The old man was thrilled.
"Xiaoying, stop practicing for now. I need to head to the police department tomorrow, but I'll teach you shuriken-throwing skills today."
Uchiha Xiaonan, who had rekindled his hope, was now filled with enthusiasm for teaching. He called out to stop Hokage, who was diligently practicing the Three Basic Techniques. He then took a shuriken from his ninja bag and held it between his fingers.
"Look, when using a shuriken, hold it lightly with your four fingers, placing your thumb on the side..." He explained in detail. "When throwing, focus the center of gravity at the middle of the shuriken. Imagine your arm as a longbow and your wrist as the bowstring."
Xiaonan broke the movements into clear, easy-to-understand steps. When the explanation was complete, he demonstrated. His arms, previously folded across his chest, moved swiftly. The shuriken shot out, spinning through the air, and pierced the center of the target 10 meters away.
"Practice is more valuable than words," Xiaonan said, pulling out several shuriken from his bag. He handed them to Hokage, then ruffled the boy's shiny black hair until it became the messy spikes that seemed almost mandatory for members of the Uchiha clan. Only then did he smile in satisfaction.
"Meet me at the training ground at 6 PM tomorrow. I'll teach you a ninjutsu that will help you shine among your peers!" Xiaonan declared with exaggerated confidence.
He waved and walked away with an air of flair—if one ignored his habit of fiddling with his hair every few steps.
"Why do adults love touching my hair so much?" Hokage muttered, pressing down on his ruffled spikes in frustration. Though he grumbled about his teacher's antics, a small smile appeared on his face.
This self-proclaimed "lucky" teacher of his seemed pretty decent after all.
---
Later that evening, after practicing the "ten darts, nine misses" shuriken technique under the fading light, Hokage packed up and returned home.
For dinner, Hokage prepared a sweet meal of red bean soup and red bean cake—semi-prepared foods he had purchased earlier. After heating the soup and enjoying his meal, he quickly washed up and went to bed.
As he closed his eyes, a sudden thought struck him. He sat up and slapped his forehead.
"Damn! I almost got too comfortable acting like this," he muttered. "This is the ninja world, where only the strong survive. I can't let my guard down."
He clasped his hands and whispered, "Transformation Technique!" A puff of light mist exploded around him, revealing a man clad in worn armor, his scarlet eyes glowing with murderous intent. Hokage's hands continued to form seals rapidly, his chakra surging with each movement.
When he finished, a shadow clone materialized in the corner of the room, its expression mirroring his own.
"The clone retains the transformed appearance perfectly," Hokage murmured, analyzing the result. His chakra was nearly depleted, leaving him pale and weak for a moment. But with the quick activation of Shadow Tears, his energy returned instantly, as though the drain had been an illusion.
Turning to his clone, he said, "You understand the plan, right?"
The clone, infused with a playful personality, gave an exaggerated nod. "Got it, got it! I'll get it done. Bye~!"
With that, the clone sank into Hokage's shadow and disappeared.
Hokage summoned several more clones, each tasked with a part of his grand strategy. Once they dispersed, he emptied his mind and soon drifted off to sleep.
---
The next morning, near the quiet Nanhe River, three members of Minato's Team 7 had gathered for training.
"You're late again, Obito," Kakashi said, his voice flat and unamused.
"Rin and I have been waiting for you," he added, giving his teammate an annoyed glance.
Rin, on the other hand, smiled warmly. "It's good to see you, Obito. Let's get started!"
Minato clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention. "Alright, now that we're all here, let's begin." His bright smile radiated calm authority.
"In the past two years, you've all completed many missions together, and I've seen remarkable growth in each of you. With the Chunin Exams just a month away, it's time for one final push."
"You can count on me!" Obito declared eagerly.
"Ugh. Only an idiot would find this exam challenging," Kakashi muttered, arms crossed.
"Who are you calling an idiot, Kakashi?!" Obito retorted angrily, glaring at his teammate.
Their bickering brought a smile to both Rin and Minato as they watched.
---
The cheerful moment was interrupted by an unfamiliar voice.
"How lively. It seems I've arrived just in time."
All four turned, immediately on guard. A figure clad in armor stood on a nearby branch, his face obscured by shadow.
"Who are you?!" Obito demanded.
Kakashi's kunai was already in hand, his sharp gaze locked on the intruder.
The armored figure didn't flinch under their scrutiny. "You may call me... Hatake Sasuke," he said with a smirk.
"H-Hatake?" Kakashi's eyes narrowed further.
The figure ignored Kakashi and instead focused on Rin, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Hatake Sasuke," he repeated, "and I challenge you!"
Without waiting for a response, he leaped down from the branch, his movements deliberate but unhurried. His hands glinted with blade-like weapons as he assumed a fighting stance.
"Fight me as if you mean to kill me!" he shouted, launching himself into an attack.
Though the figure had the chakra reserves of a Chunin, his combat ability was limited by his young body and lack of real experience. His target wasn't Minato, Kakashi, or Obito—his gaze was locked on Rin, the team's medic, likely seeing her as the weakest link.
Despite the figure's erratic and unpolished movements, Team 7 quickly regrouped and prepared to defend themselves.