After an impure night, Masashi's new day still began with embracing the first rays of morning sunlight. His eyes snapped open, a slight throb behind them reminding him of last night's indulgences.
Sake, women, and late nights. The unholy three of a good time... and a rough morning, he stretched out the kinks in his muscles. He drank too much, and his head was still a little dizzy. But that didn't stop him from waking up on time.
Money could be earned, drinks could be had, and girls could be charmed any day. Training, though? That was the real prize. The path to power didn't pave itself. And today, there were no missions, no need to clock in at the department, which was great.
He dragged himself out of bed, splashed cold water on his face, and grabbed a glass from the tap. As he left his house like usual, intending to use the equipment at the training grounds, something felt off. The usual morning bustle was different, with clan members heading towards the entrance instead of their daily routines.
Strange, but he wasn't really interested in the commotion. The training grounds were calling, and he wasn't about to let some clan gossip distract him from his goals.
To his surprise and delight, the grounds were empty. No waiting, no sharing—just him and the equipment.
Perfect. He smiled as he surveyed his private training paradise.
Masashi began with basic forms, his movements still refined despite the lingering effects of alcohol. As he warmed up, his mind cleared, focusing solely on the task at hand. The repetitive motions were meditative, each punch and kick driving away the fog of last night's excesses.
Time to kick it up a notch, he decided, forming the hand signs for the Shadow Clone Jutsu. With a puff of smoke, an exact replica appeared.
"Alright, me," he smirked at his clone. "Let's see what we can do."
He started with simple dodging exercises, the clone throwing slow, telegraphed punches. But that was just the warm-up. Masashi had something more... interesting in mind.
He took a deep breath, eyes locked on his clone. He broke into a sprint, dashing towards the clone while his hand dipped into his pouch. In a move that defied conventional tactics, he suddenly launched three shuriken behind him as he ran.
The clone watched, confused by the seemingly off-target throws. To an observer, it would seem Masashi had simply thrown his weapons away. But he wasn't done. This was where things got interesting.
The three shuriken flew through the air, each released at a slightly different speed and angle. The third struck the second, altering its trajectory. The second then hit the fist, causing it to curve sharply.
Almost there. Just a bit more spin on the third one...
Each impact changed the course of the others. The first shuriken, now far behind the clone, curved sharply as it whistled through the air towards the back of the clone's head.
The clone, reacting on instinct, ducked just as the shuriken whizzed overhead. It dispelled in a puff of smoke, more from surprise than actual contact.
"Tch," he clicked his tongue. "Still not quite right." He wiped the sweat from his brow, analyzing what went wrong. The timing was off by a fraction of a second, the angle of the third throw just a degree too wide.
But he was close.
So close.
He was about to reset for another attempt when the sound of approaching footsteps broke his concentration. Not just one person, but a large crowd.
Masashi stopped his training and looked toward the entrance of the training grounds, curiosity overriding his annoyance at the interruption. What he saw made him blink in surprise, his usually impassive face betraying a moment of genuine shock.
The clan leader skipping work?
There, at the entrance of the training grounds, stood Fugaku. And he wasn't alone. Behind him was a sea of faces, both familiar and strange. But one stood out—a spiky-haired blond man whose presence seemed to light up the area.
The Yellow Flash, this deep in Uchiha territory? Aren't you guys worried he'd leave some marks? But he's already the Hokage, so it seems there's no real way to refuse...
Fugaku was now showcasing a talent beyond being a ninja—being a tour guide. "Hokage-sama, this is our clan's training grounds. Usually, everyone trains here... Hmm? Masashi?"
Fugaku looked quite surprised to see the young man standing by the target range. He remembered this person's name because of his impressive performance during the battle against the Mist Ninja.
A notice had been sent out, informing everyone that the new Hokage would be visiting the Uchiha clan today. Since the Hokage chose the Uchiha for his first official visit, the Uchiha had to put on a good show.
Clearly, Masashi had missed some important memo.
Hadn't Fugaku himself been waiting at the clan's entrance before dawn to greet the Hokage?
But here this guy was, still at the training grounds. Does the Hokage not deserve your attention?
Even if that was what everyone was secretly thinking, it shouldn't be so obvious!
Masashi could practically feel the clan leader's disapproval radiating off him in waves. Before Fugaku could speak, the Hokage took the initiative.
The blond man stepped forward, his smile was warm and disarming. But Masashi knew better than to let his guard down. This was the man who could single-handedly decide the outcome of a war.
"Fugaku-san, no need to get upset," he said with a friendly smile, though his tone made it clear he was in charge. "Having such a hardworking young man in the family is something to be admired, isn't it?"
The Hokage turned to Masashi, his smile widening. "Your name is Masashi, right? I'm Minato. Nice to meet you. I've heard about your battlefield exploits. An Uchiha skilled in multiple ninjutsu is quite rare."
Masashi didn't respond immediately, not out of disrespect or shock, but because something else came to mind.
