Ayame Natsumi

Appearance
It has been five years since the events of Shippuden, yet Sasuke still looks quite young. His hair is black with a blue-tint to it, onyx-colored eyes, and light colored skin. He is noticeably more muscular than he was five years ago. He was first shown wearing a white long-sleeved shirt which was open at the torso, with a smaller version of the Uchiha crest on his collar, and blue trim around the edges, and a lightning bolt design covering it. He wears black pants with a white cloth hanging from halfway up his stomach to his knees. He also wears a purple rope around his waist, tied in a bow. He wears, what appears to be, samurai-like armor on his sleeves, shoulders, and legs.

Personality
Sasuke has showed that he had stayed true to his original personality; being extremely prideful and loyal to the Uchiha clan, as he always wore his clan's symbol and refused to wear the forehead protectors of both Konoha and Otogakure. Over the twenty year timeskip, however, his lust for revenge has diminished. While he still sees his comrades as a "pain" he is not above protecting them. He has shown respect for Team 7, Teak Hawk, and Ryun, one of his subordinates. Though it is unknown how he feels about Konoha at the moment. He is shown to still be cold towards his opponents, disregarding their dreams and statements as "foolish" whenever they seem unlogical to him. He shows great determination when faced with a task, and hardly wavers from it until it's completion, as shown on his hunt for Itachi in Part II, the fight with the Kages also in Part II, and in his various missions in Naruto Raijuu.

However, he isn't as cold as he use to be. He has softened towards his teammates, showing Ryun compassion and even protectiveness in a few situations. It seems he harbors guilt for his past, as shown in his fight with Kurisu Taizen. He has yet to reveal his intentions for sending Ryun to Konoha, but it seems to be an unimportant mission to him, as shown when he reprimands Ryun for taking so long.

Background
Sasuke Uchiha is the last member of the noble Uchiha clan of Konohagakure. During his childhood his brother Itachi Uchiha had assassinated his whole entire clan which caused Sasuke to harbor a deep hatred for him. He was shown as a highly skilled ninja, in his Konoha days, who possessed the Sharingan. During the second part of the Chunin Exams located in the Forest of Death he was confronted with Orochimaru, one of the three Legendary Sannin. Orochimaru wanted Sasuke's Sharingan for his own so he gave him the Curse Mark in order for Sasuke to seek him for power. Later he fought against Gaara in the Chunin Exams but was interrupted due to the village being under attack by Orochimaru, Sunagakure, and Otogakure ninja. After the invasion Sasuke was confronted by the Sound Four (Orochimaru's personal guards) and left Konoha. He went with them to meet up with Orochimaru, during that time he was sealed within a coffin while he was in a comma like state (due to the drug he used to progress his curse mark to level 2). When Naruto learned of his disappearance from the village from Sakura, he formed a squad consisting of Neji, Kiba, Chouji, and Shikamaru to find him. Later on after Sasuke was released from the coffin (while Naruto was fighting off Kimimaro) he escaped to the Valley of the End though Naruto managed to track him down. They fought a huge battle but in the end Sasuke won then disappeared.

Two years later rumors of Sasuke being seen began to surface. Sasuke had been training with Orochimaru the last two and a half years with Orochimaru. Sasuke had confronted Naruto a few times during Shippuden. During Part II he managed to "kill" Orochimaru while Orochimaru was trying to posses his body (more like suppress him). He formed the organization of Hebi (Snake) which consisted of Karin, Jugo, and Suigetsu.

Sasuke fought with Deidara of the Akatsuki shortly after the group had been formed and he managed to win (though Manda was killed in the process). At the Uchiha compound he fought a tough battle with his older brother Itachi. It was a long battle consisting of genjutsu and much more including Itachi using all three Mangekyou Sharingan techniques. In the end Sasuke won and Itachi died though Zetsu commented that Itachi was possibly injured before the battle.

After the battle Sasuke collapsed in a near death state but managed to revived by Madara Uchiha (under the guise of Tobi). Madara told him about Itachi's horrible past as well as the evil past of the Uchiha clan itself. Hearing this Sasuke heeded Madara's words and ended up turning team Snake into team Hawk as a sign of change.

But in order for him to complete the destruction of Konohagakure, he must first capture the Eight-Tails host. After a short search they found him and started a battle. After being sent by Madara to capture the Eight-Tailed Beast's host, Sasuke first arrives in the Land of Thunder. Here, he confronts a ninja, who's clan has ties with the host's clan. Suigetsu tries to extract information about the host by forcible means but moves out of the way when Sasuke uses his right eye of his newly awakened Mangekyo Sharingan, and entraps the enemy in a genjutsu. He sends the man into an illusion and he asks him where is the host's location and how he looks, and gets the information quite easily. After this, Team Hawk sets off immediately and confronts the host: Killer Bee. The capture attempt got off to a bad start, as Killer Bee easily defeats both Suigetsu and Jugo and easily gains the upper hand against Sasuke by mortally wounding him with many blades to the chest. His team then rescues him. Sasuke then goes straight into battle along side Jugo and Suigetsu but to no avail. Later, as Killer Bee gets bored and leaves, Jugo uses his strength to lung Sasuke into Killer Bee's direction. There he sees Killer Bee going into a tailed state and Sasuke recognizes it from his fight with Naruto at the Valley of the End. He dodges the attack only to realize that Killer Bee was aiming for Team Hawk. Sasuke grows concern for his teammates as they barely escape Kirābī's wrath. Sasuke then activates Mangekyou Sharingan and casts Amaterasu at the Eight-Tailed Kirābī which knocks him out, "Hawk" then proceeds to capture him.

