Blood dripped onto Hiugo, drop by drop. The boy cracked his eyes open and found himself in a crimson space, with rows of glass orbs before him.
Each orb held an image: a towering tree, golden chains, the Sharingan, the Byakugan, a field of bone spikes, the Rinnegan, the Tenseigan, a pitch-black Truth-Seeking Orb...
"Am I seeing this because I've been thinking about it all day?"
Hiugo gave a wry smile. Suddenly, pain pulsed in the center of his palm, and a black branch sprouted from it.
Could you feel pain in a dream, too?
But he could feel himself waking. The crimson space and the glass orbs collapsed together, and bright sunlight streamed into the room.
Hunger welled up inside him, so Hiugo got up at once to make breakfast. Yet even after he ate, the feeling didn't go away.
"What's going on?"
Hiugo couldn't figure it out. Could he have come down with something? Luckily, the hunger wasn't too bad. He could bear it.
"I'll go see Tobirama first."
Hiugo stepped outside and noticed that every clan member around him was giving off a delicious aroma.
"What's going on?"
Hiugo didn't have time to think it over. He dashed straight to Tobirama's house.
White-haired Tobirama had already recovered, thanks to the Senju Clan's robust constitution. He was still a little sore, but it was nothing serious. Seeing Hiugo show up so early in the morning improved Tobirama's opinion of him a little.
But why was Hiugo drooling?
Hiugo wiped the corner of his mouth. The aroma coming from Tobirama was even richer than the other clan members'. He didn't need to taste it to know it would be delicious.
It took all his effort to hold back. He could treat it as a test of his willpower.
The two boys' instructor was an elite jonin named Senju Zhenyang. The ranks during the Warring States period differed somewhat from those in the anime Hiugo had watched; in certain respects, they were more detailed.
The main ranks were: Genin, Chunin, Special Jōnin, Jonin, Elite Jonin, Peak Jonin, and Clan Leader. (This story features a chakra condensation setting, which does not represent actual combat strength. All ninja ranks refer to their level of chakra condensation.)
Clan Leader was the equivalent of Kage Level in later generations. But the concept of "Kage" didn't exist yet. The strongest person in a clan was its leader, so that was what they called the rank.
A jonin was already a high-level combatant within a clan, and an elite jonin even more so. Only a prominent clan with deep resources could afford to have someone of that caliber teach two five-year-old boys.
"Tobirama, Hiugo, at your age, you've already learned enough to get by. The only thing you're lacking is experience on the mental side."
Senju Zhenyang spoke gently.
Senju Clan ninja were generally good-natured. Though Senju Zhenyang's skill far surpassed that of the two children, he treated them with the concern of an elder.
"Are you planning to take us to kill someone?"
Tobirama had more or less guessed what Zhenyang meant.
Only a blade that had tasted blood was a good blade. The two boys were talented, and all they lacked was the baptism of blood. For prodigies, there was nothing wrong with facing it early.
Senju Zhenyang nodded, motioning for them to follow. In a clan like the Senju, they taught Water Walking and tree climbing soon after a child learned to knead chakra. Besides, Senju Zhenyang had deliberately slowed the pace, so the two could keep up.
They didn't go far from the clan grounds before reaching an open space. Two Senju ninja were already waiting there with two bound, spiky-haired men.
Senju Zhenyang wasn't so extreme as to take two children to the battlefield. The Warring States battlefield was dangerous; even corpses could explode again, never mind the other hazards.
Though the two captured ninja were bound, their eyes still held an indescribable arrogance.
That arrogance, that look in their eyes, and those unmistakable spiky hairstyles—it was all too familiar.
Hiugo had more or less guessed who the two ninja were. What other clan besides the Uchiha had that "I'm the greatest" arrogance?
Senju Zhenyang didn't give the two men much time. He announced the mission:
"Each of you will kill one of the ninja in front of you."
Then he turned to the two spiky-haired men and said, "If you can defeat the ninja in front of you, I'll let you go."
Extra A scoffed. "If the Senju Clan really wants us dead, just toss these two brats into a river. Why bring them to us?"
