Chapter 242 : Nai·Kindergarten Principal·Luo
Konoha, Forbidden Forest.
Two shadows swiftly moved through the dense branches of ancient trees, their paths occasionally intersecting, creating the crisp sound of metal clashing.
Each time weapons met, sparks flew from the friction of the blades, only to be extinguished in an instant by the cold wind.
They had been locked in combat for a long time, and the smaller of the two figures gradually slowed down, his movements not as agile as before.
He himself realized this, tightened his grip on his ninja sword, and, relying on sheer willpower and fighting spirit, forcibly raised his momentum, clashing with the other person more than ten times again.
His opponent, however, remained as precise and stable as at the beginning, effortlessly deflecting his tricky attacks from various directions.
"Hmph… Hmph…"
By the end, his Chakra was nearly depleted, sweat beaded and rolled down his flushed cheeks, his chest heaved violently, and urgent gasps escaped his throat, each inhale as painful as swallowing hot grit.
But he still didn't intend to give up, launching a sprint towards his opponent with the last bit of strength his body possessed.
The attack, having already lost its force and precision, posed no threat whatsoever. His opponent parried the cold gleam aimed at his ribs with the back of his ninja sword, then changed his move to dissipate the force.
The long ninja sword in that person's hand gracefully twirled, and he immediately felt an irresistible force surge along the hilt, numbing his tiger's mouth.
The ninja sword then flew out of his hand, spinning as it embedded itself into an ancient tree three zhang away, its blade still humming with vibration.
"That's enough for today, Shisui."
Naraku flicked his wrist, the blade drawing a silver moon in the air, and as it slid into its sheath, the hilt and the metal of the scabbard opening met with a "clang," crisp and short, like a plucked string's broken note.
"If we don't go back soon, Kazuki will start playing dangerous games with Hibiki and Hisoka again."
Thinking of that fearless little devil, Uchiha Kazuki, Naraku couldn't help but get a headache.
Ever since he and Shisui started training in this forest under the guise of "rehabilitation exercises," the three children he had rescued from the Root base had also frequently come, and by now, they had practically turned it into their secret base.
One time, he was busy exchanging insights on the Body Flicker Technique with Shisui, and in a moment of inattention, Kazuki almost used Hibiki and Hisoka as props for a live shuriken throwing demonstration.
Those two silly boys, standing in front of the big tree acting as targets, were completely oblivious to the danger, even cheering her on.
The scene at the time was so brutal that Naraku was startled.
Fortunately, he later discovered that Kazuki's shuriken were actually all made of wood; even if they hit someone, they wouldn't break the skin, at most causing a bruise.
"Understood, Senior."
Shisui agreed, panting, and turned to retrieve his weapon that had flown far away. When he returned, he suddenly slipped.
If Naraku hadn't reacted quickly and grabbed his arm, the future renowned Shisui of the Body Flicker Technique would have almost created a dark history of "face-planting."
"Be careful."
-- This kid pushed himself a bit too hard this afternoon.
-- If I let him walk back by himself, how long would that take?
Naraku helplessly took the ninja sword from Shisui's hand, bent down, and knelt to signal him to get on quickly.
"Senior, I'm not a child anymore…"
Shisui's first reaction was to refuse, but his voice grew softer and softer until he finally had to admit that he really wanted Brother Naraku to carry him, so he awkwardly and happily leaned onto his opponent's shoulders.
When they were almost at their destination, Shisui was about to remind Naraku to put him down when the latter considerately let go of him, allowing him to get off.
Otherwise, if the other children saw it, they would make a fuss endlessly.
Shisui was relieved that his younger siblings hadn't witnessed his embarrassment, but he also felt a bit reluctant, always feeling that the journey had been too short and time had passed too quickly.
The two walked forward, continuing through several patches of grass, and suddenly, the view opened up before them.
Bright sunlight poured down from the sky, spreading freely over the creek, reflecting shimmering ripples.
At that moment, a gust of wind swept through, rustling the yellowing leaves, which fell like rain, scattering into a golden river flowing at their feet.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A childish shout rang out from not far away. About two or three seconds later, a fire orb over a meter tall, carrying rolling heat waves, crashed into the creek with a rumble, stirring up sprays of water.
The immense heat contained within the flames instantly made the creek water boil, and the steam expanded and diffused, forming a cloud that could be touched.
"Wow! Kazuki is amazing!"
"Please, Kazuki, teach me, teach me!"
Uchiha Kazuki stood with her hands on her hips, her small face tilted up, calmly accepting the adoration of Uchiha Hibiki and Uchiha Hisoka.
After listening to a while of flattery, she proudly waved her hand and refused.
"Not today, I'll teach you tomorrow. Today, I'm going to continue learning Lightning Release: Thunder Needle from Brother Naraku!"
As soon as Hibiki heard he could learn Ninjutsu from Naraku, he immediately changed his mind: "Then I can learn Lightning Needle first too!"
"That's right!" Hisoka nodded in agreement.
"Alright." Kazuki waved her small hand, immediately arranging a teaching plan for everyone: "Then let's all learn Lightning Release: Thunder Needle first, and I'll teach you the Great Fireball Technique later."
"Yay!" × 2
Naraku leisurely watched the commotion, finally finding a suitable opportunity to greet them: "We're back."
"Good afternoon, Brother Naraku!"
"Brother Naraku! You're finally back!"
"Hey, hey, are you really going to teach us Lightning Release today?"
The three children chattered excitedly, surrounding Naraku, pulling at his hands and clothes, cooing and begging, determined to learn the Ninjutsu they had been longing for.
Naraku, surrounded, came to the open creek side, slowly teaching them hand sign by hand sign, meticulously explaining the key points and correcting their mistakes.
Shisui stood silently behind them, listening to them call him "Brother Naraku" one after another, regretting that he had been too shy as a child.
Why hadn't he mustered the courage to call him "Brother" on that first evening they met?
Now that he was used to calling him "Senior," how could he change it? In the evening, Naraku returned home bathed in the fiery glow of the sunset, and as soon as he entered the courtyard, he smelled the aroma of food.
"Brother! I missed you so much!"
Itachi trotted over with small steps. Naraku quickly patted the dust off himself, half-squatting so the little one could easily pounce into his arms, and replied.
"Me too, I wanted to see Little Itachi all day."
He carried Itachi, who wouldn't let go, to the dining table. Mikoto was busy serving soup, and seeing him in his short training clothes, she knew he had just arrived home.
"You worked hard training today, how do you feel?"
"Completely fine," Naraku put Itachi in his designated seat, helped him tie his bib, "ready to depart with Uncle Fugaku anytime."
"Really?" Mikoto tapped Naraku's forehead, scolding playfully: "Don't lie to me just to go to the front lines… You little rascal never tells us the truth."
Hearing this "accusation," Naraku looked a little embarrassed, shyly and softly replying: "Really."
"That's good," Mikoto smiled gently, "Let's eat first."
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