In a corner where no one else could see, Miwa Masayo said happily, "That was so fun. This cat was so impressive just now."
She struck a proud pose on the ground, then lowered her voice into something solemn and dignified.
"Head of the Uchiha, I am Miwa Masayo."
"Meow meow meow… when I said that, your clan head's expression kept changing over and over. It was hilarious."
"The words you taught me were amazing."
Of course she was excited.
The head of the Uchiha clan.
Even the Cat Granny had to personally receive someone like that.
After all, most of the Cat Castle's business had begun through trade with the Uchiha. They had relied on Uchiha channels countless times, and even received significant Uchiha investment.
As Uchiha Yoru liked to put it—
Fugaku was the client.
And yet, just by following Yoru's instructions, she had been able to speak to such an important figure on equal footing. His attitude had even been slightly restrained.
Just imagining it—
If someone of that level greeted you with a hint of humility—
Wouldn't that feel amazing?
Miwa Masayo was beyond satisfied.
She rolled back and forth across the grass, completely unable to contain her excitement.
No matter how excited she was, however, her emotions gradually settled.
And then—
She noticed something.
"Yoru?"
"What is it?"
"Why can't I hear your thoughts anymore? And when I speak in my mind, you can't hear it either?"
"I'm guessing it's because the transfer of chakra and natural energy has stopped."
"Let's try again?"
[Can you hear me, meow?]
[I can.]
[Okay meow—stop! I'm full, this feels uncomfortable, meow.]
[Then I'll hold back. Slowly.]
[Meow… still uncomfortable. Slower, meow.]
[…That sounds a bit strange.]
[What's strange about it?]
[…]
Fortunately, Uchiha Yoru was well-trained.
As long as it wasn't something he absolutely couldn't hold back, he could control his thoughts before they spiraled in dangerous directions.
Otherwise—
He'd be getting another round of cat punches.
It didn't take long for the two of them to figure it out.
They determined the minimum and maximum levels of chakra and natural energy transfer, establishing a completely new method of communication—
One with exceptional secrecy.
Though it required direct physical contact—
Both of them were more than satisfied.
…
There was now one more person in the special training group.
But the training content itself did not change.
Uchiha Yoru continued to guide the four of them through foundational training with complete seriousness. There was no excessive instruction, no advanced ninjutsu.
However, Shisui's addition forced Yoru to adjust his approach.
Shisui had already mastered all standard training methods.
And mastered them thoroughly.
It was obvious he had put in a great deal of effort.
Since adjustments were necessary—
Yoru naturally intended to shape Shisui's way of thinking.
So that in the future, when the time came to save the Uchiha clan—
He would choose the correct path.
With Shisui standing at the front—
Yoru himself could quietly pursue his own path.
Just thinking about it—
Was satisfying.
But to reshape Shisui's thinking—
He first needed his recognition.
Shisui had to be convinced.
He had to acknowledge Yoru's judgment.
Which meant—
What he taught next was critical.
He couldn't teach ninjutsu.
So what could he teach?
Uchiha Yoru actually had something.
His understanding of chakra differed from that of ordinary shinobi.
After completing his foundation, through observing the flow of natural energy, he had confirmed many characteristics of the body's pathways.
And it wasn't just the pathways.
As natural energy forced chakra out of them, dispersing it into the body's cells—
A new circulation pattern had naturally formed within him.
Seven chakras.
Recalling memories from his previous life, he recognized it immediately—
An ancient system of chakra cultivation.
According to that system, chakra flowed through seven points:
Crown.
Brow.
Throat.
Heart.
Navel.
Sacral.
Root.
They corresponded perfectly with the circular system that had formed within his body.
However—
While there were also seven chakras within him—
And their positions matched—
Five of them were small, colorless, and nearly transparent.
Only two showed clear characteristics.
The lowest one—
The root chakra—
Burned with a bright red glow.
And was the largest.
The navel chakra—
Glowed yellow.
But was smaller and dimmer.
Through observing the operation of these seven chakras, Yoru understood many new techniques for chakra control.
Techniques that could not be perceived through traditional methods—
Yet were undeniably effective.
He selected a portion of the simpler ones—
And taught them to Shisui and the three genin.
Guiding them through the corresponding exercises.
In just a few days—
Everyone showed clear improvement.
And not in one area—
But across the board.
They jumped higher.
Ran faster.
Their explosive strength and endurance improved.
Even the power of their ninjutsu increased noticeably.
And this—
Was achieved without increasing chakra consumption.
Without optimizing any specific technique.
Only through subtle adjustments to chakra flow and habit.
The efficiency—
Was almost absurd.
But both teacher and students were too young to fully grasp the value of what they had.
The four of them simply felt happy about their progress.
While Yoru—
Was quietly satisfied.
His influence—
Was beginning to take hold.
In the shinobi world, shaped by its traditions—
Anyone who could provide practical, effective guidance in improving strength—
Was naturally seen as wise.
And someone like Uchiha Yoru—
Who could not only offer effective methods, but also explain them in a structured, convincing system—
Would be regarded as an authority.
The authority of Hiruzen Sarutobi did not come from his strength over Danzo Shimura.
It came from his title—
"The Professor."
From his knowledge.
From his three Kage-level disciples.
After all—
Hiruzen had not personally killed anyone in a long time.
His most recent battlefield record dated back to the First Great Ninja War.
Nearly twenty-five years ago.
Even his last battle—
Was the day the Tobirama Senju died.
And that battle—
Had not been glorious.
The Hokage had fallen.
The guard squad had survived.
Uchiha Yoru could not compare to Hiruzen.
Not yet.
But within this small group—
His strength surpassed theirs.
His knowledge was effective.
To them—
He was already an authority.
And through that authority—
His words became easier to accept.
Little by little—
He reshaped their thinking.
Gradually.
Subtly.
Except for one.
Uchiha Obito.
He was completely unaffected.
His way of thinking—
Was simply too strange.
Even among the most extreme minds—
He stood out.
And more importantly—
He possessed an invincible love-struck brain.
His logic was simple.
Love.
Only love mattered.
In front of it—
His kindness, his compassion—
Worthless.
Even his dignity—
His humanity—
Held no value.
As for the lives of others—
The fate of his clan—
The rise and fall of the village—
They mattered even less.
Destroy the world to save lost love?
Perfectly reasonable.
So when he witnessed Rin's death—
He could decide to destroy everything without hesitation.
After all—
What was the loss of countless lives—
Compared to the loss of his love?
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