Meanwhile, Ryosuke and Mikoto returned to the Uchiha Clan compound.
After seeing Mikoto back to her large family courtyard, Ryosuke made his way back to his own two-story house.
The small house was on the outskirts of the clan compound, considered a relatively desolate and humble area, which expressed the status of Ryosuke’s family.
Ryosuke’s parents were just ordinary Chunin, with no distinguishing features other than their Uchiha surname.
However, they did leave behind a small house, giving Ryosuke a place to call home, which was already quite good.
The first floor housed the living room, kitchen, and bathroom, while the second floor had two bedrooms.
There was also a basement for storing ninja tools, scrolls, and similar items, and a rooftop for drying clothes and bedding.
Though small, the house was fully equipped and perfectly habitable.
Ryosuke cooked a pot of instant noodles with two eggs to fill his stomach, then went down to the basement to train.
He held the scroll, ‘Essential Basic Knowledge of Lightning Release Ninjutsu,’ left by his parents and reread it carefully.
He pondered for a while, and then began his Lightning Release Ninjutsu training.
Crackle…
Buzz…
Between his right index finger and thumb, electric currents were flowing.
Suddenly, Ryosuke’s dark eyes transformed into crimson, and a tomoe emerged.
With the appearance of the Sharingan, the electric currents on his right hand increased.
His middle and ring fingers also became entwined with currents, connecting to his thumb, forming a small electric net.
The electric light illuminated Ryosuke’s face, full of smiles.
Suddenly, the smile on his face froze.
Pop!
The electric net on his right hand exploded, and his entire hand turned bright red from the shock.
He gritted his teeth, gasping for air and shook his right hand in pain until the electric shock subsided.
“Damn it, failed again.” Ryosuke was extremely unwilling.
Ever since he discovered his Chakra natures were Lightning and Fire two years ago, he had begun practicing Ninjutsu.
He easily learned several common Fire Release Ninjutsu, but the unnamed Ninjutsu he was developing based on Lightning Release basic knowledge had been slow to succeed.
“I don’t believe it, let’s try again.” Ryosuke reread ‘Essential Basic Knowledge of Lightning Release Ninjutsu,’ checked for any oversights, and then began developing his Lightning Release Ninjutsu, with the crackling sounds of electricity echoing in the basement.
Ryosuke trained desperately as he knew that time was running out for him.
After the graduation exam in a month, it wouldn’t be long before he would be sent to the battlefield to participate in the Second Great Ninja War.
Even Nawaki of the Senju Clan could be mysteriously blown up.
If his strength wasn’t enough, he would die an even more tragic death.
The night was spent between training and sleeping, and in the blink of an eye, it was the next day.
Ryosuke had to train until 9 PM every day, then sleep at 10 PM, getting a full 8 hours of sleep.
Before bed, he always drank a cup of warm milk, then did 20 minutes of stretching exercises.
Once in bed, he immediately fell into a deep sleep.
He slept until morning, never carrying fatigue or stress into the next day.
He would wake up promptly at 6 AM, wash up, drink a cup of milk with a slice of bread, and then head out to exercise.
He had seen Konoha at six in the morning hundreds of times.
100 sit-ups, 100 push-ups, 100 squats, plus a 10-kilometer run—he completed this entire warm-up routine first to thoroughly activate his body, then entered the forest not far behind his house for targeted specialized training.
Ryosuke stood in the forest, his One Tomoe Sharingan glowing with an eerie light in the dim dawn.
He gripped a shuriken in his right hand, as if facing a formidable enemy.
Whoosh!
With a flick of his right hand, the Shuriken flew out, arcing through the air and descending.
Thwack!
It embedded itself in the tree trunk.
Almost simultaneously, the taut string wrapped around the tree trunk was cut.
Boom!
Suddenly, there were flashes from the surrounding trees.
Whoosh…
Eight Kunai shot out from the dense foliage, coming from eight different directions and attacking Ryosuke in the center.
Ryosuke showed no panic.
He bent his knees slightly, then leaped three or four meters into the air, allowing the eight Kunai to pass beneath his feet.
Thud, thud, thud…
They embedded themselves in the grass, their sharp points sinking into the soil.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…
Suddenly, there was a rapid whooshing sound from all directions.
It was a dense barrage of wooden stakes, covering the area like a hail of bullets.
Ryosuke had nowhere to brace himself, and thus nowhere to dodge.
Yet, he still showed no fear.
He quickly formed hand signs and with an exhale, he unleashed a fireball three or four meters in diameter, incinerating all the approaching wooden stakes.
He then dropped from mid-air, but just as he landed on the grass, he heard a faint sound.
He saw three Fūma Shuriken, slicing horizontally from three directions, at tricky angles.
Is it that ruthless?!
Ryosuke’s heart stirred, feeling a hint of caution and fear.
He crouched, then sprang up, performing flowing movements in mid-air.
In a single turn, he passed through the successive attacks of the three Fūma Shuriken.
The insight of the Sharingan, the taijutsu honed through hard training, and the calm mind in crisis were all displayed perfectly in that instant.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
The three Fūma Shuriken each struck the trunks of trees, cutting deep into them.
One could imagine that if they had struck Ryosuke, they would have sliced him into multiple pieces.
This should be the end, right?
Ryosuke landed on the ground, cautiously scanning his surroundings.
After four or five seconds, confirming there was no next wave of attacks, he let out a sigh of relief and sat down to rest properly.
‘Mikoto…
I asked her to help set traps, but she didn’t have to be so ruthless, even using high-grade stuff like Fūma Shuriken.’ Ryosuke wiped away the beads of sweat on his face, then looked at the mess around him, grinning.
‘But the effect is really good.
This way, my chances of survival on the battlefield have increased a bit.’ On the battlefield, it’s not simply one-on-one or squad-on-squad combat, but a free-for-all.
You can’t estimate where the enemy will attack from, or what kind of attack it will be.
Therefore, strengthening evasion ability is currently the most important means of self-preservation.
‘Two years, and I finally have Chunin-level combat power, escaping the ranks of basic cannon fodder.’ Ryosuke leaned back, staring at the clear blue sky.
…
About fifteen minutes later, Mikoto arrived, carrying a food box.
Seeing the tragic situation around her, she knew Ryosuke had succeeded in his training and smiled proudly.
“I knew you would succeed.” “Of course, who do you think I am?” Ryosuke sat up and opened the box.
He picked up an egg sandwich from inside and began to devour it, stuffing his mouth until it was bulging.
It had always been this way.
Every morning, Mikoto would bring her homemade nutritious breakfast to feed Ryosuke after his intense training, allowing Ryosuke, who was always short on money, to have a good meal.
Mikoto said, “Oh, right, my grandfather wants you to come to my house.
He wants to see you.” “The Great Elder wants to see me?” Ryosuke was very surprised.
He had nothing special about him and was quite unremarkable.
Why would a prominent figure like the Great Elder suddenly want to see him?
“You’ll know when you go.
It’s good news.” “Alright then.” Ryosuke quickly finished his sandwich and went with Mikoto to her house.