"Boom~"
Amidst the raging flames, Tenko was hurled through the air by the shockwave and crashed into a tree. The trunk broke and slowly began to fall backward.
He then slowly slid down and sat at the base of the tree. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. Just as he regained his senses, he saw a hand extending towards him.
"Are you hurt?"
The voice sounded somewhat like the affectionate tone of the neighbor's older brother who plays basketball with you, but to Tenko, it was like a whisper from the Devil.
He began to push against the ground with his legs, trying to retreat, but behind him was the sturdy yet broken tree, making it impossible to move back even a little.
However, this fear lasted only a few seconds. Tenko quickly regained his composure, looked up at Tatsuma's familiar face, and saw the concern on it. Tenko took a deep breath and calmed down.
"I'm fine."
Tenko shakily reached out and grabbed Tatsuma to stand up. Although his feet felt light and his head was groggy, making him uncomfortable, it seemed this time Tatsuma had held back and didn't let him get hurt. Tatsuma was surprisingly kind.
"This time, my skill was indeed superior. But you've made great progress too. Being able to withstand my technique for so long means you've mastered the Fire Dragon Bullet. Next, I can teach you the Fire Dragon Flame Bullet."
"Really? Have I made progress? But you're still so strong."
Tenko was somewhat incredulous that his own progress allowed him to resist Tatsuma for such a long time. He found a more comfortable position to accept defeat, avoiding injury.
He thought Tatsuma had held back, as that seemed more reasonable.
"Ding~"
A notification sound echoed in his mind. Tatsuma didn't pay much attention, just silently acknowledged it before saying to Tenko:
"In the past few years, you didn't learn the Sharingan's techniques. Instead, you chose to spend more time practicing the basic ninjutsu and chakra control.
These trainings might not have shown their value in the past, but when combined with the Sarutobi style Fire Release, which requires precise chakra control to unleash its full power, your past efforts have finally borne fruit.
Your progress in the Sarutobi style Fire Release is something even I or Minato back then would have found hard to match."
Tatsuma wasn't flattering Tenko; it was the truth. The Uchiha Clan naturally had a unique talent for Fire Release, and Tenko's growth trajectory was different from the usual Uchiha.
As a result, his expertise in the Uchiha style's "quantity-based" Fire Release Ninjutsu was relatively shallow, while he was extremely well-suited for the Sarutobi style's "quality-based" Fire Release Ninjutsu.
The process of learning was indeed slower for Tenko compared to Tatsuma and Minato, but once he mastered it, his further progress was very rapid.
Tenko scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed, and said, "You learned our Uchiha Clan's Fire Release very quickly. Everything I can do, you've already mastered and use much better than I do."
If Tenko's Fire Release is suited for a high-quality approach, then Tatsuma is suited for a high-output approach. His "Sea Overturning" is incredibly well-matched with several Uchiha Fire Release Ninjutsu.
Even though Tatsuma had just mastered it, with the help of "Sea Overturning," he had already surpassed Tenko in terms of destructive power and range with Uchiha Fire Release Ninjutsu such as Great Dragon Fire, Great Fire Annihilation, Great Fire Destruction, and Dragon Flame Release Song.
It's hard to say how the other Uchiha members would react when they find out that Tenko, the prodigal son, taught all the Uchiha Fire Release techniques to Tatsuma.
Teaching Tatsuma the Uchiha Fire Release by Tenko is entirely different from Tatsuma teaching Tenko the Sarutobi Fire Release.
When Tatsuma taught Tenko the Sarutobi Fire Release, it was essentially passing on knowledge to just one person because this was a technique specifically authorized by Sarutobi Hiruzen, which other Uchiha members wouldn't dare to learn or use. They could only study the strengths of the Sarutobi Fire Release in secret and make subtle improvements to their own Fire Release, although their pride might prevent them from doing even that.
But Tenko teaching Tatsuma the Uchiha Fire Release means that these techniques will inevitably end up in the village's archives. Although no one might openly claim to know Uchiha Fire Release techniques in the short term, when the village needs it, dozens or even hundreds of ninjas proficient in Uchiha Fire Release might suddenly appear.
This is also why Sarutobi Hiruzen agreed so readily, as it is a substantial gain. Nowadays, Uchiha Tenko, who has joined ANBU, has shed much of his Uchiha identity.
If the village doesn't agree, Tenko cannot return to the Uchiha. Teaching him the Sarutobi Fire Release is just like teaching other ANBU ninjas, which is something Sarutobi Hiruzen often does.
Tatsuma was aware of Sarutobi Hiruzen's plans but did not tell Tenko. After all, even an idiot has his own joys, and there's no need to spoil that.
Moreover, sharing the Uchiha Fire Release doesn't really deal a substantial blow, aside from making many Uchiha feel embarrassed. The Uchiha's core competitive edge remains the Sharingan, which the village cannot take away. As long as the village needs Sharingan ninjas, the Uchiha will retain sufficient competitiveness.
