Deep in meditation, Madara found his thoughts consumed by his recent battle with the direwolf.

"I hadn't anticipated the fight lasting as long as it did. What if my next opponent is a cultivator? Would the outcome be similar? It's a possibility, but I can't rely on chance, especially against a skilled opponent. I need to redouble my training efforts."

Meanwhile, not far away, Xiao Yun, also in meditation, shifted her focus to Li Lu.

"And now, Li Lu, are you prepared?" she inquired.

Li Lu responded with unwavering determination, "Big sister, I'm ready."

As Xiao Yun was about to respond, she felt a sense of impending danger prickle at her senses. Swiftly diverting her attention to the disturbance, she observed, "It seems we won't have to search far to find a direwolf."

Though puzzled by her sister's statement, Li Lu refrained from questioning as Xiao Yun continued.

"Li Lu, prepare yourself. Another direwolf is approaching swiftly, likely drawn by the scent of its fallen comrade's blood. It's closing in rapidly."

With Xiao Yun's warning ringing in her ears, Li Lu wasted no time in assuming a defensive stance. Moments later, a direwolf emerged from the shadows, its predatory instincts driving it towards her.

Reacting swiftly, Li Lu dodged the initial lunge, preparing to confront the oncoming threat. Meanwhile, Xiao Yun swiftly took action, securing the carcass of the fallen direwolf into her storage ring to prevent further attraction by predators.

After several hours...

Xiao Yun returned to the resting place, where Madara was deep in meditation. As he opened his eyes, he noticed Li Lu piggybacked on Xiao Yun's back, prompting him to inquire, "Sister Yun, did she manage it too?"

Xiao Yun cast a brief glance at the sleeping Li Lu and replied softly, "Yes, she did. But she lost consciousness after the fight, so I'm carrying her."

Turning her attention back to Madara, she asked with concern, "Are you okay?"

He swiftly reassured her from his seated position, "I'm okay, Sister Yun. I've recovered."

She nodded upon hearing this, and she told him to prepare because they would be heading home soon since it was getting dark in the forest. Madara stretched as he stood up, and he wore new clothes while Xiao Yun packed the belongings of the two children, along with a direwolf Li Lu had slain, into her storage ring.

With their preparations complete, they departed from their makeshift camp. As they traversed through the forest, Madara's keen gaze caught sight of several small white deer nestled within the hollows of a nearby tree.

The sight stirred a pang of empathy within him as he recalled the fate of their parents at the jaws of the direwolf. Even though the deer were oblivious to the tragedy that had befallen their parents, Madara couldn't help but feel a deep sense of sorrow for the orphaned creatures.

As they walked, Xiao Yun realized that Madara had stopped following her, prompting her to turn around and see what had caught his attention. Approaching him, she observed the scene and then spoke about what she had witnessed.

"That's how the world goes," she remarked solemnly. "The weak are always taken advantage of by the stronger ones. That's why you need to train, Madara, so that you can protect yourself or your loved ones."

Upon hearing this from his sister, Madara looked back and saw her smiling at him. In response, he spoke up.

"I will train hard so that I can protect you, Sister Yun."

Smiling at Madara's determination, Xiao Yun urged him to continue walking, knowing how challenging it could be to navigate the forest at night.

As they emerged from the forest, Xiao Yun instructed him to proceed to the house while she accompanied Li Lu home, still asleep on her back. An hour later, Xiao Yun arrived home, carrying ingredients for dinner, which she would prepare.

After cooking and serving the meal, Xiao Yun announced her upcoming four-day absence. She explained that during her absence, she would be selling the two direwolves they had slain and the medicinal herbs she had collected from the forest.

Even though she would be away, she stressed the importance of continuing his training diligently. She assured him that she would leave enough food for the four days of her absence.

She also relayed this information to Li Mei. Following their discussion, they proceeded with their meal. Once finished, Madara promptly retired to his room, carrying his sack and wooden sword.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

As he settled onto his bed, a slight smile played on his lips, anticipation bubbling within him at the thought of testing and studying the techniques he had selected from the Narutoverse. Lost in his excitement, he drifted off to sleep, unaware of his slumber's embrace.

In the early morning, after breakfast and grooming, Madara made a beeline for their old training grounds near the waterfalls. Upon arriving, he scanned the area, making sure it was deserted. Satisfied with his solitude, he placed the sack he had been carrying and his wooden sword against a nearby tree.

Afterward, he began warming up, going through his routine until his muscles felt primed and ready. Then, extracting a piece of paper from his sack, he moved to the center of the flat grassland that served as their training area. Reading the paper, he focused on the first technique he had written down: the "Fireball Technique" or "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu."

"I recall the fireball technique involves exhaling a large, concentrated fireball from the mouth, useful for both offense and diversion in battle."

"To make it effective, I'll need a target object or a dummy for this technique."

