Beneath the setting sun, its light bathed the earth. A clear river wound slowly through the sunlight, its rippling waters echoing through the woods.
Standing on an open patch of ground beside the river, Shisui Uchiha took a black belt marked with a special pattern from a scroll and handed it to Lin Feng.
"Why is it so heavy?"
The instant Lin Feng took the belt, he could tell there was something unusual about it.
Unlike an ordinary belt, it probably weighed ten pounds.
"Try putting it on first."
Seeing Lin Feng's expression, Shisui Uchiha suddenly smiled.
"Okay!"
Figuring the belt must be connected to the training ahead, Lin Feng didn't hesitate and fastened it around his waist.
"Taijutsu Body Flicker can generally be trained by sprinting and jumping at top speed. But if you want to get even better at Body Flicker, you need to train with ninja tools."
"The belt you're wearing now is a ninja tool that lets you add or remove weight. It currently weighs five kilograms, and we'll keep increasing the weight later."
After Lin Feng fastened the belt, Shisui Uchiha explained.
Weighted training was tough at first. People were accustomed to the weight of their own bodies, so once they added extra weight, everything they did felt resisted, like trying to move against a river's current. It was especially uncomfortable.
But after a while, that feeling of resistance would gradually disappear, along with benefits that were hard to describe. In battle, the instant a ninja removed their weights, their body would feel incredibly light and their speed would reach its peak. Even performing Body Flicker might become effortless.
"That really is a great idea!"
After hearing Shisui Uchiha's explanation, Lin Feng praised the idea.
"All right, Sasuke. Let's begin your training."
"Run from here to that boulder up ahead. It's about a hundred meters away. You have to make it in five seconds!"
Shisui Uchiha pointed to a boulder in front of Lin Feng and gave the order.
"No problem!"
Lin Feng nodded, pushed off with his foot, and shot toward the boulder.
"Twelve seconds!"
Though Lin Feng had put all his effort into it, the sudden extra weight slowed him down. As soon as Lin Feng reached the boulder, Shisui Uchiha called out the result.
"Shisui, again!"
Lin Feng wasn't satisfied with that result. Clenching his fists, he set off from beside the boulder, ready to return to his starting point.
"Thirteen seconds!"
"Sasuke, you need to keep at it!"
His strength depleted, Lin Feng took even longer to get back than he had on the first run.
"Heh, I'm not giving up that easily. Again!"
After catching his breath a few times, Lin Feng ran once more under Shisui Uchiha's watchful gaze.
"Fourteen seconds!"
"Fifteen seconds!"
"Eighteen seconds!"
As dusk deepened, Lin Feng finally reached his physical limit after running back and forth dozens of times and collapsed on the ground. He panted like a bellows, and sweat streamed down his forehead.
"Sasuke, that's enough training for today. You did great!"
Shisui Uchiha walked over to Lin Feng and smiled at his exhausted state.
"My performance today was terrible. I hope I can do better next time!" Lin Feng took a few heavy breaths. Completely drained, his voice had turned hoarse.
"Heh, I did worse than you the first time I trained."
Shisui Uchiha patted Lin Feng on the shoulder and grinned.
"Thanks, Shisui!"
Lin Feng could tell Shisui Uchiha was trying to comfort him, and thanked him.
"Get some good rest. We'll continue tomorrow!"
Lin Feng's hard work and personality had made Shisui Uchiha especially fond of him, so he naturally wanted to guide his younger clanmate.
"Mm!"
Pushing himself up from the ground, Lin Feng trudged along on heavy legs. The two of them walked toward the nearby Uchiha Clan district, chatting and laughing.
A bright full moon hung in the pitch-black night sky, its silver light spilling over the earth.
After dinner and a brief rest, Lin Feng dragged Itachi out into the courtyard to practice the Shadow Clone Technique, which he still hadn't mastered.
Although Itachi had explained the key points of the Shadow Clone Technique the previous night, he went over them again to make sure Lin Feng wouldn't make a mistake. After all, the Shadow Clone Technique was considered a forbidden jutsu. If the original body used too much chakra, its life could be in danger.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Following Itachi's instructions, Lin Feng formed Hand Seals and tried to summon a Shadow Clone.
"Poof!"
With a soft pop, a cloud of white smoke appeared beside Lin Feng. When it cleared, a listless, trembling Shadow Clone stood there.
"I'll try again. Shadow Clone Technique!"
Anxious, Lin Feng tried once more, but the result was the same.
Unwilling to give up, Lin Feng kept trying, but one failure after another left him completely frustrated.
"Big Brother, I really am useless!"
Lin Feng punched his pathetic Shadow Clone and dispelled it, grumbling.
The Shadow Clone in front of him was much stronger than the one from the previous night, but it still couldn't fight at all, and Lin Feng wasn't satisfied.
"Sasuke, learning ninjutsu takes time. You only started practicing last night, and you've already done very well to get this far."
Seeing his younger brother's dejected expression, Itachi hurried to comfort him.
"Big Brother, I know it takes time, but there's so much I have to do. I can't afford to waste any time."
Thinking of how Danzo would target Shisui Uchiha in six months, Lin Feng knew he had to become stronger as quickly as possible.
Out of habit, Itachi gently tapped Lin Feng on the forehead with a finger and chuckled. "Sasuke, you shouldn't have so many worries at your age!"
"Big Brother, I..."
Lin Feng was about to say something, but Itachi cut him off.
"Little brother, no matter what difficulties you face in the future, I'll always protect you!"
"At this stage, all I want is for you to grow up happily!"
Itachi's heartfelt words made Lin Feng recall something Obito had said to Sasuke in the Naruto story.
He killed his clan, his parents, and his beloved, yet he spared you—his cherished little brother!
To your big brother, your life mattered more than the safety of the village!
"Big Brother, I'll train hard. I won't let you bear the pain alone!"
Feeling the depth of Itachi's love for his younger brother, Lin Feng couldn't help but hug him tightly. His voice was hoarse but resolute.
At that moment, Lin Feng made up his mind. Even if he died in the world of Naruto, he would change Itachi's tragic fate.
"Sasuke, then let's keep training."
Itachi didn't understand what Lin Feng meant by his last words, but he stroked Lin Feng's forehead and smiled.
"Mm!"
Lin Feng nodded, and his frustration and agitation vanished. No matter how many times he failed, he patiently practiced the Shadow Clone Technique all night long.