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The task issued by the system left Ikeno scratching his head.
[Ding! Please establish a friendship with Sasuke and go to the Uchiha Residence, Itachi's room, to sign in for one week.]
Make friends?
And visit Sasuke's house?
This task seemed both easy and hard...
Ikeno was immediately perplexed.
He had just defeated Sasuke in the training grounds. How could he shamelessly go visit him now?
Moreover, Sasuke had a cold personality; it wouldn't be easy to become friends with him quickly.
But, the harder the task, the better the reward, right?
Lying in bed that night, after Mr. Ozawa's Transformation Technique wore off, Ikeno pondered.
"The plot will start in three months. I need to establish a bond with Sasuke early. But how can we become friends in just a week?"
Thinking about it, he soon fell asleep.
---
The next morning, as he was out training, Ikeno heard a noise in the jungle and thought it was Rock Lee.
But when he turned around, he saw Sasuke instead, dressed in his blue outfit with the Uchiha fan on the back, wearing his usual poker face.
"Why is he here...?"
Sasuke also noticed him, and the two locked eyes.
Strangely enough, there was a complex feeling of familiarity and connection between them, likely because both had experienced the pain of losing loved ones early and the coldness of people in the village.
Ikeno smiled warmly. "Sasuke, are you here for morning training too?"
Sasuke nodded, expressionless, and then got straight to the point:
"Let's fight again."
"Huh? Another fight?" Ikeno scratched his head, confused.
This guy really didn't like losing.
"I lost in ninjutsu last time, and I accept that. But when it comes to taijutsu, I was careless. I want a rematch."
Of course, Ikeno was aware of Sasuke's strength before the main plot began. While Sasuke was known as a genius, he hadn't activated his Sharingan yet and hadn't mastered moves like the Lion Combo or Shadow of the Dancing Leaf.
His physical fitness and chakra reserves were also no match for Ikeno's.
But Ikeno didn't intend to go easy on him. Sasuke was the type of guy who needed to be beaten fairly to truly acknowledge someone. Only then could they form a real friendship.
"Alright," Ikeno agreed readily.
---
The two agreed on a pure taijutsu spar, without using any ninjutsu, shuriken, or kunai.
The fight began.
Ikeno immediately performed the Body Flicker Technique, appearing before Sasuke in an instant.
Before Sasuke could react, Ikeno landed a punch on his shoulder.
Sasuke tried to block, but was still knocked back several steps. Of course, Ikeno held back; otherwise, Sasuke's arm would've been broken.
But he didn't give Sasuke any room to recover! Ikeno Jun followed up with a kick that sent Sasuke crashing into a tree.
Sliding down to the ground, Sasuke realized what it meant to be unable to fight back.
Ikeno smiled and gestured for him to continue.
Sasuke, ever the fighter, clenched his fists and charged forward again, using his Body Flicker Technique.
This time, they began trading blows in a more balanced match, as Ikeno slowed down to give Sasuke a fair fight.
But it wasn't long before Ikeno's superior strength and endurance put him in control again.
With a powerful side kick, he sent Sasuke flying, leaving him gasping for air.
But even then, Sasuke stood back up, wiping his mouth, refusing to quit.
How could he, a genius of the Uchiha clan, lose twice to someone from an ordinary family?
After a brief rest, Sasuke launched another attack, but Ikeno ended it quickly, hurling a stone with chakra-infused precision, just grazing Sasuke's cheek.
The stone smashed into a tree, creating a deep hole.
Sasuke turned to look at the hole in shock.
And before he could process it, Ikeno used his Chakra Enhanced Strength to slam his fist into the ground, creating a small crater.
The earth trembled as dust and debris flew everywhere.
At this point, Sasuke was dumbfounded.
"You can't beat me," Ikeno said calmly, though his words carried an undeniable weight.
Though Sasuke's pride was hurt, he didn't give up.
They fought several more rounds until the sun rose high, and finally, Sasuke whispered:
"I surrender."
His voice was quiet, though the frustration was clear.
Still, he asked, "Did you learn this from blacksmithing?"
Ikeno nodded, though inwardly he thought, I can't reveal the system...
---
Even though Sasuke had lost again, his determination was stronger than ever.
"Toshi Ikeno, I've decided! I'll train even harder, and one day, I'll surpass you!"
Ikeno laughed. "That's the spirit! You'll definitely succeed!"
He threw an arm around Sasuke's shoulder, but Sasuke pulled away, grumbling in annoyance and giving his signature cool look.
As they walked back toward the village, both deep in thought, Ikeno broke the silence.
"Hey... can I come over for breakfast?"
Sasuke looked surprised, but after a moment, he said, "Whatever."
---
When they arrived at the Uchiha residence, Sasuke said, "This is my home."
Ikeno asked deliberately, "What about your family?"
Sasuke's face darkened. "It's just me... Come in."
Inside, the house was simple but clean. There was a low table in the center, surrounded by tatami mats, with a refrigerator and TV in one corner.
Looking around, Ikeno noticed a photo of Sasuke and Itachi. Sasuke looked happy, held tightly by his older brother.
But that warmth had been destroyed four years ago during the Uchiha massacre.
---
While Sasuke prepared food in the kitchen, Ikeno explored the house, eventually coming across a room filled with scrolls and books. The bed was neatly made.
"This must be Itachi's room..." he thought.
He summoned the system.
[Ding! Check-in task complete. Reward: Invincible Cooking Skills. Friendship task still in progress. Six days remaining.]
Invincible cooking skills?
What kind of reward is that?
Though the system's reward was strange, he realized the friendship with Sasuke hadn't fully developed yet.
---
Sasuke called him for breakfast. The meal was simple—rice balls and tomato-egg stir-fry.
"It's a little... plain, don't you think?" Ikeno thought.
But as they ate, Sasuke seemed lost in thought.
Finally, Sasuke mumbled, "We're friends... right?"
Ikeno smiled warmly. "Of course! I feel lucky to eat something you cooked."
Hearing this, Sasuke seemed stunned for a moment, feeling a warmth he hadn't experienced in years.
---
After the meal, Ikeno glanced at the calendar.
July 21st.
He suddenly had an idea.
In two days, on July 23rd, it would be Sasuke's birthday!
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