"Let me see!"
At the Uchiha Clan Grounds' Training Ground, Madara watched the boy clutching a kunai in front of the woods with an easy smile. He spoke with keen interest.
As the time set for the plan drew nearer, Madara had finally deigned to leave the Hokage Building. When he heard from Rikusei that the boy had awakened the Double Tomoe, he hurriedly brought him to the Training Ground to test the power of his Sharingan.
He was going to take the chance to beat up a little kid.
That was what Rikusei thought now that he had awakened his Sharingan. He suddenly used the Body Flicker Technique, leaving a deep shoeprint where he had stood. He gripped the pitch-black kunai, its surface gleaming coldly, and lunged at Madara.
The insight of the Double-Tomoe Sharingan had improved by another level. Everything seemed to unfold before his eyes. Leaves drifting slowly down appeared to fall countless times more slowly, almost frozen in place.
The whoosh of his swinging kunai filled his ears.
The wind stirred Madara's clothes. He dodged without haste, deflecting every attack.
Rikusei knew very well that his mediocre skills would never be enough to hurt Madara.
The bandages wrapped around the kunai's handle creaked in his grip. He put every technique he had learned from Tobirama into practice. Amid the rapid afterimages, the kunai's tip flashed coldly.
Madara dodged every fierce attack.
The bewildering flurry of strikes was full of openings in Madara's eyes. He seized Rikusei's arm and pinned his other one, preparing to throw him over his shoulder.
Rikusei wasn't about to just sit there and take it. He tightened his grip on the kunai and slipped his middle finger through its ring, turning the blade. His wrist suddenly twisted, driving the kunai toward Madara's arm.
Of course, Madara saw the little trick. Still, the cold glint of the blade and the prickling sensation it sent through his arm were enough to put him in a better mood. Now this was starting to look like a proper fight.
The kunai spun rapidly between Rikusei's fingers. Its blade whirled like an inkstone, forcing Madara to let go of his wrist.
Rikusei opened up some distance and gripped the kunai again. The fight returned to its original state.
The two faced each other. This time, Madara struck first.
Through his Sharingan's insight, Rikusei could clearly see that Madara concentrated his strength in the muscles and tendons of his legs as he attacked.
The ground where Madara had stood was as good as new, save for some soft grass that had been trampled aside. His technique for generating power was worth learning.
Before Rikusei could think further, Madara's attacks came crashing down like a sudden rainstorm. A dense flurry of fists met Rikusei's steady defense.
Madara held back his speed. Seeing Rikusei block every strike, he gave him an approving glance. It seemed that even when Madara wasn't at the clan grounds, Rikusei had trained diligently. His progress was quite good.
"Let's see if you can handle what comes next."
As he spoke, chakra flowed along his meridians into his eyes. His black-and-white eyes turned bloodred, and the orderly Three-Tomoe Sharingan began to slowly rotate.
Madara's sudden burst of speed put Rikusei under immense pressure. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead and dampened his black bangs. He knew his advantage in perception had vanished completely.
Madara's black-gloved fists whistled through the air. They always avoided the kunai's blade and struck Rikusei head-on, making his fingers go numb around its hilt.
The instant Rikusei retreated, Madara closed in and curled his fingers like an eagle's talons, striking him hard on the wrist.
The kunai slipped from Rikusei's hand and fell toward the ground. Gritting his teeth against the aching numbness in his hand, he straightened his fingers and brought them together like a blade, sweeping them toward Madara's neck.
But his arms were too short, so he could only reach Madara's chest. His chakra-coated fingers were as sharp as blades, slicing through his clothes like scraps of paper. Beneath the tear, a black shinobi uniform clung tightly to his muscular chest.
"Not bad."
Madara praised him, then punched Rikusei back.
He grabbed the torn shirt and pulled it off completely. With the high-collared robe gone, Madara looked much more agile and refreshed in his fitted shinobi uniform.
"Thank you for the praise, Teacher."
Rikusei stared at Madara, who looked as if he had broken a seal. He casually hurled his kunai, but Madara caught it between two fingers and let it drop gently to the ground.
