As the pink dumpling entered her mouth, the taste of cherry blossoms instantly filled it, and memories came flooding back...
Didn't I treat someone to three-color dumplings a few years ago, too?
Uchiha Izumi tilted her head. Her childhood memories had grown somewhat hazy.
A certain plain little face with tear troughs was being replaced by Uchiha Minamoto's handsome face before her.
Uchiha Izumi finished a skewer of three-color dumplings in a few bites.
"Senior Minamoto, these dumplings taste so familiar. They're a little like the ones sold at Mom's favorite Dango Shop."
"Really? Aunt Hazuki likes sweets too..."
It was almost time to get off work, and there was nothing else to do, so Uchiha Minamoto chatted with Izumi.
Once the other members of the Fifth Division arrived to take over their shift,
Uchiha Minamoto finally left work with Izumi and steered the conversation toward his real topic.
"By the way, Izumi, would you like to come exchange ideas about ninjutsu with me this weekend?"
Hearing this, Uchiha Izumi instantly opened her eyes wide, and two black tomoe emerged in her scarlet pupils.
"Senior Minamoto! Is this an invitation to a date?!"
"No! It isn't! Don't make things up!"
Uchiha Minamoto rattled off three denials at lightning speed. Without waiting for Izumi to respond, he explained.
"I've recently gained a little insight while studying the [Great Fireball Technique], so I wanted to discuss it with you."
If one were to name the Uchiha Clan's most iconic ability,
it would undoubtedly be the [Sharingan].
But if one were to name the ninjutsu the Uchiha Clan was generally good at,
that would probably be the [Great Fireball Technique]!
Uchiha Minamoto's [Great Fireball Technique] had been refined through the [Heart of Great Love]'s deductions and could be performed without hand seals.
Even if every Uchiha ninja from the present, past, and future were brought together,
Uchiha Minamoto would still have the confidence to declare-
No one understands the Great Fireball Technique better than I do!
The standard [Great Fireball Technique] required six hand seals-snake, ram, monkey, boar, horse, tiger-to perform.
The windup was too long!
But after the [Heart of Great Love]'s deductions,
Uchiha Minamoto could readily present a "single-seal" version of the [Great Fireball Technique]!
In a ninja battle, even one fewer hand seal could offer a little more room for error.
Let alone turning a "six-seal ninjutsu" into a "single-seal ninjutsu."
Uchiha Minamoto wasn't afraid of exposing his "talent," either.
It wasn't as though similar things had never happened.
Take the Uchiha Clan's "forefather," for example-
Madara Uchiha's [Majestic Destroyer Flame] required only one hand seal.
Another similar example was the Senju Clan's master of forbidden techniques-Tobirama Senju.
The standard [Water Dragon Bullet Technique] required a full forty-four hand seals!
What did that mean?
Even an elite jonin like Kakashi Hatake needed to stand still and form hand seals for half a minute! (It took 33 seconds in the anime.)
Yet the [Water Dragon Bullet Technique] improved by Tobirama Senju required only four seals.
Geniuses simply defied reason like that.
"Oh, so it's the [Great Fireball Technique]?"
Uchiha Izumi was a little disappointed, but she still accepted the invitation.
"No problem. I'll come this weekend."
"Mm. Oh, right..."
Uchiha Minamoto spoke as though it were an offhand remark.
"If anyone else wants to come along, Izumi, you can bring them too."
This was Uchiha Minamoto's true plan-
To attract and win over the Uchiha Clan's young ninjas under the pretext of exchanging ideas and discussing the [Great Fireball Technique]!
This was also the first step in Uchiha Minamoto's Commander-in-Chief Plan.
Ninjutsu Paves the Way!
What Uchiha ninja could resist the temptation of growing stronger?
And this was only his plan for the ninjas.
As for ordinary people, Uchiha Minamoto was also considering how to draw them into his "Great Love Cause."
Joining the Great Love Cause required meeting several firm criteria.
They had to have plenty of time, abundant energy, seem to have nothing to do all day, wander aimlessly through the streets and alleys, and also be numerous enough...
Uchiha Minamoto soon had a target.
Sure enough, starting a gang is the way to go!
For the plan involving ordinary people, sheer numbers are king.
Either building my own organization or recruiting an existing one would work...
Ninjutsu and numbers.
These were the two initial strategies Uchiha Minamoto had devised for his "Great Love Cause."
"Got it!"
Uchiha Izumi nodded first, then asked,
"But Senior Minamoto, is your [Great Fireball Technique] really that good?"
"This isn't a question of whether it's good..."
Uchiha Minamoto brought his hands together, forming only the tiger seal.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A small fireball spewed from Uchiha Minamoto's mouth and burst with a boom in the air in front of him and Izumi.
Orange-red sparks fluttered down like brilliant fireworks bursting apart.
The precise allocation of chakra, the meticulous control of distance, and the minimal number of hand seals...
There was absolutely nothing to fault.
"Huh?! You've got to be kidding!"
Uchiha Izumi was astonished. Her intense emotions activated her Two-Tomoe Sharingan again.
"A single-seal Great Fireball!"
"Want to learn?"
Uchiha Minamoto smiled at his "genius little cousin."
"I'll teach you!"
"Then, Minamoto! Could you demonstrate that again?"
"Again?"
"Yes! That's it! Hurry!"
"...Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique."
"Hahahaha!"
With her Two-Tomoe Sharingan active, Uchiha Izumi laughed aloud, faintly displaying some of the flair of the Four Mad Laughers.
"I saw it!
"I can use the single-seal Great Fireball Technique now too!"
Uchiha Minamoto shook his head with a smile.
That was the Two-Tomoe Sharingan for you!
"Senior Minamoto!"
Like a young swallow returning to the nest, Izumi plunged into Uchiha Minamoto's arms, wrapping both hands tightly around his waist.
Before Uchiha Minamoto could pull free,
a figure suddenly appeared near him and Izumi.
"..."
Once Uchiha Minamoto saw who had arrived, the motion he had intended to use to push Izumi away became a gentle stroke of her back.
"Itachi, does seeing me like this hurt you?"
Chapter 10: First, Uchiha Itachi, who committed the sin of pride!
Who am I?
Where am I?
What am I here to do?
As he looked at the two people "holding each other tightly" before him, the three philosophical questions flashed through Uchiha Itachi's mind.
His formerly indifferent, cold face now showed three parts shock, three parts confusion, three parts irritation, and one part poorly concealed pain.
Uchiha Itachi knew Izumi, of course.
They were the same age and had met on the night the Nine-Tails' attack broke out.
In a certain sense,
he and Izumi could absolutely be called "childhood sweethearts."
But what was he seeing now?
Izumi was actually embracing another man?
Uchiha Minamoto's question was an even more devastating mental blow, like a charging bull.
"Sorry..."
Uchiha Itachi instinctively took a step back.
"Perhaps I've come at the wrong time."
"Itachi?"
Izumi released Uchiha Minamoto's waist, turned around, and smoothly linked her arm through the latter's, smiling sweetly as she spoke.
"No, you've come at just the right time.
"This is Senior Minamoto. He's an incredible Super Genius who's every bit your equal!"
Uchiha Minamoto still did not refuse the pretty young girl's closeness. He simply smiled and waved a hand, speaking modestly.
"You're too kind, too kind."
"Itachi."
Before you continue