You Want Me to Use the Swordsmanship I Learned to Chop Vegetables?

Time flew by in the blink of an eye.

Uchiha Yufeng returned to Konoha with the two of them from the Border.

"This is everything that happened during this trip to the Border."

Uchiha Yufeng handed the prepared mission scroll to the Third Hokage.

The Third Hokage smiled and set it on the table.

"Yufeng, you've worked hard. You've been on missions lately, and you seem to have lost quite a bit of weight. You should rest well for the next few days."

"Ding. Senju Tobirama (Youth) Fragment +1."

Uchiha Yufeng nodded in response as the Third Hokage continued.

"Do you know where Tsunade has gone?"

Uchiha Yufeng shook his head.

"Lady Tsunade did not tell me where she was going."

The Third Hokage sighed and patted Uchiha Yufeng on the shoulder.

"Yufeng, in the village, you were the only one who followed Tsunade around and learned from her for a time. You're the closest to her.

Even I, her teacher... she can barely be bothered with me. Could you rest for a few days, then leave the village and help look for Tsunade?"

The Third Hokage sighed, beginning to play the emotional card.

During this period, the Third Hokage had secretly sent the Anbu to search, but they had not found any trace of Tsunade.

Thinking of how close Uchiha Yufeng and Tsunade had been at Konoha Hospital, he finally brought it up.

"Yufeng, the village is currently short on both funds and manpower. You've seen the situation at the Border.

Sunagakure is watching us like a tiger eyeing its prey. A large-scale war could break out at any moment, and they could attack us.

At a time like this, without the medical teams led by Tsunade to support us, Konoha's ninja will surely suffer countless casualties! That will directly affect the outcome of the entire war!"

"Yufeng, can you bear to watch those seniors who care about you—people who might have had a chance to survive—ultimately die on the battlefield?"

Uchiha Yufeng fell silent.

So the Third Hokage was trying to morally blackmail me again?

The Third Hokage put his pipe to his mouth and took a deep drag.

"Yufeng, I'll leave this matter to you!"

"Yes, Lord Hokage. Rest assured, I will help you find Lady Tsunade!"

Hearing Uchiha Yufeng's promise, the Third Hokage beamed.

"I believe in you, Yufeng!"

"..."

After the Third Hokage said some more meaningless things to sweet-talk Yufeng, he finally let him leave the Hokage Building.

Seeing the concern in the eyes of his two companions waiting outside the Hokage Building, Uchiha Yufeng smiled.

"Come on, I'll treat you to a meal!"

Uchiha Yufeng said as he walked ahead.

"Yufeng, where are you taking us to eat?"

Watching Uchiha Yufeng pass one little shop after another, Yuhi Kurenai could not help asking curiously.

"Let's go to Yugao's house. I haven't been back to mine in a long time, and it's probably full of dust. Cleaning it would be too troublesome."

Uzuki Yugao's eyes widened at once.

"You're treating me to a meal, but we have to go to my house?"

Uchiha Yufeng waved his hand.

"Don't worry. Kurenai and I are only borrowing your place. I'll buy all the ingredients!"

With that, Uchiha Yufeng turned into a market stall, picked out some vegetables, bought some raw meat, and finally stopped.

"Let's go. This should be enough for us!"

Uchiha Yufeng handed the vegetables to Yuhi Kurenai and passed the relatively heavier raw meat to Uzuki Yugao.

Uzuki Yugao's brows furrowed tightly as she glared at Uchiha Yufeng.

"Do you want to compete in swordsmanship again next time?"

Uchiha Yufeng spoke to Uzuki Yugao.

"Of course! Next time, I'll definitely defeat you properly!"

Uchiha Yufeng spread his hands helplessly.

"Since you want to compete, then carry your things properly! When we get to your house, help me out. Your swordsmanship should be pretty useful for chopping vegetables!"

Uzuki Yugao's expression, which had only just improved, changed instantly.

"Chopping vegetables?! You're telling me to use the swordsmanship I learned to chop vegetables?!"

Seeing Uzuki Yugao on the verge of exploding, Yuhi Kurenai hurried forward.

"Yugao, Yufeng didn't mean it that way... He, he just..."

