Don't Let Me Down

The darkness before dawn had yet to fade, and a thin layer of frost coated the bluestone of the training ground.

"Remember, brat." Tobirama Senju's voice was low. "A true ninja ends a battle before the enemy realizes it."

With a flick of his fingers, three shuriken shot out in a triangular formation and embedded themselves precisely in the distant target's bullseye.

Renye focused intently, taking in every detail.

His long black hair was still damp with dew, and his pale face was filled with gravity.

When Tobirama Senju suddenly closed in, he instinctively leaned back, and a kunai grazed past the tip of his nose.

Tobirama Senju withdrew his hand, his robes snapping in the wind. "In battle, your enemy won't give you a second chance."

He formed a hand seal, and dozens of Shadow Clones surrounded the training ground so tightly that not even water could pass through.

Renye's pupils contracted slightly as his eyes darted about, trying to find the original among the clones.

Sweat slid down his cheeks and soaked his collar.

This was one of Renye's daily training exercises: finding Tobirama Senju's original body to sharpen his powers of observation.

He only had three chances to strike...

"Brat, have you found me?" Twenty voices spoke at once.

Renye carefully observed the Tobirama Senjus before him.

Some had their arms folded, their faces full of mockery.

Some were expressionless, silently watching him.

Others held kunai, their faces solemn.

Renye looked helpless. Finding the original among twenty clones was easier said than done.

Besides, this was Tobirama Senju's Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.

"Brat, you should just give up!"

Renye did not respond. He took a deep breath and tried to find a flaw in the smallest details.

He knew that although Shadow Clones possessed the same strength as the original, there would always be the slightest fluctuation in Chakra.

As long as he found that subtle fluctuation, he could distinguish the original body.

The first Shadow Clone moved, thrusting a kunai straight at him. Renye sidestepped, but his gaze remained fixed on its footsteps.

The force behind every step that landed could become a clue.

Renye suddenly attacked, but his target was the Shadow Clone to his left.

However, the instant his kunai touched it, the figure turned into a puff of white smoke and vanished.

Wrong. Fine beads of sweat had already formed on his forehead.

"Brat, just give up," all the clones said in unison.

"Shut up." Renye was growing irritated.

He began observing in earnest. From the corner of his eye, he noticed a Shadow Clone behind the crowd move.

The instant it moved, the kunai in Renye's hand shot out.

"Could that be the original?" Renye murmured softly.

Under Renye's hopeful gaze, the clone turned into white smoke and disappeared.

He was not discouraged. Instead, he wore an expression that said he had expected it.

Tobirama Senju could not possibly make such a basic mistake unless he wanted to lure him into a trap.

But Renye did not dare gamble. What if it really was the original?

"Brat, you have one last chance!"

"I know..."

Before he could finish speaking, all the Shadow Clones attacked at once.

Facing eighteen Shadow Clones, Renye's lips curled upward slightly.

"You brought yourselves to me. Don't blame me, then."

Renye leaped into the air and formed hand seals. "Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

Blazing flames swept across the training ground, and the eighteen Shadow Clones flickered in and out of view within the sea of fire.

Just as the flames were about to die out, Renye suddenly charged toward the northwest corner, his kunai aimed straight at that figure.

The Tobirama Senju before him raised a hand and blocked Renye's attack, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his lips.

"Not bad. You were able to identify the original from the residual Chakra. It seems you've improved."

Although he had deliberately given Renye an opportunity, it had not been an easy one to seize.

The fact that Renye had discovered the original truly exceeded Tobirama Senju's expectations.

Renye let out a long breath. His taut nerves finally relaxed, and he plopped down onto the ground.

Every morning's training left Renye both loving and hating it.

That old man Tobirama Senju was really training him to death...

Sometimes, when the two sparred, Tobirama Senju showed no mercy. He would beat Renye half to death, then call over a Medical Ninja to treat him.

Renye felt that the old man was doing it on purpose, just looking for an excuse to beat him up...

Although the training was a little harsh, his improvement was obvious.

Renye's current strength had already surpassed that of an ordinary genin.

Before long, he would surely realize his wonderful dream of punching the King of Show-offs and kicking Hiruzen.

Just as Renye was imagining the future, Tobirama Senju pulled out a report card with a grim expression.

"Uchiha Renye, tell me, how did you manage to get a score like this?"

Looking at the test paper with its score of five, Renye scratched his head awkwardly. "Haha, Uncle, listen to my explanation..."

"You damn Uchiha brat, you didn't study at all!" Tobirama Senju roared.

"Uncle, don't slander me. I studied," Renye said sheepishly.

Well, flipping through a few pages before the exam counted as studying, right? Although he hadn't studied for long, he had studied, hadn't he?

He had already done his best. What else could he do if he had not scored well?

"If you get a score like this again next time, I'll personally..."

Tobirama Senju narrowed his eyes, gripping the middle of the kunai between two fingers.

Crack! The kunai snapped in half.

Renye swallowed instinctively and said nervously, "Uncle, calm down. It's not that serious."

Tobirama Senju said nothing. He stared at Renye with an unfriendly gaze, showing no sign that he was joking.

If Renye got such an embarrassing score again next time, he definitely would not show mercy!

Such a simple test paper—if he had not seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that someone could score five points in his lifetime!

Come to think of it, could someone who scored five points even still be considered human?

The more Tobirama Senju thought about it, the angrier he became, and a powerful killing intent erupted from his body.

This was the second time Renye had faced Tobirama Senju's killing intent head-on, and it nearly crushed the breath from him.

Was this the pressure of a Kage-level powerhouse?

If he had not been sitting on the ground, he would probably have been forced to his knees.

"U-Uncle, I'll try to pass next time. Y-You calm down first."

After receiving Renye's promise, Tobirama Senju snorted and withdrew his killing intent.

"Brat, there won't be a next time!" Tobirama Senju threw the test paper to Renye and turned to leave.

Today's instruction was over. He still had to deal with taking in disciples.

He needed to cultivate a group of geniuses for Konoha Village who possessed the Will of Fire and could become the village's high-level combat power.

And those geniuses had to be personally taught by him.

As for Renye, forget it...

Tobirama Senju did not expect someone who scored five points on a written exam to inherit the Will of Fire.

He even seriously suspected that Renye did not know what the Will of Fire was at all...

His expectations for Renye were not high. As long as he did not do anything that harmed the village, that would be enough.

Although Renye's character was currently decent, he had yet to undergo Awakening the eyes. The specifics would have to be observed after that.

Based on Tobirama Senju's understanding of the Uchiha, ordinary Uchiha Clan Members would undergo certain changes in personality after awakening the Sharingan.

He could not say what Renye's personality would be like in the future. All he could do was guide him onto the right path as much as possible.

"Brat, don't let me down..."