Masaki answered Ayame’s questions with just enough detail, sharing a bit about his day but skipping over some parts. Dinner went by smoothly, and afterward, he headed to the courtyard for extra practice. His chakra reserves were growing steadily, and he’d finally memorized all the hand signs for the three basic techniques: transformation, substitution, and clone jutsu. Now was the perfect time to try them out.
He also had his new sword, waiting for him to get a feel for it. ‘There’s so much to learn,’ he thought, feeling a fresh spark of motivation.
‘It’s the 44th year of Konoha, and I’m almost six,’ he reminded himself. ‘In another year, Shisui would apply for graduation and earn the nickname Shisui of the Body Flicker on the battlefield against Kirigakure, when he’d unlock his Sharingan. I can’t fall behind!’
Brimming with energy, Masaki carefully unwrapped his new sword and ran his fingers along the blade. It was a simple weapon, but it was well-crafted and suited his height for now at just over 40 centimeters. Someday, he’d outgrow it and need something stronger, but for now, it would do perfectly.
It was nearly seven, and the evening sky had turned dark as Masaki practiced alone in the courtyard. Sweat dotted his forehead as he repeated each move again and again, knowing that only by building muscle memory would these basic skills really sink in. His natural talent shone through, and he could feel his swordsmanship improving with each swing—already reaching a level that took others, like Shisui, a year to achieve.
‘No need to draw attention,’ he reminded himself, deciding to keep his progress to himself. With the Uchiha name behind him, he didn’t need to rush or show off.
As the moonlight spilled over the courtyard in a soft, silver glow, it seemed to deepen his focus and drive. For hours, he worked on a single technique: a precise, powerful slash. He’d thought of it by combining moves he’d seen in different sword styles in movies—a quick, clean strike he called “Draw and Slash.”
‘If the sword doesn’t cut through on the first strike, the enemy doesn’t deserve a second try,’ he mused. While swordsmanship was an important skill, his focus remained on ninjutsu, Sharingan, and becoming a true shinobi. This early sword training was a way to build power until he could unlock his clan’s true abilities.
Once he finished with the sword, Masaki moved on to the kunai and shuriken, aiming to make them as natural to wield as his own fingers. Despite handling real metal tools for the first time that day, he found himself adapting quickly. Twirling the kunai’s ring on his index finger, he practiced the feel of the weapon, aiming for the day when he could throw it with the same ease as a true shinobi.
‘With practice, specializing in shuriken and kunai won’t be far off,’ he thought, tossing the kunai experimentally.
After throwing the kunai several times, Masaki got a solid feel for its weight and the strength needed to throw it accurately. The same went for the shuriken. This growing familiarity wasn’t just skill—it was an instinct, a natural talent that made him feel like a true shinobi.
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Without throwing the tools around the courtyard, Masaki practiced different grips and movements, letting his hands get accustomed to the kunai and shuriken. After about thirty minutes, he slipped them into his new shinobi tool pouch, which he fastened securely to his left thigh—just like he’d seen other shinobis do. It was practical and convenient, perfect for quick access in combat.
The night had set in, and it was already past ten. He noticed Ayame’s light was still on; her sleep schedule was always irregular. Poking his head in, he reminded her to rest early, then headed upstairs.
In his room, he resumed his chakra refining practice and worked on forming hand seals. The Clone Jutsu had only three seals—“Ram, Snake, Tiger”—and as a basic technique, it wasn’t too difficult. He just needed to combine the seals with a bit of chakra and complete it within five seconds to activate the jutsu.
After refining his chakra a bit, Masaki was ready to test out the Clone Jutsu. With the hand seals formed and his chakra focused, a small puff of smoke appeared, and a duplicate of himself materialized in the room. It was a strange feeling, staring at an exact image of himself that wasn’t truly solid.
‘Not bad for a first try,’ he thought, smiling at his clone, which mirrored the expression back. Though the Clone Jutsu only created a projection, not a physical entity, seeing his first ninjutsu succeed left Masaki feeling satisfied. As for the Shadow Clone Jutsu, that was beyond his reach for now, but maybe someday he could learn it from someone in the clan.
After washing up, he fell asleep with thoughts of future training in his mind. ‘Better not to oversleep tomorrow,’ he reminded himself before drifting off.
The following morning, Masaki was back to training. With a quick, fluid motion, he jumped, throwing two shuriken mid-air and another two right before landing. The four shuriken spun, colliding precisely to shift direction and strike four targets from unexpected angles.
It was a move inspired by Uchiha Itachi’s shuriken technique, but Masaki’s attempt was still a basic version. Still, his skills had improved immensely. Two months had passed since school started, and his daily routine now consisted of refining chakra, practicing hand seals, swordplay, and shinobi tool throwing. Lately, he’d seen less of Shisui, who trained under his father’s. Shisui’s talent had drawn the clan’s attention, and his father had high expectations for him.
This small forest, bordering the Uchiha training ground, was where Masaki preferred to train alone. Technically, he didn’t have permission to use the training grounds, nor did he want to reveal his progress. The Uchiha clan was already under enough scrutiny—standing out too much might bring unwanted attention.
In school, Masaki maintained a low profile. After his public announcement to become the strongest, he avoided drawing attention and performed like an average student. This way, the academy didn’t see him as anything special, just another Uchiha with decent potential.
However, his chakra development was beginning to hit a wall. Although he practiced chakra refining daily, he noticed a decrease in improvement. It was as if the chakra he refined was somehow absorbed or blocked.’Is there something hidden within me?’ he wondered with a smirk, imagining some hidden power within, like an “old master” secretly training him.
As he prepared to head home for lunch, a light crunch of a twig drew his attention. Looking up, he saw Shisui standing nearby, having accidentally stepped on a branch.
“Ayame-baa-san mentioned you’d be here,” Shisui greeted with a smile.
Masaki noticed Shisui seemed different from when they first met—quieter and more reserved. “Just training,” Masaki replied, adjusting his shinobi pouch.
Shisui hesitated, then spoke softly, “I might take a leave from school soon. My father’s taking me out for some field training.”
Masaki could tell something was on Shisui’s mind. In reply, he simply nodded, sensing that Shisui needed an outlet. “Care for a quick spar?” Shisui asked, drawing the small blade from his back.