The quiet morning within the Uchiha clan compound was once again broken by the sharp, rhythmic sound of steel colliding against steel as the echoes of clashing weapons continuously rang across the spacious courtyard, where several kunai and shuriken had already been scattered across the ground while countless footprints had long since erased the once neat and orderly appearance of the training field, leaving behind only signs of another intense sparring session between father and son.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Standing opposite one another with unwavering focus, Yuji and his father, Uchiha Sagato, silently observed each other’s movements without exchanging a single unnecessary word, their eyes fixed firmly on one another as the cool morning breeze drifted through the courtyard, gently causing Yuji’s long black hair to sway behind him while the atmosphere gradually grew heavier with anticipation.
Unlike their previous training sessions, Yuji had personally asked his father to stop holding back as much, fully aware that the only way to become stronger was to experience genuine pressure rather than comfortable practice, and although he knew exactly how overwhelming a Jonin’s strength could be, he had no intention of backing down.
"Continue."
The instant those calm yet commanding words left Sagato’s mouth, Yuji exploded into motion without the slightest hesitation as both of his hands flashed through a sequence of hand seals at astonishing speed, each movement flowing seamlessly into the next before he finally inhaled deeply and released a burst of chakra.
"Fire Release!"
"Fireball Jutsu!"
Whoosh!
A massive sphere of blazing flames erupted from Yuji’s mouth before surging across the courtyard with tremendous force, the scorching heat causing the surrounding air to distort as the enormous fireball raced directly toward Sagato with enough destructive power to engulf everything in its path, yet despite the intimidating attack approaching him at high speed, Sagato’s expression remained perfectly calm as though the technique posed no threat whatsoever.
"Body Flicker."
Swish!
His figure disappeared so quickly that it resembled nothing more than a fleeting shadow before instantly reappearing several meters to the side, effortlessly avoiding the attack as Yuji’s Fireball Jutsu continued flying forward until it slammed harmlessly into the empty ground, where it erupted into a deafening explosion that shook the courtyard and sent thick clouds of dust rising into the air.
Boom!
However, before the dust had even begun to settle, Sagato’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he noticed something unexpected emerging from within the lingering smoke.
"Hm?"
Three shuriken were already spinning toward his face from different angles, each one aimed with deadly precision, and it became immediately obvious that Yuji had never expected his Fireball Jutsu to successfully strike an experienced Jonin in the first place because the flames had merely served as a distraction while the real attack had been launched from the very beginning, with Yuji accurately predicting the exact position where his father would reappear after using the Body Flicker Technique.
A faint smile slowly appeared on Sagato’s face.
"Good prediction."
The three tomoe within his Sharingan immediately began rotating as every movement around him slowed dramatically from his perspective, allowing each spinning shuriken to become perfectly clear within his enhanced vision, making their speed and trajectory appear almost effortless to follow.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
With nothing more than a single kunai held casually in one hand, Sagato deflected all three incoming projectiles in one smooth sequence without taking a single step backward, demonstrating the overwhelming difference in experience between the two of them as the shuriken were sent flying harmlessly away in different directions.
Yet the very moment he lifted his gaze after knocking aside the final projectile, he realized that Yuji had already vanished from his original position.
"Behind you!"
Yuji suddenly appeared directly behind his father without warning as lightning chakra immediately surged throughout both of his legs before rapidly spreading into his right arm, causing countless thin arcs of electricity to dance across his body while the sharp crackling sound of concentrated Lightning Release echoed through the courtyard.
Tzzzztt...
The Lightning Body Technique dramatically enhanced every aspect of Yuji’s physical performance by circulating lightning chakra throughout his entire body, increasing both his movement speed and striking power far beyond normal human limits, and taking full advantage of the technique’s explosive acceleration, Yuji launched a punch toward Sagato at blinding speed with complete confidence.
"Gotcha!"
Whoosh!
However, just as Yuji’s fist was about to reach its target, Sagato remained completely unfazed and did not even bother turning around, as though he had already predicted every movement his son would make from the very beginning, before calmly raising one hand behind his back with almost lazy confidence.
