Chapter Eleven- Inferno's End

"I'm not stupid, at least I don't think I am" The kid said with a confused look that urged me to explain why I regarded him as dumb. 

I guess I should've led with ignorant or maybe gullible. Sure the kid could probably get a decent sensei and survive the war, become a chunin maybe even a jonin at an age that would seem unheard of. But that is the best-case scenario. Graduating early had so many downsides that it wouldn't be worth it.

"You're gullible, graduating early during a war isn't a reward, it's basically a death sentence" I said as I looked down at the kid, he may have talent but who could know if that would be enough? I didn't survive my first mission outside of the village, and the kid had a few years to get to the level I was at as a genin. Which wasn't high and also another reason I'd put my money on him dying if he decided to participate in that foolishness.

"I disagree" He replied and I realized then how Koshu must have felt when I said I would return to the war front, albeit at a hugely lesser amount. To me, it felt like I was talking to someone who was suffering from a mental illness.

I could explain to him that it wasn't practical either if he stayed his entire stint in the academy the second war would be near its end. Meaning that the seasoned jonin would return, free to take an apprentice or a squad. Who knows what you'd be left with if you graduated now, I hated to admit it but I was a perfect example.

I respected Fuza sensei a great deal, he was a kind man and he cared for us as a team. But what Jonin couldn't dodge paper bombs? Seriously….Even I could hear their sizzle now that I look back on it, I had no time to react at the time but I wasn't a 'seasoned' Jonin either.

I really felt that the bar for advancement was significantly lowered during wartime, I'd have to research that when I had time.

But the point was I could already tell what I said wouldn't matter, I was wasting my time talking to the kid.

"Ok then, Minato right? I'll make sure the look for your name the next time I visit the memorial stone" I said as I completely lost interest in the conversation, I wasted enough time with him after all. My chakra pool has been full for five minutes now, shouldn't waste my breath or time on a kid who doesn't want to be taught basic risk and reward.

It was important to note that if the kid was so dead set on graduating early he most certainly wouldn't be on Mikoto's team, which meant I wasted the last half hour on a bad guess.

"Hey wait!" The kid yelled but it was out of my mind as I landed on the lake's surface and began to steadily walk toward the rope, my feet almost perfectly staying atop the water at this point. It showed that I was really beginning to make progress.

It seemed the kid was surprised about my abrupt exit but that didn't dishearten him from his training. He stayed for a couple more hours and managed to make it a few more steps before he left. I continued my training as usual.

The kid would show up in the morning for the next two days, splitting his time between chakra control training and taijutsu. I noticed it off-hand as I was struggling for my life. My strength training was beginning to get too easy a few days ago so a change was needed.

In the first few days, my strength would grow by five or more points a day. On Friday it only grew by a single point. 

After my fourth time being able to climb to the top of the rope it was obvious that my limb weights weren't enough on their own to push me. I visited a weapon shop on the clan's ground on Saturday morning, acquiring a vest of iron that weighed just about two hundred pounds.

I couldn't hope to run with this much weight on me thus I began utilizing the body flicker jutsu that much more to travel, it was better this way I was sure I looked foolish walking around with a huge iron vest that would settle to my mid thighs. 

Now I couldn't even get halfway up the rope and I was back to where I started, relying solely on my strength to keep me from falling into the water.

It was on Sunday night when somebody who wasn't the kid arrived at the training ground. It was on the night that would mark my eighth day back in the village, it was also the end of the week.

"I waited at the station for half the day..." Koshu said as he appeared on the water a few meters away from me. He was referring to my 'order' to apply for the force, which I had already refused on my first day home.

It was right after my sixth attempt of the day so I was about twenty feet in the air and hanging on for dear life, my hands and arms would shake in pain from time to time but it was easily ignored.

"Can we not do this right now Uncle" I asked with a tired sigh as I looked down at the scowling man, his Sharingan blazed in the darkness.

"Get down from there, take the suit and the weights off" He advised, it was obvious what would come next. I was about to have my ass kicked like a disobedient child. I sighed deeply as I raised a single hand and went through three seals. I could see Koshu's eyes slightly widen as I appeared on the shoreline.

My suit and weights were off for the first time in seven days, honestly, I never felt more free as the weights hit the ground with a thunk.

My Uncle appeared in a storm of crows about two meters away from me.

-

{Quest Accepted}

Resolve Tested

Objective: Do not lose consciousness in a 'real' battle against Koshu Uchiha

Rewards: ???.

