"Training is fine, but why do you have to live and eat together too? You only get to come back one day a week. I want to go talk to your uncle! That Mei is totally unreliable. Ever since he was a kid, he's always carrying around a sword—even sleeps with it.
I heard from Sister Aoko that he even had a sword with him on his wedding night! Can you believe it? Who does that? That guy is nuts! How about we switch teachers? I think your uncle-in-law would be better. Trust me, my brother-in-law would never let you suffer. Haruki, let's not go tomorrow. I'll talk to your uncle and fix it."
Haruki's mother affectionately stroked his head while glaring daggers at his chatty, handsome father.
"Stop joking around. This team is well-known across the clan. Do you really not know why?
Mei is one of the best fighters in the Uchiha Clan. Even the Great Elder and the Third Elder didn't complain. Come on, if it's really too hard, I can beg and try to get him to add one more rest day." His father said with a helpless look.
"A top fighter? Pfft! He's been getting beat up by his wife since he was a kid. Now that Sister Aoko's been staying home, he's actually gotten worse! No way, I'm going to go tell on him!" She stood up, ready to storm out.
"Mom, come on. Teacher Mei said that in just another half a month, training will go back to normal. And honestly, his training is really effective. Don't worry, once it's done, I'll come home and spend time with you," Haruki said, trying to calm her down.
After some persuasion from Haruki and his father, his gentle mother finally swallowed her anger, and the family sat down to a cheerful dinner.
The next day:
"Yo! You're all here. Then let's get started!" Mei announced with a smile. "Your training for the next two weeks will be in the forest behind me. Wilderness survival for half a month. Each of you is allowed only three shuriken, two military ration pills, and one explosive tag.
Once this training is over, we'll return to normal training, and I'll give you personalized strengthening exercises based on your results. Now, run along, boys!" Uchiha Mei smiled warmly at the three young boys, but his words were straight from hell.
The three of them exchanged glances, whispered among themselves, and headed into the forest. They chose a cave near a small stream and even killed a bear that had been living inside.
En began cooking up some food, Retsu set up traps around the area, and Haruki went to the river to fetch water. It looked like a pleasant summer camp.
Mei watched from a distance, a dangerous smile spreading across his face. Heh, these little brats think they're on vacation. Just wait until night falls...
When night came, the three extinguished the fire and took turns keeping watch. Late at night, one of Retsu's traps was triggered. Haruki quickly woke the other two, and they huddled back-to-back inside the cave, watching the surroundings carefully.
Howl! A wolf cried out. The three of them instantly understood what they were facing. A pack of wolves slowly approached, closing the distance.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!""Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!""Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
The three launched their jutsu simultaneously. Retsu aimed his Great Fireball Technique at the traps he had set above the cave entrance, En raised an Earth-Style Wall on the left, and Haruki unleashed Phoenix Sage Fire on the right and front.
Then came the hand-to-hand combat. The fierce battle lasted all the way until dawn, leaving all three of them covered in cuts and bruises.
"I didn't expect us to be this beat up on the first night," En gasped, struggling to catch his breath.
"Yeah... and it's just the beginning," Haruki muttered weakly.
The first day, they encountered wolves.The second day, they were attacked by ninja wasps and a rampaging family of wild boars.The third day, they fell into a massive network of chain traps.By the fourth day, Mei himself started joining the attacks. Constant ambushes, every single time stripping them of their supplies, leaving them with just three shuriken each, and not saying a single word before disappearing.
This "hell training" went on for fifteen straight days.
When they finally emerged from the forest, the three looked like they had been through another lifetime. Never before had they experienced days where their lives were constantly at risk, with traps everywhere, ambushes lurking, no meals prepared for them, and no one to help. All they could rely on were their comrades and their shuriken.
This training had taught them one thing: being a ninja wasn't just playing pretend. It was dancing on the edge of life and death.
"Three days of rest. Go home. Meet at the usual place after," Uchiha Mei said before disappearing with the Body Flicker Technique.
"Let's go, brothers. Time to head home."
"We can finally go home. It feels unreal."
"We better hurry. My mom's probably gone crazy. Look at the state I'm in. I bet even the gate guards won't recognize me."
The three of them laughed and joked as they walked back toward the clan grounds.
This special training, more than any bell test or Fire Will poem, had bonded the three of them deeply.
After they left, Mei reappeared from the forest, surrounded by seven other Uchiha marked with clan symbols.
"There were three waves. Nine people in total. Three Jōnin, six Genin. Six from Root, the rest from Anbu. All the Root members were killed. The Anbu retreated after discovering us. After we killed the Root members, the Anbu kept a safe distance and just watched," one Uchiha reported.
"It seems the village is paying attention. Danzo-sama is still quite 'concerned' about us Uchihas, huh?" another joked.
"I'd say the Third Hokage isn't ignoring us either. He showed up twice himself. How considerate," another chimed in, laughing sarcastically as killing intent occasionally flared from their bodies.
"Ahh... I'm exhausted. I better head back. If that kid goes home and doesn't see me, he's gonna be heartbroken," said a handsome Uchiha as he quickly walked away.
"That Ieyasu guy still holds hope for the higher-ups. He acts all cheerful, but he's not stupid," remarked an Uchiha with two swords strapped to his back.
"Nobunaga-sama sent Ieyasu out there this time so he could see for himself how the village views Uchiha talent. It's time he gave up on his illusions," Uchiha Mei said, watching Ieyasu's figure disappear.
"Alright, let's head back. How about a drink?"
"Your treat? Let's go! Wow, you're being generous today!"
"Hey, I didn't say I was paying! Actually... I kinda want to go home too. Let's head back."
The group scattered, vanishing into the edges of the forest.
"You're back? Look at you, covered in dust. Did you go pick up the Hokage's coming-of-age gift for our son?" Uchiha Ran asked calmly, staring at her husband.
"It's not what you think. It was probably Danzo up to his usual tricks. The Anbu seemed like they were just there to watch," Ieyasu defended.
Ran scoffed. "Yeah? So considerate, even sent some 'bodyguards.' Danzo's men definitely weren't just there for a picnic, were they?" She got up and started walking out.
"Where are you going?"
Ran turned her back to him, her Sharingan spinning with three tomoe. "I'm meeting some friends to buy food. Our son's grown up now. Just for today, I'll let him have a drink." She stepped out without another word.
Haruki finally returned home. His mother rushed to greet him. "You're back! I missed you so much! Look at you, you've gotten so skinny! I bought so much food. It'll be ready soon!"
As she walked inside, she kept complaining about the market ladies not giving discounts.
Watching his mother's back, Haruki frowned. That's not the smell of the marketplace... that's the smell of blood.