Shū

That night, Sosuke lay in a private tent.

As a newly appointed squad leader, this was the treatment he deserved.

Starting tomorrow, he would set aside two days each week to teach the Shadow Clone Technique he had created.

Once his clansmen learned Shadow Clones, their survival rate would skyrocket, fulfilling the Corps Commander's original wish.

In this matter, Sosuke stood to gain three kinds of benefits.

First, renown.

Learning his jutsu—even if they never called him "teacher"—the clansmen would silently hold gratitude in their hearts.

Invisibly, this would build him unimaginable prestige.

Second, status.

The squad leader position was no simple thing. It meant Sosuke could form his own team, with subordinates loyal to him.

Big or small, he now held military rank, utterly incomparable to his former half-civilian status.

Third, freedom.

This was the Corps Commander's special promise. Aside from Uchiha Shinya, no one in the Western War Zone could command Sosuke's squad.

It meant he could act freely, doing whatever he wanted each day.

This was what Sosuke valued most. Without autonomy, how could he rapidly accumulate points?

Faster point acquisition meant faster strength growth. Greater strength meant different enemies to face.

Such a virtuous cycle was the proper way to use the system.

"Once I exchange for the Cursed Seal, I can fight Jonin-level experts."

"Three Tomoe plus Cursed Seal Stage Two—killing an ordinary Jonin would be no problem. Then I'd rake in thousands of points easily."

Imagining future scenes in his mind, Sosuke lay on the bed board and drifted off to sleep.

Just before sleep, one last strange thought flashed through his mind.

"This bed board is really hard."

"Thank you for the guidance!"

Inside the tent, a group of highly skilled ninjas sat in rows. Fearsome auras erupted from time to time, making Sosuke, acting as their teacher, quite uncomfortable.

Even so, his face showed no fear as he patiently taught the mysteries of the Shadow Clone Technique.

"Remember, tangible clones have pros and cons. The moment they disperse, the pain the original feels might make you lose control."

He wasn't exaggerating. In a battle between experts, even a single second of body stiffness was enough for an enemy to kill you a thousand times over.

Shadow Clones were a double-edged sword. Users had to be prepared for that.

The Corps Commander acted with swift decisiveness. The very next day, he had Sosuke's first batch of students ready. With no choice, Sosuke gritted his teeth and started teaching without a license.

Fortunately, his on-the-spot adaptability was excellent. He didn't embarrass himself in front of everyone.

From the eyes of these Captain-level experts, it was easy to see their heartfelt approval.

"Thanks a lot." Suddenly, a fair arm reached out.

The Youth looked up, and a face strikingly similar to Uchiha Mikoto came into view.

She looked about seventeen or eighteen—maybe twenty. At this stage, it was hard to judge a woman's age by appearance.

Her figure was even more absurd. Looking at the beautiful woman before him, Sosuke seriously doubted whether the two tumors on her chest would affect her combat.

Uchiha Aya, a Captain-level expert of the Western Army Corps. Her strength was formidable, and her methods were exceptionally cold and ruthless.

Despite her cheerful smile, if it came to a fight, fewer than three people present could defeat her.

"Little brother Sosuke." She pulled the boy close, not letting him escape, and said with a grin, "What other impressive things do you have? Big sister wants to see them with her own eyes."

"In exchange, big sister will show you my secret too. I guarantee you've never seen it before."

It took considerable effort for Sosuke to break free from her embrace.

Looking at the woman who deliberately bit her finger, the Youth twitched the corner of his mouth, pretending not to understand her teasing.

Damn it, bullying me for being young. Just wait a few years—I'll find a chance to thoroughly put you in your place.

In truth, he knew it wasn't just this woman tempting him. The others also wanted to learn more.

After all, what he was most famous for wasn't Shadow Clones, but the Chidori series of jutsu. Those were the real killing tools.

Unfortunately, Sosuke wouldn't casually teach them to outsiders. Even if he did, it would only be to subordinates loyal to him.

But saying it was easy. Finding reliable subordinates was far from simple.

As the first batch of students gradually left, Sosuke, having finished his first day of lessons, planned to take a walk outside alone.

But just as he left the camp, he saw a group of people rushing toward the medical unit.

"Move aside!"

"Hurry, doctor! Prepare the hemostatic tools immediately!"

Three wounded lay on stretchers, apparently struck by an enemy attack.

The fact that his teammates were this tense meant the situation was even worse than it looked.

"Sigh, this is the cruelty of the battlefield."

Just as Sosuke was about to leave, his gaze was suddenly drawn to someone.

It was a youth lying on a stretcher, his clothes soaked through with blood. Sosuke could even see the bare bone exposed on his arm.

Even so, the youth never made a single sound, a stark contrast to his two companions who kept wailing.

"Shū, can you hold on?"

"No problem."

"Alright, then we'll treat the others first."

With that, his teammate actually began tending to another injured person.

Sosuke stepped closer for a look—good grief, the other guy had lost a leg. The situation was indeed more severe than the youth's.

Only, their tolerance for pain wasn't even on the same level. From start to finish, Sosuke never saw the youth so much as frown.

He didn't mean to interrupt. He didn't understand Medical Ninjutsu anyway. He just thought the youth's astonishing willpower was rare.

One bowed his head in silence, the other stood at a distance watching quietly. Who knew how long passed before a wail came from the medical tent—the legless ninja hadn't been saved after all.

A short while later, someone finally carried the youth inside and began carefully treating his wounds.

Throughout it all, the youth never made a sound. Even as his body started trembling from the pain, his eyes remained as calm as still water.

"Not bad." Sosuke turned and left, but before going, he asked around and learned the youth's name.

Uchiha Shū. A ninja with no particular talent. He hadn't awakened the Sharingan yet, and his clan had judged him incapable of unlocking his bloodline.

"So his aptitude is poor, huh." Sosuke didn't think much of it.

Poor aptitude didn't matter. What he valued were certain spiritual qualities.

In truth, unless someone was a direct blood relative of the Ōtsutsuki, no matter how gifted, they were still just a mortal.

Besides, it wasn't as if he had no way to change someone's aptitude.

Over the next three days, Sosuke continuously taught the Shadow Clone Technique.

On the afternoon of the final day, the figure he had anticipated finally appeared before him.

"You're here."

Standing in front of him was none other than the youth, Uchiha Shū.