Sasuke later fights the Raikage and Mizukage at the Kage Summit. After a large battle, he is beaten but saved by Madara.

Part I
Upon the formation of Team 7, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke were forced to mingle. Sasuke tried to avoid both of them, but he kept getting drawn into Sakura's romantic advances and Naruto's attempts at a competition. Accordingly, Kakashi gave them a bell test, the three of them being tasked with taking the two bells he kept on his person. Sasuke tried to take a bell by himself, ignoring Sakura and Naruto, and had more success than either. He was still unsuccessful, however, and was forced to regroup with his team. Together, they realized that the true goal of the test was to learn to place teamwork above the single-handed completion of the mission, and, in doing so, were allowed to pass.

Land of Waves arc
Sasuke's first major mission was escorting the bridge builder, Tazuna, to his home in the poverty-stricken Land of Waves. Soon after setting out, Sasuke showed exceptional skill when attacked by the Demon Brothers, even taunting Naruto for being shocked and useless during this encounter. When they later had a tree-climbing exercise to improve chakra control, he managed to stay ahead of Naruto for a good length of time, but, as Naruto began to catch up, they started to push each other's limits. His skills improved, Sasuke was almost able to compete with Haku, who was extremely dangerous because of his extreme speed and dexterity. It was during this battle that Sasuke reawakened the legacy of his clan, the Sharingan, and even selflessly put himself in the way of Haku's attack on Naruto to protect him. Although he claimed his body had moved on its own, his actions showed that he was willing to put himself in mortal danger for Naruto's sake. Although it appeared that Sasuke had died in the process, it was later revealed that he was merely put in a temporary death state.

Chūnin Exam arc
Before the Chūnin Exams started, Sasuke fought Rock Lee, who easily overcame the power of his Sharingan through an amazing display of speed and taijutsu prowess; for if the user can't physically keep up with the target then the Sharingan is useless. However, before the finishing blow could be given, Might Guy interrupted the match and punished his beloved student for using a forbidden jutsu in a normal fight. In the first part of the exam, Sasuke realized that, to succeed in the written test, it is required to cheat without getting caught, as the written exam tests a ninja's information-gathering ability. Sasuke was shown using the Sharingan to copy the movement of a student in front of him, effectively copying the answers.

Sasuke using the Cursed Seal of Heaven for the first time. In the second test of the Chūnin Exam in the Forest of Death, Sasuke was attacked by Orochimaru. Recognizing that they were no match for Orochimaru, Sasuke tried to surrender. However, Naruto stopped him, attacking Orochimaru regardless of the clear difference in strength, and taunting Sasuke just as he had earlier taunted Naruto. This spurred Sasuke into action, giving him the resolve to defeat Orochimaru. Impressed, Orochimaru put his cursed seal on Sasuke's neck during the battle as a reward, causing Sasuke so much pain that he fell unconscious. As the seal attuned to his body, he had nightmares, and, when he woke up, was immersed in its power. He immediately saved Sakura from the attacking Sound Genin, effortlessly defeating them and going so far as to break Zaku's arms. Recognizing that the Cursed Seal had apparently corrupted him, Sakura hugged him and pleaded for him to stop. He relented, and the seal receded. Sasuke was surprised by his own sudden burst of strength.

In Part II, Sasuke is revealed to have saved Karin from a bear during the second phase, but he left her alone since he didn't need her scroll.

Sasuke's match up in the preliminaries was against Yoroi Akadō. Before the fight started, Kakashi warned Sasuke that, if his Cursed Seal got out of control, which would happen if he used any chakra, he would need to be removed from the competition. The match started with Yoroi absorbing what little chakra Sasuke had left through his hands, and with Sasuke being in constant pain from his Cursed Seal. Having only one option, and remembering his previous encounter with Rock Lee, Sasuke used the Lion Combo. Yoroi was knocked out, and Sasuke advanced to the next round.

Following his win, Kakashi took Sasuke away to seal the Cursed Seal, but made it a point to tell him that the seal would only remain active as long as Sasuke wanted it to. Not convinced that his words would deter Sasuke from seeing the Cursed Seal, and Orochimaru, as a source of power, Kakashi used the month leading up to the final rounds to teach him the Chidori. At the same time, knowing Sasuke would be facing Gaara, he helped Sasuke to emulate some of Lee's speed. After showing up late for his match with Gaara, Sasuke demonstrated the fruits of his training, even managing to break through Gaara's defenses and injure him. Before the match could finish, however, it was interrupted by the start of Orochimaru's attack on Konoha.

