Kushina Uzumaki and Uzumaki Mito both felt that Uchiha Kurohane's words made sense.
Kushina Uzumaki envied Uchiha Kurohane's talent. In order to catch up to him, she trained desperately.
Uzumaki Mito, on the other hand, was full of admiration for Uchiha Kurohane.
She thought that when she had learned the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique, it had taken her half an hour, earning her the title of genius among the people of the Village Hidden in the Whirlpools.
Now, Uchiha Kurohane had learned it at a glance. He was a genius far surpassing her.
His talent might even rival Hashirama's!
[Ah~ The host's talent has earned Uzumaki Mito's admiration. Achievement "Uzumaki Mito's Admiration" achieved. Obtained Entry: "Uzumaki Mito's Chakra Control Ability S".]
Uchiha Kurohane was overjoyed when he saw the reward.
After all, the power of Ninjutsu was determined by the amount of Chakra and one's Chakra control ability.
Furthermore, advanced Ninjutsu, as well as training in Chakra shape transformation and nature transformation, required powerful Chakra control ability as a prerequisite.
Chakra control ability was also a prerequisite for learning the Strength of a Hundred Technique.
The Entry he had previously obtained, Fugaku's Chakra Control Ability, was rated A, while Mito's Entry this time was rated S.
That meant Uzumaki Mito's Chakra control ability was stronger than Fugaku's!
Considering that Uchiha Fugaku was only fourteen years old at the moment while Uzumaki Mito was "thirty-eight," this was understandable.
After obtaining these two Entries, Uchiha Kurohane's Chakra control ability vastly surpassed both of theirs.
He had become a genius among geniuses!
Seeing Kushina encouraged by Uchiha Kurohane, Uzumaki Mito liked him even more.
She felt that Kushina Uzumaki was fortunate to have made a friend like Uchiha Kurohane.
She warmly invited Uchiha Kurohane to lunch, then invited him to dinner again after their afternoon training.
Since Uzumaki Mito was a wealthy woman, Uchiha Kurohane feasted on all kinds of delicacies, including abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, and fish maw.
When he left that night, his belly was round and full, and he felt immensely satisfied.
Uchiha Kurohane could not wait to test the power of Ninjutsu after his Chakra control ability had been enhanced.
He wanted to use the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique to cast the Great Fireball Technique!
However, Fire Release was a dangerous type of Ninjutsu. One careless mistake could set the mountain ablaze, so it was not something he could use casually.
Moreover, he had previously learned from Mikoto that the nearby forest was her territory.
If he burned down her forest, that S-ranked big sister would come threaten him again.
Uchiha Kurohane decided to practice Fire Release at the lake.
It was a small lake located along the border of the Uchiha Clan's territory.
Both Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Itachi had practiced Fire Release there when they were children.
That showed they also understood that one should not casually set mountains on fire.
Uchiha Kurohane secretly ordered the crows in the forest to fly to the lakeside first. Then, by using the Yatagarasu Substitute, he could save himself the walk and arrive at the scene instantly.
However, when the crows flew over the lake, they unexpectedly spotted two familiar figures.
One was Uchiha Mikoto, dressed in the same blue ninja outfit as Sasuke, with her long hair flowing in the breeze.
With her hands behind her back, she gazed proudly across the dim lake.
The other was Sasuke's future father. Though only fourteen years old, Uchiha Fugaku looked mature for his age and had fierce eyes.
Although Fugaku gave off an intimidating impression, he was currently bent over like a simp, smiling ingratiatingly at Mikoto.
"How is your Great Fireball Technique coming along? After I leave for the Land of Rain, I won't be able to teach you anymore. If there's anything you don't understand, ask me now. I know the trick to using the Great Fireball Technique."
Without looking back at Fugaku, Uchiha Mikoto stared at the distant lake and answered in a bored tone.
"It's all right. I'm not very interested in Fire Release. I prefer Lightning Release Ninjutsu."
"Lightning Release... I've always focused on Fire Release, so I've never learned any Lightning Release Ninjutsu..."
Uchiha Fugaku scratched the back of his head, feeling awkward.
After the two fell silent for a moment, Uchiha Fugaku spoke again.
"Lightning Release may look flashy with all those sparks, but it's really just for show. Fire Release is far more destructive than Lightning Release. Let me show you the true power of Fire Release."
Uchiha Fugaku stepped beside Mikoto and rapidly formed hand seals. He took a deep breath, inhaling until his belly and cheeks puffed up.
Then, he infused the air in his throat with Chakra and forcefully expelled it.
Whoosh—
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!
Orange-red flames burst from Uchiha Fugaku's mouth, instantly forming a massive fireball over a meter in diameter.
The fireball sped across the lake, sending a wave of heat rolling outward.
The hot wind tousled the strands of hair beside Uchiha Mikoto's cheeks, and she turned to look.
The fireball crashed into the lake twenty meters away, triggering a small explosion.
Boom!
Water splashed everywhere.
"See that? That's the power of my Great Fireball Technique. If it hits an enemy, it can burn them to death outright!"
Uchiha Mikoto swept back the hair the wind had ruffled and nodded in admiration.
"It really is impressive. No wonder everyone calls you a genius."
Hearing praise from his goddess, Uchiha Fugaku could not suppress the upward curl of his lips. He smugly patted his chest.
"Haha, Clan Head Setsuna said that my Chakra control ability is the strongest in recent years. Because my Chakra control ability is so strong, the Great Fireball I breathe out is hotter and can cause a huge explosion even when it hits the water..."
Hearing Fugaku boast through the crow, Uchiha Kurohane found it unbearable.
It's just a Great Fireball Technique. What's there to brag about?
He had always found Sasuke, who was aloof and ignored others, unlikeable. Still, at least Sasuke was quiet.
This Fugaku, who kept babbling nonstop, was far more annoying than Sasuke.
And as expected of father and son, they both loved showing off.
Uchiha Sasuke liked to show off invisibly, while Fugaku liked to show off visibly.
But neither of them was the true protagonist. When someone who was not the protagonist acted like a show-off, there was only one possible outcome.
Getting slapped in the face!
Using the Yatagarasu Substitute, Uchiha Kurohane instantly swapped places with a crow at the edge of the forest. He then casually emerged from the woods and headed toward the lake.
Uchiha Mikoto and Uchiha Fugaku sharply caught the sound of footsteps. Turning around, they saw Uchiha Kurohane approaching.
Uchiha Fugaku snorted disdainfully and grumbled inwardly.
Tch, coward. You picked a terrible time to show up.
I'm trying to show Mikoto what I can do. I don't have time for you.
Uchiha Mikoto, however, flashed a brilliant smile and hurried over to greet him.
"Kurohane, good evening. What are you doing at the lake?"
Seeing Mikoto take the initiative to greet Uchiha Kurohane, Uchiha Fugaku felt deeply displeased and answered for him first.
"There's only one reason an Uchiha Clan member comes to the lake: to practice the Great Fireball Technique. Am I wrong?"
Uchiha Fugaku winked at Uchiha Kurohane with a malicious look in his eyes.
He knew Uchiha Kurohane did not have Ninjutsu scrolls and could not use Fire Release Ninjutsu, so he was deliberately mocking him.
However, Uchiha Kurohane did not need low-level things like Ninjutsu scrolls to learn Ninjutsu. As long as the system gave a little ding in his mind, he learned it instantly.
"Yes, I just learned the Great Fireball Technique and came here to practice it."
He had actually learned the Great Fireball Technique?
Who had taught him?
Uchiha Fugaku frowned, and his expression darkened at once.
Before you continue