Chapter 5: Discussion
The three returned to the training ground like criminals returning to the scene, each wearing guilt differently. Wada Yu fidgeted with his hands, unsure where to place them under Inoichi's blank stare. Hanazuki's cheeks carried the faint flush of embarrassment, while only Rei maintained his composure—or perhaps indifference.
"Sensei—"
"We're done for today. Dismissed." Rei's attempt at explanation died as Inoichi cut him off. A single hand seal, a flicker of movement, and their instructor vanished like smoke on the wind.
Rei stretched, rolling his shoulders as if shrugging off the weight of expectation. "Well, he's clearly pissed. Can't say I blame him." A ghost of a smile played at his lips. "Still feels good though—being a real shinobi instead of playing pretend."
"Is this really okay?" Yu's voice carried the uncertainty of someone watching their future crumble. "We looked like cowards back there. You've never run from a fight before, Rei."
Hanazuki nodded, her analytical mind clearly working through the implications. "The tactical assessment was sound—three genin against a jonin wouldn't last three minutes in direct combat, let alone ten."
"One well-placed genjutsu and it's over." Rei's casual dismissal of their collective strength was matter-of-fact rather than cruel. "Yu, I'm heading out to train. Want to come?"
The invitation hung in the air like a blade, and Hanazuki felt its edge keenly. Typical Uchiha arrogance, she thought, keeping her expression neutral despite the sting. Invite the boy but ignore the girl. Still sees me as an outsider.
Rei's dark eyes found hers. "I can't trust you completely yet, Hanazuki. Some things need to stay between old friends."
The honesty was brutal in its simplicity. Hanazuki turned away, waving dismissively over her shoulder. "That's fine. I have my own concerns about trusting either of you. Prove yourselves worthy of my partnership first."
She walked away without looking back, her posture rigid with wounded pride and something deeper—the bitter recognition that in this world, exclusion was just another weapon.
Rei watched her retreat with genuine interest. "Got some fire in her, doesn't she?"
"That was harsh, Rei." Yu's protest lacked real conviction.
"Oh? Do you like her?" Rei's grin turned predatory, all sharp edges and mischief. "I could put in a good word if you want to chase after her."
"Shut up, idiot!" Yu's face went crimson, which only encouraged Rei's laughter.
"Right then. Come on—I know a place perfect for what we need to do."
They climbed the back face of the Hokage Monument, away from the village's prying eyes. From the summit, Konoha spread below them like a living map—the Hokage Tower standing sentinel over winding streets and clan compounds that told stories of power and politics in their very arrangement.
Behind them lay emptiness: farmland and training grounds where few bothered to venture. Perfect for secrets.
"Yu." Rei's voice carried new weight as they settled on the rocky outcrop. "You don't know any jutsu, do you?"
The question was rhetorical—they both knew the answer. Yu was civilian-born, inheriting nothing but determination from parents who sold vegetables and prayed their son would survive long enough to retire. The academy had taught him the basics, but beyond that...
"No senior instructor bothered teaching you anything, right?" Rei continued, reading Yu's expression. "Don't feel bad—most don't. Look at the legendary teams from our parents' generation. Even the Yellow Flash barely taught his students anything beyond teamwork. They expect us to figure it out ourselves or die trying."
It was a harsh truth wrapped in casual delivery. Talent mattered, but birthright mattered more.
"Attack me." Rei's stance shifted into something loose and ready. "Full strength. Let me see what you're really capable of."
"I can't—you'll destroy me like always—" Yu started, then caught something in Rei's expression. Understanding dawned slowly. "It's been a while since we sparred properly, hasn't it?"
They formed the seal of confrontation, and Rei exploded forward before the gesture was complete. Three shuriken cut the air in Yu's response, followed by his charge with kunai gleaming.
The Sharingan bloomed in Rei's eyes like blood flowers, and the world slowed to manageable speeds. He flowed between the projectiles like water, drawing his father's katana in a silver arc that sang through the evening air.
Steel met steel in a shower of sparks. Yu's crossed kunai caught the blade, his arms trembling under the impact, but he held. In the space between heartbeats, he noticed the evolution in those crimson eyes—more refined, more deadly than before.
Rei disengaged with fluid grace, driving his sword into the earth. His hands wove signs with practiced efficiency: "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"(Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)
The fireball rolled across the training ground like a miniature sun. Yu substituted away in desperation, only to find more flames tracking his movement—phoenix fire techniques that curved through the air like living things, guided by thrown kunai in a display of tactical sophistication that spoke of hours spent perfecting the combination.
Then Rei simply... wasn't there.
The blade appeared at Yu's throat an instant later, the contest decided in the space between one breath and the next.
"Shunshin," Yu gasped, sweat beading on his forehead from more than just the heat. "That's jonin-level technique. With the evolved Sharingan... even some chunin couldn't handle you now."
Rei sheathed his weapon with a satisfied nod. "Don't sound so defeated. I can only manage the body flicker two or three times before my chakra runs dry, and the targeting's still sloppy. The only real advantages I have are clan techniques and these eyes."
He gestured to the fading Sharingan. "In terms of raw talent? We're probably equals."
The comfort was genuine, and Yu felt something shift in their dynamic—a recognition that went beyond mere friendship. But Rei wasn't finished.
"You still dream of becoming Hokage, right?" The question cut through the evening air like a challenge. "Then why aren't you learning jonin techniques? Why aren't you demanding more?"
"You... would you teach me?" The hope in Yu's voice was painful to hear.
"I'm asking if you want to become stronger." Rei's intensity was infectious, dangerous. "Really stronger, not just academy-graduate strong."
"Yes." The word came out like a prayer.
"Good. We train together from now on. No missions means ten hours a day—chakra refinement, seal practice, conditioning, weapons work, control exercises. The last two hours are for combat and jutsu development."
"Development?" Yu's voice cracked slightly. "I don't even know any jutsu yet."
Rei produced chakra paper from his kit with a magician's flourish. "Earth affinity. Figures." He began sketching seal sequences in the dirt. "Two techniques to start—Doton: Doryūheki (Earth Release : Earth Style Wall) and Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu (Earth Release : Double Suicide Decapitation Technique). Practice the hand seals until they're muscle memory."
The B-rank earth wall technique was ambitious for a genin, the underground decapitation technique perfectly suited to Yu's patient temperament. Both would take months to master, but mastery was the point.
"What about you?" Yu asked, curiosity overcoming exhaustion.
Rei tested his own affinities, unsurprised to find fire and lightning responding to his chakra. The combination brought a smile that bordered on predatory. "I have some ideas. Techniques that don't exist yet but should."
The Chidori was still years away from Kakashi's development, which meant the concept was available for... creative interpretation. Rei's grin widened as possibilities unfolded in his mind. Fame, recognition, the kind of reputation that opened doors and closed mouths.
They parted ways as twilight painted the village in shades of gold and shadow, both carrying new purpose. Tomorrow would bring another day of training, another step toward the strength they'd need to survive what was coming.