Invasion of Konoha arc
With the start of the invasion, Gaara fled the village with his siblings, and Sasuke was sent after them by Genma. Sasuke chased them and, after short battles with Kankurō and Temari, Sasuke caught up with and fought Gaara. Sasuke used Chidori, once again managing to wound Gaara, who by now had started to transform into his Half-Shukaku form. The form, however, allowed Gaara to quickly recuperate from the attack, putting Sasuke on the defensive since he no longer had the chakra reserves to use Chidori again. With Gaara's resolve to kill him growing increasingly stronger, Sasuke had no choice but to tap into the Cursed Seal in order to use another Chidori. However, this had no effect against Gaara, and Sasuke was left exhausted. Unable to move, Sasuke was saved by the prompt arrival of Sakura and Naruto. Sasuke watched Naruto's fight with Gaara unfold, becoming jealous of Naruto once he claimed victory.

Return of Itachi arc
After the failed invasion, Sasuke went to see Kakashi. When he arrived at Kakashi's house, he found Kakashi in a coma. Although nobody in the room was willing to tell him what had happened, Aoba Yamashiro soon arrived and let slip that Itachi had returned to the village in search of Naruto. Determined to find Itachi and to save Naruto (by order of priority), Sasuke tracked his teammate down and found that Itachi was already there. Despite his best efforts, including the use of Chidori, none of his attacks were able to hit Itachi. Itachi tormented Sasuke physically and mentally, belittling him for still being too weak, eventually leaving Sasuke with a broken wrist and mind. Sasuke then fell into the same coma-like state as Kakashi, and it was not until Tsunade returned to Konoha that he recovered.

Land of Tea arc
In the anime, after Sasuke's recovery from Itachi's Tsukuyomi, Team 7 was assigned a mission in the Land of Tea without Kakashi. During the mission, they encountered Idate Morino, the client they must protect during his race in the Land of Tea. Near the end of the race, they also encountered Aoi Rokushō, who attacked them. Sasuke's Chidori was ineffective with Aoi's lightning sword; though it made a crack. When seeing Naruto use the Rasengan, not only was it the first time he saw it, but the Rasengan proved strong enough to destroy Aoi's sword and defeat him. At the end, Idate won the race and Team 7 left the Land of Tea, Sasuke resulting back in the hospital for his injuries during the fight with Aoi. Unlike other filler arcs, this arc actually affected the story, as it gave more reason for Sasuke to be irritated that Naruto was becoming stronger. Aoi's words about Sasuke being the weakest member of the Uchiha clan also acted as a catalyst to Sasuke's desire for power.

Sasuke Retrieval arc
Angry that Itachi was still so much stronger than he was, and envious of the fact that Naruto had gotten stronger in such a short period of time, Sasuke challenged Naruto to a fight. Although they were stopped by Kakashi, their brief exchange was enough to show Sasuke that Naruto's Rasengan was more damaging than his Chidori. Kakashi lectured him about using Chidori on his own friends, but, before this could fully sink in, Sasuke was confronted by Orochimaru's Sound Four, each of whom had their own Cursed Seal. Amazed by their abilities, which they claimed to have received from Orochimaru, Sasuke was left with their offer of escorting him to Orochimaru so that he could get stronger.

To gain the power he so desperately wanted, Sasuke decided to take Orochimaru up on his offer, turning his back on Konoha in the process. As he snuck out of the village, Sakura found him, and soon understood the magnitude of what he was about to do. Desperate not to lose Sasuke, Sakura did anything and everything she could think of, confessing her love for him and even offering to help exact revenge on Itachi. Sasuke's cryptic last words before swiftly knocking her out and departing were, "Sakura... thank you." Sasuke left with the Sound Four, who soon afterwards advanced his Cursed Seal to its second level, a process that left him unconscious for most of their battle with the Sasuke Retrieval Team.

Soon after Sasuke woke up, he was found by Naruto. Sasuke was glad to see Naruto; after slaughtering the Uchiha clan, Itachi had told Sasuke that he would only be able to match him in battle after he had obtained the Mangekyō Sharingan, which could only be attained by killing one's best friend, which was now Naruto for Sasuke. Naruto refused to accept that Sasuke would do this or his other reasons for pursuing Orochimaru, choosing instead to drag Sasuke back to the village by force if he had to. They subsequently engaged in battle, with Sasuke initially having the upper hand thanks to his Cursed Seal and Sharingan. When he managed to pierce Naruto's right shoulder with his Chidori, however, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's chakra kicked in to protect Naruto, giving him a massive power increase.

With the Nine-Tails' chakra now active, Naruto easily tossed Sasuke about in an attempt to knock some sense into him. Sasuke merely retorted that Naruto could never understand what it was like to lose family members, as he had never had them to begin with. Naruto reasoned that Sasuke was like a brother to him, therefore he would not let him destroy that bond. Sasuke's Sharingan evolved to its final level at that point, tipping the battle in Sasuke's favor because he was able to predict Naruto's movements. The Nine-Tails' chakra once again came to Naruto's rescue, enveloping him in a fox-shaped shield of chakra and boosting his power once more.

With the Nine-Tails' chakra shield, Naruto was again more than Sasuke could handle, even with his Cursed Seal active. To counter Naruto's power, Sasuke activated the second stage of his Cursed Seal, becoming a demonic figure with a pair of huge, hand-like wings sprouting from his back. Naruto attacked with his signature Rasengan (enhanced by the Nine-Tails' chakra) and Sasuke attacked with his Chidori (also enhanced by his current state). Upon impact, a massive dome of black energy formed around them. Sasuke punched Naruto in the chest at the last second (instead of impaling him with what was left of his Chidori) and knocked him out, while Naruto opted to scratch Sasuke's forehead protector, something Sasuke had said he wouldn't be able to do at the start of the fight.

