Chapter 23: Senior Inabi, What Else Can You Teach Me?

At the training grounds.

"If I find that your mastery of the Sharingan isn’t up to par, I’ll have to put you through some serious training afterward."

Uchiha Inabi activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan as he spoke.

In his view, once a member of the Uchiha clan awakened the Sharingan, their training should revolve around it, fully exploiting its abilities.

As for taijutsu, the correct path was to use the Sharingan’s insight and prediction to develop a technical style of close combat.

Not like that Might Guy!

Guy’s style was straightforward, relying on overwhelming strength and speed—the Strong Fist style.

The reason Inabi had specifically come looking for Reiji this time was because he was worried Reiji had taken the wrong path and was wasting his talent.

A genius of the Uchiha clan couldn’t be allowed to go to waste!

Across from him—

Reiji’s expression became serious as he immediately activated his Sharingan.

Two pairs of black tomoe slowly rotated within his crimson eyes, while the muscles throughout his body subtly shifted.

Is this all there is to it?

Uchiha Inabi felt slightly disappointed.

His Sharingan easily predicted Reiji’s movements, and he sidestepped to avoid the incoming attack.

However!

In the very next instant, Reiji’s movements changed direction smoothly and naturally, as though he had predicted where Inabi would dodge.

His fist shot straight toward the exact position Inabi had moved to!

"This—!"

Inabi cried out in surprise, his pupils shrinking.

Seeing the fist rapidly approaching his face, Uchiha Inabi relied on the speed of an Elite Jonin and quickly retreated.

He felt the wind from the passing fist brush against his cheek.

His face burned.

Whether from the wind or from embarrassment, even he couldn’t tell.

"...How... did you do that just now?"

His face flushed red, but Uchiha Inabi couldn’t help asking.

If he had only been an ordinary Jonin, that attack might have been enough to catch him.

Reiji patiently explained.

"First, I used feints designed specifically to interfere with the Sharingan’s ability to read movements and make you predict incorrectly. Those are techniques I learned from Guy-sensei."

"Then I predicted where you would dodge and attacked that position in advance. Those are also techniques Guy-sensei taught me for dealing with the Sharingan."

Uchiha Inabi looked surprised.

"Oh? Might Guy has experience fighting the Sharingan?"

Experience of this level couldn’t possibly have come from fighting someone with only a Two-Tomoe Sharingan like Reiji.

"Guy-sensei often fights Kakashi-senpai. He has extensive experience fighting against a Three-Tomoe Sharingan."

"I see. So it was that Hatake Kakashi guy."

Uchiha Inabi nodded in sudden realization.

"That guy really is impressive. As an outsider, he actually managed to evolve our Sharingan from Two Tomoe to Three Tomoe."

The corner of Reiji’s mouth twitched.

So your admiration for Kakashi isn’t because he was a genius who became a Jonin at twelve, but because he’s an outsider who managed to evolve the Sharingan?

No wonder people often thought Uchiha shinobi were arrogant and conceited.

Still—

That kind of pride wasn’t necessarily a flaw.

Being proud of one’s own clan and bloodline was perfectly normal.

The two then engaged in another brief taijutsu exchange.

Uchiha Inabi deliberately restrained his speed and strength.

Even so, the two actually fought to a standstill for a while.

"Alright, that’s enough for now."

Inabi wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and quickly called for the spar to end.

If they continued, it would become difficult to say who would win.

"Overall, you’ve learned body-control techniques from Might Guy, and indirectly gained experience dealing with the Sharingan through him as well. Very good."

Uchiha Inabi nodded in satisfaction.

After all—

When they first learned that Reiji’s assigned Jonin instructor was a young man who had only recently become a Jonin and specialized solely in taijutsu, many Uchiha shinobi had been dissatisfied.

They had felt that the village wasn’t taking their Uchiha genius seriously enough.

But now, it seemed that the village’s choice of instructor for Reiji hadn’t been bad at all.

"Next, I’ll examine your mastery of ninjutsu and genjutsu."

Uchiha Inabi spoke with confidence.

In his opinion—

Might Guy specialized only in taijutsu. There was no way he could provide Reiji with much guidance in these two areas.

If Reiji wanted to improve his ninjutsu and genjutsu, he would still need to rely on someone like Inabi.

Suddenly—

Uchiha Inabi noticed that the little girl named Uchiha Izumi was looking at him strangely.

It almost seemed like...

She was looking at him with pity?

He shook his head and dismissed the inexplicable thought.

As for Uchiha Izumi—

She spent practically every day with Reiji and completely understood his level of ninjutsu and genjutsu.

Every ninjutsu and genjutsu he possessed could be learned after looking at a scroll just once.

And he could cast all of them without hand seals.

At most, Reiji simply didn’t place enough importance on developing his genjutsu.

Senior Inabi wanted to test Reiji on this?

Wasn’t he just asking to embarrass himself?

Sure enough—

Izumi soon watched as Reiji casually performed one seal-less Fire Release technique after another, followed by one seal-less genjutsu after another.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Inabi’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor.

"You... you can perform all of these without hand seals?"

Uchiha Inabi stammered.

He had originally thought that Reiji’s ability to cast the Great Fireball Technique without hand seals was simply because he had mastered it to an extraordinarily high level.

"Yes. Just like I explained back then."

Reiji remained calm.

"As long as you can precisely control the flow of chakra within your body while releasing a technique, hand seals aren’t necessary."

He had already explained this to Uchiha Fugaku and the others when he graduated early.

"..."

Uchiha Inabi was speechless.

If so many people hadn’t tried and failed to do the same thing, he might actually have believed Reiji.

Even Shisui couldn’t perform Fire Release without hand seals!

"Senior Inabi, is there anything else you need to examine?"

Reiji asked politely.

"...Ahem. No, not for the moment."

Uchiha Inabi’s face burned with embarrassment.

He had enthusiastically come over intending to examine Reiji’s abilities, only for things to turn out like this.

Looking at Reiji’s expression, he couldn’t help but feel as though the boy were asking:

Is there anything else you can teach me?

His mind raced as he desperately searched for something that would allow him to save face.

Otherwise, there was no way he could leave with his dignity intact today.

"Ahem. As for using the Sharingan in taijutsu, there are still some techniques you need to learn."

After thinking for a moment, Uchiha Inabi straightened his expression and spoke seriously.

"Hatake Kakashi may have developed his own techniques for using the Sharingan, but there’s no way they can compare to the techniques our clan has passed down from generation to generation."

"Also, I noticed earlier that your mastery of genjutsu isn’t particularly outstanding. There is still room for improvement."

"I’ll teach you all of these things properly from now on."

Reiji politely nodded.

"Then I’ll be counting on you, Senior Inabi."