Deep within a secluded forest, the dense clanging of metal abruptly came to a stop.
Poof!Poof!
Two shadow clones dispersed at once. In the next moment, Kakashi's expression changed, and he dropped straight down to sit on the ground.
When shadow clones disperse, the memories they accumulated return to the original body. If too many memories come back at once, they can place a heavy burden on the body in an instant.
Fortunately, Kakashi had only used two shadow clones, and all they had done was throw shuriken. The burden wasn't too severe.
"Come eat a bit," Uchiha Yoichi said, waving Kakashi over."Food helps chakra recover. We'll train two more rounds this afternoon, and then today's training will be over."
Nearby, three large food boxes had already been prepared—enough for about six people. Inside were rice balls, meat, and seafood, all ordered from several cooked-food shops in the village.
He had booked them for a month in advance, costing around 120,000 ryō. The seafood was the most expensive; the rest were fairly standard prices.
"Then I'll accept your hospitality," Kakashi replied.
He didn't stand on ceremony. Sitting down, he took the food box Yoichi handed him and began eating. If Yoichi hadn't called him over, he had been planning to eat the dry rations he brought himself.
Even though they were inside the village and he could have gone home to eat, Kakashi was currently on a mission. Until the mission ended, he had to follow the employer's arrangements.
At the core of a ninja's strength was chakra. If one wanted to recover chakra quickly, food was the most reliable method. Nutrient-rich meals greatly aided chakra recovery. Faster than food were medicinal herbs—but almost no one would take medicine just to restore chakra.
Even soldier pills made from medicinal ingredients were meant only for emergencies.
"You're planning to train swordsmanship, right?"After finishing his meal, Kakashi turned around and asked.
When he ate, he removed his mask—but he did so with his back to Uchiha Yoichi.
"Yes. I'm planning to practice swordsmanship that pairs with Lightning Release speed. That way, I'll have a higher survival rate on the battlefield. Also, Kakashi, didn't I tell you not to casually ask me questions?"
Uchiha Yoichi hadn't paid attention and ended up blurting out what he was thinking again. Fortunately, after speaking with Kakashi yesterday, he had already discovered a bit of a pattern.
As long as he consciously restrained himself, he could avoid speaking. But if he spoke instinctively, whatever came out would definitely be what was in his heart.
"Sorry. I'll be more careful next time," Kakashi said flatly beneath his mask."Still, if you're looking for a swordsmanship sparring partner, I can change the method. For example, we could both use ninja swords."
He continued calmly,"I'm probably better at swordsmanship than you. Compared to shuriken throwing, which only trains reaction and blocking, direct sword sparring should be more effective."
Hearing this, Uchiha Yoichi suddenly remembered that Kakashi's father was the White Fang of Konoha—renowned throughout the entire ninja world for his blade techniques.
During the Third Shinobi World War, Kakashi's resemblance to Hatake Sakumo alone had been enough to frighten Iwa jonin.
But right now, it wasn't graduation season, and there were no suitable mission teams to place new members into. As a result, Kakashi could only take on D-rank missions.
Encountering Uchiha Yoichi's commission had been pure coincidence. When the request was posted, Kakashi happened to be at the Mission Office. Since the task was inside the village and posed no danger, he accepted it.
"Of course I'm fine with that," Yoichi said."If you have no objections, I can pay you at a B-rank mission rate. The time stays the same as agreed—just don't initiate conversation with me."
"Alright, no problem," Kakashi nodded."Actually, you could also try using blade techniques to deal with different types of ninjutsu. But my chakra is limited—I can't accompany you in that kind of training."
He agreed immediately. After watching Yoichi train for an entire day, Kakashi had gained a decent understanding of this Chunin who was "somewhat famous" in the village.
One-tomoe Sharingan.Extremely fast reaction speed.No formal swordsmanship training—yet he could rely purely on reflexes to block every shuriken thrown at him.
Strength could be seen clearly through training. Sparring with someone like this would also help improve his own blade skills.
Still, the Uchiha clan had plenty of powerful ninja. Why didn't Yoichi look for his own clansmen, instead choosing to post a commission for village ninja?
"Let's continue," Uchiha Yoichi said as he stood up after resting a while.
By now, Kakashi had recovered as well and immediately created three shadow clones.
Before long, dense metallic clashes once again echoed through the forest.
The angles at which Kakashi threw his shuriken were extremely tricky. Even without chakra enhancement, the attacks weren't weak—and every throw aimed straight for vital points.
Uchiha Yoichi had no choice but to continuously increase his blade speed. The tomoe in his Sharingan spun so fast they nearly blurred into pinwheels. Only then was he able to avoid injury under the relentless barrage.
By the afternoon, after training ended, Kakashi was completely exhausted. After saying goodbye, Uchiha Yoichi headed back to his home.
After bathing, food delivery arrived right on time. Finding cooking troublesome, Yoichi had ordered both lunch and dinner to be delivered.
However, not long after finishing his meal, someone knocked on his door.
When he opened it, Uchiha Yoichi frowned slightly.
It was one of the people he least wanted to see right now.
"Yoichi-kun, don't forget to attend the clan assembly tonight."
"Mabayashi-senpai, I believe I've already said this. I don't want to attend. There's no precedent for Chunin participating in clan assemblies anyway—please stop looking for me."
"Yoichi, as long as you're a member of the Uchiha clan, you're eligible to attend the clan assembly. This time, it's the clan head personally inviting you. Please go—don't make this difficult for me."
[If you don't go, then I'll have no choice but to use slightly stronger measures.]
Hearing both Mabayashi's words and his inner thoughts, Uchiha Yoichi couldn't help but say:
"Mabayashi-senpai, how come I've never seen you and the clan head be this forceful when dealing with outsiders?"
"Even if you drag me to the clan assembly, your plan won't succeed. From the very beginning, I had no intention of apologizing to someone who insulted me. Mabayashi-senpai, you don't seriously believe all clan members are like you and the clan head—willing to swallow humiliation for outsiders, do you?"
This time, there was no need to restrain himself.
These were words he genuinely wanted to say.
"Yoichi, you—"
[He's right. If Uchiha Yoichi explains everything in detail at the clan assembly, and the Second Elder stirs things up, Fugaku's authority as clan head will definitely be questioned… No. Fugaku's plan is flawed. This needs to be reconsidered.]
As these thoughts crossed his mind, Mabayashi's expression subtly changed.
At this moment, he no longer wanted Uchiha Yoichi to attend the clan assembly either. But unable to swallow his pride, he finally looked at Yoichi deeply and said:
"Yoichi, no matter what others may have told you, you've misunderstood the clan head."
"Whether it's a misunderstanding or not, I know best. Mabayashi-senpai—right now, I understand you better than you understand yourself."
With that, Uchiha Yoichi went back inside, retrieved a storage scroll, and threw it to Mabayashi.
"This is the forging fee for the ninja sword. The extra is for materials. If you haven't contacted the ninja cats yet, then return my chakra metal to me—I'll find someone else myself."
"Your goodwill, and the clan head's goodwill—I really don't want to accept it. Otherwise, I'm afraid one day I'll die because of the clan head's 'good intentions.'"
The Hyūga clan head could hand over his own brother.The Uchiha clan's prodigy could wipe out his entire clan for Konoha.
Uchiha Yoichi was merely a slightly well-known clan member. If he got too close to Uchiha Fugaku, he genuinely feared that one day he'd hear:
"Yoichi, for the sake of Konoha… please make a sacrifice."
Inside the scroll were 1.5 million ryō—more than enough to hire even a master ninja tool craftsman from the Land of Artisans.