Learning Fire Release from Uncle

As one of Konoha's great clans,

the Uchiha Clan had deep roots and possessed many Ninjutsu.

These were passed down through families, generation after generation.

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

Otherwise...

At the thought, Obito's expression darkened.

But he soon gathered himself, determination returning to his eyes.

In any case,

if he wanted to learn Ninjutsu now, he would have to find someone to teach him.

Obito threaded through the alleys with practiced ease.

Then he stepped into a small courtyard.

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

When he saw Obito, his eyes lit up.

He sprang up excitedly and ran to meet him.

"Big Brother Obito!"

A faint smile touched Obito's lips.

If there was one person in Naruto who had devoted his life to protecting Konoha,

it had to be Comrade Z... Shisui!

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

"Shisui, is 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 Uchiha Clan's signature spiky black hair, gentle features, and wisdom in his eyes.

(Itachi was the only one with silky hair. The rest all had spikes.)

Obito scratched his head and grinned.

"It's been so long 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 laughed.

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

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 craters, clearly marking it as a training area.

Chuan stopped and told 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 nodded with a smile.

Oh, come on...

Obito was speechless.

He couldn't get excited about Fire Release: The Technique That Never Killed Anyone.

Seven hundred and twenty episodes!

Across all seven hundred and twenty episodes, the thing hadn't killed a single person!

Seeing his nephew's strange expression, Chuan looked puzzled.

"What's wrong, Obito?"

Obito quickly composed himself and shook his head.

"Nothing, Uncle. Please go on."

You have to lay the foundations before you build a tower. Master the basics first, then aim higher.

Chuan nodded.

He carefully explained the key points of performing the Great Fireball Technique.

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

"Finally, gather Fire Release Chakra in 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.

He clumsily formed the Hand Seals, then struggled to gather Chakra in his throat and spit it out.

"Hah—ptooey!"

A tiny flame sprang out, only to be blown away by a gust of wind.

Obito: "..."

He tried several more times, but each attempt produced only a few sparks.

He felt like a human lighter.

Seeing his nephew's disappointment, Chuan smiled and reassured him.

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

He had been about to say it took him nearly half a day to fully master the Great Fireball Technique.

But he feared that might dampen his nephew's enthusiasm, so he swallowed the rest.

After all, in his eyes, his nephew wasn't... especially gifted.

It would probably take Obito two or three days to master the Great Fireball Technique.

He patted Obito on the shoulder.

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

"Practice here for now. I'll go play with Shisui inside. Call me whenever you have a question."

Obito nodded gratefully.

"Okay. Thanks, Uncle."

After Uchiha Chuan went back inside,

Obito settled his mind and formed the Hand Seals again and again.

He paid close attention to the changes in the Chakra within him.

I've got a +5 bonus to Fire Release comprehension. There's no way I can't learn the technique that never kills anyone!

An hour later,

Uchiha Chuan stretched and stepped out of the house.

"How's it going, Obito?"

Obito grinned.

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

Chuan nodded with a smile.

"Mm, it's perfectly normal if you haven't learned it yet. As long as you... What?!"

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

"Wait, nephew... What did you just say?"

Obito said nothing. He chose to demonstrate instead.

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

Obito parted his lips and spat out a massive fireball.

The searing flames warped the air. The raging fireball slammed into the ground with a roar, blasting a sizable crater into its flat surface.

"This... This..."

Chuan swallowed.

He truly hadn't expected the nephew who had always been the Dead Last

to master the Great Fireball Technique so quickly.

Even faster than he had!

Having just learned a new 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, come on...

To avoid embarrassing himself in front of his nephew, Chuan decided to tell a little white lie.

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

"But don't be discouraged. You weren't much slower than I was."

Hearing that, Obito couldn't help feeling impressed.

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

What an extraordinary talent Uncle must be!

My uncle Kawamura has what it takes to be Naruto!

But... if Uncle's so amazing, why did he never make a name for himself in Naruto?

Before Obito could think any further,

Uchiha Chuan changed the subject, looking a little guilty.

"Ahem. Obito, now that you've learned the Great Fireball Technique, do you have any other plans?"

"Just a moment, Uncle. Let me think."

Obito stared at the three choices before him and fell into thought.

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

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

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

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

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

Pass!

Option One's a pass too!

The Great Fireball Technique can't hit anyone anyway. What good is more power?

Option Two, no question. Two, two, two, two, two, two, two!