Tatsuma looked around and saw that the recent sea of flames hadn't ignited the forest, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Although there are no legal constraints in the Land of Fire regarding arson by Konoha ninjas, everyone has a responsibility for forest fire prevention.
He took out a bundle of scrolls from his chest and handed them to Tenko, saying, "These are the Ninjutsu scrolls for the Fire Dragon Flame Bullet. Take them back and review them. If you have any questions, you can ask me when we train tomorrow."
"Okay."
Tenko took the scroll and eagerly began to read. He had already heard from Tatsuma that this was the ultimate application of the Sarutobi Fire Release.
Moreover, he had seen Tatsuma use this technique in the Land of Wind. The massive fire dragon, which looked like a real swimming dragon, had deeply impressed him.
Compared to the Uchiha style's sea of fire attacks, Tenko preferred this beam-like attack. It didn't waste too much chakra and had a sword-like feel to its manipulation.
"By the way, we've been resting for two weeks, right? When do we start the next mission? I'm itching to get into some real combat!"
Seeing that understanding the technique was a bit difficult, Tenko put the scroll away and asked Tatsuma.
Tatsuma thought for a moment and said, "Caterpillar is fast-tracking the process, so he will likely arrange for a newcomer to come in through a senior-junior pairing. We'll need to wait for the village to select the right candidate."
In fact, Tatsuma had submitted a recommendation letter a week ago, recommending Sento. With this, they would have two members joining through the expedited process.
Even though Sento's skills met the requirements, the village might not agree to his inclusion, considering the team's ability to handle various complex situations on the spot.
A team needs a "big brother" figure, who doesn't necessarily need to be very strong or famous, but must have enough experience and insight.
In Tatsuma's previous life in the sports world, this would be the "locker room leader." After Caterpillar's retirement, their team clearly lost its locker room leader.
Although Tatsuma had been in ANBU for four years, he spent a few months as a Hokage Guard, worked as a doctor for a while, and spent two years doing research with Orochimaru.
He couldn't be considered a seasoned veteran of ANBU, and both Minato and Tenko had joined recently. While Minato had performed well, both he and Tatsuma were too young, with Tenko being even less experienced.
He was essentially brought in through special means. Even being a regular member already carried some privileges; aspiring to be the locker room leader? That would take another ten years.
Finding an ANBU with a rich background like Caterpillar or Vulture is indeed difficult, unless they are reassigned from other teams, which would disrupt the rhythm of those teams.
After submitting his recommendation letter, Tatsuma didn't pursue the matter further. After all, he was just a small team leader, with Squad Captains, Chiefs, and the Hokage above him.
Having had one exception didn't grant him the right to request another. In fact, with Tenko being an exception, Tatsuma, as the leader, needed to follow orders even more closely, at least regarding personnel changes.
Tenko nodded in understanding and said, "I hope the new member can join the team before I master the Fire Dragon Flame Bullet. If they make me wait too long, I'll have to teach them a lesson! They need to learn the consequences of offending their senpai!"
"If I remember correctly, you're also a newcomer, Vulture's replacement."
Tatsuma shrugged, and Tenko's face reddened as he replied, "I've already learned everything. We can arrange for Vulture-san to retire now, so I won't be a replacement anymore!"
"Apparently, the village doesn't agree. You're still a rookie, not yet out of the probation period."
Upon hearing this, Tenko's face turned even redder, and he wanted to argue, but Tatsuma waved him off and said, "Let's head back to the village."
Afterward, Tatsuma placed his hand on Tenko's shoulder. In the dense forest, their figures vanished, and the small animals that had scattered due to their training slowly returned.
Back home, Tatsuma strolled next door. It was mealtime, and while eating, Tsunade suddenly seemed to remember something and said, "Oh, right, Orochimaru has returned today. He wants you to come by."
"Really? I'll go see him after dinner."
Tatsuma nodded, guessing that Orochimaru had returned from a mission and wanted to discuss equipment procurement or project reactivation now that he had the funds.
After dinner, Tatsuma arrived at Orochimaru's home as early as possible. Finding him absent, he proceeded to the laboratory.
"Orochimaru-sama."
Tatsuma went straight into the lab, skipping the need to knock. Orochimaru greeted him with a smile and said, "The Land of Wind has made quite a spectacle this time. They've lost so much money because of you, yet they refuse to increase your reward. I heard the funds for the water diversion project were borrowed from the Daimyo. Hidden Sand Village must be really poor."
"I heard about it too. The Daimyo of the Land of Wind is quite bizarre. Hidden Sand Village isn't handling the situation, but it affects his own territory and people. Using loans like this, he must not fear a rebellion from Hidden Sand Village."
Tatsuma sat next to Orochimaru and looked at the screen beside him. Soon, he frowned and asked, "Orochimaru-sama, are these… Divine Tree Cells?"
Looking at the seemingly lifeless Divine Tree Cells, Tatsuma was very surprised. Orochimaru nodded and said, "On this trip, I accidentally discovered some interesting things. That's also the reason I asked you to come."
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