Rikusei followed the instant he threw the kunai. That little trick couldn't fool the Sharingan.
The taijutsu match began in earnest.
"How does the Double Tomoe feel?"
Madara blocked a punch coming from the left and turned his wrist to grab Rikusei, but Rikusei slipped free. Madara followed by lifting his right leg and kicking. His bandage-wrapped shin, beneath his blue trousers, snapped a tree in half with one blow.
Dodging the attack, Rikusei glanced at the dust rising from the fallen tree. He jumped onto a rock and replied, "The increase in visual prowess makes it hard for my body to keep up with my brain."
"That's normal. Awakening the Double Tomoe at your age is far too early."
Madara smiled faintly. He rested his right hand on his clenched left fist and flexed his knuckles. Crisp cracks came from his black gloves.
"Teacher, you're not going to beat your student to death, are you?"
Judging by Madara's serious expression, he was about to get serious. Rikusei swallowed nervously and asked.
"Don't worry. I still have plenty of my special ointment for internal and external injuries."
At that moment, Rikusei desperately wanted to use Kamui to escape the beating that was coming. But he realized he couldn't get away, so he gritted his teeth and charged again.
After so many days of training, he had greatly improved his control over the chakra in his body.
He no longer wasted chakra recklessly as he had before. His precise control allowed him to last much longer.
Though Madara threatened him, he spent most of the time on the defensive and kept his speed level with Rikusei's.
Only when Rikusei couldn't keep up would Madara punch or kick an opening, knocking him to the ground.
That was how you trained someone.
Feeling the damp grass against his body, Rikusei wiped the dirt from the corner of his mouth and stood up again. He rubbed the spot on his waist where he had just been hit, then slowly got ready to attack again.
"Next, let's try out the Double Tomoe's copying ability."
Madara raised a hand to tell him to relax, then walked over and gave his shoulder a light pat. They should sit down and rest for a bit to recover their chakra.
The two sat silently on a rock, looking out at the village beneath the blazing sun. Their restless hearts gradually settled.
While Rikusei recovered his chakra, Madara told him about what had been happening in the village. Since they had allied with Uzushio Village, more peace-loving shinobi from the Land of Fire had joined Konoha, leading to all sorts of amusing incidents.
An alliance between Hidden Villages was, in practice, an alliance between nations as well. Merchant caravans from the Land of Whirlpools and the Land of Fire were traveling back and forth, and trade was helping Konoha grow. All kinds of missions had followed.
The shade blocked the sunlight, leaving only dappled shadows swaying across the ground. The two of them enjoyed the fresh forest air as Madara's leisurely voice mingled with the steady chorus of cicadas and reached Rikusei's ears.
Tobirama had told him that Teacher often caused trouble in the office, but it seemed that wasn't the whole story.
He was jealous.
Rikusei had figured out the truth.
Tobirama was swamped with all sorts of affairs and worked himself to the bone every day. Of course he'd resent someone who lounged around in the Hokage's Office.
Once they had rested, the two faced each other solemnly.
A wind stirred from nowhere, lifting Madara's long hair. It was a gust generated by chakra.
The Tomoe in Rikusei's eyes turned. He clearly saw the flow of chakra within Madara. As Madara formed hand seals, chakra gathered in his chest, and Rikusei's fingers began forming the same seals.
It was the hand-seal sequence for Fireball Jutsu.
Rikusei recognized the jutsu from the sequence of hand seals and thought to himself.
Fire Release chakra burst from Madara's mouth, forming a huge fireball that rolled wildly. As more chakra poured into it, it grew without restraint. Its scorching flames warped the air.
Two identical fireballs rolled along the ground and collided. Sparks sprayed in every direction as a surging sea of fire shot skyward. The towering flames tossed Madara's long hair, revealing his right eye beneath it.
The fireballs vanished in the air as their chakra was used up. The scorched earth gave off a charred smell.
Madara continued forming hand seals.
A huge amount of chakra gathered in his throat. From that alone, Rikusei could tell it was a high-level elemental technique. He struggled to gather his chakra and follow the hand-seal sequence.
As expected, he failed the first time.
Madara stopped and started again from the beginning.
