"Hmm..."
"A Special Jonin with a unique master skill..."
"Not bad!"
Looking at the evaluation given by the system, Akali nodded.
Her previous rating had been an elite Chunin with a unique skill, capable of defeating most Special Jonin by catching them off guard, but her overall stats still fell short of the Special Jonin level.
Now that her personal attributes had increased, upgrading to Special Jonin felt entirely reasonable.
After all, based on what Akali had learned during her six years at the Ninja Academy, if her Perfect Execution were converted into a regular ninjutsu, its rank should be somewhere above A-rank, just shy of S-rank.
Furthermore, the term "unique skill" fit her extremely well, because Akali's Perfect Execution was an ultra-high-speed dash and assassination ninjutsu. The closest equivalent would be Kakashi's Chidori while his body was stimulated by Lightning Release chakra.
As for the flaw in Kakashi's Chidori, anyone who had watched Naruto knew it was simply that his personal speed was too fast for him to properly control.
This was where Akali's superiority shone through once again.
Once she invested skill points into it, she mastered it completely; she would never suffer from the drawback that forced Kakashi to acquire a Sharingan just to control the technique.
With a dash ninjutsu like this, Akali was undoubtedly a master of a signature technique!
Only, Akali still wanted to issue a minor complaint against the League of Legends designers here.
Because if she weren't the Rogue Assassin Akali, but instead the Fist of Shadow Akali...
Then an Akali with a level-two ultimate would definitely not be rated as a unique Special Jonin, but rather a bona fide Jonin!
After all, what was the description of the Rogue Assassin Akali's ultimate?
Akali flips over target enemy champion, dealing damage to all enemies in her path!
But what about the Fist of Shadow Akali?
Akali slips into the shadows, dashing to the enemy's side!
Slips into the shadows versus flips over the target—that four-character difference represented a whole different dimension!
Still, there was nothing she could do about it. Who told Akali to get reworked? She could only hope to roll that version later on!
Next, she tested whether skill points could be invested into Perfect Execution, and upon discovering that they couldn't, Akali simply dropped the matter and left it aside for now.
Skill points could also be used for ninjutsu, just in case she acquired some powerful technique later that she needed to learn in a hurry.
Well, but that was a story for another day!
Having sorted out the gacha, Akali fell fast asleep while making plans for tomorrow.
Tomorrow was Saturday, and she and Naruto had agreed to head out to the outskirts early to make the most of their time and take plenty of photos.
And so, the next morning at the break of dawn, Akali stepped out of her front door and headed to the outskirts for her photoshoot.
However, at the very same time Akali was taking pictures in the outskirts!
In the outskirts of Konoha, amidst a cluster of buildings that was once bustling but had now fallen into ruin.
Listening to the crisp chirping of birds, Sasuke woke up expressionless in the empty house.
For him, this was a morning as normal as any other.
In the past, even though the Uchiha Clan Compound was inhabited by only a single clan, it had been just as lively as the center of Konoha.
At this hour, either his gentle mother would push open the door carrying breakfast, or Itachi would flick him on the forehead and shove some coins into his hand, telling him to go out and buy his own food.
Those had been the happiest times for Sasuke.
Because the baked flatbreads from Uncle Huoshao's shop by the entrance were delicious, and the steamed buns from the old woman's shop at the corner were an even better value.
Whenever a child like Sasuke went to buy them, he could often get two portions for the price of one.
Sometimes, Sasuke would even be crafty enough to spend half a price for a full portion, pocketing the change.
Though as the young master of the Uchiha clan, he didn't lack for pocket change, a child's happiness was just that simple.
It was a pity that after that night, all of it had vanished!
The once-vibrant Uchiha Clan Compound had since grown silent, turning into a paradise for stray animals and birds.
Every time before he opened his eyes, Sasuke would harbor a sliver of hope that he might see the past once more, wishing his mother would gently stroke his head and softly ask if he had been having a nightmare last night.
But alas, every time he opened his eyes, the desolate reality reminded him that it was all in the past!
After the clan massacre, out of concern for his physical and mental well-being, the Third Hokage had once arranged an apartment for him in downtown Konoha.
Sasuke had refused, however—he wanted to watch over this place!
Because only this could keep him from forgetting the bone-deep hatred and agony!
And this would all serve as the driving force for his growth!
Then, maintaining an expressionless face, he changed his clothes, washed up, and grabbed the leftover cold rice ball from last night to fill his stomach before stepping out the door.
To be honest, after drying out overnight, the cold rice ball wasn't spoiled, but it was dry, hard, and thoroughly unappetizing. Still, Sasuke chewed it expressionlessly.
Because it didn't matter anymore; living alone meant cutting corners on everything, and any food that kept him barely alive was enough.
If not for the training ahead, and the fact that he couldn't train without eating, he wouldn't even have bothered with breakfast!
Chewing the unpalatable rice ball, Sasuke walked toward a small lake not far from the clan compound.
His training with the Grand Fireball had reached a critical bottleneck, and he needed plenty of practice to break through it.
Of course, compared to dry, repetitive drills, Sasuke felt that actual combat would be much better, though unfortunately, he couldn't find anyone suitable to fight against.
The Ninja Academy was still far too childish. That girl Akali from his class was decent, but Sasuke always felt she hadn't fully unleashed her strength.
Otherwise, if he could go all out in a real fight with Akali, Sasuke felt he ought to...
"Goshujin-sama..."
A female voice, blended with coquettishness and shyness—one capable of instantly arousing a man's desires—suddenly drifted into Sasuke's ears.
"What?!"
Sasuke's mind went blank for a second or two.
Was he hallucinating?
Why else would he feel like a woman's voice was coming from around the corner of a nearby building?
Sasuke stopped and concentrated.
Just then, the wind direction shifted from an easterly to a westerly breeze, carrying fragments of sound on the gentle gust.
"Goshujin-sama... welcome home... asking... would you like dinner or... me..."
"Goshujin-sama... not there..."
"Whoosh—"
The wind shifted again, the roaring gust drowning out whatever came next.
Even though he had only caught scraps and fragments of that seductive female voice, Sasuke could easily imagine what kind of dissolute scene was playing out just around the corner ahead!
In an instant, Sasuke froze right where he stood, as if struck by Kirin!
He had imagined what the clan compound would look like once it finally regained its population, and he had envisioned the day he killed that man and restored the Uchiha to glory.
Yet Sasuke had never once imagined this current situation!
Someone was actually engaging in depravity in broad daylight, right here in the fallen Uchiha compound, surrounded by so many departed souls, trampling over the blood and tears of the Uchiha clan!!?
The mere thought that the filthy bodily fluids of outsiders might be dripping onto this land stained with Uchiha blood—
A flame even more blazing than the Grand Fireball instantly filled Sasuke's chest and mind!
As that overwhelming wave of negative emotions surged into his brain, a pool of dark, cooling chakra was born!
Feeling the world suddenly snap into sharp clarity, Sasuke paused for a moment.
Then, a tyrannical smile spread across his face!
Grasping a kunai, Sasuke charged toward the source of the voice!