Tōshirō heard the words, reached for the water flask hanging at his waist, and took a few sips to replenish the energy he had consumed along the way.
Taking advantage of this break, Uchiha Chi made a final motivational speech to the team:"You guys should still remember the lessons on medical ninja teamwork from school, right?"
Tōshirō raised his hand eagerly and said, "I know! You guys are supposed to protect me really well, right?"
The three others: "..."
Tōshirō looked confused. "Isn't that right?"
Uchiha Chi snapped at him, "Like hell it is!"
Tōshirō, still oblivious, responded, "Eh? But I'm a medical ninja, aren't I?"
Uchiha Chi rolled his eyes. "With your half-baked medical ninjutsu, don't even think about it. Your job is to protect Sayuri, the real medical ninja, and make sure she doesn't get hurt. Got it?"
Tōshirō sighed reluctantly. "Come on, I was just joking. Why are you all so tense? I just wanted to lighten the mood."
Uchiha Chi's voice was cold. "Just focus on yourself."
"Yes, yes," Tōshirō shrugged.
After about twenty minutes of rest, everyone adjusted to their best condition and continued forward.
At that moment, sensing something unusual in the air, Uchiha Chi gave a warning.
"Dodge!"
Without hesitation, the group leaped away. In an instant, a barrage of kunai and shuriken sliced through the air, landing exactly where they had just been. Immediately after, the ambushers decided to reveal themselves, jumping out into the open.
Facing the masked ninja with forehead protectors in front of them, Tōshirō narrowed his black eyes, a hint of seriousness flashing within them. "They're here..."
But he was wrong.
Before his words had fully settled, a figure shot forward like an arrow. With a flash of white light, a masked enemy was cut down on the spot, blood splattering everywhere.
The enemy ninja were momentarily frozen in shock. They hadn't expected Uchiha Chi to charge in so aggressively, nor did they anticipate his incredible speed.
With his Sharingan activated, Uchiha Chi was like a wolf among sheep, slaughtering them mercilessly.
"Damn it, this guy is too strong!"
The enemy ninja engaged in combat felt their hearts race in fear. Without hesitation, they shifted their focus toward the younger members of the group, targeting Tōshirō and the others.
Out of the corner of his eye, Uchiha Chi noticed one enemy slipping through the chaos. He decided to leave this one to Tōshirō, letting him gain experience and quickly adapt to real battle situations.
Several enemy ninja swiftly surrounded Tōshirō.
His two teammates, sensing danger, gripped their shuriken tightly, standing on high alert.
The enemy ninja, however, showed no sign of concern toward these young opponents. Their lips curled into sinister smiles.
Reaching behind his back, one of the enemy ninja pulled out a mechanical umbrella and tossed it into the air. Forming hand seals, he channeled chakra into the device, causing five umbrellas to spin rapidly.
"Ninjutsu: Thousand Rain Senbon!"
The moment he spoke, countless metal needles shot out from the spinning umbrellas, covering the sky.
The attack left no room for escape. Sayuri and the other team member turned pale, as if their faces had just been painted white.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A storm-like barrage crashed down, raising a thick cloud of smoke.
Watching through his Sharingan, Uchiha Chi glanced at the scene and smirked.
"It's over."
The enemy ninja also smiled. Under the control of chakra, these steel needles could even pierce through thick iron plates. Since those kids hadn't dodged in time, they were definitely dead.
Yes.
That was how it should have been...
If not for what happened next.
The enemy ninja's smirk stiffened. His expression shifted into one of utter disbelief.
Under the sunlight, something glistened brilliantly.
It was an eggshell-like structure, entirely made of ice, an almost artistic creation.
And yet, even though it looked fragile, this thing had managed to block every single needle that was sharp enough to pierce five centimeters of steel.
As if flaunting its defensive power, the ice shell—pierced all over with steel needles—shimmered brilliantly under the sunlight.
"Are you okay?"
Tōshirō asked Sayuri and the other nameless teammate behind him.
Sayuri stared blankly at Tōshirō. At that moment, his back seemed especially tall and imposing, stirring an unfamiliar emotion in her heart.
Tōshirō's black eyes gleamed with coldness as he formed the Tiger hand seal. Chains of ice burst from his body, shattering the ice shell.
The enemy ninja's pupils shrank in terror as they watched the chains slither like serpents toward them.
When you see something like this, it's usually too late to dodge.
The ice chains coiled around them, circling tighter and tighter—even wrapping around their necks, the most fragile part of the human body.
Tōshirō raised his right hand to his chest, bent his fingers slightly, then thrust his palm forward, extending his fingers forcefully.
"Guh…!" The enemy ninja choked as the ice chains crushed their throats, snuffing out their lives instantly.
From start to finish, Tōshirō hadn't moved a single step. And he hadn't even activated his Sharingan yet.
Uchiha Chi smiled in satisfaction—he could already foresee it. This rising star, Tōshirō, was destined to become a formidable figure in the ninja world.
Months after this mission, Uchiha Chi grew even more pleased with Tōshirō.
During this time, Tōshirō handled every opponent with ease. Facing Chūnin-level ninja was no challenge, and he had even successfully slain a Jōnin in direct combat.
And this still wasn't his full power.
Thinking about that, Uchiha Chi became even more excited for Tōshirō's future.
With the mission complete, the four of them returned to the village.
"This mission was a success. Take some time to rest. I'm sure there will be another assignment waiting for you tomorrow," Uchiha Chi told his team.
With high-intensity missions coming one after another, proper rest was essential.
"Understood."
The four responded in unison.
As Tōshirō was about to leave, a soft voice called out from behind him.
"Tōshirō, do you have a moment? You've saved me several times now, and I've been wanting to thank you."
Tōshirō turned to see a beautiful girl, a few years older than him, her cheeks slightly flushed. He wasn't dense—he understood her intentions.
He politely turned her down.
If she wasn't completely clueless, she would pick up on his unspoken meaning.
Tōshirō despised giving false hope. If he had no interest, then he wouldn't entertain any ambiguity—he would cut things off cleanly.
"O-okay then…"
Sayuri bit her lip, her expression dimming.
Sigh… I got rejected…
"Stop staring, he's already gone," the nameless teammate teased.
"Hmph, mind your own business."
Uchiha Chi was used to this kid's usual carefree attitude, so seeing him suddenly act all serious felt oddly unsettling.
Back at his residence, Uchiha Chi prepared to rest.
But suddenly, an unexpected guest appeared in his room.
He spun around sharply—only to lock eyes with a pair of eerie, patterned pupils.
The Mangekyō Sharingan!?
The moment the thought crossed his mind, overwhelming ocular power surged through him. His body froze, his arms slumped, and his gaze turned empty.
From the shadows, Uchiha Madara stepped forward.
"Now, using this identity, we'll lure Tōshirō over… and seal the Tailed Beast inside him."
(End of Chapter)
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