In response, he crafted a target dummy using tree branches, leaves, and nearby plants found in the training area. After completing it, he positioned the dummy on the ground and stationed himself in the center of the training ground. Taking a seat in a cross-legged position, he focused his mind on comprehending the technique.

Once he felt prepared, he rose to his feet. Taking a deep breath, he concentrated his fire affinity around his mouth. Harnessing his qi, he manipulated it effortlessly. With a controlled release, he conjured a fireball aimed directly at the target dummy. However, to his dismay, it veered off course, deviating to the left instead of heading straight for the dummy.

Upon witnessing the result, Madara sighed deeply, offering a comment on his attempt: "Not bad for a first try; at least I know that the technique from the Narutoverse is compatible. Plus, it doesn't require hand signs to perform the technique."

Afterward, he retrieved the paper and reviewed its contents. "Next is the 'Body Flicker Technique' or 'Shunshin no Jutsu'. What I remember about this technique is that it enables one to move at extremely high speeds, effectively disappearing from one location and reappearing in another in the blink of an eye. This rapid movement involves focusing chakra (qi) into the feet or other parts of the body to enhance speed and agility."

After grasping how to perform the Body Flicker Technique, he resumed his cross-legged position to deepen his understanding. After a few minutes of contemplation, he rose from his seat and made his way to the center of the training ground. Standing tall in the center, he declared,

"Since the dummy I crafted didn't break, I'll use it as my target. I need to get close to it."

He then initiated the process, channeling his qi (a silver color) into his feet while adopting a running stance with his eyes shut. As he opened his eyes, he released the qi from his feet, causing him to vanish from his spot in the blink of an eye. Upon reappearing, he found himself facing a tree. Caught off guard by his speed, he collided with it, tumbling to the ground.

Observing the leaves cascading from the tree he had inadvertently knocked down, he sighed and remarked, "It seems I'll face challenges, but I believe perseverance pays off."

While lying on the ground, he noticed someone standing over his head, and their eyes met. After a few seconds of silence, the person spoke.

"Madara, where did you..?"

Before Li Lu could finish speaking, Madara hastily rose from his prone position and approached her, silencing her with his right index finger over her lips. This sudden action caused Li Lu's cheeks to flush with embarrassment, but Madara ignored her reaction and swiftly asked her a question.

"Did you just arrive here?" he inquired.

Li Lu nodded in response.

Seeing her understanding, Madara resolved to keep his actions concealed.

"Let's keep this between us, okay? I don't want my sister to know about this," he urged.

Li Lu nodded in agreement, promising to keep the encounter confidential. With that assurance, Madara withdrew his index finger from her lips. However, fueled by curiosity, Li Lu couldn't resist asking him about it.

"Madara, how did you disappear and then reappear in a different direction?" she questioned.

Madara paused momentarily before responding, "It's because of the technique I'm studying."

Unsatisfied with the vague response, Li Lu persisted, "Besides that, do you have other techniques?"

He simply nodded in response to Li Lu's question. When he perceived that she had no further inquiries, he made a move to leave but halted abruptly when he felt a tug on his clothes. Turning back, he discovered Li Lu standing behind him, her eyes pleading earnestly. Intrigued, he asked her, "Why?"

With a gentle yet questioning gaze, Li Lu met Madara's eyes. "Madara, can I ask for one technique? Just one, and I promise I won't tell anyone that you gave it to me."

Madara, intrigued by Li Lu's expression, questioned her, "How can I believe that what you're saying is true?"

In response, she withdrew the wooden sword from her waist. With a deliberate motion, she infused it with sword qi before making a small incision on her left palm, causing blood to flow. Squeezing her hand, she transferred the blood to her chest. Then, she spoke earnestly, "My name is Li Lu, and I swear not to spread the secrets I've witnessed or the techniques I may receive from you, Madara, so..."

She was about to speak, but Madara halted her with a gentle pat on the head. "Okay, okay, I believe you now," he said, a slight smile gracing his lips.

"Alright, Li Lu, do you have paper, a brush, and ink with you?" he inquired.

Without hesitation, Li Lu retrieved the items from her sack and handed them to him. Curious, she asked, "Madara, why do you need these?"

"Because I'll write the technique and guides here," Madara replied, clarifying his purpose as he began to write.

She was amazed by his words. In wonderment, she refrained from asking where he had obtained or learned the technique. After he finished writing, he handed it to her.

"I've written the technique for you here, so take care of it," he advised.

With a smile, Li Lu nodded in agreement. "Thank you, Madara," she said, expressing her gratitude.

Madara simply nodded in response to her thanks.

As she moved away, Li Lu unfolded the paper and began to read. The first thing she saw written on it was "Adamantine Sealing Chains."

Observing her heading towards the top of the waterfall, Madara retrieved the paper tucked inside his clothes. As he opened it, he read the next technique: "Next is the Wood Clone Technique, or Mokuton: Bunshin no Jutsu."