Learning Fire Release from My Uncle

As one of Konoha's great clans,

the Uchiha Clan had a deep heritage and command of many Ninjutsu.

They passed their knowledge down through the generations, one family after another.

Unfortunately, Obito's parents had died on the battlefield.

Otherwise...

At the thought, Obito's expression darkened.

But he soon pulled himself together, resolve returning to his eyes.

In any case,

if he wanted to learn Ninjutsu now, he needed someone to teach him.

Obito threaded through the alleys with practiced ease

and entered a small courtyard.

A little boy was crouched on the ground, studying ants.

When he saw Obito, his eyes lit up.

He sprang to his feet and hurried over, visibly excited.

"Obito!"

A faint smile touched Obito's lips.

If anyone in Naruto had devoted his entire life to protecting Konoha,

it had to be Dan... Shisui!

Obito ruffled Shisui's hair and asked with a smile,

"Shisui, is my uncle home today?"

Before Shisui could answer,

a middle-aged man heard them and came out of the house.

"Well, Obito! What brings you to see your uncle today?"

The man had the familiar spiky black hair, gentle features, and wisdom in his eyes.

(Aside from Itachi, who used silky-smooth shampoo, they all had spiky hair.)

Obito scratched his head and grinned.

"It's been ages since I saw you, Uncle, so I thought I'd drop by... and maybe learn a Ninjutsu while I'm here."

The man before him was his uncle, Uchiha Chuan.

Uchiha Chuan chuckled.

"You little rascal... All right. I happen to be free today, so I'll teach you one."

Obito clenched his fists in excitement.

"Yes!"

Chuan took Shisui back inside, then led Obito to the rear courtyard.

It was an open space.

The ground was pitted with small holes, clearly marking it as a training area.

Chuan stopped and said to his nephew,

"What we Uchiha do best is Fire Release. Today, I'll teach you a basic Fire Release technique."

Obito asked tentatively,

"Uncle, you don't mean the Great Fireball Technique, do you?"

Chuan smiled and nodded.

Oh, come on...

Obito was speechless.

He could hardly get excited about Fire Release: The Technique That Never Killed Anyone.

Seven hundred and twenty episodes!

Across all seven hundred and twenty episodes, that technique had never managed to kill a single person!

Chuan noticed his nephew's strange expression and looked puzzled.

"What's wrong, Obito?"

Obito quickly adjusted his attitude and shook his head.

"Nothing, Uncle. Please go on."

You had to lay the foundations before building a tower. Better master the basics before aiming too high.

Chuan nodded.

He carefully explained the essentials of using the Great Fireball Technique.

"...The Hand Seals are Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, and Tiger."

"Then channel your fire-aspected Chakra into your throat and release it all at once toward your target."

"That's everything you need to watch out for. Give it a try."

Obito took a deep breath.

His hands clumsily formed the seals, and he struggled to gather Chakra in his throat and spit it out.

"Hah—ptooey!"

A tiny flame sprang from his mouth, only for a gust of wind to snuff it out.

Obito: "..."

He tried several more times, but all he managed were a few sparks.

He felt like a human cigarette lighter.

Seeing his nephew's disappointment, Chuan smiled reassuringly.

"Don't lose heart, Obito. Back when I learned it, even I needed..."

He had been about to say it had taken him half a day to master the Great Fireball Technique completely.

But fearing that would discourage his nephew, he swallowed the rest of the sentence.

After all, as far as he could tell, his nephew wasn't especially gifted.

Mastering the Great Fireball Technique would probably take him two or three days at least.

Chuan patted Obito on the shoulder.

"Heh. The important thing in training is to keep at it."

"Practice here for now. I'll go inside and spend some time with Shisui. Call me if there's anything you don't understand."

Obito nodded gratefully.

"Okay. Thanks, Uncle."

Once Uchiha Chuan had gone back inside,

Obito settled his mind and formed the seals again and again,

paying close attention to the changes in his Chakra.

I've got a +5 boost to my Fire Release aptitude. There's no way I can't learn the Technique That Never Killed Anyone!

An hour later,

Uchiha Chuan stretched and came out of the house.

"How's it going, Obito?"

Obito grinned.

"I think I've learned it, Uncle."

Chuan smiled and nodded.

"Mm, it's perfectly normal if you haven't. As long as you... Wait, what?!"

He suddenly realized what Obito had said, and his smile froze.

"Hold on, nephew... What did you just say?"

Obito said nothing. He chose to show him instead.

"Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger. Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

Obito parted his lips and breathed out a huge fireball.

The heat warped the air. The roaring flames slammed into the ground, blasting a deep hollow into its level surface.

"This... this..."

Chuan swallowed hard.

He had never expected his nephew, always the Dead Last,

to master the Great Fireball Technique so quickly.

Even faster than Chuan himself had!

Having just learned a Ninjutsu, Obito was in high spirits.

He looked at Uchiha Chuan curiously and asked,

"Uncle, how long did it take you to learn the Great Fireball Technique?"

Oh, no...

To avoid losing face in front of his nephew, Chuan decided to tell a harmless lie.

"Hmm, it took me... about forty or fifty minutes. A little less time than you."

"But don't be discouraged. You weren't far behind me."

Hearing that, Obito couldn't help feeling impressed.

Even with his boosted Fire Release aptitude, he still couldn't match his uncle's speed.

Just how brilliant is Uncle?

My uncle Chuan has what it takes to become Naruto!

But... if Uncle's so amazing, why didn't he make a name for himself in Naruto?

Before Obito could think it through,

Uchiha Chuan changed the subject, looking a little guilty.

"Ahem. Obito, now that you've learned the Great Fireball Technique, is there anything else you'd like to do?"

"No rush, Uncle. Give me a moment to think."

Obito looked at the three options before him and sank into thought.

[Option 1: Keep practicing Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique and do your part to build a harmonious Shinobi World. Completion reward: +3 power to this Ninjutsu.]

[Option 2: Keep mooching. Tell Uchiha Chuan you want to learn another Ninjutsu. Completion reward: Master one random Ninjutsu (mostly depends on what your uncle teaches you).]

[Option 3: Leave now and go home for dinner. Completion reward: The Wise Know Their Food aura.]

[The Wise Know Their Food aura: +1 charisma while eating.]

What the hell is "The Wise Know Their Food" supposed to mean?!

Pass!

Option one's out, too!

The Great Fireball Technique never hits anyone. What good is more power?

Option two, no contest. Two, two, two, two, two, two, two!