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The next morning.
In the Uchiha Clan's Training Ground, a refreshing morning breeze gently blew, and on the green leaves, a crystal-clear dewdrop slowly dripped down.
The first rays of the rising sun pierced through the dense tree shadows, illuminating the slowly falling droplet, casting a rainbow of light upon it.
At the top of this large tree, a young boy sat cross-legged, his expression serene, his figure swaying gently with the breeze. Occasionally, a passing bird would fly by without any sign of panic.
The boy was none other than Uchiha Tōshirō, who was currently practicing his daily meditation. There was no choice, as Teacher Shigemasa required him to undergo special training at six o'clock this morning, so he had to change his practice location to here.
He had arrived at the Training Ground before dawn to meditate in advance. Fortunately, after years of practice, he could still enter the state of 'Tranquility' without the special method, with no negative impact.
This so-called 'Tranquility' was a term he had invented himself, describing a state where one could attain absolute tranquility during meditation, blending into nature so that even the birds and animals around him would not sense any threat.
As time passed, the sun slowly rose, and the Training Ground welcomed new visitors.
"Baka Tetsu, why are you here alone? Has Tōshirō not arrived yet?" A clear and crisp girl's voice rang out, the tone almost coquettish.
"That guy is always early to these gatherings, but he's a real pain!"
Seeing that the 'third wheel' was not around, the girl was overjoyed, her cheeks even showing a pair of dimples.
[Every time I'm with this baka, Tōshirō and Teacher Shigemasa are always around, it's so annoying!]
[Now it's just the two of us, I'm so happy! If only there was no special training today!]
Though only eight years old, the girl named Uchiha Honō was quite mature. She had long felt that her teammate and teacher were unnecessary.
As for shyness, it was completely non-existent. Uchiha Honō couldn't care less about what others thought.
Why not tease this baka a bit with the spare time?
"Tōshirō and the teacher haven't arrived yet. By the way, 'Honō,' have you had breakfast? Mom's pies are really great, do you want to try one?"
Though he didn't quite understand why Tōshirō was a 'pain,' this didn't stop him from sharing the breakfast his mother had prepared for him.
Seeing his generous and cheerful smile, the girl's mood brightened. She even forgot about the upcoming special training and happily took the pie Uchiha Tetsu offered, savoring it.
"Amazing! Auntie's pies are really delicious! I wish I could taste this every day!" She smiled and enthusiastically praised her future 'mom.'
Hearing her compliments, Uchiha Tetsu laughed heartily, scratching the back of his head with his free hand, a silly grin on his face.
Listening to their conversation, Tōshirō, who was meditating, couldn't help but exit his 'Tranquility' state and interjected:
"I'm sorry, but I'm interrupting your happy time, Miss 'Honō'!"
"I can't stand it. You're not even a family yet, and the person isn't even here. Do you have to be so dramatic? I can't hear you!"
As he spoke, he leaped down from the treetop and stood in front of them.
"Ah! Tōshirō, you're here. Did you arrive very early? Why didn't you come out?" Uchiha Tetsu looked at the suddenly appearing Tōshirō, puzzled, and didn't forget to take another pie from his backpack to offer to him.
"The family you mentioned, who is it? Is it Teacher Shigemasa? I've prepared a pie for him too!"
Without explaining who he was referring to, Tōshirō ignored the girl's murderous glare and took the pie, taking a large bite.
"I've been here for a long time, meditating for over an hour! I only came down when I saw you two chatting so enthusiastically."
"Yeah! Auntie's cooking is really good. 'Honō' will be very lucky in the future!" After tasting the pie, he found it delicious and couldn't resist teasing the young girl.
These pies were likely prepared by 'Tetsu's' mother as a special breakfast for them, worried that her impulsive son might not get along well with his teammates or teacher. She could only support him in this subtle way.
She hoped her son would get along well with his teammates and have a harmonious relationship with his teacher.
Uchiha Honō, on the other hand, showed no sign of shyness when teased by Tōshirō. Instead, she glared at him, annoyed that he had interrupted her time alone with 'Baka Tetsu.'
"Did you really practice that meditation? Is that strange method really effective?" The boy's focus was clearly different from the girl's. Hearing that Tōshirō had meditated for over an hour, he was somewhat surprised and asked.
At the last gathering, Tōshirō had told him that the method of meditating with a single hand seal was very effective. He had thought it was just an excuse, but he didn't expect Tōshirō to practice it himself.
Glancing at him, Tōshirō said with a hint of frustration, "Of course it is! Your expression shows you don't believe me!"
"Why don't you try it yourself to see if it works? We're on the same team, do you think I'd joke about this?"
He was quite frustrated. He had shared the top-tier Senjutsu (Sage Techniques) method with him, and the other person still looked at him with disbelief. Did he have that much free time?
Teacher Shigemasa was also frustrating. These two were young and inexperienced, so it was understandable they couldn't see through it. But as an Elite Jōnin, he should have had more insight, and yet he didn't. Poor show!
He didn't realize that for thousands of years, ninja training had always focused on refining chakra, enhancing physical abilities, or cultivating spiritual energy.
The so-called meditation was generally practiced by monks and priests, who were relics of an outdated era.
As they stood at the pinnacle of their era, why would they look back to learn from those monks?
(End of Chapter)