The next morning, sunlight refracted through the academy windows, illuminating Renzou as he approached the entrance, a cheerful hum on his lips. Suddenly, a familiar, graceful figure appeared before him. Renzou's eyes brightened, and he hurried to catch up. "Good morning, Kurenai!"
Kurenai paused, turning to see Renzou's beaming face. "Good morning, Renzou. My father returned from his mission. He asked if you could visit when you have time; he's ready to teach you genjutsu."
Catching up, they walked side-by-side. "Really? That's great. I have some things to take care of today, but I'll visit Uncle Shinku tomorrow," Renzou replied with a smile after a moment's thought.
Their conversation continued until they reached the classroom. As they took their seats, they noticed Uchiha Kai slumped at his desk, a heavy yawn escaping his lips. The dark circles beneath his eyes were stark. "What's wrong with you? Didn't you sleep well last night?" Renzou asked, idly spinning a shuriken. Kurenai also looked at Kai with concern.
"Don't even mention it," Uchiha Kai mumbled, gazing out the window with an air of utter defeat.
"What happened? Did Aunt Nishitsuki give you a hard time?" Renzou guessed, and Kurenai nodded knowingly.
… A certain Uchiha, indeed sporting impressive dark circles, was reliving his recent ordeal. Renzou's guess had been spot-on. Uchiha Nishitsuki, who had greeted father and son with a warm smile upon their return yesterday, had immediately shifted gears after hearing Uchiha Yusuke recount the duel between Kai and Asuma. Dinner was followed by a five-hour lecture in the study, leaving both men feeling utterly drained. Uchiha Yusuke's attempts to distance himself ("It had nothing to do with me!") were met with Nishitsuki's pointed retort: ("Then why didn't you stop him?")
The night had offered little respite. The next morning, Nishitsuki had woken them early, and breakfast was accompanied by a continued commentary on the previous day's events. Finally, the father and son, looking thoroughly chastened, had parted ways at their doorstep. One headed to his duties with the police force, the other to school. Recalling this, Uchiha Kai felt a fresh wave of despair.How could my own mother do this to me? I'm still just a kid!
… Renzou and Kurenai exchanged sympathetic glances as Uchiha Kai turned his back and promptly fell asleep on his desk. The morning passed quickly. During the lunch break, Kai merely stirred with a soft snore before rolling over and continuing his slumber. It wasn't until practical class was about to begin that Renzou nudged him awake. Having slept for six or seven hours, Kai felt considerably better, though still a bit groggy.
After the brief practical lesson, the two sat under the shade of a tree, waiting for Shisui. Following their last encounter, Shisui had eagerly requested to join their training, and they had agreed to meet him at school today.
Leaning against the tree trunk, Renzou glanced at the still-drowsy Kai and let his thoughts drift. Even before awakening his Sharingan, Kai was nearly as strong as an average Chūnin. That dōjutsu had undoubtedly amplified his power, likely placing him just below Renzou and Kakashi in terms of combat ability, but certainly a match for most Chūnin. As for Kakashi… he possessed his father, the White Fang's, formidable sword skills, a vast array of ninjutsu to practice, and a relentless work ethic. A real fight between them would be… fifty-fifty?
… Uchiha Shisui, having just arrived under the shade of the tree, waved and smiled at the two. "Brother Kai, Brother Renzou, sorry for the wait!"
"Haha, Shisui, we just got here ourselves," Renzou said, his thoughts returning to the present. He nodded at Shisui and then gently shook Uchiha Kai awake.
Kai, still groggy, let out a long yawn as he looked at them, then groggily followed. "Brother Kai, what's wrong? You don't seem very energetic," Shisui said, leading the way.
"It's nothing. He just made a mistake and got a lecture from Aunt Nishitsuki for half the night and all morning. He's a little down," Renzou explained, not pressing for details.
The three sped through the streets and arrived at Uchiha Training Ground Seven. Instead of stopping there, they bypassed it and plunged into the dense foliage beyond, soon reaching a secluded clearing.
"So, Brother Renzou, your training ground is in the jungle behind the Uchiha training area," Uchiha Shisui observed, a hint of surprise in his voice. After what looked like years of intense activity, the trees on either side were scarred with shuriken marks and the remnants of various ninjutsu. Oddly, the ground was crisscrossed with numerous footprints. Several wooden training posts stood in the corners of the clearing, their middles deeply indented.
"What do you think? A good spot I found, right? Get ready, training starts now," Renzou replied with a grin. They began their warm-up, and five minutes later, they were ready.
"Let's start with a run, ninjutsu practice later," Renzou announced. Even as he spoke, he began to sprint along the edge of the clearing, but not on the ground. Instead, he nimbly leaped onto the tree trunks, running along their sides.
"This…" Uchiha Shisui was momentarily bewildered. Is this how they run? Uchiha Kai yawned in surprise and then followed closely. The two quickly began circling the clearing, leaping from tree trunk to tree trunk, the sounds of their footfalls echoing through the air. Uchiha Shisui watched them, gritted his teeth, and tried to follow. Unsurprisingly, he nearly stumbled. While he was proficient in tree climbing and water walking, running in mid-air, and maintaining altitude, he required precise chakra control in the soles of the feet. Forced to multitask, the less experienced Shisui could only trail behind, eating their dust.
After dozens of laps, Renzou and Uchiha Kai landed gracefully. Shisui half-knelt on the ground, a sheen of sweat on his brow.With this kind of training, no wonder Brother Renzou and Brother Kai are so strong,Shisui thought, gasping for air.
"Alright, Shisui, take a five-minute break, then we'll start the next program," Uchiha Kai said, looking at the younger boy with a hint of concern.
"It's okay, Brother Kai, I can keep going," Uchiha Shisui insisted, shaking his head. He was a genius in his own right, with his own pride. He was determined to keep pace with the two and become stronger!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
End of Chapter 18