Time flew, and Saturday arrived. Xue Ge still hadn't made up his mind to seek out Orochimaru-mainly because he hadn't gathered enough questions to ask. If he really was going to cooperate with Orochimaru, he felt he ought to get enough out of it.
Setting Orochimaru aside for now, he had already planned his weekend.
At the entrance to the Uchiha Clan Compound, Xue Ge handed his letter to a guard. The guard opened it, took a look, and let him through.
Once inside the Uchiha Clan Compound, Xue Ge saw black-haired Hedgehog Heads everywhere. Members of the Uchiha Clan wore matching outfits, with an Uchiha Gunbai depicted on the backs of their black clothes, making them easy to identify.
Of course, Xue Ge drew plenty of attention on the street too-a one-eyed child walking with a crutch was certainly unusual enough.
"Excuse me, how do I get to 154 Tajima Road?"
Ignoring the odd, somewhat alienating looks around him, Xue Ge stopped a middle-aged passerby to ask for directions.
"Tajima Road? Follow this street and turn left at the fifth intersection. Then, uh, the cross street at either the third or fourth intersection should be Tajima Road."
"Thank you."
The man pointed Xue Ge in the right direction.
Xue Ge walked down the street, observing the Uchiha Clan Compound as he made his way to Shisui's home.
Along the way, he found that the compound had every basic amenity, practically making it a self-contained community. And perhaps it was his imagination, but the looks the Uchiha Clan members gave him seemed to carry some degree of distance, even hostility.
Faced with this groundless hostility toward a complete stranger, Xue Ge could think of only one explanation, and it unsettled him somewhat.
The Uchiha Clan, one of Konoha's two great clans... apparently wasn't on very good terms with Konoha itself.
With that thought in mind, Xue Ge arrived at 154 Tajima Road and knocked.
A slightly plump woman opened the door. Looking down at Xue Ge, she seemed a little puzzled. "What brings you here, little one?"
"I'm looking for Shisui Uchiha," Xue Ge said in a low voice.
The woman paused, then looked enlightened. Turning toward the courtyard, she called out, "Shisui! Your classmate's here to see you!"
Her words had barely fallen when a dark figure flickered into view at the doorway.
There it was again, that delightful Body Flicker Technique. Every time Xue Ge saw it performed without any windup or recovery, he couldn't help marveling.
"Hey, Xue Ge, you finally came! Come in and have a seat." Shisui was warmly welcoming, pulling Xue Ge into the courtyard.
"The Ninjutsu..." Xue Ge was a little bewildered. He had barely spoken before Shisui interrupted him.
"It's fine, we can talk about that later. It's not easy getting an outsider to visit the Uchiha Clan Compound, much less my home. Take a break first and let me treat you properly," Shisui said with a cheerful smile.
And so, utterly at a loss, Xue Ge found himself pressed into a formal kneeling position on the living room's tatami.
Hot tea, pastries, an incense burner, and fruit were brought out and neatly arranged on the low table before him. Only after everything was in place did Shisui sit formally across from Xue Ge and extend a hand in a solemn gesture.
"Please."
"..."
Faced with such a reception for the first time, Xue Ge hesitated, then followed his instincts and picked up the teacup for a sip.
After setting the cup down, Xue Ge looked at Shisui, trying to convey his meaning with his eyes.
He really wasn't used to this sort of occasion. We've gone through the formalities now. Can we please get down to business?
Unfortunately, he and Shisui didn't seem to have much of an unspoken understanding. Shisui appeared completely oblivious to Xue Ge's discomfort.
"This is some fine tea my father treasures. What do you think? Pretty good, right?" Shisui's bright, cheerful smile made Xue Ge reluctant to interrupt him.
He braced himself and nodded.
"Yeah."
After spending the entire morning chatting with Shisui and staying for lunch, Xue Ge was finally led out of the house, leaving as Shisui's parents waved them goodbye.
Even after leaving Shisui's home, Xue Ge still felt a little dazed. Did geniuses really lead such leisurely lives?
Thinking of his own desperate training, Xue Ge felt rather dispirited.
The two continued on, gradually leaving the town behind until they reached a large river. Shisui stopped on the riverbank, and Xue Ge came to a halt beside him.
"This is the Naka River. It's also part of the Uchiha Clan Compound," Shisui said, pointing at the broad river before them.
Looking out over the expansive scenery, Xue Ge remarked, "The Uchiha Clan Compound really is vast."
"Well, we're out on the edge of Konoha, after all. Of course we'd have more land." Shisui smiled, perhaps mockingly at himself. "All right, let's get down to business."
With that, Shisui grew serious. "So where do we start? Exchange some pointers, or... have a spar first?"
"Let's put all that aside for now," Xue Ge said. "Before that, I owe you something in return."
"Hmm?" Shisui looked puzzled.
"You taught me quite a bit about the Body Flicker Technique that night, but I didn't manage to teach you anything about the Rasengan," Xue Ge explained. "That doesn't sit right with me, so I plan to teach you something else."
"Oh?" Shisui perked up at once. "Don't try to fob me off with the Three Body Technique or something."
"Don't worry. You definitely don't know this Ninjutsu."
With that, Xue Ge extended his "left arm."
As several translucent threads danced through the air, the wooden Prosthetic Limbs instantly detached from his shoulder and moved freely in midair. Then the Chakra Threads split its forearm open, exposing the blade hidden inside.
"That's..." "I'm not finished yet."
Expressionless, Xue Ge swung the Prosthetic Limbs back into his right hand. The Chakra Threads slackened slightly, then snapped taut an instant later, lashing the stone riverbank beneath their feet.
Crack! A sharp snap rang out as stone chips flew. The Chakra Threads immediately dispersed, leaving several gouges in the rock.
Shisui sucked in a sharp breath. If it could gouge stone like that, he didn't dare imagine what it would do to a person.
Xue Ge wasn't particularly surprised. He had already tested this move over the past two days.
Originally, the Chakra Threads he knew could only control his Prosthetic Limbs, much like a conventional Puppet Technique, though his abilities were far from sufficient to control a proper puppet. After learning the Rasengan, however, Xue Ge had an idea.
Could I combine the principles of the Rasengan with Chakra Threads and give the threads themselves some offensive power?
He put the idea into practice. After trying several combinations, Xue Ge chose to spiral two finer Chakra Threads around the main thread. The instant he lashed out with the main thread, he accelerated the rotation of the two coiled threads, unleashing destructive power that could strip flesh
and scrape bone.
Xue Ge called this move...
"A hand-seal-free Ninjutsu I developed myself: Strangling Line." Xue Ge looked at Shisui. "What do you think?"
"How does it work?!" Shisui's shining eyes were utterly earnest.
Another hand-seal-free Ninjutsu! This little guy really is a genius!
Xue Ge gave an exceedingly rare smile. "Want to learn? I'll teach you."