The day started like any other.
Sasuke woke before dawn.
Weights strapped to his limbs, he moved through katas under the rising sun — blades flashing, sweat clinging to his body like a second skin. His breath flowed with his strikes, perfectly aligned.
Raikiri flickered in his hand once, precise and silent — barely even audible anymore. The crackle no longer screamed. It whispered.
Later, after a cold rinse and a quiet breakfast, he sat cross-legged in the courtyard.
Still.
Eyes closed.
He inhaled deeply.
Meditation wasn't about silence.
It was about control.
Control over his breath.
His thoughts.
His chakra.
He could feel his spiritual energy slowly refining — not growing violently, but sharpening like the edge of a blade honed for years.
Beneath his skin, his lightning chakra flickered faintly, fusing more and more with his body.
He wasn't just wielding lightning anymore.
He was becoming it.
"FIELD TRIP!"
Naruto's voice shattered his peace like a kunai to a water balloon.
Sasuke opened his eyes slowly, already regretting everything.
Forest Outside Konoha – Academy Field Trip
Iruka stood in front of the class, smiling like he had no idea what chaos was coming.
"Alright, class! Today is your first real field survival exercise! You'll be split into small groups and tasked with setting up a safe camp, locating clean water, and identifying edible plants!"
Sakura raised her hand. "Will there be a written test afterward?"
Naruto gagged. "NOOO!"
Shikamaru lay on a rock. "This sounds like effort…"
Ino grinned. "We get to compete, right? Like, for points?"
Iruka laughed nervously. "Um… not exactly—"
Naruto interrupted. "CAN WE FIGHT A BEAR?"
"NO!" Iruka snapped instantly.
Hinata squeaked.
Choji opened his snack pouch with reverence.
Kiba and Akamaru were already halfway up a tree.
Sasuke? He just watched.
Quiet. Focused.
Until Naruto practically yanked him by the wrist.
"C'mon! You're with me, right?"
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Obviously. You'd probably walk into poison ivy without supervision."
Naruto blinked. "Wait, ivy is poisonous?"
Sasuke did not respond.
The Teams
Naruto, Sasuke, Hinata, Kiba
Ino, Sakura, Shikamaru, Choji
Shino (solo, because he preferred silence)
Their mission: set up camp and return before sundown with a full checklist of edible herbs, basic fire-starting skills, and proper teamwork.
Naruto's interpretation: "BUILD A TREEHOUSE FORT WITH STICKS AND DECLARE IT OUR TERRITORY."
Kiba was in immediately.
Hinata hesitantly agreed.
Sasuke stared at the three of them. "This is a survival exercise. Not shinobi LARP."
"Wrong!" Naruto said proudly, already taping two sticks together. "This is a domination strategy."
Midday – Chaos
Somehow, they did it.
Kind of.
Naruto and Kiba built a lopsided wooden shelter that technically stood upright.
Sasuke handled the fire, creating sparks with chakra and dry leaves in under three seconds. (Naruto called it "wizard magic.")
Hinata gathered edible roots and herbs, labeling each one with careful handwriting.
It was working.
Until…
"HEY GUYS! I FOUND A COOL CAVE!"
Naruto's voice echoed from deep within the trees.
Sasuke's blood froze.
"Don't."
Too late.
Naruto poked something.
There was a rumble.
And then—
SQUAWK!
A monstrous, chakra-mutated forest bird the size of a small car launched out of the darkness, feathers flaring and claws extended.
Kiba screamed.
Hinata fainted.
Naruto yelled, "I NAMED HIM GARY!"
Sasuke stood. Calm. Lightning surged silently beneath his skin.
The bird lunged.
Sasuke moved.
In a flash of motion, his feet slid across the ground, hands pulsing with faint chakra.
He didn't use Raikiri — not fully.
But he channeled lightning through his body just enough to enhance his speed, moving like a blur across the clearing.
One precise strike to the bird's chest with a lightning-coated palm — not lethal, just shocking — sent it screeching and fleeing into the trees.
Naruto blinked.
"Did you just—are you glowing?"
Sasuke turned, expression blank. "Light reflection."
Naruto narrowed his eyes. "You are so hiding cool stuff."
"Prove it."
Naruto pointed. "Gary will return with vengeance!"
Sasuke stared at him.
Then smirked.
Evening
They returned to Iruka with a slightly bent shelter, a proper fire, an intact herb collection, and a single, angry drawing from Naruto of "Gary the Vengeful Forest Bird."
Iruka blinked. "You… actually did really well."
Hinata smiled shyly. "We… we tried."
Naruto saluted. "Mission complete, sensei!"
Sasuke simply nodded, standing calmly beside him.
For all their differences, they'd done it together.
Even if Sasuke had to be the clean-up crew behind Naruto's chaos.
Every time.
_________
Later That Week – Social Dynamics
Naruto was retelling the bird story for the sixth time, complete with flailing arms.
Kiba howled. "He actually said, 'I NAME HIM GARY.' I was there."
Choji nodded. "Sasuke hit it so hard I thought thunder clapped."
"He didn't even try that hard," Ino muttered. "Show-off."
Sasuke didn't speak.
But he stood closer to the group now.
It wasn't just about training anymore.
Not entirely.
_____________
Personal Training Progress – Uchiha Compound, Age 8
Physical Conditioning: Near chūnin-level strength, endurance, and agility through intense daily resistance workouts and weighted training.
Chakra Volume: Equal to an elite chūnin or special jōnin, enough to maintain high-level jutsu and shadow clones.
Chakra Control: Exceptionally high. Sasuke has completely mastered all basic and advanced control techniques (leaf balancing, tree climbing, water walking, chakra flow manipulation). His Rasengan can now almost be formed with a single hand.
Shadow Clone Usage: With his increased chakra, Sasuke can now create 7 - 9 shadow clones safely , finally allowing him to spar in kenjutsu after a year of solo practice via scrolls and Sharingan mimicry.
Lightning Chakra Mode (Prototype): Sasuke is now capable of low-level lightning armor bursts, increasing his speed and reflexes dramatically. Not sustainable yet in long-term combat, but functional in short bursts. His control is rapidly improving.
Kenjutsu and Taijutsu: Both steadily refined through self-study, clone sparring, and real-time combat data using the Sharingan. Fluid, aggressive, and fast.
______________
Sasuke was stronger now.
Faster. Sharper. Deadlier.
But he was also…
Connected.
Not completely.
Not yet.
But when Naruto laughed?
He didn't mind the noise as much as he used to.
And beneath that quiet tree, miso steam curling between them, Sasuke finally realized something strange.
He was no longer walking forward alone.