-

My Sharingan came alive a moment later as I looked up at Koshu and asked "Rules?" A twitch of my eyelids added my ten spare stat points to agility.

"None" He said as kunai appeared in his hand, it lit with an orange glow before he threw it at a tree. It burned a hole through the trunk and continued for a few more feet. A puff of smoke signaled that my Shadow clone that would practice kenjutsu was killed from the hiding place I sent it to. 'Damnation, at least I got some chakra back. Lost a decent advantage though.''

[Kenjutsu training. +3 Dexterity]

-

Level 9 (1480/6000)

Name: Tometsu Uchiha

Chakra: 745/1260

Title: Fang's Apprentice- Boosts the learning speed of Kenjutsu and Lightning release by 20%

Strength:32-{39)

Dexterity:37-(45)

Agility: 27-(37)

Endurance:27-(30)

Intelligence:79-(84)

Stat points:0

Perk Points:1

-

My hand found its way to my skull as all of the clone's memories from its ten-hour training stint rebounded against my unprepared self. I felt blood touch my lip as I realized my nose bled, it happened only once before but that was on the first day of trying the shadow clone training.

I barely had time to dodge a shuriken that was headed for my head, a small line was cut on my right cheek as I used the momentum to spin and draw my sword. Not a sound came from the hilt as I easily parried the next few projectiles with barely a twist of my wrist.

He merely raised an eyebrow at my showmanship before blitzing me, I could barely react as I blocked a stab to my jugular. Sparks came alive at the point of contact, soon I noticed a problem, Koshu's kunai was lit with that fiery glow. Drops of molten metal fell from my katana after only a few moments of contact.

I parried the kunai away and my offhand went through five seals in a matter of a second. A great breakthrough jutsu came alive that forced Koshu to retreat.

It was a good chance to catch my breath before a foot hit me in the back, sending me flying back, I managed to stab behind me as I was hit. As I was in mid-air from the strength of the blow I noticed the figure collapse into a puddle of water.

My eyes widened as I fell for the distraction, I didn't have time to lament in the air as the sound of cutting wind was next to me. The sound marked a flying kick that I barely blocked with a raised knee, my bones rattled at the blow as my eyes finally tracked the sender. I blocked another stab to my side from the glowing kunai.

I parried Koshu away with a twist of my wrist and a kick that was blocked by his forearm.

The momentum carried me as I finally made it back to the ground. I was not fairing well, I had about five hundred points of chakra, and my knees were shaking from exhaustion while my back pulsated from the pain of his water clone blow. 

After taking a moment to rally myself I raised my hand and went through a few seals and held it while I charged and went for a downward slash that Koshu easily blocked with his fiery kunai. My sword's durability ended there as the blade cracked, from the weakness Koshu made.

As soon as my strike was blocked I roared as I finally managed to land a hit, the great breakthrough hit point blank as Koshu was blown back, or a large tree slump was in his place.

I barely managed to drop the hilt of my broken sword in time to withdraw a kunai to block another stab to my jugular, I didn't manage to block the heel that smashed into the back of my head, courtesy of another water clone.

I was pushed forward from the blow and I knew this was it for me. With the last of my strength and pushed with my lead leg. My head smashed into his and for once the blow was solid, but the flaming kunai that was an inch from my neck signified my loss.

We locked eyes for the first time in this fight to notice I gave him a bloody nose, his narrowed eyes seemed to radiate anger before he removed the kunai from my frozen neck. I collapsed on my behind a moment later and rubbed my slightly slightly red neck.

-

{Quest Complete}

Resolve Tested

Objective: Do not lose consciousness in a 'real' battle against Koshu Uchiha

Rewards: 10 stat points.

-

"I liked that sword Uncle" I said with a slight amount of annoyance that he broke my sword and how bad the reward was for that quest.

"That?" He asked as he walked a few feet and picked up the hilt, he looked it over and gave the land of Lightning symbol a slightly longer look before tossing it. "Junk, a sword for a novice. It would've held a chakra flow worse than a standard Kunai" He said with a shrug as he walked over and stood in front of me.

"You're still intent on returning to the Suna front?" He asked as he looked down on me, obviously after being dismantled like that hurt my pride, but I was already aware of how weak I was so I just nodded.

"Right at this moment you are no better than a regular chunin Uchiha. Your swordsmanship is above average. Your ninjutsu is well above average, your single-handed seals are impressive. Your strength is about average. But you're speed, durability, and chakra control are well below that average." Koshu began listing off as he gave me an unasked-for measure of my skills.

