Chapter 42 Suspicions

On a protruding section of the cliff wall, over ten meters above the ground, stood an oak tree as thick as an adult's waist, towering straight like a spear jutting out of the cliff, pointing towards the sky.

The wind at the edge of the cliff was very strong. Even the resilient oak tree would sway with the gusts of the morning wind from time to time.

Near the top of the oak tree, at an elevation level with the horizon, a young boy was sitting at the tip, his body swaying in the wind along with the oak. He seemed like a leaf detached from a branch, dancing with the wind, as if about to merge into the world.

"It's not that simple, after all!"

Standing up from the stone slab beneath him, he maintained his balance despite the movement, standing steadily on the slab. Occasionally, small birds seeking morning food would pass by and rest on him, showing no fear of him causing them harm.

With a flick of his finger, he scared away the little bird on his shoulder. Leaping with a bound, he jumped over the meditative spot, a distance of five to six meters from the cliff. The stone slab beneath him lost balance and shattered upon hitting the cliff below.

"Without the toad oil and special environment of Mount Myoboku, perfecting Sage Mode is indeed incredibly difficult!"

With a sigh, Toshiro couldn't help but feel helpless.

As time passed, he had moved his meditation and training spot to this cliff by the South Kawa River. He spent a considerable effort to erect a nearly 20-meter-long oak tree on a protruding rock twenty meters below the cliff, pointing straight at the sky.

"Do I need to find a way to acquire the summoning scrolls of Mount Myoboku, Ryuuchi Cave, or Shikkotsu Forest?"

"Better forget it. Though the relationship between the village and my clan has improved over these two years, I am still an Uchiha, and those three ninjas are all disciples of the Hokage!"

Nearly four years of meditation and training yielded significant results. His chakra control abilities grew rapidly, he awakened a sensing ability, and his mental energy became increasingly full and abundant.

From a month ago, whenever he started meditating and training, birds would occasionally land on him to rest. This was an achievement of his meditation, a proof of reaching the threshold for training in Sage Mode.

However, he remained stuck at the most crucial step: sensing natural energy. Without the toad oil from Mount Myoboku as a medium and the environment brimming with natural energy, he hadn't succeeded in sensing natural energy yet.

"According to the original work, there is a summoning island where the beasts are incredibly huge. The island is rich in natural energy. Would it help me in sensing natural energy?"

In the original work, this island is called 'The Island of Forgetfulness'. The summoning beasts on the island are gigantic. As the war intensified, to gain powerful abilities and stronger summoning beasts, researchers improved, innovated, and created the 'Ultimate' strongest summoning beast.

However, things didn't go as planned. The summoning beast 'Ultimate' went berserk, devouring all the researchers and a descendant of the Uzumaki named Uzumaki Honoko. In the end, with Naruto's protagonist aura and the chakra left by Uzumaki Honoko, it was dragged into the magma and sealed away.

During this time, whenever Toshiro had the chance, he would read a few 'Anecdotes and Tales', both to pass the time and search for clues about the summoning island.

He believed in the principle that where there's a path, there will be traces. An island with numerous giant summoning beasts would inevitably leave traces, even if the discovering force tried hard to keep it a secret.

Additionally, during the Sage Technique training, how to expel uncontrolled Sage Technique chakra out of the body... Should he try to find the clan's inherited flame fan?

In his speculation, the Uchiha's hereditary flame fan should be made from the branch of the Divine Tree. The Divine Tree has the ability to absorb natural energy, and using it to expel uncontrolled Sage Technique chakra was a feasible approach.

"If that's the case, I'll have to plan well. I can only wait until the Third Ninja War when Rin Nohara dies, then follow Obito to sneak into Madara's base..."

"The risk is high, though! If I don't time it well and Madara hasn't completely fallen asleep, wouldn't I have to fight him head-on? This is damn difficult! I'd have to try to pull his oxygen tube!"

"Damn it! The ninja world is really hard to live in! I can't even lie down properly! This is too tough for me..."

Cursing and complaining to himself at the corner, Toshiro's mood improved as he hummed a tune, slowly disappearing into the sparsely visited scenic area.

"Toshiro, wait a moment. Come to my house for dinner tonight! Your sister Meixiang plans to cook a big feast for us!"

As he was stepping into the compound, walking past the red torii gate, a cheerful voice called out to him from the front.

Hearing the voice and looking up, he saw a figure approaching the Uchiha compound under the morning sun.

"Brother Akira, are you headed to the Police Force for duty? Why didn't I see Sister Meixiang leaving with you?"

The person who came was Uchiha Akira, a regular member of the Konoha Police Force, who had inherited the Uchiha clan's characteristic handsome looks. He was tall, with black hair and eyes, giving off a sunny and friendly vibe.

Unfortunately, he hadn't awakened the Sharingan and his strength was just that of a regular chunin. Apart from being proficient in the clan's fire techniques, there wasn't much else remarkable about him. However, his personality was quite nice, making interactions comfortable.

Although it seemed he wasn't a good match for Sister Meixiang, after a few contacts with him, Toshiro acknowledged him as the 'brother-in-law.' Getting along well was more important, and strength didn't have much impact on marriage after all, since everyone has their own preferences.

"Ah! The research lab just acquired a new batch of equipment which needs to be installed, so your Sister Meixiang is taking a couple of days off!"

At Uchiha Meixiang's strong request, Toshiro was told to only address Uchiha Akira as 'brother.' Luckily, he was also a war orphan with no direct elders at home, not minding much about titles.

As for Toshiro's other 'uncle,' he rarely appeared in his life.

This 'uncle' and 'aunt' were a perfect match, stuck together all day without getting annoyed. Even Toshiro, who had seen a lot in later generations, couldn't tolerate much interaction with them. Better left unmentioned!