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Chapter 29 – Control
When Kaien saw Sasuke's expression, he didn't explain right away.
Instead, he waved his hand.
An Uchiha clan member immediately entered from the outer courtyard.
"Go find one of our Uchiha Genin—the younger, the better," Kaien ordered.
"Yes, sir."
After a short while, an Uchiha Genin arrived to report.
He was a small Genin who had just graduated last year.
"What's your name? Have you awakened your Sharingan?" Kaien asked.
Although he could check the information on the faction template, there were so many Uchiha members that he didn't bother looking it up.
The boy replied calmly,
"Reporting to Master Kaien, my name is Hayate. I have not awakened my Sharingan yet."
Kaien nodded.
"Attack me with everything you've got."
Hayate didn't say much. He immediately took a combat stance.
"Sasuke, watch closely," Kaien said, then signaled Hayate to begin.
Hayate darted to the left and right, then pulled a shuriken from his pouch and hurled it.
For a Genin, his strength and accuracy were quite good.
Kaien dodged to the side seriously, and while doing so, Hayate quickly formed hand seals and released a Great Fireball Jutsu toward Kaien's dodging path.
Kaien moved quickly, evading the fireball with ease.
Hayate immediately abandoned the technique, dodged Kaien's counterattack with a blade, and delivered a quick kick toward him.
Although Kaien could have broken his guard easily, he allowed Hayate to continue attacking for a short while.
When Hayate missed a kick, Kaien lightly knocked him away.
"All right, that's enough. Don't rely so much on physical techniques before you awaken your Sharingan," Kaien said calmly.
"Yes, thank you, sir!" Hayate replied, clearly pleased, and asked no further questions.
"Do you understand now, Sasuke?" Kaien asked.
"Master, are you saying I'm moving too much?" Sasuke guessed.
Bonk!
Kaien hit Sasuke on the head again.
"Wrong!"
Sasuke rubbed his head.
"Your mistake isn't that you use too much Taijutsu, or that your shuriken throw was bad, or even that your Great Fireball was weak."
"It's that you lack control."
"Control?" Sasuke looked up.
"That's right. The fact that Uchiha-style Taijutsu includes many physical moves isn't a weakness—it's a strength. The more techniques you know, the more unpredictable your attacks become. Fists, feet, elbows, shoulders, knees... all can be used as weapons."
"Our Uchiha Interceptor Style can be as elegant and mesmerizing as a dance on a blade."
"But there's a condition—and that's the Sharingan."
"Without the Sharingan's aid, you can't follow your opponent's movements fast enough, nor adjust your attacks accordingly. Without it, Uchiha-style Taijutsu becomes inefficient and redundant."
"Oh!" Sasuke suddenly understood.
When he had been learning Uchiha Interceptor Style, Itachi had praised him—because Itachi had the Sharingan.
But he didn't, and still tried to use advanced moves he couldn't control properly.
"Your shuriken throws are accurate—but remember, your enemy isn't a stationary target. Accuracy means nothing if you can't anticipate how your opponent will dodge."
"If you can't predict your opponent's movement, then what's the point of throwing shuriken? Do you expect them to just stand there and get hit?"
"Your brother Itachi's shuriken skills are legendary. He can even manipulate their trajectories by colliding them midair."
"And when you cast the Great Fireball Jutsu, you didn't even know where your enemy was. You didn't think to cancel the technique even when your opponent was right in front of you. Do you really think an enemy will just wait for you to finish your hand signs and breathe fire?"
"The Great Fireball isn't about how large or long-lasting it is—it's about timing and opportunity."
"Mhm… Mhm…"
Sasuke kept nodding. The more Kaien spoke, the more everything made sense.
Training and actual combat were completely different.
Now, he realized that when he sparred with Itachi, his brother had only been humouring him.
"When do you throw your shuriken? Which way will the enemy dodge? Will you use the shuriken to create openings, or the Fire Style to corner them into a trap?"
"There's one thing you must remember," Kaien said, raising a finger.
"The Great Fireball Jutsu that every Uchiha learns is usually used to compress the enemy's movements—or to use the flames as cover for your own approach."
"Very few people actually die from the Great Fireball itself."
"Yes, teacher! I understand now!" Sasuke replied earnestly.
He finally realized just how much more he had to learn.
Kaien reached out and tapped Sasuke's forehead.
"You're not capable of controlling your own strength yet. When you can throw shuriken at moving targets and cast ninjutsu flexibly, I'll teach you more."
"Ok, teacher. But why do you tap my forehead like my brother?" Sasuke muttered.
Even so, he felt much closer to Kaien than before.
"Mastering every skill you learn is essential for becoming strong," Kaien continued.
"Sasuke, if you want to be strong, then every technique you learn must be fully mastered before you use it in battle."
"Otherwise, you'll end up being killed by your own recklessness."
"Yes! Master!"
Looking at the now-obedient Sasuke, Kaien felt a sense of fondness for the boy.
No matter how much he said, Sasuke absorbed it.
If he could just shed some arrogance and become more grounded, he could go far.
"All right, school starts tomorrow. You should prepare. You're nearly six—but your brother graduated the Ninja Academy at seven."
"Don't worry, teacher! I'm Itachi's little brother. I'm sure I can graduate early!"
Kaien waved his hand dismissively.
Itachi had graduated early due to the war.
Back then, manpower was short—even kids who could throw a shuriken or use a substitution technique were sent to the battlefield.
Let alone a genius like Itachi.
"The Ninja Academy is a good place to build a foundation. You also need to learn how to interact with others. Communication and teamwork are just as important as combat."
"Once you've earned the top spot in school, then we'll consider early graduation."
"Teacher, I'll take first place!" Sasuke said with determination.
Land of Fire – Border
After days of hardship and camping outdoors, the Uchiha group finally approached the border of the Land of Fields.
Everyone was tired from the journey.
Itachi decided they would rest before crossing the border.
Many Uchiha quickly pulled camping gear from their storage scrolls and began setting up tents.
They used Water Style to gather water and Fire Style to start fires.
The quicker ones went to hunt for food, while others collected firewood and prepared cooking utensils.
Everything proceeded smoothly.
Before long, several team members had returned with a deer and a wild boar—more than enough to feed everyone.
Itachi sat down and pulled out the plan Kaien had given him. He began reviewing it.
Shisui sat next to him.
Itachi glanced up.
"Have your eyes recovered?"
Shisui nodded.
"This was the first time I used Kotoamatsukami on so many people. I thought both eyes would be depleted... but one still has power left."
"Kaien probably calculated that," Itachi said, pointing at a specific location on the map.
"You'll need that last use—here."
Shisui followed his finger and saw a name that sent a chill down his spine—
Orochimaru.
….
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Translated By – Ancient Lores
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