Guidance from Demon Father

Outside the clan grounds stood an ordinary barbecue restaurant.

"Cheers!"

The shout was earth-shaking, yet the oldest among them was only twelve, and every cup was filled with soft drinks.

As the Uchiha Clan's Young Clan Head and the future leader destined to command the clan, no matter how unwilling Madara was, he had to put on a show sometimes.

Such as treating everyone to a meal.

Before Izuna died, Madara had generally been an outstanding young man with ideals and ambition.

Aside from being a little too full of himself, he did not have that many fewer virtues than Hashirama.

Glancing at the Dance King resting his chin on his hand and Izuna desperately snatching meat, Kyosuke shook his head, feeling a strange sense of witnessing history.

"Here, Kyosuke." A cup suddenly extended from across the table. Looking up, he saw a youth who resembled him by about seventy percent smiling at him.

This person was Kyosuke's cousin, Uchiha Kai.

"Let's have a drink." The youth's warm demeanor gave outsiders no hint of the true relationship between them.

"It's been years. I never expected you to become such a notable figure in the clan."

"If Second Uncle could see what you've achieved, he would definitely be very happy."

Kyosuke gave him a perfectly apt assessment: hypocrite.

Did this guy really think that, just because he had been young, he would not remember the way their family had treated him?

After his parents died in battle, the clan had arranged for him to live with his eldest uncle's family.

And what happened? They had turned him away at the door. Otherwise, why would Kyosuke have joined the Southern Legion at the age of seven?

The war situation was not urgent enough for that. Children with even a little backing were all receiving systematic training within the clan.

Only orphans like him were used as cannon fodder.

When they had been sent to intercept the descendants of the Three Clans, no one had intended for Kyosuke and the others to return alive.

Come to think of it, the accidental exposure of his Sharingan had not been entirely a bad thing.

"Yes, Father would definitely be very happy to see how I'm living." Giving him a small jab, Kyosuke drained the fruit juice in his cup.

No one else noticed anything wrong. They repeatedly praised the two cousins as outstanding ninjas of the clan.

Not long ago, Uchiha Kai had successfully advanced to Chunin. He was not some once-in-a-generation genius, but it at least proved he possessed quite decent talent.

The Konoha 12 of later generations were far beyond the strength of ordinary Chunin.

Kiba, who had been blasted away by one of Naruto's farts, and Tenten, who excelled in hidden weapons, had both reached Chunin level.

Rock Lee, Gaara, and the others at the pinnacle of the Chunin Exam could easily kill ordinary Jonin one-on-one.

Setting those monsters aside, Uchiha Kai's promotion to Chunin still carried some weight.

Otherwise, merely being Kyosuke's cousin would not have earned him a seat among these people.

Everyone ate and drank merrily. Only Uchiha Madara, who seemed somewhat out of place, noticed the unusual expression on Kyosuke's face.

Looking at the smiling Uchiha Kai, he could not help cursing inwardly, blaming his father Tajma for doing something foolish.

This was not winning someone over. It was clearly just making him uncomfortable.

Patting the youth on the shoulder, Uchiha Madara casually found an excuse to end the gathering early.

As if he understood something, Kyosuke smiled and shook his head at him before walking home alone.

Compared to Uchiha Kai, he cared more about the teacher arriving tomorrow.

Up to this point, his spiritual power was still growing rapidly.

Although his physical development was limited, his considerable spiritual power still allowed his total Chakra to increase day by day.

Chakra Amount: Genin

Kyosuke currently possessed roughly as much Chakra as an ordinary Genin.

It was certainly not enough, but it could at least sustain basic combat.

Kakashi graduated at five, became a Chunin at six, and officially advanced to Jonin at twelve.

Everyone knew Hatake Kakashi lacked Chakra. The main reason his strength had improved so quickly was the swordsmanship passed down through generations of the Hatake Clan.

Kyosuke decided to replicate Kakashi's path to rise, temporarily focusing most of his energy on an ability he had already mastered.

Uchiha Style Kenjutsu (Level 1)

He would use swordsmanship to rapidly raise his strength, then begin developing ninjutsu and genjutsu once his growth slowed.

Combined with his gradually evolving Sharingan, this would at least ensure a worry-free advancement to Elite Jonin level.

Once he had enough Points, he could forcibly exchange for a Mangekyo Sharingan and immediately break through into the realm of Clan Head Level.

With beautiful expectations for the future in his heart, little Kyosuke gradually fell asleep.

The next day, Kyosuke rose early and went alone to Uchiha Tajma's residence.

This time, he did not get to see the clan head. A guard led him to a side hall, where he met the clan's Jonin, who had already been waiting.

Upon seeing Kyosuke, the man spoke bluntly. "My name is Uchiha Keisuke. Starting today, I will serve as your instructor for one year."

Uchiha Demon Father?!

The youth blinked, pushed aside his distracting thoughts, and solemnly bowed. "Keisuke-sensei."

Nodding slightly, the Jonin asked, "What would you like to learn—ninjutsu or genjutsu? I will gradually teach you how to use your eyes, so there is no need to rush."

"I want to learn swordsmanship," Kyosuke stated.

Hearing that, Uchiha Keisuke furrowed his brow in confusion. After considering it carefully, however, he did not reject the idea.

The boy's body was frail, but with the Sharingan's enhancement, swordsmanship might indeed be the most suitable training direction for him at present.

A child with strong opinions. Keisuke-sensei praised him inwardly, then said calmly, "Wait here for me. I'll be right back."

With that, he vanished from the spot in a flash. Without activating his Sharingan, Kyosuke could not even perceive the path of his disappearance.

"The gap in our strength is even greater than I imagined."

About ten minutes later, Keisuke-sensei returned to the side residence. This time, he carried a Short Sword suitable for Kyosuke's use.

Its size and shape closely resembled the White Fang Short Sword, though it was slightly longer.

The moment he took the weapon, Kyosuke felt his arm sink. Though the blade looked unremarkable, it likely weighed over thirty jin.

An ordinary seven-year-old could hardly even lift it. Even he needed to circulate Chakra to do so.

With a forceful sweep of his arm, a shrill howl of wind suddenly rang beside his ears.

Gazing at the gleaming Short Sword, Kyosuke showed a rare smile.

"Thank you, Demon Father-sensei."

Uchiha Keisuke habitually frowned, always feeling there was something off about the youth's pronunciation.

Pulling out the Short Sword he had brought from home, he casually swung it several times to the side. A dense killing intent immediately filled the side residence.

"From now on, you are to come here every day at six."

"Yes!"

And so, Kyosuke began his relentless day-and-night training.

There was no need to rush gathering Points. Training was training; naturally, he would need real combat practice.

Even if there was not much to gain here, it would still become a considerable income if accumulated slowly.

Before long, a year passed in the blink of an eye.