After the energy dome dissipated, Sasuke was shown to be the victor, now standing over an unconscious Naruto. He considered killing Naruto, but realized that doing so would be exactly what Itachi wanted him to do. Leaving behind his scratched forehead protector, which had fallen off after Naruto's last attack, Sasuke made his way to Orochimaru. While doing so, Sasuke resolved to surpass Itachi in his own way, instead of relying on the same skill Itachi used.

Sasuke and Sai arc
Sasuke debuted in Part II during a meeting with his replacement in Team 7, Sai. Sasuke wasn't interested in the slightest, and was more interested in Orochimaru's presence. When Sai stated that he might be able to get along better with Sasuke than he did with Naruto, Sasuke froze him with a stare, catching Sai in a genjutsu exuding a large amount of killing intent.[13] Sai was amazed that even an emotionless person such as himself was affected by Sasuke's gaze, showing the power of his Sharingan. When Sai commented on how Naruto and Sakura had been searching for him, Sasuke once again regarded him with indifference.

Later, when Sai entered his room while he was resting, he told Sasuke that he wanted to repair his and Naruto's bond together. Sasuke then blew up the room, angered that he had been woken up to hear about bonds, his action drawing Naruto and Sakura to their location. Despite this being the first time in three years that they had seen each other, Sasuke expressed his usual indifference towards his former team.[14] Uninterested in going home with them, Sasuke engaged them in battle, showing off his increase in speed and improved abilities.

They were little match for him, causing Naruto to begin struggling with the Nine-Tails' chakra. Sasuke used his Sharingan to enter Naruto's mind to meet the Nine-Tails itself, finally discovering the source of Naruto's strength, and managing to suppress its influence. Before releasing Naruto, the Nine-Tails warned Sasuke to not kill Naruto, or he would live to regret it forever.[15] Back outside, Sasuke decided to finish off his former teammates, only to be stopped by Orochimaru. Listening to Orochimaru's plan to use them to thin Akatsuki's numbers, he left with Orochimaru and Kabuto.

Hunt for Itachi arc
Sasuke defeats Orochimaru.Orochimaru tested Sasuke's abilities by having him battle hundreds of Sound ninja, a task he completed without taking a scratch and without killing any of them. About the latter, Sasuke remarked that the only person he wanted to kill was Itachi. Soon afterwards he attacked Orochimaru, deciding that there was nothing else that he could learn and that Orochimaru was unworthy of having his body or the Sharingan.[16] Although Sasuke appeared victorious after a brief scuffle, Orochimaru was able to initiate the body-stealing jutsu. Sasuke, however, was able to reverse the process, absorbing Orochimaru into his body.[17]

With Orochimaru gone, Sasuke went ahead to recruit Orochimaru's former test subjects to form a team to help him find and kill Itachi. He recruited Suigetsu Hōzuki, Karin, and Jūgo and dubbed his new team Hebi. Almost after forming Hebi, Sasuke had his team split up and learn Itachi's whereabouts. While searching, Sasuke was found by Deidara and Tobi. Using his Sharingan, Sasuke managed to counter most of Deidara's attacks, driving him insane with his pre-existing hatred for the Sharingan, which to him could not see his art. As a last ditch effort, Deidara used C0 to blow Sasuke and himself up. Sasuke however summoned Manda to shield himself from the explosion, at the cost of the great serpents life. After recovering from his wounds, Sasuke and Hebi continued onto one of Akatsuki's lairs where Sasuke finds a crow clone of Itachi which tells him they will have their final at the Abandoned Uchiha Stronghold, leaving the rest of Hebi behind with Kisame.

Once inside, Itachi told Sasuke the history of their clan, of Madara Uchiha and the powers of the Mangekyō Sharingan. Once he finished, the brothers fought first in a battle of genjutsu, and in the end, Sasuke emerged victorious after successfully repelling the effects of Tsukuyomi. The two then switched to a battle of ninjutsu. During the battle, Itachi ignited the area in Amaterasu flames and almost burned Sasuke. Sasuke however managed to survive by using one of Orochimaru's techniques and surprised Itachi with his gigantic lighting jutsu Kirin. Itachi survived only by his use of the third and final Mangekyō technique, Susanoo.

Sasuke unconscious next to Itachi's dead body.Having used his last chakra on Kirin, Sasuke was at Itachi's mercy, but Orochimaru violently reappeared through one of his snake summons in a final attempted to take Sasuke's body for his own.[18] Itachi however had Susanoo seal him in a permanent genjutsu and despite being weakened continued towards Sasuke. Cornered, Itachi aiming for Sasuke's eyes, but instead poked Sasuke in the forehead and fell to the floor dead. Sasuke passed out from exhaustion moments later.

Sasuke wakes up in a cave in the care of Tobi, who was in reality Madara Uchiha. Madara tried to befriend Sasuke by removing his mask and revealing his Sharingan, something that caused Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan to form in Sasuke's left eye and made him use Amaterasu on Madara, who quickly retreated into the darkness of the cave. After stopping the black flames, Madara then appeared again with his mask and began to muse about how Itachi never ceased to amaze him.[19] As Sasuke asked what he was talking about, Madara revealed that Itachi had most likely set it up so that the sight of his Sharingan would trigger the Amaterasu he had sealed within Sasuke. As Sasuke complained that he was making no sense, Madara revealed that it had been to protect him, and, when Sasuke still didn't believe him, Madara said how it must all sound crazy, but assured him that he was telling the truth, and introduced himself as the man who had helped Itachi to slaughter the entire Uchiha clan.

