Outside the clan compound stood a barbecue restaurant run by an ordinary person.
"Cheers!"
Their shouted slogan could be heard for miles, but the cups of this group of kids, none older than twelve, were filled with nothing but drinks.
As the Uchiha Young Clan Head and the leader destined to command the clan in the future, Madara sometimes had to put on a show, no matter how unwilling he was.
For example, treating everyone to a meal.
Before Izuna died, Madara was, all in all, an outstanding young man with ideals and ambition.
Aside from being a little too full of himself, he really didn't have many fewer virtues than Hashirama.
Kyosuke glanced at Dance King, who was propping up his chin, and Izuna, who was desperately grabbing for meat. He shook his head, feeling as if he were witnessing history.
"Here, Kyosuke." A cup suddenly extended toward him from across the table. When he looked up, he saw a smiling boy who looked about seventy percent like him.
This person was Kyosuke's cousin, Uchiha Kei.
"Let's have a drink." The boy's warm manner gave outsiders no hint of the truth of their relationship.
"It's been years. I never expected you'd become such a big name in the clan."
"If your second uncle could see what you've achieved, he'd surely be very happy."
Kyosuke privately rated him as a hypocrite.
Did this guy really think Kyosuke was too young to remember how his family had treated him?
When his parents had died in battle, the clan had once arranged for him to live with his uncle's family.
And what happened? They'd simply shut the door in his face. Otherwise, why would Kyosuke have joined the Southern Legion at seven?
The fighting hadn't been so desperate that children with even a little backing had to leave the clan. They were all receiving systematic training within the compound.
Only orphans like him were used as cannon fodder.
When they were sent to kill the Three Clans' heirs, no one had ever intended for Kyosuke and the others to make it back alive.
Come to think of it, the accidental exposure of his Sharingan hadn't been such a bad thing.
"Yeah. If my father could see how I'm living, he'd be very happy." After slipping in a small jab, Kyosuke drained the juice in his cup.
The others hadn't noticed anything amiss. They even repeatedly praised the two cousins as outstanding ninjas of the clan.
Not long ago, Uchiha Kei had successfully been promoted to Chunin. He wasn't some peerless genius, but at least he had proven himself to possess considerable talent.
The Konoha 12 of the future were far beyond the level of ordinary Chunin.
Kiba, who Naruto had sent flying with a fart, and Tenten, who excelled at throwing weapons, had both reached Chunin level.
Rock Lee and Gaara, at the top of the Chunin Ninja Exams, could each kill an ordinary Jonin without much trouble.
Setting aside those monsters, Uchiha Kei's promotion to Chunin still carried some weight.
Otherwise, being Kyosuke's cousin alone wouldn't have been enough to earn him a place among them.
Everyone was eating and drinking merrily. Only the slightly antisocial Uchiha Madara noticed the odd expression on Kyosuke's face.
Looking at Uchiha Kei's cheerful smile, he couldn't help cursing under his breath, blaming his father, Tajima, for doing something stupid.
This wasn't winning the boy over. It was just adding insult to injury.
Madara patted the boy on the shoulder, then found an excuse to end the banquet early.
As if he understood what Madara meant, Kyosuke smiled and shook his head at him before heading home alone.
Compared to Uchiha Kei, Kyosuke was more concerned about the teacher who would arrive tomorrow.
So far, his mental strength was still growing rapidly.
Even though his body had limited room to develop, his impressive mental strength still allowed his Chakra reserves to increase day by day.
Chakra Reserves: Genin
Kyosuke now had about as much Chakra as an ordinary Genin.
It was certainly not enough, but at least it could sustain him in a basic fight.
Kakashi had graduated at five, become a Chunin at six, and officially advanced to Jonin at twelve.
It was common knowledge that Kakashi Hatake had a limited supply of Chakra. The main reason he'd improved so quickly was the swordsmanship passed down through generations of the Hatake Clan.
Kyosuke decided to replicate Kakashi's rise. For now, he would focus most of his efforts on a skill he had already mastered.
Uchiha Style Swordsmanship (Level 1)
He would use swordsmanship to rapidly improve his strength. Once his progress slowed, he would turn his attention to developing ninjutsu and Genjutsu.
Combined with his gradually evolving Sharingan, this would at least ensure he could advance to Elite Jonin without trouble.
By then, once he had enough points, he could forcefully exchange them for a Mangekyo and immediately break through into the Clan Leader Level.
With beautiful dreams of the future in his heart, little Kyosuke gradually drifted off to sleep.
The next day, Kyosuke got up early and went alone to Uchiha Tajima's residence.
This time, he didn't get to meet the Clan Head. A guard led him to a side hall, where he met the clan's Jonin, who had been waiting there for him.
When the man saw Kyosuke, he got straight to the point. "My name is Uchiha Keisuke. Starting today, I'll be your instructor for the next year."
Uchiha Ghost Father?!
The boy blinked, brushed aside his stray thoughts, and bowed respectfully. "Teacher Keisuke."
The Jonin gave a slight nod and asked, "What would you like to learn? Ninjutsu or Genjutsu? I'll gradually teach you how to use your eyes, so don't rush into that yet."
"I want to learn swordsmanship," Kyosuke said, stating his preference.
Uchiha Keisuke furrowed his brow in puzzlement, but after thinking it over, he didn't reject the idea.
The boy's body was frail, but with the Sharingan to aid him, swordsmanship might be the most suitable path for his training right now.
A very decisive child. Teacher Keisuke praised him inwardly, then said calmly, "Wait here a moment. I'll be right back."
With that, he vanished in a flash. Kyosuke hadn't activated his Sharingan, and he couldn't even make out the man's movements as he disappeared.
"The gap in our strength is even bigger than I thought."
A little over ten minutes later, Teacher Keisuke returned to the courtyard. This time, he had a short sword suitable for Kyosuke in his hand.
It was very similar in size and shape to the White Fang tanto, though a little longer.
The moment Kyosuke took the weapon, his arm sank under its weight. The blade looked unremarkable, but it probably weighed more than thirty pounds.
An ordinary seven-year-old could hardly even lift it. Even Kyosuke had to circulate his Chakra to manage it.
He swept his arm sideways, and a sharp whistle suddenly rang beside his ear.
Looking at the gleaming short sword, Kyosuke rarely let a smile show.
"Thank you, Ghost Father—er, Teacher."
Uchiha Keisuke frowned out of habit. He couldn't help feeling there was something wrong with the boy's pronunciation.
He took out the short sword he'd brought from home and casually swung it a few times. A dense killing intent suddenly filled the courtyard.
"From now on, you must come here every day at six."
"Yes!"
And so Kyosuke began his ceaseless training, by day and by night.
There was no need to rush to earn points. Training was training, and training called for practical drills.
Even if there weren't many opportunities here, slowly building them up would still earn a considerable amount.
Before long, a year had passed in the blink of an eye.
Before you continue