Test

Chapter 16: Test

Uchiha Tajima didn't care that Uchiha Shin had taken Uchiha Hana on as a follower.

In Uchiha Tajima's view, a successful leader was bound to have a few loyal subordinates.

Besides, with Uchiha Shin's talent and strength, if he didn't die prematurely, becoming the next head of the Uchiha Clan was as good as a sure thing.

So what was the harm in taking on a follower—or subordinate—now?

And given Uchiha Tajima's family's circumstances, it was just a matter of adding another place at the table. They weren't short one bowl of rice because of Uchiha Hana.

Uchiha Shin, who had just gained a follower, wasn't particularly pleased, either.

After all, in this chaotic Warring States Period, strength was what truly mattered.

If he ever reached the level of Madara or Hashirama, no matter how many ordinary ninja there were, they would be meaningless to him.

Still, he had to take on subordinates. Some things could simply be delegated; there was no need to do everything himself and waste his time.

So, for Uchiha Shin at this stage, strength was what mattered most.

Uchiha Shin had barely made it back inside and hadn't even finished a pot of tea when Izuna, who was playing in the courtyard, told him that the big sister who had just prostrated herself on the ground was back.

Uchiha Shin stepped into the courtyard. Seeing Uchiha Hana hurrying over with a huge bundle on her back, he suddenly felt a headache coming on.

Looking at Uchiha Hana's short stature beside that enormous bundle, Uchiha Shin couldn't help wondering if this girl had a goofy, excitable streak in her.

He felt both exasperated and amused as he looked at Uchiha Hana.

Yet she didn't seem to realize a thing. She just stood there, stiff as a board, with the huge bundle on her back, blinking at Uchiha Shin.

As if to say, Lord Shin, look, I've moved in. Hurry up and assign me a room!

There were plenty of empty rooms in Uchiha Shin's house, so naturally, they had somewhere to put Uchiha Hana.

With a resigned sigh, Uchiha Shin led Uchiha Hana to the far western corner of the main house. He slid open the door and ushered her inside.

"Here, you'll be staying in this room from now on!"

"I'll find you a couple of futons later. That should be about all you need."

"Oh, and you can eat with my family."

"When my parents aren't home, I sometimes cook. Madara chops wood, and Izuna tends the fire."

"But now that you're here, you can take over tending the fire for Izuna. He's still young and growing."

"And another thing: tidy up your room this morning, then go to the training ground this afternoon. I want to test your strength."

"That's everything I needed to tell you."

After saying that, Uchiha Shin turned and left. He was going to find his mother, Uchiha Aoi, because she kept all the futons in the house together in one place.

As soon as Uchiha Shin was gone, Uchiha Hana opened her huge bundle and started arranging her things around the new room wherever she liked.

Before long, Uchiha Shin came back from outside carrying two futons.

After setting them down, he reminded Uchiha Hana once more that he would test her strength at the training ground that afternoon, then hurried off.

"So soft and warm!"

"This futon..."

Uchiha Hana sprawled across the freshly made bed, murmuring happily to herself.

"And this room doesn't let in any drafts. With such a warm futon, I won't have to worry about being cold at night anymore."

"As for my family..."

"Once I follow Lord Shin and make something of myself..."

"I'll make sure Dad, Mom, and my little brother get to live in a room like this, with futons just as warm."

"Then they won't be too cold to sleep at night anymore."

Uchiha Hana rolled excitedly back and forth across the tatami.

At noon, Uchiha Hana finally got her first official lunch at Uchiha Shin's house.

Although lunch consisted of nothing but red bean buns...

Uchiha Hana still happily put on a display of her special talent for Uchiha Shin's family: swallowing six red bean buns in one bite. Hahaha!

Watching Uchiha Hana's mouth bulge like a frog's as she chewed the six buns, Uchiha Shin felt his face grow hot.

How could I have been so unwise this morning as to take on such a goofy subordinate?

Seeing how much fun Uchiha Hana was having with her bulging cheeks, Izuna tried to imitate her, but he didn't have Uchiha Hana's talent.

After stuffing in just three red bean buns, Izuna couldn't fit even half of another one in his mouth, so he had to give up.

As for why Uchiha Hana could cram six buns into her mouth at once, her ridiculous explanation was that she was actually doing it to better practice the Uchiha Clan's basic Fire Style techniques.

Honestly, Uchiha Shin had never heard such a ridiculous argument before.

And yet Uchiha Hana laid out her reasoning as if it made perfect sense.

The wider she opened her mouth, the more air she could draw in at once. Then, when she used Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique, the flames would burn more fiercely, making the attack more powerful.

After listening carefully, Uchiha Shin found himself thinking that, although this girl's behavior was pretty goofy, there was actually some truth to what she said.

After all, the more oxygen there was, the more fiercely a fire would burn, and the hotter its flames would be. Naturally, that would make Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique more powerful.

Should I try it next time?

For some reason, Uchiha Shin found himself wanting to give it a try.

After lunch, Uchiha Shin rested for half an hour, then took Uchiha Hana to the training ground.

There was hardly anyone there at this time of day.

Of course, Madara and Izuna, who loved watching anything interesting, came along too.

"Come on, let's see what you can do."

"If you don't come at me with the intent to kill, you're going to have a hard time today."

Uchiha Shin imitated the way Uchiha Tajima spoke. Standing in the middle of the training ground with a stern expression, he held his left hand behind his back and beckoned to Uchiha Hana with his right.

He was telling Uchiha Hana she could begin.

"Here I come, Lord Shin!"

Uchiha Hana wasn't one to hesitate. She began by throwing three Shuriken at Uchiha Shin, then charged straight at him with a Kunai in hand, following right behind them.

She's really charging in head-on?

Watching Uchiha Hana rush straight at him, Uchiha Shin wondered, How did this girl pass the clan's trial?