Madara revealed to Sasuke the "truth" of Itachi, that he killed his clan by orders from Konoha, how he joined Akatsuki to make sure the elders didn't forget him, and how in the end his only goal was to keep his village, and his brother safe. And that everything he had done was to make sure Sasuke grew strong. Remembering his childhood of how Itachi really was a kind, good brother, Sasuke developed his own Mangekyō Sharingan. He renamed Hebi to Taka and vowed he would destroy Konoha after crying over the memories of his beloved older brother.

Hunt for the Eight-Tails arc
Before Hebi, now renamed Taka, could attack Konoha, Madara convinced them to start working with Akatsuki. He sent them to the Land of Thunder to capture the Eight-Tailed Giant Ox, where they found its host, Killer Bee. The capture attempt got off to a bad start, as Killer Bee easily defeated both Suigetsu and Jūgo, and wounded Sasuke by impaling him in the chest with multiple swords. Sasuke was rescued and healed by Karin, and the team decided to all attack at once. While they had more success, Killer Bee released a great deal of the Eight-Tails' chakra and created a chakra cloak. When Sasuke failed a genjutsu on Killer Bee (who easily shook the attack off), the latter retaliated with great force, using the Eight-Tails' power to blow Sasuke's neck and chest apart.

While Sasuke was down, Killer Bee fully transformed into the beast sealed within him, leaving Taka outclassed. Suigetsu then sacrificed himself to give Jūgo time to heal Sasuke by fusing some of his own flesh with Sasuke's. Fearing the deaths of his teammates, Sasuke unleashed his new Mangekyō Sharingan and Amaterasu to capture Killer Bee. Sai would later state that due to this incident, Sasuke would never be accepted again as a citizen of Konoha.

Sasuke delivered Killer Bee to Madara (although this was later discovered to be a fake) before regrouping with Taka. While resting, they dealt with a Kumo ninja who had been following them. However, when Sasuke tipped over a glass of water, he learned that his eyesight was already starting to deteriorate. He opted to keep this revelation from the team.

Five Kage Summit arc
Once Taka recovered from their fight with Killer Bee, they headed for Konoha, but are intercepted by Madara. He informed Taka about the destruction of Konoha and their failure in capturing the Eight-Tails. He also told them about Danzō Shimura becoming Hokage and the Kage Summit. Taka was led to the Land of Iron, where the summit was held, by Zetsu's white half.

Taka managed to infiltrate the summit without being detected, but their cover was blown by Zetsu, on Madara's orders. Forced out of hiding, Sasuke engaged the samurai guards and slaughtered them despite his strict no-kill policy, revealing how deep he has fallen into darkness. The Fourth Raikage, still under the impression that Sasuke has killed his younger brother Killer Bee, confronted Taka together with his escorts. The ensuing fight was interrupted by the Fifth Kazekage and his escorts, but not before the Raikage had lost an arm and Sasuke was near exhaustion. After seeing how dark Sasuke had become, the Kazekage continued the fight, but Sasuke used his Susanoo to create a distraction and escaped with Karin, leaving Suigetsu and Jūgo to their own devices.

Karin guided Sasuke to the room where the summit was held, but before he can engage Danzō, Sasuke was confronted by Mifune. In the meanwhile, Danzō managed to escape, but the Fifth Mizukage prevented Sasuke from pursuing. Sasuke was near fainting, but was reinvigorated by Zetsu's Spore Technique. He escaped from the Mizukage, only to be confronted by the Third Tsuchikage. He was just barely saved by Madara, who pulled him and Karin into his Sharingan, where Karin nursed Sasuke back to health.

Madara drew Sasuke out again in front of Danzō. Sasuke, overtaken by his lust for revenge, advances Susanoo to a form able to fire arrows. Danzō, using Izanagi, avoids fatal injury and goads Sasuke about Itachi all the while. Each determined to kill the other, they clash again, Danzō relying on Izanagi to save him. Sasuke, however, had used a genjutsu to only create the illusion that Izanagi was still active, allowing him to mortally wound Danzō. Danzō takes Karin hostage in an attempt to buy time, but Sasuke has no hesitations in fatally wounding Karin in order to finish off Danzō.

With his revenge against Danzō fulfilled, Sasuke declared his plans to go to Konoha. However, Madara pointed out that Sasuke was exhausted and near blindness. He also told Sasuke to finish Karin off, before leaving himself. As Sasuke was about to kill Karin, Sakura suddenly appeared and interrupted him. She told him that she wished to follow him, even if it means abandoning and even destroying Konoha. Sasuke was skeptical and told Sakura to kill Karin to prove she was sincere. However, as Sakura hesitated, Sasuke prepared to kill her, only to be stopped by Kakashi. Sasuke laughs at their continued attempts to convince him to return to Konoha and engages Kakashi, planning to kill him. His eyesight quickly begins to deteriorate, and Sakura uses the opportunity to try and strike him down.

