The strategy of wearing out the old man was a huge success

Indra went straight to the courtyard gate, pushed it open, and walked inside.

"Mikoto, I'm coming in." He entered the house with easy familiarity, as though he were coming home.

Hearing his voice, Uchiha Mikoto immediately came to greet him. "Good morning, Indra! Breakfast is ready~"

Uchiha Mikoto wore a sweet smile and a pure white apron around her waist, looking every bit the adorable little cook.

As soon as Indra entered, he saw a sprightly old man sitting on the sofa, drinking tea.

Seeing Indra arrive again, the old man's face softened into a kindly smile.

"Back again, little Indra?"

"Hehe~ Grandpa Ryoji, I'm here to mooch another meal."

"It's fine. You're welcome to come every day."

Uchiha Ryoshi stroked his beard, his eyes warm with amusement.

In truth, he already thought of Indra as his grandson.

Seven years ago, his son and daughter-in-law had died in battle, leaving his granddaughter Mikoto as their only surviving child.

Their deaths had devastated Mikoto, but as her grandfather, he hadn't known how to comfort her.

Only after Indra appeared did Uchiha Ryoshi notice his granddaughter smiling more often.

From then on, he had accepted Indra wholeheartedly.

But the thought of the war still raging around them made Uchiha Ryoshi sigh deeply.

He worried that something might happen to Indra and Mikoto, but as a member of the Uchiha Clan's Elder Council, he could only intervene in clan affairs. He couldn't interfere with the village's arrangements.

Indra still hadn't awakened his Sharingan. What would he do once he reached the battlefield?

While Uchiha Ryoshi was worrying, Indra sidled up to him shamelessly.

"Grandpa Ryoji, do you have any way for me to learn more ninjutsu?"

"Oh? Isn't what your parents left you enough?"

Uchiha Ryoshi gave Indra a puzzled look. A Genin didn't need to learn many ninjutsu; even if they knew them, they wouldn't be able to cast them.

Ordinarily, a ninja would master no more than ten ninjutsu.

Only someone like the Third Hokage, the Professor of Ninjutsu, was proficient in all five elemental styles and had mastered over a thousand ninjutsu.

Uchiha Ryoshi had helped sort through the inheritance left by Indra's parents. The D-rank Body Flicker Technique and C-rank Great Fireball Technique were enough to see him through to Chunin.

Before Uchiha Ryoshi could remind him of that, a crimson One-Tomoe Sharingan appeared in each of Indra's eyes.

"I awakened my Sharingan yesterday, Grandpa Ryoji. My chakra reserves have increased quite a bit.

I want to make a few more preparations before going to the battlefield."

Staring at Indra's One-Tomoe Sharingan, Uchiha Ryoshi's eyes lit up. "Good! As long as you've awakened it!"

The Uchiha Clan had over a thousand members, but only a little over two hundred were ninja, and even fewer had awakened the Sharingan.

Indra's awakening meant that his talent was already among the best in the Uchiha Clan.

Once someone awakened the One-Tomoe Sharingan, reaching the strength of an elite Genin was practically guaranteed.

With the Two-Tomoe Sharingan, they could put up a fight even against a Special Jonin.

Uchiha clansmen with the Three-Tomoe Sharingan were elites even among Jonin!

Both Indra and Mikoto had awakened their Sharingan. With Lady Tsunade's protection as well, their chances of survival would improve considerably.

Delighted for them, Uchiha Ryoshi affectionately patted Indra's head.

"Whatever you want to learn, Indra, Grandpa can teach you."

"That's great!"

Unable to contain his excitement, Indra threw his arms around Uchiha Mikoto beside him.

Obtaining ninjutsu was actually far harder than most people imagined.

Most ninjutsu were held by the major clans, and unless a ninja was a genius among geniuses, learning them without guidance was difficult.

There were conditions for obtaining ninjutsu within the Uchiha Clan, too.

Usually, a person had to contribute to the clan before they could exchange those contributions for the corresponding ninjutsu.

With Uchiha Ryoshi teaching him personally, Indra could skip a whole pile of tedious procedures.

Held in Indra's arms, Mikoto's little face flushed bright red, but she didn't struggle, remaining perfectly docile.

She smiled gently, gazing at Indra with fond indulgence.

Seeing Indra so happy filled Mikoto's heart with sweetness, too.

After considering his options, Indra didn't ask Uchiha Ryoshi to teach him too many ninjutsu.

He understood the danger of biting off more than he could chew, so he chose only the three most useful techniques.

