Family

Until dinner was over, Grandpa did not say another word to the handsome uncle. Uchiha Yo felt a little sorry for his father. Still, Grandpa was not so deranged that he would forbid the couple from sleeping in the same room.

Early the next morning, Grandpa called Uchiha Yo up and motioned for him to follow. They entered the mountains, and along the way, Grandpa casually probed about their life in Konoha. It was clear that Grandpa wanted to go back too, though for some reason—perhaps his sword training—he had never returned even once.

They arrived at a bamboo grove. A swordsman in a bamboo forest—Grandpa really had style. Grandpa pointed at the grove and said, "Cut down some bamboo and bring it back. I want to make a few things." Uchiha Yo immediately reached for his sword, but Grandpa hurriedly stopped him. "Have you trained yourself stupid? Who uses a sword to chop down trees or bamboo? Aren't you afraid of damaging it?" With that, he handed him an axe. "Use this. Remember, when doing things, you do not just use whatever feels convenient. You use whatever is appropriate."

After chopping for an hour, Uchiha Yo thought, Did Grandpa fall asleep? Why hasn't he told me to stop yet? Grandpa said, "I was originally going to have you chop down some trees too, but at your speed, you wouldn't finish even after I died. Sigh, that trash really held you back. Such good potential. Fine, that's enough for now. Carry the bamboo and let's go down the mountain."

Uchiha Yo looked at the mountain of bamboo, then at Grandpa. Grandpa had already started down the mountain, clearly with no intention of helping him. So he could only hoist the mountain of bamboo onto his back and slowly make his way downhill.

After breakfast, Grandpa dragged Uchiha Yo off to chop trees again. He watched for the entire morning, and in the end, Grandpa scoffed, took the axe from Uchiha Yo's hand, and began chopping himself. He cut quickly and rhythmically. The sound of axe striking tree seemed to carry a peculiar melody.

Seeing that his grandson seemed to understand, Grandpa nodded. "At least you inherited a little of my blood. You're not completely stupid. Every tree has its grain. Every person has a point where they exert force when swinging an axe, and that point is the one best suited to them. You have to find that point and use it properly. The rhythm of your swings, your breathing in and out—those are all ways to adjust your body. Watch the grain carefully first, then we'll talk."

Uchiha Yo activated his Sharingan. Smack—his head was lightly tapped. "Do you use the Sharingan when you eat too? The Uchiha Clan's greatest mistake is relying on the Sharingan for everything, as if they can't do anything without it. What is the Sharingan? It's only a method, a tool. You use a sword to kill people, so if you have no sword, you won't use ninjutsu?

You activate it when you're happy, activate it when you're angry, activate it in battle, activate it during training. Are there few strong people without the Sharingan? Not at all. Break that bad habit. Only when you turn the Sharingan into a method, a trump card, will you become a true powerhouse. Even with their eyes closed, no one could stand against our ancestors. Turn everything into your body's instinct, rather than relying on your eyes. Keep going. Chop until lunch."

After lunch, Grandpa had him continue chopping trees on his own. He also told him to bring the cut wood to his father so he could build a wooden cabin down below. Then Grandpa went off fishing on a bamboo raft.

Uchiha Yo chopped from noon until dusk. When he was tired, he rested for a while; when he was thirsty, he drank some water. At last, he felt like he was starting to get the hang of it. His eyes still could not see any grain, but his body seemed to have found a point of exertion on its own. More accurately, it was a feeling—a vague, hazy feeling.

Carrying the logs, he arrived at the foot of the mountain and saw Grandpa lying in a rocking chair, drinking tea as he directed his father in making things out of bamboo. Grandpa said to his little grandson, "Your dad has something else to do today, so chop the wood you carried down into firewood."

That evening, Grandpa took out a wooden sword and stuffed it into his little grandson's hand. "Go outside and practice a set of basic sword forms for me." Uchiha Yo quickly finished one set. Grandpa produced a strip of cloth. "Blindfold yourself with this and practice until bedtime."

Uchiha Yo did not understand a single thing Grandpa had him do, but one thing was clear: Grandpa was teaching him something. It seemed he was trying to make him realize it through these tasks.