Grilled eel or spicy miso ramen? His stomach quietly reminded him that breakfast had been sacrificed for training. The dango shop might have those seasonal sakura-flavored ones today...
"Indeed," Fugaku's voice was a bit low. "Masashi's interests are slightly different from the rest of the clan. He's very into ninjutsu."
His voice served as a reminder to Masashi.
Realizing he was expected to say something, he bowed slightly. "Hokage-sama," he began, his voice carefully neutral despite his irritation. "I apologize for my ignorance of your visit. Had I known, I would have prepared a proper welcome."
As he spoke, part of his mind was still debating lunch options. Maybe I can swing by the ramen shop after this circus is over. Their chashu is perfectly tender...
"No harm done. After all, I don't know much yet," Minato waved off the apology, his eyes scanning the training ground with obvious interest.
At this point, his reputation had spread throughout the ninja world, and he didn't really care about such minor things anymore.
In fact, he was more intrigued by the fact that an Uchiha was training in Yang Release. Minato was no longer a naive newcomer. He was well-versed in the history of the ninja world and the darker side of the village.
He had many interests, and many awkward situations to navigate. Just yesterday, after his inauguration, he tried to confront the Root division, but lost the argument to Danzō. And without support from the Third Hokage, he couldn't change anything. Realizing his inexperience was a hard pill to swallow.
But as a new leader with limited influence he found it hard to make immediate changes at the higher levels.
So he decided to approach things from a different angle.
As the Hokage it was reasonable for him to visit the various clans after taking office.
Visiting the Uchiha clan first, a group historically marginalized by Konoha's core power structure, was not only reasonable but also well-justified.
The recently concluded Third Great Ninja War had proven that the Uchiha clan was loyal to the village.
Honestly, Minato had always found it odd that, despite the Uchiha's stiff demeanor, strange personalities, sarcastic speech, and dark history, they held no significant voice in the village's leadership, despite being one of the most important supporting forces among Konoha's Jonin.
During the Third Great Ninja War, Konoha produced two shining stars. He was one, and the other was Uchiha Shisui.
Shisui's record and his young age made many question whether their own ninja careers were even worthwhile.
At just 13, he cut down enemies like grass on the battlefield, and during the war, villages would have their ninjas retreat upon seeing him, treating him much like Minato.
This went beyond the concept of a genius. A genius was someone yet to fully develop. Shisui had already become something far greater.
Yet, despite his prowess, everyone naturally regarded him as a kind-hearted individual.
Combined with the already fallen Obito, Minato had high hopes for the younger generation of the Uchiha.
In fact, he believed he had discovered a pattern—that the more unconventional Uchiha were within their clan, the more they embraced the Will of Fire.
Masashi seemed to fit this pattern. After all, which Uchiha spent their days training in Yang Release?
So now, Minato was looking at Masashi with eager anticipation. But as the person being stared at, Masashi was starting to feel uneasy.
Although he didn't sense any malice from Minato, being under the gaze of someone so powerful, someone who could defeat entire armies alone, made him uncomfortable.
"Hokage-sama, you flatter me," he responded, somewhat half-heartedly. "It's just a personal interest of mine."
Minato didn't seem to notice Masashi's discomfort. He acted like they were old friends, continuing to ask curiously, "It's not often we see Uchiha branching out beyond their traditional techniques. Oh, and I heard something interesting. Did you really copy a Kekkei Genkai from a Mist ninja?"
Masashi nodded slowly. The achievement was significant, but drawing too much attention could be dangerous. "By chance, yes. It was an... unexpected outcome."
"Would you mind showing me?" Minato asked, his curiosity evident. "I'm just intrigued by the possibilities. The implications for ninjutsu theory alone are... well, remarkable."
Masashi hesitated for a moment, then complied. He drew his short sword, channeling his chakra. Visible to the naked eye, a cold aura spread across the blade, a thin layer of ice forming before it quickly dissipated.
"The Ice Release of the Yuki clan... remarkable. The formation and dissipation are almost instantaneous. How did you manage to replicate it?" As the ice crystals disappeared into the air, Minato was fascinated, silently making a note about the Yuki clan he had never met.
It was well-known that the Sharingan couldn't copy bloodline limits, so for Masashi to have succeeded, most in Konoha, even the Uchiha, assumed the Yuki clan's technique was some form of combined ninjutsu. Their dismissal of it as a subpar ability only showed their ignorance.
But Masashi knew better. His years of training in Yang Release had finally started to bear fruit. The combination of Uchiha blood and Senju-style Yang Release... it was a path to power he'd only dreamed of. This path that could take him to the peak had finally become clear.
As Minato continued to ask questions, Masashi answered politely but guardedly. He could see the wheels turning in the Hokage's mind, no doubt considering the possibilities of an Uchiha with such unique abilities.
"It's a complex process," he said, choosing his words carefully. "I'm still exploring."
Minato's brow furrowed in thought. "I can imagine. The potential applications are... well, they're quite something."
As the conversation wound down and Minato moved on to greet other clan members, Masashi's mind was already somwhere else.