[Uchiha-style Swordsmanship], [Phantom Body Flicker Technique], [Hell Viewing Technique]

Every Uchiha who awakened the Sharingan was, in fact, a capable swordsman.

As a result, the Uchiha Clan had long since developed a solid system of swordsmanship.

The Sharingan's exceptional ability to track movement, combined with exquisite swordsmanship, was devastating on the battlefield.

Strictly speaking, the [Phantom Body Flicker Technique] was an illusion technique. Members of the Uchiha Clan could use their Sharingan's ocular power to create multiple phantoms.

It was said that at an advanced level, those phantoms wouldn't disappear when attacked and could even attack an opponent alongside the real body.

The [Hell Viewing Technique] made opponents see the images they feared most, striking at their minds.

One swordsmanship style and two illusion techniques would strengthen his close-combat abilities and give him more ways to restrain opponents, further covering his weaknesses and enhancing his strengths.

Uchiha Ryoshi approved of Indra's choices as well.

"Practice with a wooden sword today. Later, I'll have someone buy you a chakra sword from Cat Granny."

Cat Granny ran the Uchiha Clan's dedicated weapons shop and maintained a symbiotic relationship with the Ninja Cat Clan.

Once Uchiha Ryoshi finished speaking, his gaze suddenly sharpened.

The instant he took hold of his wooden sword, his entire presence changed.

Indra's heart lurched, and his One-Tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly.

"Grandpa Ryoji, go easy—"

Before Indra could finish, a fierce slash came crashing down.

He hurriedly raised his sword to meet it, and the two wooden blades collided.

Bang!

The force traveled along the blade, numbing the web of Indra's hand and nearly knocking the wooden sword from his grip.

The instant he left an opening, Uchiha Ryoshi thrust his wooden sword like a spear, striking Indra squarely between the eyebrows.

Thud!

Pain shot through Indra's forehead, and he toppled backward.

Watching from the side, Uchiha Mikoto immediately protested, "Grandpa~ Go a little easier on him."

Before Uchiha Ryoshi could answer, Indra cut in. "It's fine. Grandpa Ryoji knows exactly how much force to use."

He rolled to his feet and tightened his grip on the wooden sword again.

Seeing the fervor in Indra's eyes, Uchiha Ryoshi smiled back. "That's the spirit."

At that, Uchiha Mikoto had no choice but to give up.

As Uchiha Ryoshi's granddaughter, she had already learned everything she was supposed to.

She simply went out to seek guidance from her teacher, Tsunade, and ask for leave on Indra's behalf while she was at it.

Only Indra and Uchiha Ryoshi remained in the courtyard's open space.

"Remember the arc of my swing and how much force I use."

"Your movements must be precise, but even more importantly, steady!"

"You also need to get the timing right when you concentrate your chakra. Otherwise, the angle of your slash will shift slightly."

Uchiha Ryoshi taught him in painstaking detail, while Indra gradually went from helplessly taking hits to barely managing to fend them off.

Part of that was due to Indra's improvement, but the greater reason was that Uchiha Ryoshi was wearing himself out.

Watching Indra get up yet again, Uchiha Ryoshi frowned.

Seriously, how does he have this much energy?

To make sure Indra wasn't simply forcing himself to continue, Uchiha Ryoshi inspected his body.

He should have been covered in bruises, but instead, he was completely unharmed. His skin was still absurdly fair, as though he hadn't been hit at all.

"Isn't this recovery ability a little too ridiculous?!"

Uchiha Ryoshi couldn't help exclaiming in amazement.

The corners of Indra's mouth lifted. This was the divine power of the Horse Talisman!

The results proved that his strategy of wearing out the old man was a success.

When Indra's wooden sword struck Uchiha Ryoshi's wrist for the first time, the old man finally reached his limit and sank onto the ground.

Uchiha Ryoshi waved his hands repeatedly. "That's enough. Grandpa needs a rest. I can't keep up with a youngster like you."

"Hehe~ Grandpa, let me give you a massage."

Putting on a concerned air, Indra secretly used the Horse Talisman and Dog Talisman while massaging Uchiha Ryoshi's shoulders and legs.

Uchiha Ryoshi, who had been panting for breath, instantly bounced back.

Even the old injuries that had lingered within his body for years healed completely at that moment.

"What's going on? I suddenly feel so much lighter, and I have far more strength!"

Uchiha Ryoshi stood and moved his arms, but before he could marvel at the change, Indra sidled up to him.

"Since you have so much energy, Grandpa Ryoji, why don't you teach me a little longer?"

"...All right."

Uchiha Ryoshi gave his adopted grandson a few more surprised looks, but ultimately didn't dwell on it and got up to continue teaching.