The Uchiha Clan Compound. Today was another day for a clan meeting. For the past three days, Menma's words had kept echoing in Fugaku's mind, like a shadow he couldn't shake.
The compound was quiet. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, scattering dappled shadows across the ground like shards of a broken mirror. A gentle breeze stirred the leaves with a soft rustle, but it couldn't dispel the deep worry on Fugaku's face.
Sigh. Have we really reached this point? Fugaku wondered, his brow furrowed.
"Dad, could you teach me how to train?" Just then, Sasuke pushed open the living room door and ran inside.
"Oh? Sasuke. All right, come with me." Fugaku thought it over briefly before answering.
"Awesome!" Sasuke cheered to himself.
Fugaku led Sasuke to a pond. The water was crystal clear, and ripples spread across its surface in the breeze. Every now and then, a fish leaped out, sending droplets of water flying.
"Sasuke, today I'll teach you our Uchiha Clan's Fire Release Ninjutsu, the Great Fireball Technique. The Hand Seals are Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, and Tiger." As he spoke, Fugaku slowly formed the seals.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!" In an instant, a huge fireball erupted from Fugaku's mouth. Its scorching flames raised the temperature around them.
"Go on, Sasuke. Give it a try." Fugaku gestured for Sasuke to try.
"Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger. Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!" Sasuke carefully formed the Hand Seals, then shouted the jutsu's name.
But all that came from Sasuke's mouth was a tiny flame. It flickered weakly in the breeze, as though it might go out at any moment.
Fugaku's hopes vanished at the sight, but he wasn't particularly surprised. Sasuke was only four years old, after all. It was almost impossible for him to learn the technique on his first try. It had taken Itachi until he was six.
"It's all right. Keep practicing. Your brother didn't learn this technique until he was six, so take your time." After reassuring Sasuke, Fugaku turned and left.
Fugaku walked slowly out of the Uchiha Clan Compound. He found a secluded spot where no one was around, used the Transformation Technique, then headed toward the Hokage Building.
Before long, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Fugaku were discussing the Uchiha Clan in the Hokage Office.
Hiruzen sat behind his desk, holding a pipe as smoke curled around him. "Lord Hokage, some members of our clan have become too radical lately. I'd like to ask for your help," Fugaku said.
Hiruzen took a deep draw on his pipe and slowly exhaled. The smoke drifted through the air. "Tell me what happened first."
"Some members of our clan believe the village has treated us unfairly, so they're planning a coup." Fugaku's voice was heavy.
"Oh? Is that so?" Hiruzen had already heard rumors about the matter, but he hadn't expected Fugaku, the Uchiha Clan's leader, to come speak to him about it in person.
"Yes, Lord Hokage. For the stability of the village, and for the future of the Uchiha Clan, I hope you'll have your personal Anbu work with me to eliminate the hardliners." Fugaku was deeply conflicted, but he had already made up his mind before coming.
Hiruzen took another draw on his pipe and exhaled. He fell silent for a long while.
"Are you certain you want to do this?" Hiruzen looked up and asked.
"If there were another way, this might have been resolved already. Now we have no choice." Fugaku's voice was firm, as though this were the only way forward.
"All right. When will it happen? I'll need time to make arrangements." Hiruzen looked at Fugaku.
"We're holding a clan meeting tonight. I'll keep the hardliners behind afterward. That's when your personal Anbu can move." Fugaku explained his plan to Hiruzen.
"All right. I'll have the people ready." Hiruzen nodded.
"Then I'll leave this to you, Lord Hokage. Also, I hope you won't tell anyone else about this. I'm afraid it could cause trouble." Fugaku cautioned him.
"I understand. I won't tell anyone." Hiruzen nodded again.
Fugaku then left the Hokage Office. He walked through Konoha's streets, deeply uneasy at the thought of turning on his own clan members. The last part of what he'd told Hiruzen had actually been something Menma had specifically instructed him to say, part of a plan to let the fish grow before reeling them in.
Fugaku found a place where no one was around, dispelled the Transformation Technique, then returned to the Uchiha Clan Compound.
Meanwhile, Naruto and Menma continued the training they'd started the previous afternoon in an open field, while Kakashi practiced Taijutsu nearby.