He failed a second time. Rikusei remembered which Fire Release technique this was. He had seen it when fireworks lit up the sky over Konoha that day. It was Majestic Destroyer Flame.
Again.
He failed a third time.
Rikusei had already found the trick to it.
The fourth time.
At last, he succeeded.
Madara's face softened with a trace of satisfaction. He called out quietly, "Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
This time, Rikusei truly experienced the power of Fire Release. A blazing red pillar of fire surged from his mouth. The searing pain of his burning lips shot through his brain, yet he was still stunned by the scale of the jutsu before him.
The fierce flames crashed against each other like a tsunami, sending a tremendous blaze into the sky.
The woods vanished beneath the inferno.
The scorching wind whipped their clothes and evaporated all the sweat on their bodies.
The waves of flame surged like a sea, chakra pouring into them without restraint as they crashed together and merged into a vast orange-red ocean. The roar of the flames and the crackle of burning trees filled the air.
This was bad.
Rikusei stared at the woods engulfed in flames. The blaze was spreading outward with the wind, so he hurriedly stopped sending chakra into it.
He started to panic. They had set fire to the clan's woods just to test the Sharingan's abilities.
The flames died down.
But the fire was still spreading. Madara used the Body Flicker Technique to appear beside him and signaled that there was no need to panic.
He began forming hand seals.
Rikusei watched the sequence with his Sharingan. It was Water Release Ninjutsu. The Tomoe watched silently as his hands unconsciously followed Madara's seals.
"Water Release: Water Shockwave!" Uchiha Madara said softly.
The two stood shoulder to shoulder, combining their Water Release. Water surged from the ground toward the sky like a waterfall, roaring with tremendous force as it completely extinguished the burning trees.
Mist rose, and the drifting droplets sparkled in the sunlight. Before long, a rainbow arched above their heads.
Looking over the wrecked Training Ground, Madara pointed at himself, then at his student, who was bent over and panting. He gazed with satisfaction at the rainbow in the sky.
Rikusei's hair was soaked from the Water Release. He braced his hands on his knees and steadied his breathing, then gave the grinning culprit a sideways look and slowly deactivated his Sharingan.
When he straightened up, the two looked at each other. Seeing how their hair hung over their foreheads, they couldn't help laughing.
Their hearty laughter didn't last long. Kaku suddenly appeared with the Body Flicker Technique and interrupted them.
When he saw the culprits still laughing without a care in the world, his furious gaze washed over them like flames.
Madara and Rikusei knew what they had done. They turned their heads away from Kaku's dark expression and immediately pretended not to know each other, walking forward in silence.
"Teacher, how strange! How did the Training Ground end up like this?"
Standing on a rock with his back to Kaku, Rikusei raised an arm to his brow as if he were scanning the distance. He pointed at the smoking woods, his tone full of innocence.
Madara nodded along, playing his part.
"Yes, it really is strange. So, you two kindhearted teacher and student, can you tell me why you chose to come to the Training Ground at a time like this?" Kaku helplessly tossed his short ponytail and stood beside them, asking along with them.
Rikusei jumped down from the rock and looked up at his teacher. Madara gave a slight nod.
Kaku stared in confusion at the two of them, who were talking in riddles. The atmosphere felt strange, and the clan head wasn't wearing his outer robe.
It seemed things weren't as simple as he had thought.
When he turned back, the boy's young face bore scarlet eyes with two Tomoe slowly turning. Kaku felt a resonance in his own body, and his Three-Tomoe Sharingan opened in an instant, silently meeting Rikusei's gaze.
"So this was to test the Double Tomoe's copying ability?"
Kaku understood how the towering flames visible even from within the clan grounds had started.
He was at a loss for words. They had nearly burned down the clan grounds just to test it.
Kaku composed his expression and let out a breath. "Clan head, we must catch whoever set the mountain on fire. I'll give him a thorough dressing-down at the clan meeting."
"Yes, no problem."
Madara crossed his arms, his face stern. His sharp gaze swept over the surroundings, and his voice was full of conviction.
"Well, I'll be going now."
