Fire affinity always came easy to Sasuke. It took him a while to get his chakra to cooperate, but once it did he could do anything with fire. Lightning came a little slower. But not so slowly he was concerned. Once he got the hang of it, the Chidori could crackle to life in his palm as if it had always belonged there. Where it used to drag his arm to the ground, more dense than anything he'd ever known, it now could be held in the air as if it weighed nothing.

He'd always wanted to be powerful. He

dreamed

about it. And with the Chidori sparking to life in his hand, the chakra held and ready in his ring, Sasuke felt as if he was finally going in the right direction.

No one would ever hurt his family again.

He had precious few days until the finals, enough to sharpen skills he'd already learned, but he was

ready