Extra B narrowed his eyes but said nothing.
Senju Zhenyang paid no attention to their attitude. Instead, he had the two clan members untie them.
As soon as they were free, the two men ran forward.
Extra C went after Tobirama, while Extra B targeted Hiugo.
They knew they couldn't escape, much less kill the Senju ninja around them. Their bodies still hadn't recovered, and they knew they were no match for those ninja.
But the two children were different. Anyone their age who dared to come here to kill had to be a "genius." The Warring States period was full of geniuses, but if they could take these two down with them, dying would be worth it.
Hiugo and Extra B exchanged blows for a while. Extra B realized he couldn't gain the upper hand. And because he'd been given a drug while captured, he was already getting tired after only a short fight.
He kicked Hiugo back to create some distance, then formed Hand Seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
"Water Release: Water Wave!"
The classic clash of opposing attacks began, but the collision of fire and water produced too little mist to obscure their vision.
Hiugo quickly threw three Kunai, each with an Explosive Tag attached.
Since children only trained routinely, the Explosive Tags used by someone Hiugo's age contained just a third of the usual amount of material.
But this fight had never been fair. The enemy had no weapons, so it was enough.
After an explosion, Extra B tumbled out, covered in blood. In the split second he had to react, he'd shielded himself with his arm—and broken through his limits.
His once-black pupils turned crimson, and a black Tomoe appeared in each.
One-Tomoe Sharingan.
Senju Zhenyang's expression shifted slightly. These two Uchiha hadn't awakened the Sharingan; otherwise, given how much they valued their eyes, they would have destroyed them and killed themselves long ago.
But he didn't stop the fight. On the battlefield, things changed in an instant. Breaking through at a critical moment wasn't just a matter of overcoming yourself; it could also turn the tide against your enemy.
Hiugo swallowed discreetly. A tempting aroma, unlike anything he'd sensed before, now came from Extra B.
"Brat, let me show you the power of the Sharingan!"
Extra B shouted. He started to form Hand Seals, but his hands were still trembling from the explosion.
"..."
Hiugo didn't pause. He had both Lightning and Water Release, which gave him more options in a fight.
As Extra B formed Hand Seals, Hiugo prepared a jutsu of his own. A flash of lightning shot from his right palm.
Lightning Release: Induction Wave!
With the Sharingan's insight, Extra B knew how to dodge. But his injured body couldn't keep up, and the lightning struck him. A numbing sensation spread through his whole body.
Then pain stabbed through his chest, and a spray of blood appeared.
"You..."
Extra B looked down. Besides the Kunai from earlier, a black branch had emerged from the palm gripping it and pierced into his body. Blood and chakra flowed along the branch into Hiugo, as though it were instinctive.
Hiugo had planned to finish the fight with Water Release: Water Blade Slash, but the branch in his hand threw off his plans. The hunger he'd felt since morning eased at once.
As he lost blood and life, Extra B collapsed.
On the other side, Tobirama's fight with Extra A was much simpler.
The Senju Clan didn't have the Sharingan like the Uchiha Clan, but its chakra reserves were among the largest in the Warring States period—enough to let Tobirama cast one jutsu after another.
Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!
Water Release: Water Bullet Barrage!
Water Release: Water Flowing Ocean!
Extra A was thoroughly aggrieved. His chakra hadn't recovered much, and after just a couple of clashes, he'd been overwhelmed by one jutsu after another. He complained bitterly, "Brat, weren't you here to train? What's with using jutsu the whole time? Let's fight with Taijutsu!"
Tobirama ignored his enemy's words. Senju Zhenyang's mission was to kill the man in front of him, so he chose the safest method.
After a string of curses, Extra A collapsed helplessly. Tobirama stopped attacking and glanced over to see Hiugo walk up to Extra A and strike him in the heart.
"Tobirama, don't forget to make sure he's dead."
Hiugo's expression was grave. The branch in his palm was absorbing the blood inside Extra A. After only a short while, he could control the branch as easily as he could his own body.
Tobirama rolled his eyes at him. After that series of attacks, the man was deader than dead. How could he possibly have failed to kill his enemy?
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