At that thought, Uchiha Shingen made up his mind. Without another moment's hesitation, he poured all three attribute points into Taijutsu.
That familiar warmth washed over him again. The blood surging from his heart seemed to boil as it coursed through his veins, reaching every limb and bone.
Uchiha Shingen's entire body began to heat up, and even steam started rising uncontrollably from the top of his head.
His whole body felt unbearably hot, and his flesh and muscles itched and tingled, accompanied by waves of sharp pain.
He knew.
This was because Taijutsu Mastery had reached Level 4, and his physique was growing stronger along with it.
He had originally stood only a few centimeters taller than Kakashi, but now he grew taller still, until he was almost half a head above him.
The lines of muscle beneath his clothes gradually became more defined, without making him look bulky.
When the changes finally ended, Uchiha Shingen felt all his fatigue vanish. It was as if he had boundless energy inside him.
He raised a hand and gave it a light squeeze, and the air burst in his grasp!
Pop—!
A sonic boom exploded through the room.
Only after realizing what he had done did Uchiha Shingen feel a little surprised.
"Taijutsu Mastery becoming Level 4 caused this much of a change?!"
"My grip strength must have more than doubled."
"If I fought Kakashi again now, even with nothing but a Kunai, I could overpower him through sheer strength."
"Phew—!"
Uchiha Shingen let out a breath, feeling the excessive energy brimming inside him. He no longer felt like resting.
He snatched Kotetsu off the table, leaped out the window, and landed steadily in the little courtyard in front of the house. He planned to get used to his completely transformed body tonight.
Shing—!
Kotetsu slid from its sheath, its blade reflecting the moonlight with a cold, bone-chilling gleam.
The Hazy Moon Secret Sword he had been practicing with Setsuna Uchiha, and Sword Leap Flame, which he had learned from Fugaku Uchiha.
Uchiha Shingen performed both sword styles.
For a time, flames and flashes of steel scattered across the courtyard like bursts of red lotus blossoms and full moons swaying on rippling water, blurring together until they were impossible to make out.
Whoosh—!
Whoosh—!
Whoosh—!
As the flames scattered,
Uchiha Shingen's strikes grew faster and his movements more agile, yet every blow grew more powerful!
Sshk—!
Kotetsu's blade swept across the ground, leaving a long, narrow slash mark.
Uchiha Shingen's strikes were perfectly straight, without the slightest deviation, and his speed was astonishing!
After a long while,
moonlight spilled over the ground, revealing slash marks everywhere.
They were so dense that they had nearly cut the courtyard floor to pieces.
Standing in the courtyard, Uchiha Shingen drew a deep breath and lowered his eyes to Kotetsu in his hand, his gaze filled with delight.
He had never been able to wield Kotetsu perfectly before, but after Taijutsu Mastery reached Level 4, that was no longer a problem. For the first time, holding the sword felt as natural as moving his own arm.
"With Level 4 Taijutsu Mastery, Level 2 Tool Mastery, Kotetsu, and the Sharingan, I'm confident I could suppress even a Jonin who specializes in close combat."
Uchiha Shingen murmured, then vanished in a flash and returned to his room.
A few minutes later,
a window in the corner of the second floor of the little house suddenly opened. Setsuna Uchiha stuck his head out and looked around. It seemed he had sensed something, but he couldn't quite make it out.
"Was that just my imagination?!"
"Well, I am getting old. Maybe I'm confusing a dream with reality..."
Setsuna Uchiha's gaze suddenly fell on the ground in the courtyard. All he could see were barely visible slash marks!
A light rain or a bit of cleaning would probably erase them.
But at that moment, they were still there, packed together as if the courtyard had been sliced into countless pieces.
At a glance, Setsuna Uchiha recognized them as marks left by Kotetsu!
"That kid can already do this much?!"
Setsuna Uchiha murmured. His face filled with satisfaction, along with the smug delight of having seen through Uchiha Shingen's secret.
"My judgment was right after all."
"That kid acts like a good-for-nothing on the surface, doing nothing but slacking off in the Police Force, but deep down, he's fiercely competitive."
"Has he been cutting his sleep down to the bare minimum ever since I gave him a little push?"
"Heh..."
"That Nara attitude of yours is just a disguise. Chasing power is the instinct carved into every Uchiha's bones!"
"Kid!"
Setsuna Uchiha watched a little longer, roughly gauged Uchiha Shingen's progress with the sword, then closed the window in satisfaction.
Out of concern for his direct disciple, Setsuna Uchiha had one of his men buy some restorative soup from the Nara Clan early the next morning.
He prepared it himself and watched Uchiha Shingen drink it before he was finally satisfied.
Training was one thing, but he couldn't let it damage his foundations.
"Well, I'm off, old geezer."
Uchiha Shingen waved and, as usual, checked in at the Police Force before heading to his post in South District 4.
After his physique reached Level 4, both his overall physical abilities and his recovery had undergone a qualitative change.
Before, Uchiha Shingen had used Shadow Clones to train until his body was exhausted, forcing him to sneak naps during the day. Now, even after an extra training session last night, he was still full of energy all day.
At the very least, his stamina had improved remarkably.
Remembering how Setsuna Uchiha had beaten him mercilessly night after night, Uchiha Shingen couldn't help flashing a bright, cruel smile.
"Old man, you brought this on yourself. I never planned to let you beat me up for nothing!"
"Tonight, I'll show you what it means to make up for a lack of technique with raw stats."
"Oh."
"Now that my Taijutsu has improved, my technique has leveled up too. So we're good."
Time flew by, and night deepened.
The moon was hidden tonight, its pale light blocked by the clouds. The Forest of Death lay in pitch darkness, not a glimmer to be seen.
Even the birds and beasts that usually prowled at night had hidden themselves away.
Uchiha Shingen weighed the noticeably lighter wooden sword in his hand and smiled with satisfaction.
The wooden sword hadn't actually gotten any lighter. His strength had increased.
"That's the beauty of raw stats!"
Uchiha Shingen exclaimed.
Setsuna Uchiha, seated in his wheelchair ahead of him, was getting impatient. He urged him on.
"Kid, what are you waiting for?!"
"If you can't even endure this little pain, you'll never gain the power to realize your ambitions!"
Uchiha Shingen looked up, his smile warm.
"All right."
"Then you'd better brace yourself, old geezer!"
For some reason, Setsuna Uchiha felt a chill run down his back at the sight.
Was this kid... planning to pull something on him?!
Had he made another breakthrough in the Hazy Moon Secret Sword during last night's extra training?
But it didn't matter. A breakthrough was one thing; he couldn't possibly be more skilled than him.
He still had the advantage!
Boom—!
As Setsuna Uchiha pondered, a sharp burst of sound suddenly split the air.
He jerked his head up and saw that Uchiha Shingen had already reached him in the blink of an eye, bringing down a vicious Kasagiri from above!
Before you continue