Chapter 64 - Mrs. Mikoto, You Wouldn't Want Sasuke to Be Targeted During Training, Would You?
"Clan Head, I feel like the way you and Onii-chan talk is kind of weird."
Though Sasuke was still young, he could tell there was something going on between Renji and his brother that he didn't quite understand.
"It's nothing—just a difference in understanding over certain things."
Renji smiled and didn't explain further.
Then he stopped dwelling on the matter, stood up, and pointed toward the Uchiha training grounds.
"Let me see what your current strength looks like."
At this stage, Sasuke likely only knew the Great Fireball Technique and some required jutsu from the Ninja Academy.
"Okay, Clan Head!"
Sasuke replied excitedly, his tone full of eagerness.
He had barely fallen asleep the night before. At the time, he had been imagining how, with Renji's guidance, he might even graduate early.
"Clan Head, I heard you graduated from the academy early, just like my brother?"
Sasuke had done some research. He knew Renji was a genius on par with his brother, which made him all the more excited for today's training.
"Yes, I did graduate early. Sounds like you're quite eager to leave the Ninja Academy too, huh?"
Judging from Sasuke's expression and tone, it was clear he wanted out.
But in this peaceful era, graduating early wasn't easy—this wasn't wartime.
"Of course. I don't want to keep playing pretend with the kids at the academy!"
Sasuke had long felt the academy had nothing more to offer him—just a place where time was wasted.
He also wanted to prove to his father and brother that he was just as capable.
Once he graduated, he would be a real ninja, and others would stop treating him like a child.
"To graduate early, though, you need to have a team. Otherwise, you'd be on your own, and I doubt your father would approve."
It all came down to timing.
Wartime made early graduation easier. More importantly, without a team, no jōnin would want to mentor a solo genin. And letting Sasuke go on missions alone? Fugaku would never allow it.
"Can't I just take on missions by myself after graduating early?"
Sasuke hadn't considered that. He had only thought about graduating, gaining experience, and not wasting time in the academy.
"Of course you can. Technically, having a jōnin lead you isn't mandatory."
"You can graduate and complete missions on your own. But in the beginning, the tasks will all be things like pulling weeds or finding lost pets."
"The reason jōnin lead teams is because later on, missions go outside the village. And on your first real mission, accidents are common. A jōnin is there for protection."
If it were only D-rank missions within the village, it'd be fine. But from Sasuke's expression, Renji could tell that wasn't what he wanted.
"So how do I graduate early?"
"Graduation exam. Pass that, and you're out. For someone like you, it should be fairly easy."
If the Uchiha hadn't been wiped out, with Sasuke's talent and personality, he would have graduated early already.
But after the massacre, Sasuke was essentially kept idle in the academy for years.
Besides, Konoha never really had anyone who could teach Sasuke. Kakashi was a partial exception, but he didn't know the Uchiha's secret techniques and used the Sharingan clumsily at first. He couldn't teach Sasuke anything meaningful.
Sasuke's real growth came under Orochimaru. Konoha was simply too soft.
If Sasuke had grown up normally, it wouldn't be a problem. But he carried hatred.
Konoha's actions were less about training him and more about dulling his edges—hoping he'd settle down, marry, and continue the Uchiha bloodline peacefully.
The previous generation of Uchiha didn't cooperate and were all killed. But their bloodline was too valuable. Hiruzen definitely wanted more Uchiha born.
"Then please train me according to graduation standards, Clan Head!"
Sasuke looked at Renji seriously. Even though Renji had explained the pros and cons, Sasuke still wanted to graduate early.
He wasn't following Renji just to coast—he genuinely wanted to become stronger.
"Alright. If you're up to the task, I'll speak with the school and arrange a graduation exam for you."
It might actually be a good idea to let Sasuke graduate early.
Altering Sasuke's fate like this—it felt like a hidden reward might come from it.
"Then I'll be counting on you, Clan Head!"
Though he felt a little embarrassed, with Renji taking such good care of him, Sasuke's desire to graduate was stronger than anything else.
"No problem. Now let's see what you've got."
Renji gestured for him to begin.
"Then I won't hold back!"
Sasuke didn't draw a kunai. He planned to test himself using taijutsu. His moves were ones he used often in sparring at the academy—but to Renji, every one of them was full of flaws.
Clearly, the academy wasn't teaching any real technique.
Back during wartime, students were taught actual combat skills. But in this era of peace, even the curriculum had softened.
"Got you!"
Renji casually raised a hand and locked Sasuke's left wrist.
In the next instant, a kunai was at Sasuke's throat. The cold, sharp blade made him instinctively gulp. If this were a real fight, he would already be dead.
"Too naïve, Sasuke. No need to test further—let's get straight to training."
Seeing Sasuke's disappointed expression, Renji patted his shoulder and offered comfort.
"You're still young. The future belongs to people like you."
"But... I lost so easily..."
Well, of course you did.
Renji complained inwardly.
He was up against a student who just entered the academy. If he couldn't end it quickly, he might as well step down as clan head.
What frustrated Sasuke wasn't just losing.
He was the top student at the academy—he'd never lost a spar. While he expected defeat against Renji, he hadn't imagined losing before even using a single jutsu or transformation technique.
They'd heard Renji had awakened the Three Tomoe Sharingan. If he had used it just now, Sasuke probably wouldn't have had the chance to make a move at all.
"So Sasuke, I assume you've already mastered the Three Basic Jutsu?"
These days, graduation wasn't that difficult. As long as a teacher felt you were ready, that was enough. If a student could perform the Clone, Transformation, and Substitution techniques and pass the academic tests, then it all came down to the teacher's approval.