Sakura cannot bring herself to kill Sasuke. Though near-blind, Sasuke senses her and tries to attack, but she is saved by Naruto. Naruto sympathizes with Sasuke's motives, to which Sasuke cynically counters with his pleasure of revenge. When Naruto restrains Kakashi to keep him from killing Sasuke, Sasuke uses this opportunity to try once more to kill Kakashi with Chidori, but Naruto counters with Rasengan. As the two collide, he tells Naruto that his only options are to kill him or die. Naruto rejects both, stating he has a third option. As their clash sends the two flying back, the white half of Zetsu appears to cushion Sasuke's fall. Madara then appears and prepares to take Sasuke away, but he tells him to wait so he can hear what Naruto has to say, which is that if they fight again, they will both die together. Sasuke then gets angry and demands Naruto to answer why he cares about him so much, to which Naruto replies he is doing it because he is his friend, leaving Sasuke shocked. Despite this unperceived event, Sasuke firmly states he refuses to go back on the path he walks. So, before leaving away with Madara, Sasuke says that they must have a talk. In their hideout, Sasuke asks Madara for Itachi's eyes, as his vision is almost faded due to his reckless overuse of his Mangekyō Sharingan from battling Killer Bee, A, Danzō Shimura and Team 7 as he wants to destroy Naruto with his full power. After transplanting Itachi's eyes, Sasuke remarked that he could feel Itachi's power flowing into him, and Madara claimed that Sasuke would need time to recuperate from the operation.

Pre-Naruto Raijuu (Part IV)
It has been five years since the events of Shippuden. Sasuke, not wanting to return to the Leaf Village, sets out on a journey to learn more ninjutsu. On his journey, he made Koukon in order to broaden the number of comrades he traveled with. Among the first he came across was Ryun Mazuka. Ryun and Sasuke hold a master-student relationship, much like that of Jiraiya and Naruto. Though Sasuke tends to be cold to his subordinates, he talks to Ryun a lot, and Ryun looks up to him. Sasuke is now see hunting down Seireitou Kawahiru for an unknown reason.

Hunting for Answers arc
Sasuke makes his first appearance, while on his way to Konoha to meet up with Ryun. There he encounters Fuyuko. Fuyuko refuses to move out of Sasuke's path so Sasuke attacks. At first, it looks as if the match could go either way, but when Fuyuko began to insult the Uchiha clan, Sasuke's killing intent took over, causing him to fight harder. Fuyuko then begins a water release ninjutsu which Sasuke easily counters with his Chidori Current. Fuyuko then begins to use Ice Release which Sasuke recognizes from his battle with Haku. Sasuke resorts to Amaterasu, putting Fuyuko on the run. After a barrage of ice is aimed at him, he activates Susanoo and his Cursed Seal to stage one. He then preforms Kirin, which Fuyuko narrowly escapes, though she reappears after he leaves and confirms his victory.

Later, he appears in Ryun's battle with Takatsuke Uzumaki, wanting to speak to the child after seeing that his chakra was similar to the Nine-Tails'. After talks with Uzumaki go the wrong way, and Kitsunekamen appears, Sasuke briefly engages the two, and after using Kirin is exhausted. With the battle ending in a stalemate, Sasuke takes a battle worn Ryun, and the two head for the edge of the Land of Fire.

Serpent Mode Training arc
After walking for a short few miles, Ryun awakens and begins to badger Sasuke about continuing his training. After telling Sasuke he no longer wishes to use his Four Paths of Ryun jutsu, Sasuke decides to train him. However, their plans are interrupted by Shirokaze Fuyutama and Doriyaku Fuyutama's arrival. After brief introductions, the newcomers decide to help Ryun train. They seal snake chakra within his body and then begin to fight him. After his Serpent Mode awakens, Sasuke decides that phase two of the training will take place while they look for a man who can further their goals, whom Ryun recognizes as Killer Bee. They venture into the Land of Lightning, stopping in a cave on it's borders to to weather. It is there that he watches Ryun get basics of Serpent Mode and jutsu creation down. They departed the next morning, meeting up with their contact, Akira Sarutobi, in an outskirt village. She bestowed them with information that she learned from none other than Raikage himself, who happened to be Bee, and said that they were to meet up with the Kage the next day.

Four and Ten-Tails arc
With the two Fuyutama brothers off on a mission, the team heads off to report to Konoha. But not before encountering Hanmadang in the woods. Sasuke's fight is against none other than his revived brother, Itachi Uchiha. Most of the battle goes unseen, and then Sasuke is seen again when the team regroups to escape from Seireitou and his group.

Abilities
Sasuke is established as a genius, even by the battle-excelling Uchiha clan's standards at the series' start, excelling at all that he does and finding little difficulty in more challenging tasks. Scoring the highest in the performance tests and one of the highest in written tests, he easily graduated at the top of his class in the academy. His prowess with Uchiha Fire Release and weapon-based techniques surprised Kakashi during their first training session. Madara Uchiha, Itachi, and Orochimaru have stated that Sasuke possesses the unique potential to become much stronger than Itachi and the latter even saying that Sasuke is stronger than he was at the same age.