Weeds grew thickly around the field, and a few insects darted through them. Birds chirped from the distant trees, as if cheering them on.
"This isn't working. I feel like I haven't made any progress today," Naruto said with a frown.
"Same here," Menma said, just as frustrated. Gathering chakra by itself was simple enough, but accurately molding it into different natures was difficult.
"Sigh. There's no other way. I'll have to go all in." With that, Menma dispelled his Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu, closed his eyes, and began absorbing the experience.
"I think I'm getting the hang of it. I'll just have to go for it." Menma began forming Hand Seals.
"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" At his words, more than a hundred Menma clones appeared.
Naruto was startled. Menma really was going all in. But he knew that whether or not Menma succeeded, he'd have to rest for a while afterward.
"He's really pushing himself, huh? Then I'll do it too." Naruto also dispelled his Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu. After absorbing his clones' experience, he created more than a hundred Shadow Clones of his own.
"Good grief, they're really going all out. I hope they learn before they strip every leaf off the trees." Kakashi stopped his movements and thought to himself. He wasn't too surprised that they could make so many clones. The two of them had astonishing amounts of chakra, after all.
"Looks like I can't slack off either." With that, Kakashi increased the intensity of his training.
Time passed, and noon drew closer. Naruto and Menma's Shadow Clones were still training hard in the field.
"I did it!" Suddenly, one of Naruto's Shadow Clones jumped up excitedly and shouted.
"Really?" The other Naruto clones immediately gathered around. When they saw that the leaf in the clone's hand had split in two, they began cheering too.
Naruto didn't waste a moment. While he was still fired up, he dispelled his Shadow Clones. As a flood of experience poured into his mind, an intense wave of exhaustion hit him. He collapsed onto the ground.
Kakashi was genuinely happy for Naruto. He went over, made sure Naruto was all right, then helped him to the shade of a nearby tree to rest. Sunlight dappled the ground beneath the branches, and the cool air made Naruto feel a little better.
Seeing Naruto succeed, Menma wanted to hurry up too. He gritted his teeth and dispelled his clones. The moment they vanished, a flood of experience and an intense wave of exhaustion swept over him.
Menma dropped to his knees and gasped for breath. Then, forcing himself to his feet, he stood back up.
"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Menma made more clones, though fewer this time—only a few dozen.
Kakashi was astonished. He hadn't expected Menma to still be able to make so many clones in his condition.
Kakashi sighed to himself and glanced at Naruto, who was resting nearby. Both brothers were exceptional for their age. If they enrolled in the Ninja Academy, they'd surely be called geniuses. What people didn't know was that the two had been pushing themselves to train since they were very young.
Menma gritted his teeth and kept training. After a while, Naruto watched him continue and couldn't help smiling.
Looks like I won. Naruto had thought. The two of them had agreed early that morning that whoever finished training last would have to grant the first one to finish a request.
Naruto started thinking about what he should ask Menma to do, but he couldn't decide. Make him buy ramen? That didn't seem worth it. He thought it over from every angle, but couldn't come up with a good idea.
"Naruto, how are you feeling now?" Kakashi asked with a smile.
"I'm fine, other than being a little tired," Naruto replied.
Just then, cheers erupted from Menma's side. As if sensing something, Kakashi smiled and walked over. Naruto saw him go and got up to follow.
When they reached them, they saw that the leaves in several of Menma's clones' hands had been affected in different ways. Some had holes burned through them, some had split apart, and some had been divided in two. One felt warm to the touch and was a little wrinkled, while another had several drops of water on it.
There was no doubt about it: Menma had succeeded. Once you understood the trick, the training was simple. In other words, once you mastered one nature, you could use the same method to master the others.
Menma cheered, then suddenly collapsed. The Shadow Clones around him vanished automatically.
"Did he hit his limit?" Kakashi murmured. He quickly snapped out of it and went to Menma.
"Kakashi-sensei, is Menma all right?" Naruto asked anxiously, watching Kakashi.
"It's nothing serious. He just used up too much chakra. He'll be fine after some rest," Kakashi replied.
Then Kakashi glanced at the sky. It was already close to afternoon. Naruto suddenly remembered Kushina's instructions and hurriedly told Kakashi about them.
"Is that so? Then let's go." With that, Kakashi carried Menma on his back and left with Naruto.
Before you continue