The following contains spoilers for Chapter 1 of Naruto: Sasuke’s Story — The Uchiha and the Heavenly Stardust, by Masashi Kishimoto, Jun Esaka, Shingo Kimura and Snir Aharon, now available in English from Viz Media.
One of the biggest arguments in the Naruto era is exactly who was better between Sasuke and Itachi. The Uchiha siblings were such a key part of the lore, stemming from Itachi eliminating their own clan to save Konoha, and Sasuke pursuing him in revenge. This broke Sasuke, which caused him to turn on the Hidden Leaf in return.
It led to a few brutal battles that resulted in an ill Itachi dying, all as part of his plan to level up Sasuke to be the ultimate defender of the free shinobi world. Seeing as their fights were so epic yet inconclusive, to this day, fans bicker whether Itachi was the more skillful fighter in the wake of Sasuke’s redemption and marriage to Sakura. Well, as Naruto: Sasuke’s Story — The Uchiha and the Heavenly Stardust gets a manga adaptation, this debate is opened up once more in the rocky village of Redaku.
Sasuke Uses the Genjutsu to Perfection in Heavenly Stardust
One of Itachi’s most powerful moves in Naruto was the genjutsu, where he’d use his Sharingan and trap users in a dream world. It worked on members of the Akatsuki, and even the mighty Kakashi Hatake. It’s something Naruto had to be aware of as well. Itachi also used the move to beat Sasuke senseless, although the latter was able to cook up his genjutsu responses, too.
In Heavenly Stardust’s first chapter in Redaku, Sasuke ends up fighting some prisoners who stole supplies from a relic store. He’s there to get info on a cure for a sick Naruto, so the Konoha Ranger moves quickly as he’s annoyed by these petty thugs. He uses the substitution jutsu, swapping the place of a vase and then knocking most of the thieves out.
As for the final goon, when he holds the shop owner’s daughter, Lyla, at knifepoint, Sasuke activates his Sharingan and puts him into a dream state. The man sees his hostage as a melon and then falls to the ground, thinking he’s being absorbed. He loses his sanity temporarily, proving Sasuke has mastered the art — like Itachi did — as he renders the fiend unconscious in mere seconds.
Sasuke Is Just as Calculating as Itachi
What stands out in The Uchiha and the Heavenly Stardust is how patient and understanding Sasuke was in this short space of time. He realized a crowd was around, so he acted fast and minimized risk. This sort of combat and strategy is how Itachi operated back in the day, proving his little brother is equally calculating in terms of avoiding innocent civilians and mass casualties.
It’s also worth noting how much respect Sasuke commands. He’s mature, intimidating opponents and imposing himself in such a way that even Lyla and her mother are in awe. This is the badass aura Itachi had, but while he was more secretive, Sasuke is out in public and becoming a symbol of justice that Itachi would be proud of — and one he was sure Sasuke would always be in terms of keeping Konoha safe.
