The death of Uzumaki Mito marked the end of the era of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.
With Mito gone, neither Nawaki, Uzumaki Kushina, nor Ishigami Hara had her protection anymore, and they now had to face the world on their own.
Although Ishigami Hara did not live on the Senju grounds, he continued to stay at his own home. However, he made it a point to visit the Senju training grounds daily to practice with Nawaki and Uzumaki Kushina.
Since Uzumaki Mito's passing, both Nawaki and Kushina had become more intense in their training. Their practice sessions were fiercer and more relentless than before. Despite understanding their emotions, Ishigami Hara did not hold back during sparring.
Training with them was an excellent learning opportunity. In just a few days, the numerous ninjutsu mastered by the two had become part of Ishigami Hara's repertoire; he had absorbed and learned them all.
After sparring one day, the three of them rested on the sidelines. Nawaki, seeming to shake off his previous gloom, appeared unexpectedly excited.
"Haha, did you hear? The Rain Country was defeated, and my sister will be back soon."
This was a recent development in the war, and indeed, good news for Konoha. Ishigami Hara understood the situation well. Although Konoha remained strong in the Second Ninja World War, true victory was still a distant goal.
At this point in time, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru had earned the title of the Sannin. Jiraiya and Tsunade were still engaged in battle, while Orochimaru had returned to the village to recover from injuries. It was likely he would be sent back to the front lines soon.
Ishigami Hara knew what was on Nawaki's mind; he had always wanted to join the battlefield. Reflecting on the unfolding events, Ishigami Hara unconsciously shook his head.
"What's wrong?" Nawaki asked.
"Do you want to go to the battlefield?" Ishigami Hara asked bluntly.
Nawaki scratched his head and grinned, "You figured it out, huh? Haha."
Ishigami Hara stared at him seriously. "I advise you not to entertain such thoughts."
Nawaki frowned. "Why not? I'm the First Hokage's grandson. The blood of the First Hokage flows in me. It's my duty to fight on the battlefield."
Uzumaki Kushina remained silent beside them.
Hearing this, Ishigami Hara chose not to press further. He knew that no matter what he said, he wouldn't be able to change Nawaki's mind, so he dropped the subject.
"Hmph, this kid has no idea what war really is," Uchiha Izuna's voice echoed coldly in Ishigami Hara's mind, clearly unimpressed with Nawaki.
Ishigami Hara didn't respond, but Uchiha Izuna continued. "Kid, are you interested in learning the knowledge of the Uchiha clan? I can teach you."
So, he finally couldn't resist, huh?
It had been over half a month since Uzumaki Mito's death, and during that time, Ishigami Hara had relaxed some of the restrictions on Uchiha Izuna. However, because of the Nine Tails incident during the transfer, Uchiha Izuna had been in a bad mood.
As a result, they hadn't communicated much over the past few weeks.
Ishigami Hara didn't care much about Uchiha Izuna. In fact, he was actively trying to expel him from his body. The sensation of sharing his own body with another soul was unsettling, especially when that soul belonged to a madman from the Uchiha clan, someone closely related to Uchiha Madara. This made Ishigami Hara feel even more uncomfortable.
For more than half a month, Ishigami Hara had left things alone, never initiating any conversation. However, Uchiha Izuna, unable to hold back any longer, eventually spoke up.
"Why?" Ishigami Hara asked.
"Why? Don't you want to?" Uchiha Izuna's displeasure was clear—he wasn't satisfied with Ishigami Hara's indifferent response.
"I'll think about it," Ishigami Hara replied.
He knew it wasn't the right time to agree outright. Keeping Uchiha Izuna at bay was the best course of action for now. "What I've learned so far is sufficient for me at this stage. There's no need to rush," he added.
"Damn it! The Senju techniques aren't nearly as good as those of the Uchiha! Don't be ungrateful!" Uchiha Izuna snapped, his temper flaring.
"Alright, I reluctantly agree," Ishigami Hara responded, rather bluntly this time.
Silence followed on Uchiha Izuna's end.
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Uchiha Izuna finally said, realizing he had been played.
"No way, Uchiha, are you going back on your word?" Ishigami Hara asked calmly.
"You..." Uchiha Izuna fumed but eventually responded in a begrudging tone, "Fine, I'll see how much you can learn."
It quickly became evident that Uchiha Izuna possessed vast knowledge, particularly regarding the ancestral techniques of the Uchiha clan, which opened Ishigami Hara's eyes to new possibilities.
From Uchiha fluid technique, Uchiha swordsmanship, Uchiha blade techniques, to an array of Fire Release ninjutsu, Uchiha Izuna had much to offer. The fluid technique and swordsmanship were especially impressive, both deriving from the Sharingan. While they were flashy in their execution, they were also highly effective and deadly, fully showcasing the advantages of the Sharingan.
To Uchiha Izuna's surprise, Ishigami Hara's learning speed was beyond anything he had expected. Once the key concepts were explained, Ishigami Hara grasped and mastered them almost instantly.
This level of aptitude astonished Uchiha Izuna to the point where he struggled to find the words to describe it. It wasn't just about genius—there was something almost supernatural about Ishigami Hara's ability to learn so quickly.
In just half a month, Uchiha Izuna realized he had nothing left to teach. He had to accept it, which, for a teacher, was a rather sad realization.
Ishigami Hara's response, however, was calm and understated. "It seems that's all the help you can offer me. What a pity."
"You little devil..." Uchiha Izuna began, but the truth was undeniable—everything Ishigami Hara said was accurate.
His monstrous learning ability was both admirable and frustrating. Uchiha Izuna, for all his knowledge, found himself unable to teach Ishigami Hara anything more.
Perhaps he could teach him how to navigate life? But then again, he was a dead man. And if the Uchiha clan had understood how to behave in the world, they wouldn't be in the situation they were in now.