Sasuke sat cross-legged at the chabudai table as he picked at his bento box. Kakashi sat across from him, mask temporarily pulled down, left eye shut, as he sipped a warm cup of tea and worked on his own bento. The two were alone in a modest, windowless room that Sasuke was using as part personal inpatient hospital and part living space. They were located in an underground bunker outside Konoha, known to only a handful of trusted shinobi. Sasuke had only woken two days prior, still regaining his strength after sleeping for almost a week following his bout with Yoroi Akado in the preliminaries, a side effect of Orochimaru's cursed seal infecting Sasuke's chakra network and psyche.

"How long are you going to make me stay inside?" said Sasuke.

"At least until we get that seal under control," said Kakashi. He gestured to the cursed seal on Sasuke's shoulder. "Trust me, it's for your own good to keep a low profile for a while. Fortunately, I have the perfect training that you can do here." He revealed a handheld gaming console and passed it across the table to Sasuke.

"Videogames?" said Sasuke. "Never really interested me."

"I think you'll like this one," said Kakashi. "But for now just focus on turning it on."

Sasuke looked the device over for a power switch. It was a blocky handheld console with a three-by-three grid of buttons below a dark screen.

"If you haven't guessed yet, you're the battery," said Kakashi. "You'll need to pump chakra into the game to get it going, and it has to be lightning release."

"Lightning?" said Sasuke.

"Your opponent in the finals utilizes a combination of wind release and earth release, so having proficiency with both fire and lightning release would be ideal," said Kakashi. "And I happen to know a Raiton technique that would suit you well. Given your talent for nature transformation, and Sharingan copying technique, it normally wouldn't be an issue for you to pick up a new jutsu, but that seal may give you trouble."

Sasuke grimaced and ran his fingers over the curse mark. He thought of the flash of intense power it had granted him in the Forest of Death, but also the agonizing and volatile side effects. "So, what do I do?"

"You need to want to suppress the seal," said Kakashi. "Without the proper training, your ability to control chakra will be way out of whack, and the seal will control you. The more chakra you use, the harder it will be. So, we start a little at a time—can you activate your Sharingan?"

Sasuke began focusing his chakra, and he felt a rising twinge of pain in his shoulder. A cold numbness spread through his body, sweat forming on his brow. This power. How much…?

"You're drawing from the seal," said Kakashi. Sasuke snapped out of his trance and took a breath. Kakashi had revealed his own Sharingan eye. "I can see when you're supplementing your strength with the seal, you know."

Sasuke cleared his mind and tried again. He consciously suppressed the cold energy originating in his shoulder, and managed to reawaken the Sharingan. The flow of time seemed to slow as his reflexes heightened, and he could see the glow of Kakashi's chakra.

"Good," said Kakashi. "Try to maintain it for as long as you can, and watch closely. This is how you perform lightning release."

Monkey-dragon-rat-bird-ox-snake-dog-tiger-monkey. Raiton: Chidori. Sasuke watched Kakashi's chakra grow, and then concentrate into a pinpoint in his right hand in the form of electricity. A crackling energy filled the room—no Sharingan was needed to feel the immense buildup of chakra.

Kakashi released the jutsu and let out a slow breath. "You catch all that?"

Sasuke released his Sharingan. He was sweating and breathing heavily from the slight exertion. "Yes, I see now."

"Then turn on the game," said Kakashi.

Sasuke gripped the console and focused his chakra into his hands, careful to resist the pull of the curse seal. He attempted to replicate Kakashi's lightning nature transformation, but he felt so limited by the seal that he could hardly summon any chakra to manipulate.

WHAP! Kakashi flicked Sasuke's ear, snapping him out of focus. "You're starting to draw from the seal again," said Kakashi.

Sasuke set down the console. I feel like I'm retraining my chakra network from scratch… but what's the alternative? I need to become stronger...

"Kakashi-sensei, that Raiton technique, is it enough to kill him?" said Sasuke. "Itachi, I mean."

Kakashi's eyes sharpened. "I've never tried it on him." So, you haven't lost your drive.

Sasuke picked the console back up. "Let's keep going."