As for matters of invading privacy, Mikoto Uchiha didn't care in the slightest—after all, wasn't gathering intelligence part of a ninja's duty? And even if it was an invasion of privacy, what could he do about it? Was Shiyu Uchiha really going to rebel?
So, several days later, after completing multiple missions in a row, Mikoto Uchiha finally found a moment of free time. Coincidentally, it was a school holiday, so she visited Kushina Uzumaki's home, intending to call on her and then invite her out for some shopping.
At that time, Kushina happened to be bored at home alone. Seeing Mikoto come visit, she happily welcomed her. After chatting for a while, Kushina, finding staying home dull, enthusiastically suggested they go shopping—an idea perfectly aligned with Mikoto's plan. Together, the two set off toward Konoha's commercial district.
In the shopping district, the pair happily roamed for most of the day before having a meal together. As they were about to part ways, Mikoto brought up her request—but of course, not directly. She was much more tactful.
"Kushina, there's something I'd like to ask of you," Mikoto said gently.
"What is it, Mikoto? Just let me know—whatever I can do, I will," Kushina carelessly promised, always straightforward and eager to help.
"You know I have a younger brother currently attending the Ninja Academy, and I've been a bit worried about him. But since I've already graduated and have a busy mission schedule, I really don't have time to keep an eye on him. Plus, lately, he's been acting a bit strange—I can't help but feel uneasy.
So, could you help me keep tabs on him? Please, the most important thing is to find out if he has a girlfriend," Mikoto skillfully disguised herself as a caring, loving older sister.
"Mikoto, you're such a thoughtful sibling—I really envy your brother. If I had a brother like you, that would be wonderful. It's too bad I'm three years younger than you. Otherwise, we could've made the perfect ninja squad together. But don't worry, leave it to me—I'll definitely help you out," Kushina guaranteed with a slap on her own flat chest, particularly intrigued by the "girlfriend" part. After all, gossip was just part of human nature.
Hearing her praise, Mikoto felt a strange pang of guilt. After all, during the two years they attended the same school, she suddenly realized she had never truly cared for Shiyu Uchiha. But she quickly convinced herself—wasn't this concern itself proof she cared?
"Thank you very much, Kushina. I'll treat you to some barbecue next time," Mikoto said, and after chatting a little longer, the two parted ways.
Meanwhile, Shiyu had been on high alert for several days, but hadn't spotted Mikoto at all. Eventually, he thought to himself, it wasn't a big deal anyway—continuing to be paranoid would be pointless. He decided to stop being paranoid. At most, he'd just face Mikoto's mockery—no big loss.
Resolved, Shiyu took advantage of the holiday to teach his two desk mates some swordsmanship. Though he suspected Naori Uchiha might have ulterior motives, he couldn't quite figure them out. Thus, he made plans a day in advance with Shun Mizutani and Taki Tachibana, arranging to train together the next day.
It wasn't a problem for him to teach the two students swordsmanship since he was confident in his own ability. He'd already read through it once and felt confident that he understood it well enough.
However, he would still need a blade. Although this sword technique could be practiced with kunai, it was easier to start with a tanto for training.
That morning, he left home early and headed to the Uchiha Clan's shinobi tools shop, where he purchased two unsharpened steel practice swords. Except for their lack of chakra conductivity, their feel and weight closely resembled real non-chakra metal tantos. These were the same model used by Shiyu Uchiha during their training sessions.
Since money was not an issue, he bought the best available—this was thanks to Sarutobi Shin'nosuke's friendly support.
As he was about to leave, his eyes caught sight of some chakra test papers. After a moment of thought, he bought a stack before departing. He headed to their usual training spot and arrived alone, as it was still quite early.
Shiyu Uchiha put down his bag and walked over to an open space, pulling out the scroll for the Crash course on swordsmanship. As he unrolled the scroll, he quickly realized how much simpler this sword art was compared to the Foundational Sword Techniques he had studied.
The Crash course on swordsmanship consisted of only three moves: Block, Strike, and Decisive Strike. Block had four variations, Strike had eight, and the final move, Decisive Strike, had only one variation—[Ci] (piercing stab). Together, these three moves had fewer variations than even a single form from the Thirteen Basic Swordsmanship Forms. Its applications were also limited—best suited for Genin and Chunin level ninja, with only the final Decisive Strike posing a real threat against special targets.
However, it was completely sufficient for the current situation, considering the two learners were merely students at the ninja academy.
Since Shiyu Uchiha had already mastered the more advanced Foundational Sword Techniques, this sword method was merely a simplified derivative consisting of a few forms and variations. Therefore, it posed no difficulty for him, and he quickly grasped all the moves before beginning to practice them, aiming to improve his teaching effectiveness.
Additionally, there was also a method for training the Shifting Body Technique, which was meant to be used in conjunction with the sword art. It was a creation by Uchiha Shizhi and could be considered a minor treasure.
Initially, he found it rather ordinary. However, after some practice, Shiyu Uchiha realized the real issue—there was something wrong with his own technique.
Through comparison between the two sword techniques, Shiyu Uchiha realized he had been overly rigid and mechanical in his usual practice. This was a good habit for beginners, helping establish a solid foundation.
However, Shiyu Uchiha had long passed the beginner stage. It was time to constantly adjust his sword techniques and gradually progress toward the realm of "Man and Blade Unity"—a stage where the swordsman, blade, and technique all worked together in perfect harmony.
Uchiha Shizhi must have noticed his problem but instead of directly pointing it out, chose to give him this opportunity to discover it for himself, indirectly awakening his realization.
This indirect approach made Shiyu Uchiha realize his father's deep concern for him, and a wave of warmth rose in his heart. However, shortly afterward, he suppressed the emotion deep inside and focused once more on his sword training.
At that moment, Taki Tachibana and Shun Mizutani arrived at the training ground together. The two greeted Shiyu Uchiha warmly before engaging in a bit of casual conversation. Soon after, Shiyu got straight to the point.
He handed both of them a blade along with manuals on the Crash Course on Swordsmanship. At first, they were overjoyed and thanked Shiyu endlessly. But soon they came to their senses and politely declined, saying the items were too valuable for them.
Shiyu naturally understood their personalities and, before either could speak up or offer any objections, simply drew out his tanto without further explanation, beginning a demonstration while lecturing.
They exchanged glances, choosing not to say anything further. Instead, they silently expressed deep gratitude toward Shiyu and listened to his teachings with full attention.
After learning from Mikoto Uchiha, Shiyu treated her teaching methods as a negative example, learning from past experience. He recalled how Shizhi Uchiha had taught Mikoto and adjusted his instruction according to Taki's and Shun's foundational level—starting right from the basics of how to properly grip a sword.
Gradually expanding upon sword theory, he led them into practical sword training. As lunchtime approached, they paused and unpacked their bags, taking out fresh ingredients, tools, and seasonings. They lit a fire and cooked some meat together.
After the meal, they cleaned up the trash and carefully packed the tools away. Then Shiyu resumed instructing the two in swordsmanship. To increase their training efficiency, he taught them [Block] and [Attack] separately. Once both had firmly grasped the techniques, they could begin sparring against each other to speed up their progress.
Once they'd fully mastered their own respective techniques, they'd be able to teach one another, gaining complete understanding of both moves through sparring. Judging by their basic skills and talent, Shiyu estimated this phase would take about one or two years.
Finally, Shiyu would then pass on [Decisive Strike] to them. By the time they'd finished mastering it, they would likely have already graduated.
As for fully mastering swordsmanship and pushing it to its limits, Shiyu estimated that with their talent, it would probably take at least ten years.
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