Uchiha Yuuto's expression twisted in agony.

  "Let go! Let go!" Yuuto cried out, struggling in vain.

  Sora remained unmoved, increasing the pressure.

  Behind him, Uchiha Kazuma noticed the situation turning dire. Without hesitatiohreunch aimed at the back of Chiba's head.

  Without even looking, Sora delivered a swift backkick, sending Kazuma sprawling to the ground.

  His grip on Yuuto's wrist remained firm.

  Sora lowered his gaze slightly, not even b to look Yuuto in the eye. "Is this enough? Should I let you go now?"

  Yuuto's face torted with fury, though his wrist throbbed painfully under Sora's iron grip. His pride refused to let him back down.

  "You're just an abandoned child of the Uchiha, a bastard! How dare you talk to me like this! Go to hell!"

  Yuuto reached for a kunai with his free hand and stabbed it toward Sora's head.

  "Too slow."

  Sora tilted his head, allowing the kunai to miss its mark. With a swift motion, he drove his ko Yuuto's abdomen.

  "Cough!" Yuuto's eyes widened as the pain ripped through him. The kunai slipped from his grasp and cttered to the ground.

  Before Yuuto could recover, Sora struck him with a sharp elbow to the head. The blow sent Yuuto stumbling backwards, eventually colpsing to the ground.

  "Yuuto!"

  Kazuma scrambled to his feet and rushed to his fallen rade.

  Yuuto wiped the er of his mouth and gred at Sora with unbridled hatred. "Kazuma, let's take this bastard down together!"

  Without hesitation, Yuuto hurled several shuriken at Sora.

  In an instant, Sora uhed the tachi at his waist. The bde glinted in the moonlight as it cut through the ining shuriken with ease.

  Kazuma and Yuuto both drew their kunai and charged at Sora from opposite sides.

  But before they could reach him, Sora vanished.

  "What? The Body Flicker Teique?"

  "Where did he—?"

  A chilling voice whispered from behind them. "Not the Body Flicker Teique, just speed. I told you—you're too slow."

  Sora appeared behind Yuuto, striking his right arm with the back of his bde. A siing crack echoed through the air as Yuuto's arm bent unnaturally, clearly fractured.

  "Ahhh!" Yuuto screamed, clutg his mangled arm as he crumpled to the ground.

  Kazuma barely had time to react before Sora seized his arm from behind, twisting it painfully. A swift kick to the back of Kazuma's knee forced him to kneel.

  Sora pced his foot on Kazuma's back, pinning him in pce, and tightened his grip on the kunai-wielding arm.

  With a chilling ess, Sora spoke: "One of Konoha's rules is that you don't attack your rades. You made the first move and even used a kunai. So, for the sake of self-defence, wouldn't it be reasonable for me to break your arm?"

  Kazuma's eyes widened in terror as Sora's words sank in. "No, please! Don't!"

  Ign the plea, Sora pressed down harder with his foot and wrenched Kazuma's arm violently. The siing sound of bone snapping echoed, followed by Kazuma's agonized scream.

  Kazuma colpsed onto the ground, clutg his broken arm, writhing in paio Yuuto.

  Sora looked down at the two of them with cold disdain. "Pathetic. Is this what the Uchiha has e to? Weaklings like you?"

  Even through his pain, Yuuto mao gre at Sora. "The Uchiha won't let you get away with this!"

  Sora smirked and shook his head. "Get away with what? Look at you two—sixteen or seventeen years old, yet you haven't awakened your Sharingan even after this. Haven't you figured it out? You're not worth w about."

  Yuuto and Kazuma's pale faces flushed with humiliation.

  Before they could retort, Sora activated his own Sharingan, the crimson glow illuminating his expression as a smug smile pyed on his lips. "See? This is what a real Uchiha do."

  As he turo leave, Sora paused and gnced back over his shoulder. "Oh, by the way, you're part of the Konoha Military Police Force, aren't you? You love filing pints, don't you? Feel free to report this to your superiors. I'll be waiting for you at Orochimaru's base. Don't act like you don't know who Orochimaru is—ask the other Uchiha about him."

  Yuuto and Kazuma exged horrified looks. They were well aware of who Orochimaru was—one of Konoha's legendary Sannin.

  Not only had Sora awakehe Sharingan, but he was also a disciple of Orochimaru.

  Sora s their stunned expressions. "Idiots," he muttered before walking away, leaving the two defeated Uchiha writhing in humiliation and pain.

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