With the matter settled, Kaku used the Body Flicker Technique and vanished. As he leaped through the trees, he glanced in their direction and thought that it was his rare day off. He couldn't let them ruin it.
After Kaku left, Madara took a scroll from his ninja tool pouch. He released its seal and pulled out a robe, then put it on.
Rikusei looked at him in surprise. So that was another way to use a sealing scroll.
Madara noticed Rikusei staring and seemed a little embarrassed. He coughed softly, then strode ahead, crossing the woods and hurrying away from the scene of the crime.
Rikusei glanced back at the trees reduced to ashes to make sure there was no chance they would reignite, then followed Madara.
After leaving the Shrine, the two strolled leisurely through Konoha's streets. Dusk was the coolest time of a midsummer evening, perfect for a walk.
Konoha didn't have many snacks yet, just a few traditional foods.
Rikusei counted on his fingers. Teuchi probably hadn't even been born yet, so the famous Otsutsuki Ramen Shop was still many years away.
The barbecue restaurants in Konoha weren't up to his standards. They could wait.
The Dango Shop was pretty good, at least.
Thinking of that, Rikusei decided to take Madara to try a delicacy he had never tasted before.
Outside the ninja tool shop.
Madara looked curiously at the boy drawing a sketch on a sheet of paper.
"Do you like spicy food?"
"A little."
"Then let's make it a Yin-Yang Hot Pot."
After hearing Madara's answer, Rikusei gripped his pencil and drew a hot pot on the paper.
"A Taiji symbol?"
Madara recognized what the design was based on at a glance and murmured.
Yin-Yang Hot Pot?
He'd never heard a strange name like that before. He understood that the "pot" was a cooking vessel, but its odd name was just like his student, who was always coming up with strange ideas.
"Please come back tomorrow to pick it up, sir."
The shopkeeper grinned broadly as he took the drawing and spoke respectfully.
"No, I want it now." Rikusei stood outside the shop and slapped some money onto the counter. "If it's not enough, I can pay more."
"No problem, sir."
After the shopkeeper accepted the money and gave them the answer they wanted, Rikusei and Madara headed to the market to buy ingredients for dinner.
That night, a bonfire burned on the cliffs of Konoha. A hot pot sat securely on neatly hewn stones, filled with fine spring water that bubbled away.
The mountain breeze brushed their faces and fanned the flames. Sparks flickered against the pot's base, stretching the shadows of the two people seated around the fire.
Rikusei took out the seasonings and poured them in. He gently stirred the bubbling hot-pot base with a spoon, then added some of the ingredients.
The rich aroma mingled with the ingredients' natural fragrance and wafted toward them.
Firelight illuminated Madara's face. He was a little surprised to see a hot pot divided so clearly into two colors for the first time. His appetite stirred at the sight, and for the first time, he felt his stomach growl with hunger.
Seeing Madara drooling with anticipation, Rikusei secretly rejoiced. When it came to food, all he had to do was make a move.
Madara, Hashirama—he could beat them all. They could all step aside; he was the greatest in the Shinobi World.
But this camping trip wasn't exactly pleasant.
Rikusei, getting carried away, swallowed a boiled meatball and asked about Madara's love life. Then Madara pinned him down and bonked him on the head a few times.
As stubborn as he was, even after getting hit, he asked again, "Teacher, Lord Hashirama's children are almost old enough to date. How come you still don't have a partner?"
Madara said nothing at that. He savored the unexpectedly delicious food, chewing slowly. While pretending to pick up his spoon, he arranged the bowls and chopsticks, making sure the soup wouldn't spill when he hit the boy.
He formed a Clone Technique and grabbed the wary boy. Thoughtfully, he set the boy's bowls and chopsticks in place, then put more strength into his blows. This time, the boy got beaten even worse.
At last, Rikusei's restless heart quieted completely beneath his teacher's gentle fists. He enjoyed the moon's clear glow as he ate hot pot, tears in the corners of his eyes. After their picnic, Madara even confiscated the Yin-Yang Hot Pot.
P.S. This is the first time I've come up with such a long title. I wonder if anyone will see the "two-in-one" at the end.
Before you continue