Naruto: I Am Uchiha Sasuke!?

On a steep mountain cliff overlooking Kirigakure, Sasuke and Terumi Mei sat side by side, gazing at the mist-shrouded village below.

"Hey, little rascal, you're leaving already?" Terumi Mei's tone carried a hint of reluctance.

"Don't worry, we'll see each other again soon," Sasuke reassured her. "Besides, weren't you the one who slipped out early this morning?"

"Excuse me? I'm the Mizukage now," Terumi Mei huffed, rolling her eyes. "If word got out that I spent the night with you, my authority would be questioned. Managing the village would be a nightmare."

Sasuke smirked but said nothing.

Terumi Mei stood up, stretching her arms wide as she faced the morning sun.

"Thanks to you, Kirigakure is finally free from its dark past," she declared. "The Blood Mist era is over, and I swear I'll lead this village to a better future!"

Sasuke watched her, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Oh, right. This is for you."

He pulled out a shuriken, engraved with a unique sealing formula, and handed it to her.

"What is this? A farewell gift?" Terumi Mei narrowed her eyes. "You're not planning to forget about me once you get back to Konoha, are you?"

Sasuke scoffed. "Didn't I tell you before? If I want to rebuild the Uchiha Clan, I can't do it alone."

Terumi Mei raised an eyebrow. "You're really serious about that?"

"You've heard of Konoha's Yellow Flash, haven't you?" Sasuke asked.

Her expression shifted as realization dawned. "Namikaze Minato… Wait, don't tell me—"

"Yep," Sasuke nodded. "Once I master the Flying Thunder God Technique, I'll be able to come see you anytime. That shuriken carries my chakra mark—keep it safe."

Terumi Mei's fingers tightened around the weapon as she carefully stowed it away.

"I heard that the Flying Thunder God is a space-time ninjutsu that requires an incredible level of talent," she mused.

"What, you don't believe in your man?" Sasuke teased.

She shook her head with a chuckle. Given the sheer skill and potential he displayed, she had no doubts.

Sasuke's expression turned serious. "Be careful. The mastermind behind all of this might make another move soon."

"I know," Terumi Mei said.

Sasuke took a step forward, brushing his lips against her cheek. "See you soon."

Then, with a wave, he leaped off the cliff, disappearing into the dense mist below.

Terumi Mei watched him go, standing tall against the rising sun.

"Well, time to get to work," she muttered.

---

Sasuke dashed across the water, his steps barely skimming the surface. As he moved, a crimson chakra shroud flared around him, boosting his speed.

"This is Three Tails' chakra, huh?" He smirked. The power was immense—far stronger than his own reserves.

But that didn't bother him.

Through the Infinite Chakra Refining Method, he would continue to grow stronger, surpassing even the tailed beasts themselves!

After traveling for most of the day, Sasuke finally arrived back at the Land of Waves. He made his way to Tazuna's house, pushing open the door.

"Yo, Sasuke. How was your 'training'?" Kakashi greeted him without looking up from his Icha Icha book.

"It was fine," Sasuke replied casually. Then, he tossed a thick envelope toward Kakashi.

Curious, Kakashi caught it and peeked inside. His visible eye widened.

"Ten million ryo? Where did you get this?"

"I came across some of Gato's hidden assets," Sasuke said nonchalantly. "Consider it a bonus for this mission."

Kakashi let out a low whistle. "Sasuke, you really are something else. Well, I won't say no to free money." He tucked the envelope away, clearly pleased.

Despite his own wealth from years of S-rank missions, ten million ryo was still a hefty sum. He couldn't help but feel even more impressed with his student.

"By the way, are your injuries fully healed?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah, I'm good to go. We can leave tomorrow."

"Great," Kakashi said, stretching lazily. "Back to Konoha it is. Shame, though—this was a nice little vacation."

---

The next morning, Team 7 bid farewell to Tazuna and his family, then set off on their journey home.

As they traveled, Kakashi observed his students with a thoughtful expression.

"Experience really does shape a shinobi," he mused.

Naruto and Sakura had matured considerably. They were beginning to grasp what it truly meant to be ninja.

"Sasuke, how the hell do you train?" Naruto asked suddenly, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Sasuke glanced at him. "Why? Thinking of copying my methods?"

"Well, yeah! You got way stronger in just a few days!" Naruto grumbled.

Sasuke shook his head. "Sorry, my training wouldn't work for you."

"Hmph, stingy," Naruto muttered, crossing his arms.

"Sasuke is a genius," Sakura chimed in. "His training must be completely different from ours."

Naruto looked unsatisfied, but before he could argue, Sasuke spoke again.

"Naruto, you do realize you have an incredible power inside you, right?"

Naruto blinked. "Huh?"

Sasuke tapped his stomach. "You should focus on controlling it, not suppressing it. If you master that power, you might actually be able to challenge me one day."

Naruto fell silent for a moment, then clenched his fist.

"Yeah… The Nine Tails is sealed inside me, but I'm the one in control!" His expression firmed. "That fox has been living inside me rent-free for too long. Time to make it work for its stay."

Kakashi listened to their conversation with interest.

"Perfect Jinchūriki, huh…?"

Few had ever truly mastered a tailed beast's power. And the Nine Tails? That was an entirely different challenge.

"Sensei," Sasuke asked, "was this the reason the Hokage made Naruto a Jinchūriki?"

Kakashi didn't answer right away. He had his suspicions. If Naruto could truly control the Nine Tails' power while still retaining his shinobi skills and intelligence…

His potential would be unimaginable.

"But can he really pull it off?" Kakashi muttered to himself.

There had only been a handful of perfect Jinchūriki in history. Could Naruto join their ranks?

"Well, that's not for me to decide," Kakashi sighed.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei! Sakura-chan! Hurry up!" Naruto called from ahead.

Kakashi shook his head and smiled beneath his mask. "Coming!"

With that, Team 7 pressed forward on their journey back to Konoha.

---

(A/N: Advance Chapters Are Available On My Patreon... Please Think Of Joining It)