Sasuke's breathing gradually steadied.
"How's it going? Did you break through?"
Mei Terumi approached, observing him closely, but she didn't notice any visible changes.
"This breakthrough isn't physical—it's mental."
Sasuke tapped his temple.
"After this, my perception can now cover all of Kirigakure."
"Really?" Mei raised an eyebrow.
Sasuke smirked and pulled her into an embrace. "Impressive, right?"
Mei chuckled, touching his face. "Yeah, very impressive."
A perception ability spanning an entire village was already remarkable. In Konoha, maintaining such a barrier required a whole sensory team and special tools.
"With this, I'll just cling to you from now on," Mei teased, whispering into his ear.
Sasuke simply smiled.
After a long while, Mei lay beside him, gazing into his eyes.
"By the way, Sasuke, since my breakthrough is complete, I need to study more genjutsu. Can you help me gather information?"
Mei ran a slender finger along his forehead. "Of course. Just keep getting stronger."
Sasuke held her tightly. It was time for him to create a genjutsu of his own—something that could rival Tsukuyomi. While his talent for understanding techniques was nearly unmatched, developing new abilities from scratch still required time. Studying past illusions would accelerate the process.
"Hmph, my genjutsu will be no weaker than Itachi's..." Sasuke mused, closing his eyes in thought.
---
Early the next morning, Sasuke activated the Flying Thunder God Technique and returned to Konoha.
"Tsunade, I'm back," he said as he entered her office.
Tsunade frowned. "Where were you last night?"
"Training," Sasuke replied vaguely, though it wasn't a lie.
Tsunade sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Shizune went out to buy me more sake. The wine you made is good, but it's still missing something."
Sasuke resisted the urge to sigh. At the rate Tsunade drank, she had finished all the wine he brought in just a few days.
Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind.
"Tsunade, your biggest weakness is still..."
"What weakness?" she scoffed. "The only thing you could call a weakness is my gambling, and you already took advantage of that."
"I meant your hemophobia."
Tsunade's expression darkened, her face filled with a flicker of sadness.
Sasuke sighed. "Tsunade, the people you lost… they're gone, but their spirits live on. Drowning in grief won't bring them back. They wouldn't want you to—"
"Enough!" Tsunade snapped. "You think you understand my pain? Don't lecture me!"
"No," Sasuke said firmly, activating his Sharingan. Three tomoe spun in his crimson eyes.
In an instant, Tsunade felt her surroundings twist, plunging her into an illusion.
"Genjutsu…?" She narrowed her eyes.
Suddenly, she found herself standing on a quiet street. A small boy, no older than seven, ran past her.
"This is…"
Sasuke appeared beside her. "My memory."
Tsunade's heart clenched.
The peaceful street was soon drenched in blood. Bodies of Uchiha clansmen littered the ground, their lifeless eyes staring at the sky.
Then, she saw him—Uchiha Itachi—standing before his younger brother, his blade dripping red.
The screams of young Sasuke filled the air.
Tsunade clenched her fists. This is terrible...
She had lost loved ones before, but Sasuke was only a child when he endured this massacre.
Back in reality, Tsunade trembled as Sasuke pulled her into a gentle embrace.
"There's no point in dwelling on the pain," he murmured. "The past remains with us, but we must use it to grow stronger."
For the first time in years, Tsunade felt an unexpected sense of comfort.
A long silence passed before she whispered, "Alright, Sasuke. You can let go now."
"No," Sasuke muttered. "Not yet."
Tsunade chuckled, flicking his forehead. "You little brat…"
She allowed him to hold her a little longer.
Suddenly, the door swung open.
"Tsunade-sama, what are you—?!"
Shizune stood frozen at the doorway, holding a bottle of sake.
"Ahem!" Tsunade instantly pulled away, clearing her throat.
Shizune raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh…?"
Tsunade glared at Sasuke. This is your fault!
Her face turned red as she grumbled, "Ugh, how embarrassing…"
---
Later, in a secluded forest outside the village, Sasuke sat cross-legged, his mind focused inward.
"With my current physique and Tsunade's Strength of a Hundred technique… it's time to unlock the Second Celestial Point."
The second point was Giant Gate, known as Shenwei Palace.
Once unlocked, it would grant pure physical power—not chakra-enhanced strength like the Raikage's Lightning Cloak or Tsunade's Superhuman Strength. It would be true, raw power.
Even someone like the Third Raikage, who could fight a Tailed Beast, still relied on chakra to enhance his body. But with the Shenwei Palace, Sasuke's base strength would become monstrous.
"If I master this, I'll be able to match a Tailed Beast in sheer force alone…"
Suddenly, he felt a reaction in his chest.
"There it is!"
Without hesitation, he focused his chakra, directing it toward the second Celestial Point—a location near his heart.
A powerful force surged within him.
Boom!
His body trembled violently, his muscles contracting under the pressure.
Again!
With gritted teeth, he struck the point again.
A deep, rumbling sound echoed from within him.
"Shenwei Palace—open!"
A golden light burst from his chest.
At the same time, deep in space, a distant celestial body—the Giant Gate Star—flared with brilliance, resonating with Sasuke's breakthrough.
Invisible star energy poured into his body, tempering his muscles, making him stronger than ever.
---
Meanwhile, in Tanzaku Town, Tsunade and Shizune arrived at an ancient building complex.
On a rooftop, Orochimaru stood with Kabuto and Kimimaro, watching them approach.
"Kimimaro, I didn't expect you to come," Kabuto remarked.
Kimimaro's cold gaze remained fixed ahead. "Today is important to Lord Orochimaru. I won't sit idly by."
Kabuto adjusted his glasses. "Sasuke is training nearby, but our subordinates will bring him to Lord Orochimaru soon."
Kimimaro nodded. He had heard of Sasuke's talent and was curious to see if he was worthy of Orochimaru's interest.
"Tsunade is here," Orochimaru smirked. "Kimimaro, Kabuto—if she agrees to our deal, do nothing. If she refuses… you know what to do."
"Understood," the two replied.
"Let's greet the famous medical kunoichi," Orochimaru said with a sly grin.
As Tsunade and Shizune reached the meeting point, Shizune hesitated.
"Sasuke was supposed to be here by now… Where is he?"
A terrible thought crossed her mind.
"Did he… run away?"
Tsunade's expression hardened. "No. He wouldn't."
"But the time's already—"
"If he's playing games, I'll kill him myself," Tsunade muttered.
At that moment, Orochimaru stepped forward.
"Waiting for someone?" he sneered. "Oh… you must mean Sasuke. Unfortunately, he won't be joining us."
Tsunade's eyes burned with fury. "What did you do to him?"
Orochimaru chuckled. "My, my, Tsunade. Are you worried about him? Don't tell me you're interested in such a young man… given your age?"
Tsunade clenched her fists.
"That's it—I'm going to kill you!"
She lunged forward, her foot aimed straight for his head.