By Part II, he develops much of his potential and becomes a very powerful ninja, strong enough to fight evenly against and defeat ninja like Orochimaru, Deidara and Itachi. Sasuke was also capable of holding against at least two Kages and their bodyguards all by himself before being overpowered by further battling with other Kages and opponents. Admittedly, in his battle against Orochimaru, Sasuke downplays his victory, and attributes it to Orochimaru's sickly state. Itachi, too, was on the brink of severe illness, using medicine to prolong his life. According to Madara Uchiha, Itachi had already determined the outcome of their fight, intending to die at his brother's hands.

It can also be assumed that Sasuke has a fairly high amount of chakra, since he was able to summon Manda in a weakened state with Manda being a high level summon. Also, when Sasuke first arrived at the Land of Sound and gave Kabuto a glare that frightened the latter, Orochimaru noted Sasuke's exceptional chakra. The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox notes that Sasuke has the same foul chakra as Madara Uchiha. During the attack against the Five Kages Summit, Karin notes that Sasuke's chakra has gotten darker and colder than ever, more so than the corrupting influence of the Cursed Seal of Heaven.

Combat Prowess
Although Sasuke has been skilled with taijutsu since the start of the series, his skills improved drastically after his encounter with Rock Lee. Not only did he emulate Lee for moves like his Lion Combo, but, by copying Lee's speed, he was also able to effectively use the Chidori. His fighting style in Part II mainly relies on his speed and the new addition of his chokuto, to which he has demonstrated masterful swordsmanship. During his time with Orochimaru, Sasuke's already impressive speed saw a huge leap, allowing him to move huge distances in the blink of an eye as if to displace himself. He also greatly increased his speed at making hand seals, being able to do many in a blur and launch an enormous amount of weapons just as quickly, as seen during his fight with Itachi. His physical improvements are so great that Sakura even suspected that he had been given drugs to improve his physical capabilities. His increase in skill allowed him to easily defeat, without killing, hundreds of Sound ninja in a single battle without sustaining so much as a scratch to himself.

During fights, he easily observes his opponent and accurately sees through their abilities without losing his calm state, then he correctly chooses the most effective means and ninjutsu to counter them. Also, his resolution enables him to pick strategies in which he requires getting hurt in order to defeat the enemy, thereby showing tremendous endurance and willpower. Sasuke demonstrated tremendous knowledge in regards to human physiology, as displayed by his ability to affect a person's chakra network. He was able to attack and block the chakra points, rendering the target unable to mold chakra without serious repercussions. Sasuke deduces a jutsu's elemental property from the seals performed by its user. He is then able to determine the attack's range from the color of the chakra.

Summons
Orochimaru gave Sasuke the contract to use the Summoning Technique for snakes such as Manda. Sasuke can also use Snake Authority Spell to summon snakes from his hands to attack or bind opponents. After absorbing Orochimaru, Sasuke gained access to Orochimaru's regenerative powers that allowed him to heal at a much faster rate than usual. He was also able to summon snakes from any part of his body, and could use Orochimaru's Oral Rebirth Technique to shed his skin, thus repairing any damage to his body. After Itachi sealed Orochimaru away, his Cursed Seal was removed, and it is implied he also lost these additional powers.

Sasuke has not used any snake techniques since that battle with Itachi, even against Killer Bee, raising doubts as to whether he even had the snake contract (a fact that was never confirmed in the manga). It should be noted that the tattoo on his left arm, which he used for summoning snakes vanished after the fight with Itachi, implying that he lost this ability with Orochimaru's removal. It is then likely that all his snake techniques were a result of absorbing Orochimaru. To symbolize his ascension from snakes (i.e. Orochimaru's power) he changed his team's name from Hebi (snake) to Taka (hawk). During his fight with Danzō it is revealed that his animal-oriented techniques have also changed to a hawk as shown from his summoning contract with hawks that he can use to fly around on. It is unknown when he made a contract with them.

Elemental Mastery
Proving himself a true genius ninja and member of the Uchiha, Sasuke has repeatedly shown great proficiency in fire-based jutsu. By the age of 7, he had already mastered his clan's rite of passage jutsu, the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique. Even Kakashi was amazed at such a feat as, according to him, Genin usually require much more experience and developed chakra to perform elemental techniques. Hoping to encourage Sasuke not to use the Cursed Seal, Kakashi taught him how to use the Chidori, made more effective when combined with his Sharingan. With this combination, Sasuke can punch through the strongest obstacles with relative ease, as well as severely damage any opponent. In Part I, Sasuke was limited to using the attack only twice a day, with a third usage after the initial activation of his Cursed Seal. Over the timeskip, Sasuke put a great deal of development into the Chidori's ability to manipulate lightning-based chakra. When first seen in Part II, he was able to use Chidori Current to emit electricity from all over his body as a shield that stuns those it comes into contact with. He can also channel the Chidori through his new katana, giving the blade extreme cutting power and allowing it to numb anyone it cuts. He can also concentrate it into more solid forms like senbon and a sword, allowing him to make more precise attacks.

Sasuke's most powerful original technique is Kirin, a lightning technique that uses real lightning as opposed to chakra. If there are no thunder clouds available, Sasuke can use a powerful fire release technique to create thunder clouds. Sasuke then takes control of the lightning, shapes it into a kirin, and then brings the lightning down on his target. The technique is so powerful that it has the ability to destroy an area of a fairly large radius. It is also unavoidable due to the fact that the lightning moves at 60,000 m/s.