"Your point is? I've been a genin for two months" I replied back while insinuating that my quick progress outweighed my current value. He was comparing me to a chunin after all.

"The point being, you are no longer death fodder and have become a real meat shield. At least that's what you'd be if you ran into a seasoned chunin or any jonin. My point is that you're weaker than Toretso and Misaki were when they joined the war" His logic was perfect, though it cut deeper than any knife. I was aware I wasn't anywhere close to as strong as my parents, they were both Jonin.

"Koshu... I have to get stronger. I can't tell you why. But the only place I have a chance to get to the level I need is on the battlefield or I'll die before my thirties most likely" I said with a note of finality as our eyes met. My Sharigan glowed as I tried to show him my resolve that no matter how many times he'd dismantle me I couldn't change my mind.

He seemed genuinely shocked at that admittance as he began pacing back in forth, muttering curses and names all the while. It ended with an intelligent 'fuck' before he grabbed me by my arm and forced me to my feet.

"Who is it? One of the elders? Danzo? Hiruzen? No none of that makes sense. There wouldn't be a time limit on your life if it was one of them, you'd be long dead. The only reason you'd need power is to survive something...." I could tell he was brainstorming, he jerked my arm with every guess to try to get me to spill. 

I wouldn't, what could I even say? 'A mysterious scroll that only I can see 'might' kill me if I don't kill the Third Hokage during the third war. He'd think I was crazy, it doesn't even make sense to me and I'm the one experiencing it'

"You can't help me with this Koshu" I offered to try and separate him from my problem. He kept running through scenarios before giving up and letting me go.

"Regardless, the problem remains." He said and I could readily agree with that, even if he knew of the 'why' the problem would still remain.

"So what is your objective here? Mastering chakra control and strength training while your clone focuses on your kenjutsu" Koshu asked as he looked over the training ground, testing the weight of my weights and taking a real look at the rope hanging over the river.

"Yeah, I only have three more weeks. At the pace I'm at I should be able to complete the water walking exercise in two." I replied and I was happy to admit I wasn't lying. I've managed to reach two hours of walking over the water at the height of my chakra, double the time I managed to last when I started a week ago.

"I can't help with the problem itself but I can help you prepare for it" He said with a sigh as a puff of smoke came from his wrist. In his hand appeared a black katana, its hilt had dark red fabric wrapped around it in a beautiful pattern. An odd symbol that slightly resembled a Sharingan was engraved on the pommel.

"This was originally your great-grandfather's sword. He used it to slay countless Senju during the warring states era. It's called Inferno's End" He narrated as my eyes were focused on the beautiful sword that he began removing from its oddly basic black scabbard. It was a black blade, a line of red separated the edge from the shaft.

"Why have I never even heard of this sword or great-grandfather?" I asked with a skeptical eye as I observed the sword.

"He was dead a few years before Konoha's founding, your grandfather was merely a boy at that time so even he knew very little. All he received from the man was this sword. My father and mother died during the first shinobi war when I was a teenager, he left me this sword in his will. Now I'm giving it to you, the fourth generation to wield it" He said as he sheathed the sword in a single motion and handed it to me. Now that I think about it I couldn't remember a time when Koshu had a katana with him. 

Despite that fact I accepted the sword quickly, it was heavy. Not physically but knowing this was something only my family has wielded was what made it feel like a weight in my hands. I strapped it onto my waistline before drawing it and giving it a few test swings.

"A katana made of pure chakra metal, a few seals are on the blade that I believe boost fire-natured chakra. The sword has only a single ability I've discovered. It allows novices to use a form of chakra flow" He said as I perked up in curiosity.

"How do I do that?" I asked, I've heard of chakra flow but there are several steps needed to even try it.

"Cover the blade in chakra" He ordered to which I quickly complied. "All that is needed after is a spark" He said as he threw a kunai at me, I parried it away on pure reflex and then the sword lit with an orange flame. It took even less chakra than my Sharingan to keep it active, about three points a second.

"Woah" I said intelligently as I observed the flaming sword. 

"It is purely a chakra blade, so it can be used with the other elements. You can increase the power of the sword if you actually know chakra flow, which requires shape and nature transformation training." Koshu said as I cut the flow of chakra to the sword. It was impressive to say the absolute least, it would make my swordsmanship twice as deadly.

"Thank you Uncle" I said as I offered him a bow in thanks for entrusting this with me.

"We're not done yet" He said as he began ruffling my hair.

"Once you're done with your chakra control training, I will train you for the rest of the time you have left in the village" He ordered and I just nodded in response.