Water Breathing

In the Konoha Hokage office, Hiruzen Sarutobi flipped through the file on Mufeng Uchiha before Kakashi Hatake.

"Mufeng Uchiha, that child possesses talent that surpasses Itachi; I am already well aware of it."

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a puff from his pipe, his fingers tapping the desk involuntarily as his eyes remained fixed on the report.

On the desk lay the report detailing what the Anbu had witnessed within the Uchiha Compound.

With an incredible talent for Water Breathing and a secret technique capable of splitting boulders, all of this was concentrated in a six-year-old child. Such genius should have been a cause for joy, but he happened to be an Uchiha.

The crystal ball reflected the Ninja Academy, where Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki were bickering while Mufeng Uchiha slept with his eyes closed. A sudden idea struck him.

"A genius, indeed. But because of what happened with Itachi, both children have fallen into a vortex of vengeance. I hope you, Kakashi, can pull them out of the darkness. Only you, having once fallen into that same darkness, can do this. Kakashi, become their teacher."

Kakashi scratched his head, about to complain that it sounded like a hassle, when the door was suddenly kicked open with a bang.

"Hiruzen, the Uchiha are a hidden danger. Hand Mufeng Uchiha over to me. In Root, I will ensure he reaches his maximum potential and becomes the sharpest blade in Konoha."

Upon receiving the intelligence on Mufeng Uchiha, Danzo could not wait to arrive, eager to transform this long-coveted Uchiha into his own personal tool.

"Danzo, the Uchiha are part of Konoha. They are still children and should be in the sunlight, not in the Root. I will not agree to this."

Hiruzen Sarutobi refused without a second thought. The atmosphere plummeted to freezing, and Kakashi Hatake wisely took his leave, leaving the space to them.

"Hiruzen, the inherently evil Uchiha must be kept under tight control. You have seen that child's talent; can you take responsibility if he loses control?"

"Danzo, I will ensure that child forms bonds with the village. They are part of Konoha. And don't even think about Sasuke; don't forget Itachi."

"Hmph, you will regret this, Hiruzen!"

As Danzo left, the door to the Hokage office was slammed so hard it broke and fell to the floor.

"Repair the door and put it on Danzo's tab."

The ninja at the door quickly departed. Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at Danzo's retreating back, knowing that his old comrade's personality meant he would not let this rest.

He summoned a few more Anbu, gave them a few instructions, and then settled down to continue his work.

The Ninja Academy had just let out, and the two Uchiha brothers were heading toward their new residence, though they had a small tail following them.

"Loser, why are you following me? We aren't going the same way."

"Who's following you, you jerk Sasuke? I'm here to ask big brother Mufeng to teach me how to climb trees."

After a whole night of effort yesterday, Sasuke had only barely managed to climb halfway up the tree, while Naruto, hampered by Kurama's interference, had naturally made no progress.

"Don't be so stingy, Second Pillar. Naruto, I will help you, but are you prepared? Prepared to make a deal with a monster?"

"A monster? I, Naruto Uzumaki, am not afraid at all! Let it come at me!"

However, Naruto's voice trembled as he spoke; he was still afraid.

Kurama was currently locked in a cage and could not stir up any trouble. If he could help Naruto build a relationship with Kurama early on, strengthening his power sooner would give them a better chance against the Otsutsuki in the future.

The three of them frolicked toward the Konoha Training Ground until, on a secluded path, three Root ninja suddenly jumped out to block their way.

"Sasuke Uchiha, Mufeng Uchiha, Lord Danzo requests your presence. Come with us."

Root. Danzo was already unable to restrain himself; he clearly had no intention of honoring his agreement with Itachi.

"Go with you? On what grounds? Get out of my way!"

Second Pillar looked at them with disdain and ordered the three Root ninja to leave, but the Root ninja would not listen to his commands. Since they would not obey, they would be taken by force.

"Second Pillar, Naruto, get back!"

Before the words had even faded, the Nara Root ninja in the center released the Shadow Possession Technique. The shadow on the ground darted out and caught the shadow of Naruto Uzumaki, who had been a beat too slow.

Sasuke Uchiha fared slightly better, with only half his body caught by the shadow. Mufeng Uchiha, who had been mid-air, was not in a great position either, as two Root ninja drew ropes to capture him.

"Water Breathing, Sixth Form: Whirlpool."

He drew the blade at his waist, exerting force from his core to spin in mid-air. The water flowing along the blade formed a vortex, and the Root ninja, having no leverage in the air, were instantly swept into the onslaught.

In an instant, the violent currents tore through their chests. The relentless water left large and small lacerations all over their bodies, and the wounds on their chests bled profusely, looking particularly gruesome.

"Pot, watch out! That brat's swordsmanship is wrong. Use your full strength, or we'll all die here!"

The two had barely spoken when, in that very moment, Mufeng Uchiha tapped his toes against the ground, gripped the hilt with both hands, and exhaled a puff of hot air.

"Total Concentration: Water Breathing, Seventh Form: Piercing Rain Drop."

He was so fast he left only an afterimage. By the time they could see Mufeng Uchiha clearly again, his blade had already plunged into the Nara Root ninja's chest, piercing his heart.

"Intelligence was wrong. We can't take this brat. Grab Sasuke Uchiha first; I'll stay behind to cover."

The two, now at the end of their rope, still tried to take Sasuke, but their reinforcements had arrived. As they were discussing it, one of the Root ninja was suddenly dragged into the ground by a pair of hands emerging from the earth, leaving only his head exposed.

Double Suicide Decapitation Technique!

"Where do you think you're taking my cute students?"

Kakashi Hatake suddenly appeared before them, and the remaining Root ninja had already been knocked unconscious on the ground.

"Let's call it a day for training. Don't say a word to anyone about what happened here; I will handle it."

Kakashi Hatake tacitly chose not to ask Mufeng Uchiha how he had managed to kill the Nara Root ninja; besides, there was no need for him to ask, as the Anbu ninjas who had been monitoring them the entire time had already witnessed everything that just transpired.

A large number of Anbu ninjas suddenly appeared in the surrounding area to begin cleaning up the scene, while the three youngsters had already been shooed away from the location.

"Big Brother Mufeng, you were so cool just now! What was that move? The pssh-hiss thing—can you teach it to me?"

Naruto Uzumaki gestured wildly in front of Mufeng Uchiha, mimicking the move with a comical expression that made Sasuke turn his head away with a scoff.

"You bastard Sasuke, what's that supposed to mean!"

"Loser, learn how to climb trees and walk on water first."

"I'll definitely learn how to climb trees and walk on water before you do!"

Naruto and Sasuke began bickering again, rushing off toward the small river used for training.

Mufeng Uchiha, on the other hand, stood there in deep thought. Today was his first real battle in the truest sense, and during it, he clearly recognized his own shortcomings.

He was too reliant on Water Breathing and hadn't even managed to use a proper ninjutsu; this was putting the cart before the horse. He had to start taking the cultivation of ninjutsu seriously.

He would start with the ninjutsu scrolls he had scavenged from his home, with Shadow Clone Technique being the top priority.

As for Danzo, he was confident that Hiruzen Sarutobi would certainly not let him off. First, Root had been stripped of its control over the Uchiha clan following the massacre, and now, to strike at an Uchiha orphan—on this point alone, Hiruzen Sarutobi would never sit idly by.