Splash...
Countless sprays of water scattered in every direction along the shore. The surrounding flowers, grass, and trees all trembled as their branches were battered.
"Ptooey, ptooey!"
Yet Uchiha Ao, the one who had caused all this...
was drenched from head to toe, spitting mud and sand from his mouth nonstop.
"Brother Sou, did you do all this?"
Might Duy leaped down from a tree, his voice full of astonishment.
"Ptooey, ptooey. So it's you, Duy."
Uchiha Ao weighed his sodden clothes in one hand, tilting his head from side to side to shake out the water as he replied casually, "You mean all this steam? I just used Fire Release and didn't control my strength. I didn't expect it to cause such a scene...
"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey. I really didn't think... ptooey... there'd be so much mud and sand beneath such a small lake."
"..."
Might Duy gazed at the lake, whose surface had dropped by several millimeters, and marveled inwardly.
Brother Sou was way too powerful. The might of that ninjutsu almost matched that of a Jonin he'd once seen.
No, judging by its power, Brother Sou seemed even stronger.
Good heavens, that Jonin had been a ninjutsu expert who had nearly made it into Anbu!
Might Duy was overjoyed. Choosing Brother Sou as his teacher was the best decision he'd ever made.
Brother Sou, you're my god!
Uchiha Ao had no idea what his young friend beside him was thinking. Even if he had, he wouldn't have had the attention to spare; he was staring at the panel in front of him, his grin nearly stretching from ear to ear.
[Great Fireball Technique—Modified 0/200] [B-rank Fire Release Ninjutsu: Improved from the original, doubling its power and increasing its release speed by a factor of two]
"So that's why my hand seals haven't changed, but I've been releasing ninjutsu faster and faster!
"I wonder... how much chakra does the upgraded technique consume?"
At the thought, he calmed himself and carefully sensed how much chakra remained in his body. To his surprise, nearly half of it was still left.
"Could advancing a ninjutsu also increase my chakra reserves without me realizing it?"
He looked at the panel.
[Chakra Reserves: Mid-Level Chunin]
Nothing had changed...
The last time he'd nearly awakened his Sharingan, his chakra reserves had improved a little, bringing him to this level.
Could it be because...
Uchiha Ao's eyes lit up. He suddenly remembered the word "improved" on the panel and felt as if he understood.
So after being improved, the Great Fireball Technique hadn't just gained power and speed. The chakra pathways used to release it had also been refined. That was why it consumed less chakra after he used it—a remarkable result.
Then what would happen if I maxed out the A-rank Lightning Release: Lightning Clone?
A Multiple Shadow Lightning Clone Technique?
"Brother Sou, was that a Secret Technique of the Uchiha Clan?"
"Brother Sou, could you teach it to me?"
"That was incredible! I wonder when I'll be able to learn such powerful ninjutsu!"
Might Duy wasn't good at ninjutsu, so seeing such a powerful technique up close for the first time left him so excited he could barely contain himself. He circled Uchiha Ao, chattering away.
"I stumbled upon this ninjutsu by chance."
Uchiha Ao came back to himself and waved dismissively. Then he smiled and ruffled Duy's watermelon-shaped haircut. "Of course I can teach it to you, but first you have to learn the Substitution Technique I've been teaching you."
He silently estimated the time it would take. Judging by Might Duy's progress with the Substitution Technique, it would conservatively take him a year to learn Ao's modified Great Fireball Technique...
And less conservatively? Three years?
Might Duy froze at that, his little mouth hanging open.
Brother Sou had created that ninjutsu himself!
Brother Sou was... way too amazing!
After all, only Elite Jonin and even Kage Level powerhouses could create such powerful ninjutsu. Could Brother Sou actually be...
Never mind. The important thing was that Brother Sou was amazing!
"Ah! My youth is burning!"
Might Duy's confidence in his future as a ninjutsu user grew. His fighting spirit soared, his eyes gleamed, and two streams of white vapor burst from his broad nostrils as he struck a pose.
"Brother Sou, I reviewed what I learned in class today. I have a feeling I can master the Substitution Technique today!"
Uchiha Ao smiled without answering. He stepped aside, making room.
The meaning was clear: Go on, kid. Show me what you can do.
Might Duy's expression turned serious. He formed hand seals, then shouted:
"Substitution Technique!"
Poof!
A puff of white smoke rose. Aside from Might Duy standing right where he was, his face red from straining, nothing changed.
Clap, clap, clap...
Uchiha Ao applauded, his expression sincere. "Duy, you've definitely improved."