Pak!
Yuji’s lightning-coated fist came to an immediate stop the instant it landed in the palm of Sagato’s hand, the tremendous momentum that had been carrying his attack disappearing as though it had struck an immovable wall rather than a human being.
"..."
Yuji blinked in disbelief.
Sagato merely smiled faintly.
"Not bad."
"But it’s still not enough."
Almost immediately afterward, lightning chakra began flowing through Sagato’s hand as well, effortlessly neutralizing the electrical energy surrounding Yuji’s fist since both father and son possessed the same Lightning Release affinity, making the crackling currents practically useless against him, and before Yuji could react or pull his arm away, Sagato had already tightened his grip.
"It’s over."
"Huh?"
Without giving Yuji even a fraction of a second to escape, Sagato twisted his body smoothly before using his son’s own momentum against him, spinning Yuji cleanly through the air in one fluid motion.
BAM!
Yuji’s body crashed into the ground with tremendous force, creating a dull impact that sent dust flying in every direction while small cracks spread across the training field beneath him, leaving him lying flat on his back as he silently stared toward the bright blue sky above.
"..."
After several long seconds of silence, Yuji finally let out a tired sigh.
"...The sky is really beautiful today."
His exhausted voice echoed softly through the courtyard before another long sigh escaped his lips.
"This old man really has no mercy."
Standing nearby with both hands resting proudly on his hips, Sagato looked as though he had just won a glorious battle against a powerful enemy instead of effortlessly throwing his own son into the ground, the satisfied expression on his face making it seem as though this outcome had been something worth celebrating.
Meanwhile, Yuji weakly lifted one hand into the air.
"That’s enough..."
"I surrender."
"Let’s continue tomorrow."
"I’d still like to stay alive."
For nearly thirty uninterrupted minutes they had exchanged attacks without pause, yet throughout the entire sparring session Yuji had gradually come to the painful realization that he had spent far more time flying through the air than actually fighting, making him feel less like a training partner and far more like a durable practice dummy whose only purpose was to be thrown around repeatedly.
"Hahaha!"
Sagato burst into loud laughter before shaking his head.
"I told you."
"Use your Sharingan."
"You’re the one who refused."
Yuji snorted before slowly pushing himself into a sitting position.
"Today’s training schedule is specifically without the Sharingan."
"I want to get used to fighting without relying on those eyes."
Sagato slowly nodded in approval because, despite the bruises his son was currently collecting, he genuinely agreed with that decision, knowing that Yuji only activated his Sharingan three days each week while dedicating the remaining days entirely to sharpening his instincts, improving his speed, and developing the ability to read an opponent’s movements naturally rather than depending on the extraordinary perception granted by the dōjutsu, and in Sagato’s opinion, those fundamentals would ultimately become even more valuable than the Sharingan itself.
Of course...
Agreeing with Yuji’s training method did not mean Sagato intended to make the sparring any easier, and although he was still deliberately suppressing a large portion of his actual strength, every punch, throw, and counterattack remained powerful enough to ensure Yuji never became complacent.
Yuji slowly rubbed his aching back before shooting his father an annoyed look.
"Couldn’t you at least hit a little softer?"
"I think I’m starting to regret asking you to stop holding back."
"You literally slammed your own biological son into the ground."
Sagato crossed his arms before pretending to think seriously about the complaint for several seconds.
"So?"
"It’s part of his education."
Yuji stared at him with a completely deadpan expression.
"That sounded a lot more like attempted murder."
Sagato shrugged without the slightest hint of guilt.
"The difference is pretty small."
A moment later, he burst into laughter once again.
"Hahaha!"
"If you’re still able to complWith a quiet groan, Yuji slowly climbed back to his feet while brushing the dust from his clothes, though most of it stubbornly remained stuck to the fabric, and as he ran a hand through his long black hair he found it completely disheveled after being thrown around repeatedly, with several loose strands falling over his face and making him look even more miserable than he already felt.