Yuhi Kurenai trailed off. She looked back at Uchiha Yufeng, but could not make up an excuse no matter how hard she tried.

I'm tired. Just destroy everything.

"What do you mean, 'he just'? He's deliberately belittling my swordsmanship!!"

Uzuki Yugao's face turned red as she huffed angrily.

Uchiha Yufeng looked at Yuhi Kurenai's resentful gaze, which seemed to say, Why are you provoking Yugao?

Uchiha Yufeng gave her a look that said, Relax, relax.

He lightly coughed, then spoke seriously to Uzuki Yugao.

"There are actually many ways to practice swordsmanship. Improvement is not limited to sparring with others! Chopping vegetables is also a form of training."

"Really?"

Uzuki Yugao eyed Uchiha Yufeng suspiciously.

"Of course. Let me give you an example. Mobilize all the Chakra in your body and condense it onto the blade with all your strength, then slash down quickly."

"And then?"

Uzuki Yugao pricked up her ears. Listening to Uchiha Yufeng explain a method to improve swordsmanship, her heart felt like it was being scratched by a cat.

"Then you'll see what you chop it into!"

"What do you mean?"

Uzuki Yugao frowned and leaned closer.

"If it comes out looking like ordinary chopped vegetables, then you barely pass!"

"What? If I condense all my Chakra onto the blade, how could it possibly look like normal chopped vegetables!"

Uzuki Yugao immediately rejected Uchiha Yufeng's idea.

"Then that's your problem. As long as you can precisely control your Chakra, your swordsmanship will surely achieve great things in the future. But if you can't even control your Chakra, then you! You'll only ever be a Chunin!"

Uchiha Yufeng's gaze finally fell on the Chunin flak jacket Uzuki Yugao was wearing.

Feeling Uchiha Yufeng's gaze, Uzuki Yugao fell into thought.

"Precisely controlling Chakra can improve swordsmanship..."

"Not only can it enhance your swordsmanship, precise Chakra control has far too many uses!"

Seeing that Uzuki Yugao had clearly taken his words to heart, Uchiha Yufeng said with a light smile.

"Precise Chakra control..."

Uzuki Yugao committed Uchiha Yufeng's words to memory.

"Alright, we're here. Go open the door!"

Uchiha Yufeng pointed at Uzuki Yugao's house.

Uzuki Yugao rolled her eyes at Uchiha Yufeng, then quickly stepped forward and opened the door.

"Excuse us!"

Yuhi Kurenai said with a smile, her curious eyes immediately wandering around Yugao's home.

"Yugao, your house is so clean. Do you clean every day?"

Uzuki Yugao placed the meat she was carrying in the kitchen before answering.

"Yes. Whenever I was home before, I cleaned!"

"..."

The two entered the kitchen one after the other, casually sharing little tips from daily life.

"Yufeng, Yugao asked me to ask whether training starts now?"

Uchiha Yufeng froze.

"Training for what? Aren't we eating?"

"Didn't you say on the way here that Yugao should control her Chakra and use her sword to chop vegetables?"

Yuhi Kurenai looked adorably confused.

"Yeah, but not today. We'll do it after we eat.

She can train when she's home alone in the future.

If she uses Chakra control to chop vegetables today, will the vegetables still be edible?"

Uzuki Yugao's face reddened. While Yuhi Kurenai had been brewing tea earlier, she had taken out some vegetables, placed them on the cutting board, and brought her Chakra-wrapped blade down.

As a result, the cutting board had nearly been scrapped...

If she had not tried so hard to cover it up just now, she really would have embarrassed herself.

"Yufeng, didn't you say I was supposed to help you? Why aren't you coming over yet?"

Uzuki Yugao said, pretending to be calm.

Uchiha Yufeng stretched lazily, then finally got up and walked toward the kitchen.

"Coming!"

Seeing that Yuhi Kurenai had washed the ribs, Yufeng rolled up his sleeves.

"Then I'll make the first dish: Braised Pork Ribs!"

When his gaze landed on the cutting board, he paused slightly, then turned back to give Uzuki Yugao a meaningful look.

"Watch carefully. Learn carefully!"

Then, a wisp of Chakra appeared on the kitchen knife he had just picked up.