"One thousand push-ups, one thousand sit-ups, one thousand squats, and also..."
"Running 100 kilometers."
Uchiha Iketo clutched his head in distress and shouted, "This is so unlucky! And also..."
"That hateful old man!"
To treat the Uchiha clan like this...
All he did was question the teacher's qualifications a little. Was it necessary to be so harsh?
By the time he finished all this training, it would probably be night.
And...
Crawling home late at night would be so embarrassing for an Uchiha!
"We're the unlucky ones, you know," said a chubby boy wearing Uchiha clan attire beside him helplessly. "It was just you who talked back, so why do we have to suffer with you?"
Even though they were all Uchiha...
They didn't say anything!
And...
Was that old man holding some kind of grudge against the Uchiha clan?
Practically every Uchiha in the class had been dragged out for punishment.
But...
"We're the ones who should be complaining," a boy from the Senju clan rolled his eyes and said. "We're from the Senju clan. We're not even close with you Uchiha."
In fact, they were enemies.
Why should they be punished along with the Uchiha?
And the Senju clan...
Hadn't said a word the whole time, just quietly watching the drama unfold!
That old man must have a grudge against the Senju.
Maybe he got beaten up by some Senju elder when he was younger?
Otherwise...
Why would he punish the Senju for no reason at all?
It made no sense!
And if he was from Kirigakure...
Could this old man be the "helpful citizen of Uzushiogakure" mentioned in the newspapers a few days ago, the one who assisted the Uzumaki in rescuing the hostages?
Rumor had it this old man was pretty strong. When the Uzumaki were at a loss, he was the one who single-handedly ensured the hostages were rescued safely.
As expected, anyone who could become a teacher was extraordinary.
But...
That still had nothing to do with the Senju!
"Hmph," Uchiha Iketo sneered. "What, scared of a measly hundred kilometers, you Senju?"
"Pathetic paupers of Uzushiogakure!"
"Your clan leader must be struggling hard with his mortgage, huh?" Uchiha Iketo smirked, looking at the Senju kid with pride. "Not like us Uchiha..."
"We're still a wealthy clan in Uzushiogakure!"
The Senju clan members immediately flared up at his words.
"The Senju clan just wanted to return everything in Konoha to Konoha and start fresh, that's all," Senju Shukuma retorted disdainfully. "But you Uchiha..."
"Have no shame."
"Scared? Please."
"The Senju clan has never been afraid of any challenge," Senju Shukuma declared proudly. "The Uchiha will always be beneath us."
Whether it was the Hokage or anything else...
The Uchiha could never surpass the Senju.
"Who's beneath who?" The Uchiha clan members erupted in anger. "You wanna settle this?"
"Bring it on," the Senju clan shot back fearlessly. "The Senju will always be stronger than the Uchiha!"
Then...
They immediately sped up, leaving the Uchiha behind.
"Cheaters!!"
Seeing this, the Uchiha froze for a moment before shouting furiously.
"You Senju are breaking the rules!"
But...
The Senju ignored them...
The Uchiha could only grit their teeth and accelerate, trying to overtake them.
The Uchiha clan...
Would never lose to the Senju!
"What is taijutsu..."
Madara leaned on his cane, expressionlessly watching the students below as he spoke slowly. "It is the art of..."
As for the Senju and Uchiha...
Their clans already had complete taijutsu training systems, so they didn't need to listen to his lecture. Therefore, Uchiha Madara was not taking revenge for personal grudges. He was simply...
Ensuring the future of both clans.
When Hashirama found out, he would surely be grateful.
Uchiha Madara was not a petty shinobi.
Besides, he had now become the teacher of the Senju's new generation.
Soon, he would teach Hashirama the meaning of respecting one's elders.
If he refused...
Hmph!!
The Uchiha brats and the Senju brats...
He would make sure they understood the harshness of being a shinobi.
But for now...
He needed to teach the other kids what taijutsu really was.
Only with a well-coordinated body, stable footwork, and proper form could one truly master... ahem... taijutsu.
"Therefore, relentless training is necessary..." Madara said indifferently. "Only when the body adapts to chakra can one..."
As for that useless brat Shijō, he had only learned the basics.
He hadn't seen the kid in the mountains these past few days.
Where had he run off to?
Probably gave up. After all...
A pure taijutsu user who couldn't use ninjutsu had no future.
But...
What about the canned beef he promised?
"Achoo! Achoo!"
Shijō rubbed his nose with his right hand while doing one-handed push-ups with his left, muttering, "A cold?"
Seemed like his training still wasn't enough!
So...
"Today, I must finish three thousand push-ups. If I can't, then three thousand sit-ups."
He had to train harder!
"Shijō, Lord Jun has said that balance between work and rest is key," Keita said, watching the still-training Shijō helplessly. "Over-training will damage your body."
This kid had ended up joining the military after all.
A pure taijutsu user who couldn't use ninjutsu was extremely vulnerable on the battlefield.
Especially against genjutsu...
A single misstep, and he could lose his head before even throwing a punch.
Though he didn't agree with Shijō's ideals...
He couldn't ignore the sweat the boy poured into them.
Wasn't it obvious he was training alone now?
The others had been so intimidated by his regimen that the team assigned him to train separately.
But...
Even as a jōnin, Keita found Shijō's routine terrifying. It made him question if he was slacking!
"Your training is too extreme," Keita sighed. "If you keep this up, you'll break down sooner or later."
"It's fine. I'm used to it," Shijō replied, continuing his exercises. "Once I've decided on something, I'll see it through."
This...
Was his ninja way.
"Do as you like," Keita shook his head resignedly. "But at least go to the hospital for a check-up when you can. Early detection means less risk."
Besides...
The kid had Lord Jun's permission for free medical exams.
No point wasting it.
As for him...
It was getting late. Time to head back. His squad was off-duty today, so he should go home early.
"I'm heading out now," Keita said. "Don't train too late. And you'll probably be eating dinner alone tonight."
"Got it," Shijō nodded. "Keita-nii has a date with Yuko-nee, right? But..."
"Are you coming back tonight?"
After all these years, why weren't those two married yet?
Maybe he should find his own place and move out. Otherwise...
He'd just keep getting in the way of their romance.
"You little brat," Keita kicked Shijō's butt lightly, smiling. "You're too sharp for your own good."
"Tonight..."
"You're on your own."
Konoha.
"T-This is..."
The Kumo-nin stared at the sealed wooden box handed over by the Konoha-nin, trembling with excitement.
"The legendary 'Sword of Frozen Sorrow'?"
"Yes," the Konoha-nin nodded. "The Hokage ordered me to deliver it."
He formed a hand seal, undoing the box's seals.
"I'll come back for it tomorrow."
"Be warned."
"This is Konoha. No matter what happens, we will know immediately."
"So..."
The Konoha-nin's gaze sharpened as he stared at the Kumo-nin.
"Don't try anything funny."
"Understood, understood," the Kumo commander chuckled. "We just want to admire it. We'll return it intact tomorrow."
"As for Iwagakure, we've already dispatched troops."
"We'll definitely help Konoha hold them off."
"Trust that Kumogakure..."
"Would never resort to theft!"
Then, his eyes burned with desire as he gazed at the ancient sword hilt inside the box, murmuring, "Incredible..."
This blade...
What a shame.