Training

Takeuchi failed to budge Madara at first. "Big Brother Nisen?"

"I'm fine. I was just surprised." Madara shook his head. When had he ever been treated like this in Konoha? Now, it seemed human children were rather nice after all.

"It looks like things outside really are just like Teacher Mu said. Big Brother Nisen, once you join the Hundred-Clan Shinobi Nation, you don't have to worry about any of that." Takeuchi tightened his little hand around Madara's and looked him sincerely in the eye.

"Don't have to worry..." Madara seemed to be asking the children, but also his former self. Back then, he had wanted to help a child in the village, only to frighten them instead.

"Of course. Teacher Mu said killing intent is a good thing, because having someone like that as a comrade makes you feel safe. Lord Nisen, you're just like I imagined, so we're not afraid." Takeuchi and the other two children all looked at Madara.

"You're not afraid? Where's your training ground?" Madara's expression remained stern. He wanted to give them a gentle smile, but couldn't manage it.

"Yes! Oh, right, Big Brother Nisen, here's your payment." The three children pooled their money and reluctantly handed over five thousand ryō.

"No need..."

"No, Big Brother Nisen. Since we're the clients, we have to pay what we owe." All three looked determined.

Seeing this, Madara accepted the money and let the children lead him away. No one else paid them much attention. The village was developing rapidly; put simply, everyone was benefiting from its growth. Those who wanted to improve their lot worked hard, whether they followed the path of a ninja or an ordinary civilian.

Soon, Takeuchi and the others brought Madara to the village's training ground. It was an imitation of a vast forest, artificially created by Uchiha Mu.

"Go up first. Let me try something." Madara motioned for them to begin.

"Okay, Big Brother Nisen. Xiaoyu, Imai, let's go."

"Right." The other boy and girl exchanged a glance, then each found a tree and walked up it.

"Their fundamentals are good." Madara nodded inwardly. Strong as he was now, he hadn't been like that as a child. He felt Uchiha Mu's teaching methods were quite good. Once all three were hanging upside down, Madara released a little killing intent.

Thud, thud, thud.

With three loud thuds, the children lost their rhythm from the fright, failed to keep their chakra attached, and fell to the ground.

"This really is a challenge! Big Brother Nisen, you're even stronger than Matatabi." Takeuchi was thrilled. He believed that after a short period of training, they would be able to pass their assessment.

"Again." Xiaoyu and Imai both got to their feet.

There was no fear in their eyes, only the same admiration as before. Madara found himself speechless. Looking at the children's faces, he remembered why they had founded the village in the first place. Yes, he had always wanted to see children grow up safely, without having to fight wars.

The three climbed the trees again. This time, they lasted fifteen seconds. Their improvement delighted them, though, of course, it was only because Madara was going easy on them.

As one of the strongest ninja alive, and with his eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, he could easily judge how much pressure to release, then gradually increase the difficulty.

After that, the children were caught in an endless cycle of climbing trees, falling, climbing trees, and falling again. By the time the sky darkened, the three were exchanging high fives.

"Great! We've already made it past a minute. A little more practice and we'll pass the assessment." Takeuchi felt he had plenty to look forward to.

"Takeuchi, we're out of money." Xiaoyu, the girl in their team, had long orange-red hair and sounded rather downcast.

"We'll just have to work some more. Besides, Matatabi will help us practice at school too. That should be enough, right?" Imai said uncertainly.

"I have a commission I need your help with too. Your payment will be training with me." Madara thought about what the children had said earlier and decided not to help for free. He wanted to visit the Ninja Academy and see how Uchiha Mu taught.

"Sure! What kind of commission?" Takeuchi's eyes lit up. Though they had never left the village, they had already completed plenty of commissions for its residents. They were quite good at finding cats and dogs.

"I don't know much about the Ninja Academy. I'd like to take a look."

"Sure, come with us." Takeuchi immediately set out to lead Madara to the Ninja Academy.

The Ninja Academy stood in the center of the village, fairly close to Uchiha Mu's office. After all, he represented the present, while the children at the academy represented the future. No amount of attention was too much.

"It's quite big." Entering the Ninja Academy, Madara quietly offered his assessment. It was almost as large as the Uchiha Clan's compound. They had built quite an enormous academy.

"Teacher Mu said the Ninja Academy is a place to raise children, but we think it's too big too. Back when we hadn't learned to extract chakra yet, we were late every day," Takeuchi grumbled. He was a civilian, and compared with those who couldn't extract chakra at all, or could only extract a little, he already counted as a genius.

Still, he was only an ordinary ninja. His future ceiling was essentially chunin, but that was the norm in the shinobi world. Most ninja in the Five Great Nations were genin or chunin; jonin were few.

"Takeuchi? Why are you coming to school now?" Uzumaki Men and Uzumaki Shana greeted the three children.

"Oh, Men and Shana. What are you still doing at school? On a date?" Takeuchi asked curiously. Everyone knew that people in the shinobi world matured early and became aware of such things at a young age.

"Keep talking nonsense and I'll tear your mouth apart," Uzumaki Shana threatened.

"No, no. I've been learning sealing jutsu lately, and Shana has mastered it too. I wanted to learn from someone my own age," Uzumaki Men replied.

"Isn't Teacher's genjutsu instruction really good?" Takeuchi didn't understand. The reason he could master ninjutsu so quickly despite being a civilian was that he experienced it with his body in genjutsu first, making it easier to reproduce afterward.

"Uh..." Uzumaki Men didn't know how to respond. Though he was easygoing, he knew most of the villagers were civilians. He didn't know how to explain that he was learning about the Adamantine Sealing Chains from Uzumaki Shana, something Uchiha Mu couldn't teach through genjutsu.

"Let's go. Don't disturb them." Madara knew the reason and continued forward.

"Big Brother Nisen, wait for us!" Takeuchi and the others gave the pair apologetic looks, then ran after Madara.

"His chakra is enormous. Is he a spy?" Only then did Uzumaki Shana speak. Faced with someone she hadn't seen in the village before, she had habitually sensed his chakra. The amount felt no different from a tailed beast's.

What was going on? Uchiha Mu was one thing, but now another had arrived in the village. The only thing their Uzumaki Clan could still boast of was the Adamantine Sealing Chains, since Uchiha Mu had already mastered sealing jutsu.

"Probably not. Any sensory ninja could detect him. He has no talent for being a spy," Uzumaki Men analyzed calmly.

"I see." Uzumaki Shana understood, then continued, "We'll carry on tomorrow."

"Yes, Shana," Uzumaki Men replied respectfully, then hurried toward his lodgings.

Once Uzumaki Men had disappeared from view, Uzumaki Shana let out a long sigh. Perhaps she shouldn't have contradicted Takeuchi just now. Letting someone else convey her feelings that way might at least have made Uzumaki Men notice.

She then headed toward the home assigned to her. They would be going back soon. In the end, they had only come here to study. Not long ago, Uchiha Mu had told them it was almost time for them to return.

Only then did she realize she had already lived here for a year. Was she going back to the Uzumaki Clan again? Perhaps she would never be able to tell Uzumaki Men how she felt.

She was torn. Abandoning her clan was impossible, but the chances of returning here after going back were very low.