Sagato carefully looked his son up and down, silently checking whether any serious injuries had been caused during the sparring session, and although his expression remained composed as always, a tiny trace of guilt briefly crossed his face before disappearing almost as quickly as it had appeared.
Just a little.
A very little.
"All right."
"Go take a bath."
"Before I leave for work, I’ll tie your hair for you."
The moment those words reached his ears, Yuji’s exhausted expression instantly transformed into one of horror as though he had just heard something far more terrifying than another hour of training.
"Oh, come on..."
"No thanks."
"I can tie it myself."
"I’ve told you countless times."
"Short hair is much more practical."
Sagato immediately shook his head without the slightest hesitation, wearing an expression that suggested Yuji had just proposed something completely unreasonable.
"That’s an extremely dangerous idea."
Yuji blinked in confusion.
"Why?"
Sagato fell silent for a brief moment before answering with unusual seriousness.
"If your mother comes home and finds out you’ve cut your hair short..."
He paused dramatically.
"...I might end up sleeping outside for an entire week."
The courtyard suddenly became quiet.
Yuji imagined the scene almost instantly.
His mother stood in the middle of the house with tears welling in her eyes while holding a pair of scissors in one trembling hand before slowly pointing an accusing finger toward Sagato.
"Why did you let him cut his hair?!"
At exactly the same moment, Sagato pictured the identical scenario inside his own mind.
Father and son exchanged a single glance.
Then both of them shuddered simultaneously.
Yuji let out another long, helpless sigh before rubbing his forehead.
"So it turns out..."
"The strongest enemy in this family isn’t the Hokage."
"And it’s not the Nine-Tails either."
"It’s Mom."
Sagato immediately nodded several times with complete sincerity.
"That’s a fact."
There was absolutely no hesitation in his answer because, within the Uchiha household, everyone knew that Yuji’s mother adored her son’s long black hair to an almost unbelievable degree, believing that it made him look both exceptionally handsome and irresistibly adorable, to the point where even trimming a few centimeters would likely trigger an emotional family discussion that nobody wanted to experience.
The truth was that Sagato and his wife had originally hoped their first child would be a daughter, and before Yuji was even born they had enthusiastically prepared several girls’ names while imagining all sorts of happy family moments, only for fate to surprise them with a son instead, causing all of the affection they had planned to shower upon a little girl to naturally be redirected toward Yuji, which explained why both parents occasionally spoiled him far more than they cared to admit.
After listening to his father’s explanation, Yuji sighed yet again before casually shrugging his shoulders.
"Haa..."
"Fine."
"I’ll cut my hair someday."
Sagato raised an eyebrow.
"When?"
Yuji answered without missing a beat.
"After I have a younger sibling."
For a second, Sagato simply stared at him before bursting into hearty laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"Then your hair is going to stay long for a very long time."
Yuji immediately rolled his eyes.
"Don’t curse me like that."
Still grumbling quietly to himself, Yuji turned around and began walking back toward the house while continuing to straighten his messy hair with both hands, leaving behind the dusty training ground that had once again served as the battlefield for another exhausting father-and-son sparring session.
Standing alone in the courtyard, Sagato watched his son’s retreating figure with a faint smile that carried a mixture of pride and satisfaction, because despite how brutal the training had appeared from the outside, he knew better than anyone that Yuji possessed talent far beyond what most children his age could ever hope to achieve, and even throughout today’s sparring he had continued suppressing a significant portion of his true strength, fully aware that fighting seriously against a child would teach nothing except despair.
Yuji’s growth had already exceeded every expectation Sagato had once held, improving at a speed that sometimes even surprised him, yet as proud as he felt, he had absolutely no intention of saying those words aloud because, in his experience as both a shinobi and a father, excessive praise often encouraged complacency, while another difficult lesson, another hard throw, or another demanding training session would motivate a talented child far more effectively than empty compliments ever could.ain, then you’re obviously not hurt enough."
Yuji simply looked at his father in complete silence, wondering for perhaps the thousandth time how someone could arrive at such completely unreasonable logic with absolute confidence, before quietly concluding that trying to argue with Sagato was nothing more than a waste of energy.