More than half a day had passed since Obito and the Zetsus had departed on their mission. During that time, Uchiha Madara and Shiro, father and son, had been deep in the forest, immersed in the art of ninjutsu.
Ever since the chakra tubes had been removed from his back, as long as Shiro was by his side, Madara could move freely under the open sky, basking in the warmth of the sun. It was a welcome change from the perpetual gloom of the underground cavern.
At first, Lord Madara reveled in the experience. He was accompanying his son, offering guidance as he trained, and watching him grow. Was this not the peaceful, fulfilling life he had always envisioned for himself after his grand plan for peace was realized?
But as the hours wore on, that sense of idyllic peace began to fray, replaced by a feeling of being completely and utterly out of his depth.
The boy was too much of a monster.
It was simply unbelievable. No matter what ninjutsu Madara demonstrated, little Shiro would master it on the very first try. The pace of learning was not determined by Shiro's ability to comprehend, but entirely by how fast Uchiha Madara could form the hand seals and how many were required for the jutsu itself.
Initially, Lord Madara had demonstrated the Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu, a foundational technique for any member of the Uchiha clan. Given Shiro's young age, Madara had subconsciously slowed his movements, weaving through the seals deliberately to give the boy a better chance to absorb the information.
"Watch closely, my son. This is the most basic sequence for the Fireball Jutsu."
"Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger!"
"Once the seals are complete, you will condense chakra in your throat and release it as a burst of flame!"
As Madara formed the seals, Shiro's small hands mirrored his movements. They completed the sequence at almost the exact same time. Just as Uchiha Madara puffed out his cheeks, preparing to unleash the fire, he was stunned to see that little Shiro had already exhaled a perfect, crackling fireball.
Though the sphere of flame was not massive, it was undeniably a successful jutsu, proving that Shiro had, impossibly, already learned it without even using his three tomorrow eyes which would be understandable but shiro didn't even neef hose to copy someone.
"!!!" Uchiha Madara was thunderstruck. "That fast?"
Mastering the Three Body Technique so quickly was one thing, but to grasp the Fireball Jutsu with such instantaneous ease? How could this not shock the legendary Uchiha to his very core?
"Godfather! I did it! Can you teach me the next ninjutsu now, please?"
At that moment, Shiro was like a ravenous infant, treating new jutsu like his next meal, eagerly awaiting more.
"Son, perform it one more time. Let your father see that you have truly mastered it."
"Okay!" Shiro happily obliged. Relying on the fresh memory, he wove through the hand seals again, and another, larger fireball erupted from his mouth. With the blessing of his [Extraordinary Comprehension] talent, it was completely effortless. It would have been more difficult for him not to learn it.
In less than thirty seconds, his son had perfected the Uchiha clan's signature skill.
Amid his shock, Uchiha Madara seized the moment, deciding to raise the difficulty significantly.
"Son! The next ninjutsu is called [Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation]! This one is far more complex; it is not a technique you can master simply by mimicking the hand seals. It requires innate talent and profound comprehension. Watch closely! Your godfather is about to begin!"
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
Hoo!
In an instant, a small sea of fire erupted from Uchiha Madara's mouth, the scope of the technique far exceeding that of the simple fireball. After completing the demonstration, Madara tilted his head back, his voice filled with pride as he boasted to Shiro.
"My son, this is one of the Fire Release techniques your godfather is most skilled in. Its power and destructive potential are entirely dependent on the user's ability. In the right hands, it is a devastatingly powerful ninjutsu."
"What you see now is but a fraction of its power. When I have recovered my youth, I will show you the true terror of this technique!"
"This jutsu is quite difficult to master, so you may practice it slowly for now. I am going to sit for a moment."
With his aged body, performing two powerful jutsu in a row was taxing. Uchiha Madara urgently needed to rest.
But before he could even take a step, Shiro had already created his own sea of fire. And its power, its range, was far greater than what Uchiha Madara had just produced.
"He learned it instantly again???"
Uchiha Madara was completely dumbfounded. He stood frozen in place, his mind, a fortress that had planned wars and defied gods, now reeling from the sheer impossibility of what he was witnessing.
He saw it clearly: Shiro had not even activated his Sharingan. He hadn't copied the jutsu; he had learned it, purely through his own talent and comprehension. This could no longer be described as genius, or even monstrous.
This was simply divine because this was not a jutsu you could just learn. One had to hit and trail till they find their own rhythm. This shouldn't be possible but shiro was doing it.
"Godfather! I know this jutsu, too! Once I have more chakra in my body, I know I can make it even more destructive! Hehe, can you teach me the next one now?"
"(⊙o⊙)…"
A bitterness filled Uchiha Madara's heart.
This was truly… a pain. Was he not to be allowed even a moment's rest?
But then, he considered the future. He tried to imagine what kind of existence Shiro would become in the ninja world when he grew up. All the powerful figures of history would pale in comparison.
Including himself. And even Hashirama. It would all be the same…