Hatake Household:
Early the next morning. "Leaf Hurricane!" Renzou Uchiha's spinning kick sliced through the air with a sharp whistle. Kakashi's eyes narrowed, his stance lowering slightly, left arm rising to block. The moment contact was made, Kakashi felt a tremendous force, using it to propel himself back three or four meters, landing lightly on his feet. Impressive strength. Not quite Guy's level, but definitely more powerful than before! Kakashi flexed his numbed arm, his gaze on Renzou Uchiha across from him, a spark of competitive spirit in his eye. Just as Kakashi reached for his kunai, ready to engage in another round of taijutsu, a voice interrupted their sparring.
"Alright, breakfast is ready. Let's call it a wrap for the morning exercise," Sakumo said from beneath the shade of the eaves, a hint of amusement in his tone as he watched the two.
"Then that's it for today. We'll spar again later, Kakashi."
"Fine." With Sakumo's pronouncement, Kakashi sheathed his kunai, and he and Renzou Uchiha walked towards the house. Renzou Uchiha, having come to the yard for an early workout, had encountered Kakashi doing the same. With nothing else pressing, they'd engaged in a bout of taijutsu, only stopping when the aroma of Sakumo's cooking wafted through the air.
"What are your plans for today?" Sakumo asked, glancing between them as they ate breakfast.
"I'm meeting Guy today for some rock climbing training," Kakashi replied, stirring the natto in his bowl.
"And I'm going to continue my training with Maruhoshi Kosuke-senpai," Renzou Uchiha said, finishing the last of his soup, placing his bowl and chopsticks down, and wiping his mouth with a paper towel before looking at Sakumo. "Uncle Sakumo must have a mission today."
Sakumo paused with his chopsticks, looking at Renzou Uchiha. "Yes, the village has assigned an A-rank mission. I'll be out of the village for a couple of days."
"Really, Uncle? Please be safe."
"Don't worry, I'll be back soon." Sakumo smiled, patting Renzou Uchiha on the shoulder. Breakfast concluded, Kakashi and Renzou Uchiha cleared the dishes and waved from the doorway.
"See you later, Uncle Sakumo, Kakashi."
"Goodbye. X2" Watching Renzou Uchiha disappear from view, Sakumo and Kakashi turned back into the house.
"Let's go. I need to clean up too. Kakashi, come help me. We need to leave soon."
"Yeah."
…
"You're here quite early, young man." Renzou Uchiha, waiting beneath the large tree at the entrance of the ninja academy for Kosuke, looked up to see him approaching.
"Kosuke-senpai, please just call me Renzou."
"Alright then, Renzou. Let's go."
"Yes." As was becoming their routine, Renzou Uchiha offered Kosuke his breakfast. It was still early, so they weren't in a rush, strolling along at a leisurely pace.
"We're here." Fifteen minutes later, Renzou Uchiha followed Kosuke into a dense forest. After venturing a few hundred meters, they reached a clearing bisected by a river several meters wide, its source hidden from view.
"Hokage-sama spoke with me yesterday. Given your rapid progress with Water Style yesterday, he's decided I should teach you more of the Second Hokage's Water Style techniques."
Why?! More Water Style techniques? Third Hokage, why are you being so generous? Is it because of my father, or because of Danzō…? Since learning that his father's pursuers were ninjas marked with the tongue curse seal, Renzou Uchiha was increasingly convinced of Danzō's involvement. Was this opportunity some kind of manipulation for the future? Regardless of the reason, he had to seize this hard-won chance. As for Danzō, if he truly was responsible for his father's death… then he would pay.
"Let's begin directly. Keep a close eye on this," Kosuke said, turning without hesitation.
"Yes." Kosuke stood at the river's edge, his hands moving swiftly through a series of seals. Chakra began to roil around him, and then his hands came together. Suddenly, multiple streams of water materialized out of thin air around Kosuke, rapidly expanding and rising, spinning like miniature tornadoes before cascading outwards like waterfalls, impacting the ground with tremendous force. The relentless impact and erosion carved deep pits into the earth, which then quickly filled with water. In mere seconds, half of the clearing's landscape had been transformed.
"This…" Renzou Uchiha's eyes were wide with shock, tinged with awe. This is the Water Style passed down from the Second Hokage? He truly was the 'man who signed a contract with the sea'. The swirling water tornadoes gradually slowed, shrinking in size and height. After a few moments, the water dissipated, revealing Kosuke standing in the center.
"This is the ninjutsu I'll be teaching you today." Kosuke lowered his hands and beckoned Renzou Uchiha closer. "I'll test you. What kind of ninjutsu do you think this is?"
"Water Release: Water Colliding Wave." No sooner had Kosuke asked than Renzou Uchiha answered. "An A-rank Water Release: Water Colliding Wave Ninjutsu, created by the Second Hokage-sama. It's a Water Style technique used in areas lacking water. After the seals are formed, a large volume of water is summoned from thin air, rapidly rotating and rising while expanding. Then, the water crashes down like a waterfall, attacking the opponent downwards, eventually forming a waterspout usable for both offense and defense."
"Not bad. It seems you have a good grasp of it." Kosuke clapped softly, clearly pleased with Renzou Uchiha's answer. His admiration for the boy grew with each passing moment – capable, humble, and eager to learn. What teacher wouldn't appreciate such a student?
"Thank you, Kosuke-senpai," Renzou Uchiha said, scratching his head sheepishly, thinking that his familiarity with the Hokage's histories made such questions almost trivial.
"This is your current learning objective. Once you've mastered it, we'll move on to the next. This is the sequence for water surging into waves. Watch closely…" The number of seals wasn't excessive, only six, but their complexity was among the highest for A-rank ninjutsu. After painstakingly memorizing the sequence, Renzou Uchiha didn't immediately begin. Instead, he performed a single seal, placing his middle fingers together, crossing his hands, and whispering, "Shadow Clone Technique."
Poof! A cloud of white smoke erupted beside Renzou Uchiha, and an identical clone appeared. Then, Renzou Uchiha repeated the Shadow Clone Technique three more times in quick succession.
"Oh? Using Shadow Clones to practice, a clever idea," Kosuke observed nearby, watching Renzou Uchiha's strategy with interest. The Shadow Clone Technique, also a B-rank ninjutsu invented by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, created a tangible clone. However, the clone evenly divided the user's chakra, possessed independent awareness and a degree of resilience to attacks, and its experiences and memories would return to the original. Looking at the three Shadow Clones before him, Renzou Uchiha felt a slight pang of frustration. His mental fortitude was sufficient, but his chakra reserves as a Genin limited the number of clones he could effectively create. This would have to do for now.
"Alright, let's get to work. Today, we learn to command the surging waves!"
"Oh!" The Shadow Clones echoed in unison. The four of them, including the original, positioned themselves in various parts of the clearing and began practicing the seals repeatedly.
"Water Release: Water Colliding Wave!" A stream of water began to flow, but it abruptly dispersed after traveling only two or three meters, collapsing and soaking the Shadow Clone entirely.
"Operational error? Let's try again."
"Whoa!" Renzou Uchiha's main body awkwardly stepped out of the puddle, glancing at the drenched Shadow Clone with a wry look. The Shadow Clone offered an embarrassed smile, moved to a drier spot, and prepared for another attempt.
The path of a ninja… truly had a long way to go.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
End of Chapter 43