Surveillance

Snake-Ram-Monkey-Boar-Horse-Tiger!

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!!!"

In the backyard of Houka's house, Uchiha Obito puffed his cheeks out like two balloons, blowing air forward frantically. However, even until his face turned blue and his eyes rolled back, not a single spark appeared.

"Damn it, why can you do it, but I can't?" Uchiha Obito panted heavily, looking utterly dejected.

Nearby, Houka crossed his arms and teased, "Obito, that won't work. First, you must refine enough Chakra. Second, your hand signs aren't standard; you clearly messed up the last two. Furthermore, even if you meet both conditions, you still need constant practice to succeed. After all, the Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique is a unique Fire Style ninjutsu of our Uchiha clan; it wouldn't live up to its name if it weren't difficult."

"Houka, you guy." Uchiha Obito looked at Houka with unconcealed frustration. Just a few days ago, they were both at the bottom of their class, but now that Houka, this old pro, had suddenly surged ahead, Uchiha Obito clearly couldn't adapt.

"Sigh, I just used the time you spent chasing girls on training instead." Houka waved his hand with a look of pleasure, carrying the air of a true master.

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Obito felt even more indignant. He clenched his fists and roared, "No way! Starting today, I'm going to train with you too!"

"Suit yourself, but I have to warn you: training is a dull and tedious affair. You'd better be mentally prepared!" Houka said sternly.

"That goes without saying! I am the man who will become Hokage!" Uchiha Obito shouted, showing a style very much like Naruto.

Afterward, Houka made braised pork. He prepared three portions; besides the two of them, he also made some for Obito's grandmother. Unfortunately, she was too old to chew it, so the two of them ended up eating it all.

"So full." Uchiha Obito rubbed his belly as he lay on the ground, wearing a look of mysterious satisfaction.

Houka had eaten quite a bit of the pork, and with his body replenished by the energy, his complexion looked much healthier. He glanced at Obito and gave him a kick, humming, "Now is not the time to rest. Obito, get up, we're starting training!"

"Nani? Now? But my stomach hasn't even digested the food yet." Uchiha Obito's laziness was acting up.

"Practicing hand signs won't interfere with your digestion." Houka forcefully dragged Obito into the yard and urged him to practice the hand signs.

Of course, Houka wasn't idle either; he was practicing as well.

However, the two had different focuses for their practice.

Uchiha Obito was mainly working on standardizing his hand signs, while Houka was adding speed on top of that foundation!

As the saying goes, there is no harm without comparison. As Uchiha Obito practiced stumblingly, he watched Houka's hand sign speed and felt like he was about to cry.

"Houka, you bastard, when did your hand sign speed get so fast? And it's so standard, too!"

Houka glanced at him and sighed, "Fast? My current hand sign speed is only one sign every 1.5 seconds."

"Isn't that fast enough?" Uchiha Obito rolled his eyes. Right now, he couldn't even form a single standard sign in a second.

"It's fast compared to you now, but my goal isn't the current you." Houka gave Uchiha Obito a deep look.

Uchiha Obito felt a chill under that gaze and laughed awkwardly, changing the subject: "So, Houka, are we just going to practice hand signs all afternoon?"

"Of course!" Houka affirmed.

"Ah? That's too boring!" Uchiha Obito couldn't keep it up for long, especially since his hands were starting to feel like they were cramping.

"Hang in there, Obito. Didn't you say you wanted to be Hokage? If you can't even endure this small setback, how can you gain everyone's recognition and become Hokage?" Houka poured him a bowl of "chicken soup for the soul," adding, "Even though you'll never become Hokage no matter how hard you try."

"Damn it, I'll definitely become Hokage and show you!"

In the end, Uchiha Obito lasted two hours before his hands cramped up, and he had to leave helplessly.

In the small courtyard, only Houka remained.

"Is it a physical limitation?"

Houka practiced until dusk, only to find that his hand sign speed wouldn't increase; it remained stuck at 1.5 seconds per sign.

In the future, Uchiha Itachi's hand sign speed would reach six signs per second—so fast that even Kakashi's Sharingan couldn't keep up!

"Sigh, take it one step at a time. Being anxious won't help."

That night, Houka continued his training. Tree climbing and water walking were no longer difficult for him, so he turned to practicing with Kunai and Shuriken.

Houka's parents were both Chunin, so there were plenty of Kunai and Shuriken at home, though their quality was average.

Bang, bang!

In the courtyard, Houka looked at the Kunai at the base of the tree and shook his head with a wry smile; he had failed on his first attempt.

Then he threw a Shuriken, which also slid off the tree trunk.

Houka frowned, retrieved the Kunai and Shuriken, and threw them a few more times. He finally summarized a bit of technique, and each throw managed to scrape a bit of bark off the tree.

Two hours later, Houka had figured out the characteristics of the Kunai and Shuriken. While he wasn't yet at the level of controlling them like an extension of his own arms, he was already very familiar with them.

Whoosh!

The Kunai rotated and cut through the air, making a sound before embedding itself firmly into the tree trunk.

"Success!"

Houka was thrilled and pressed on. Gradually, he practiced until late at night. From throwing one Kunai to two at once, and finally three, the difficulty increased bit by bit, yet Houka didn't feel a single obstacle.

Houka's hands were perfect; he could control every muscle in them with precision. Through these muscles, he could perceive the moment each Kunai was released. This sensation was subtle, intoxicating, and delightful.

When he threw the Shuriken afterward, he felt the same thing. Soon, he could throw three Shuriken simultaneously, and each one hit the target accurately!

"It's just..." Houka frowned slightly, "I feel like something is off. Where could it be?"

Houka looked up at the moon in the night sky, then closed his eyes, carefully sensing the coolness of the night breeze.

"Hmm? It feels like someone is watching me?"

A strange sensation emerged in the mind of Houka.

"It must be because of the Fire Style ninjutsu I cast at noon!"

"But who could it be?"

"Anbu? Root? Or the Police Force?"

Houka opened his eyes, let out a yawn, and feigned a look of exhaustion as he returned to his room, then turned off the lights to sleep.

Outside, an Uchiha clansman with a pair of two-tomoe Sharingan eyes watched until he confirmed that Houka was fast asleep, only then turning to leave.

"Hand seal speed of 1.5 seconds per seal, capable of accurately throwing three Kunai or Shuriken simultaneously." Uchiha Yamano, captain of the Konoha Police Force, looked at the intelligence report delivered late at night and pondered slightly. "The hand seal speed is average, but considering he is only six years old, hmm, I'll give him an eighty. As for the Kunai and Shuriken... in front of the Sharingan, they are merely minor tricks after all. As it stands, it is still impossible to confirm whether he is truly a genius. Sigh, I will observe him for a while longer."

Beside him, Uchiha Fugaku stood respectfully and said upon hearing this, "Captain, I believe this child has great potential and is worth cultivating!"

Uchiha Yamano, however, shook his head and said, "Fugaku, Kagami Uchiha has a descendant named Uchiha Shisui. Although he is only three years old, he has already displayed extraordinary talent. A child like that is the one worth my cultivation!"

"I understand, Captain!" Uchiha Fugaku said.

"I leave Uchiha Shisui to you; you must cultivate him well!" Uchiha Yamano instructed.

"I will certainly complete the captain's mission!" Uchiha Fugaku nodded solemnly.