After adjusting to his new Mangekyo Sharingan powers, Sasuke has developed an advanced Fire Release known as the Blaze Release; an element that draws its power from Amaterasu.

Sharingan & Mangekyo Sharingan
As a member of the Uchiha clan, Sasuke possesses the Sharingan, the clan's Kekkei Genkai. It first developed during Itachi's departure from Konoha after the Uchiha Clan Massacre, but Sasuke would later forget he had activated the Sharingan due to the him being traumatized by the incident. He was able to reactivate it for the first time during the battle with Haku on the Great Naruto Bridge, and it eventually reached completion during his battle with Naruto at the end of Part I. Sasuke was able to put the Sharingan to good use in Part I after his brief encounter with Rock Lee. Although their fight was ended soon after its start, and Sasuke was unable to see much of Lee's arsenal, what he was able to copy with his Sharingan was utilized for the duration of the Chunin Exams.

While his ability with the Sharingan was fairly ordinary during Part I, Sasuke is able to develop a number of more novel uses for it in Part II. During his encounter with Naruto, Sasuke was able to use his Sharingan to enter Naruto's subconscious, where he proceeded to suppress the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox residing within Naruto. In this instance, the demon compared Sasuke's eyes and chakra to that of Madara, which it claimed was even more sinister than its own. His Sharingan genjutsu abilities have also increased over the timeskip, allowing him to easily hypnotize opponents (to the point of affecting someone without emotions like Sai) and to control a summoned creature as mighty as Manda. When Orochimaru later tried to take over his body, Sasuke was able to use his Sharingan to fight the process and turn it against Orochimaru. His skill with the Sharingan has grown to the point where he could overcome the Mangekyo Sharingan genjutsu, Tsukuyomi. When Itachi, the person Sasuke was closest to, died, it awakened Sasuke's Mangekyo Sharingan. He has been seen using Amaterasu and a number of genjutsu while the Mangekyo Sharingan is active. While he has yet to actually name any of these genjutsu, they are presumably Tsukuyomi, as it is a requirement along with Amaterasu to use Susanoo, along with the similarities of the genjutsu's background. The difference is that Sasuke, unlike Itachi, harnesses the jet-black flames of Amaterasu from his left eye, can manipulate the directions of the flames, and even extinguish them at will. He is also able to control the shade and direction of Amaterasu to aid him in battle for a number of versatile tactics. Shī notes that Sasuke may be even more skilled than Itachi, though he hasn't been shown to have the same level of control in Tsukuyomi. Sasuke can also use Susanoo, another one of Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan techniques, to protect himself, although at first he only showed an incomplete technique and has only used the bones of the ribcage and the left arm, but has more recently used a more complete form creating the entire skeletal form with some flesh and skin on it.

As with Itachi, Sasuke's Mangekyo Sharingan damages his eyesight every time he uses it. While resting after his fight with Killer Bee, Sasuke found that his vision was slightly blurred, which shows that he is gradually going blind. Sasuke refused Itachi's eyes stating that his vision and Itachi's vision are completely different. After Sasuke's fight with Danzō, Madara said that wouldn't be able to bluff much longer as his eyes are gradually losing it's sight, and during his battle with Kakashi, he unleashed Susanoo's completed form, which, in seconds later, causes his vision to almost fade.

"Eternal" Mangekyo Sharingan
During the twenty year timeskip, blindness threatened him from the use of the Mangekyo Sharingan, he then finally implanted his brother's eyes into his own body. Sasuke then awakened a new "Eternal" Mangekyo Sharingan, a combination of his own and Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan. With it, Sasuke never had to fear the risk of losing his eyesight again. It, however, has not made him immortal, like Madara's did for him.

Cursed Seal
An important aspect of Sasuke's growth as a shinobi was his acquisition of the Cursed Seal of Heaven. Orochimaru, recognizing his potential, bestowed the seal on him as a gift in order to grant him greater strength, and to entice him to seek Orochimaru for further power. Initially, Sasuke suppressed the seal on Kakashi's advice, but, later on, his frustration with his inadequate strength forced him to rely upon its power in battles. When activated, the Cursed Seal granted him enhanced speed, strength, durability and chakra. However, it corrupted both his body and his mind, giving him a darker personality and making him vulnerable to Orochimaru's influence.

After defecting from Konoha, with the help of the Sound Four Sasuke advanced his Cursed Seal to Level Two, allowing it to cover his entire body. This granted him power comparable to One-Tailed Naruto. The second level of the Cursed Seal turned Sasuke's skin dark grey, lengthened his hair without losing its style, and blue venom lipstick seemed to appear on his lips, also gave him hand-shaped wings on his back that gave him the ability to glide and momentarily hover. In this form, not only were his physical attributes increased, but his techniques were also enhanced by the Cursed Seal's dark chakra. However, this form corroded his body at a much faster rate, so he couldn't use it for prolonged periods. In Part II, Sasuke gained complete control and mastery over the Cursed Seal, and could even access its power without fully activating it. He also greatly extended the time he could stay in the Cursed Seal Level Two form. Since Itachi sealed Orochimaru, the Cursed Seal was removed from him, however, Sasuke re-applied the Cursed Seal of Heaven during the five year time skip.