As he spoke, he walked up to Might Duy and poked his Forehead Protector with a finger.
With a poof, the Forehead Protector turned into a leaf.
"Heh heh..."
Might Duy's face was red with embarrassment as he scratched his head with a sheepish grin.
"I thought..."
"That's already pretty good."
Uchiha Ao replied sincerely. He wasn't trying to comfort him; he meant it.
He'd thought Might Duy would do the same as the previous two days: finish his hand seals and then let one rip on the spot.
He hadn't expected Duy to manage to substitute his Forehead Protector away in just two days.
At this rate, it would probably take Might Duy only a month or two to learn the Substitution Technique.
That was a pretty impressive pace. In Ao's experience teaching at the Ninja Academy, it was already on par with an average student.
"Then why was Might Duy still a Genin for his entire life in the original story?"
Uchiha Ao thought it over carefully and suddenly realized something.
For the past two days, he'd often used the Substitution Technique while teaching Might Duy. His understanding of it had grown deeper, and naturally, he'd shared those insights while teaching Duy.
Now it seemed those insights had not only improved his own use of the Substitution Technique, but had greatly improved his teaching ability as well.
"I'm looking forward to it. What kind of brilliant blossoms will Might Duy, skilled in both Taijutsu and ninjutsu, bring to the Shinobi World in the future?"
Afterward, Uchiha Ao gave Might Duy some pointers on his mistakes. It was around seven in the evening by the time they returned to Konoha. They chatted and laughed along the way.
"Come on, Duy. To celebrate your great progress with the Substitution Technique, your teacher's treating you to barbecue today!"
"Great! Thanks, sensei!"
"No big deal. We can swing by your house on the way and pick up that yel... yellow book of yours. Your teacher has a very important use for it!"
"Sensei, wasn't that book red?"
"Don't worry about the details."
Uchiha Clan Mission Briefing Room.
"..."
Uchiha Qiongyue sat at a long table, checking the numbers on the scrolls laid out before him one by one.
A moment later, he raised an eyebrow, picked out a green scroll, and slapped it down on the table.
"Why hasn't this A-rank assassination mission been assigned yet?"
Uchiha Setsuna, standing beside him, examined it carefully before quickly explaining:
"This mission is rather tricky. The target is a samurai from the Land of Iron. As you know, the Land of Iron has always advocated neutrality. If we carry out this mission, we may be held accountable by the Land of Iron."
"The Land of Iron?"
Uchiha Qiongyue sounded surprised. He opened the scroll, read it carefully for a while, then gave a disdainful laugh.
"It's just a country of fools who worship blades. What can they do if they hold us accountable?
"Hmm... Still, the clan will need to accept commissions from them in the future. Assign a clan member who's good at Taijutsu, and make sure there are no loose ends."
"Yes." Uchiha Setsuna bowed.
"Wait."
Uchiha Qiongyue raised a hand to stop him. As if remembering something, he added:
"After the mission is complete, send someone to investigate the client. If he has ulterior motives and is trying to ruin our clan's relationship with the Land of Iron...
"When you go carry out that long-term mission later, kill him on the way."
"The Clan Head is wise."
Uchiha Setsuna looked impressed, then took another scroll from his robes and handed it over.
"Clan Head, no one's taken that B-rank border reconnaissance mission either. What do you think..."
As he spoke, he glanced at Uchiha Qiongyue's face. Sure enough, it visibly darkened. He demanded in a low voice, "Why hasn't it been assigned yet?!"
Uchiha Setsuna explained quietly, "The border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning has been unsettled lately. All the clan's Jonin are out on missions, and the Chunin don't dare take it. Also, a couple of days ago, you told me that Ao would be coming over..."
"Don't mention that good-for-nothing!"
Just hearing the name made Uchiha Qiongyue angry. It wasn't entirely because of Uchiha Ao; thinking of him also reminded Qiongyue of how Tobirama Senju had toyed with him.
He was angry, the kind of angry no one could talk him out of!
"Also, raise the reward for this mission to three hundred thousand ryo. Tell those good-for-nothings that if nobody takes it, I'll cut the reward in half and assign it myself!"
"Well..."
Uchiha Setsuna looked troubled. He didn't want to offend the clan members, who were his relatives, or the domineering Clan Head.
"That might discourage them."
Uchiha Qiongyue, already in a foul mood, exploded.
"Discourage them, my ass..."
Just as he was about to throw the scroll, a slightly drunken shout came from outside the door.
"Brother Setsuna, are you there?
"It's Ao. I'd like to discuss something with you."
Before you continue