Since Sasuke had already mastered the Great Fireball Technique, there was no reason he wouldn't know the Three Basic Jutsu. He wasn't Naruto—there was no Nine-Tails disrupting his chakra.
"I have, Clan Head! Are you going to teach me more powerful jutsu now?"
Hope flickered in Sasuke's eyes. He wanted to learn jutsu from Renji. Surely Renji knew tons of powerful techniques. Once he mastered them, he'd make Itachi look at him differently.
"Before learning jutsu, you need to build a solid foundation. It's like a house—without a sturdy base, it will collapse eventually. So, let's start with tree climbing."
Tree climbing and water walking were things Sasuke would've learned long ago if the Uchiha hadn't been wiped out in the anime. Instead, Kakashi had to teach him later.
The reason clan-born ninjas were ahead of civilian-born ones wasn't just bloodlines—it was resources. Civilian ninjas had little to work with and faced an uphill battle. Jiraiya succeeded because he was the Third Hokage's student. Minato had talent and Jiraiya as his teacher.
But how many civilian-born geniuses like Minato existed in the world?
Without bloodline or resources, the path didn't go far.
"Clan Head, are you sure it's just tree climbing?"
"Yes. Attach your chakra to your feet, and walk up the tree like I did. This will improve your chakra control and reduce waste. It's also the foundation for many future techniques."
Hearing Renji's explanation, Sasuke didn't doubt him. Seeing Renji walk up a tree so casually had made him eager to try it himself.
Tree climbing and water walking were among the most basic of basics.
While these didn't take much teaching, Renji wasn't like Kakashi, who simply gave instructions and walked away. He pointed out Sasuke's mistakes whenever he failed.
"Clan Head! I think I've got it!"
Standing atop a tree, Sasuke waved down excitedly at Renji.
At this age, Sasuke was truly adorable—so lively without the shadow of the clan's massacre. And wasn't this the same kid who used to try acting cool and aloof when they first met?
"Not bad, not bad. Next is water walking. That's even harder than climbing a tree!"
It was obvious Kakashi hadn't taught with much dedication. With someone actively guiding him, Sasuke was improving far faster than he had back then—even though this version of Sasuke was actually weaker.
That alone showed how careless Kakashi had been with his training.
In just one day, Sasuke mastered both tree climbing and water walking.
As expected of Indra's reincarnation.
A pity he hadn't triggered a draw reward yet. Still missing the chakra of Indra and Asura—once he had both, even without the Eternal Mangekyō, he could awaken the Rinnegan.
It wasn't the Eternal Mangekyō that made the Rinnegan possible.
It was the combination of the Sage's body, the Sage's eyes, and the chakra of Indra and Asura.
But there was still plenty of time. Even if he didn't win it through a draw, there were other ways to get it.
After finishing a full day of training, Sasuke returned home and excitedly told Fugaku and Mikoto about everything he'd learned.
When Fugaku heard that Sasuke had completed both tree climbing and water walking in just one day, even he was surprised.
He hadn't expected Renji to teach Sasuke so quickly.
Though the techniques weren't particularly difficult, for someone Sasuke's age to master them in one day was quite impressive.
"So Sasuke's a little genius after all!"
Mikoto chuckled as she covered her mouth with her hand. She didn't really care about the technique—it was simply because Sasuke was her son.
Hearing her praise, Sasuke's face turned red. His heart beat a little faster from excitement.
"He really is impressive," Fugaku agreed. Then he looked at Sasuke seriously.
"Sasuke, do you want to take Renji as your teacher?"
He hadn't said that lightly. It was something he'd thought over carefully.
First, it was his way of showing that he held no hostility toward Renji.
Second, Renji had mentioned earlier that Sasuke could graduate early. And although Fugaku could accompany Sasuke on missions, he believed Renji would be a better guide.
Judging from today's training, Renji was clearly a more capable teacher. Fugaku had already failed with one son—he didn't want to lead Sasuke down a path he would later regret.
And from Renji's attitude, it was clear he appreciated Sasuke's potential.
If Sasuke was willing to acknowledge him as a teacher, it would be a win-win.
"A teacher?!"
Sasuke was stunned by his father's words. Then a bit of hesitation crept into his heart.
Training with Renji that afternoon had made him realize how important a good teacher was.
After mastering tree climbing and water walking, he noticed that his chakra control had greatly improved. When he used the Great Fireball Technique again, it consumed less chakra and was much more stable.
This was far better than anything the academy had taught him.
"That's right, Sasuke. You really don't need to stay at the academy anymore. I don't think there's anyone more suitable than Renji to be your teacher."
Fugaku had considered Itachi too, but his focus was clearly elsewhere now.
"Father, I'm willing... but Clan Head Renji has so many responsibilities. Does he really have the time to teach me?"
Sasuke was a little embarrassed. He had no objections, and felt like he was the one benefiting the most—but Renji was the clan head. Surely he had a lot on his plate?
Wouldn't it be a burden?
"That's true, Fugaku. With the way things are in the clan, does Renji really have the time?"
Mikoto thought it was a good idea, but she also doubted Renji's availability.
Tensions between the Uchiha and Konoha were higher than ever.
She also worried about how Sasuke and Renji would get along. A mother always worries about her child's relationship with a mentor.
"Don't worry. I'll speak to Renji about it first."
Fugaku wasn't entirely sure himself, but he was willing to try.
And if Renji heard about it, he'd probably be overjoyed. After all, isn't it only natural for a teacher to pass along his own philosophy?
(End of Chapter)
Want More Chapters? Get Early Access Now!
Join my Patreon and unlock 20 chapters instantly—plus, you'll gain access to 60+ chapters weekly across 8 fics! Your support helps me continue creating and keeps the stories coming.
📖 Patreon: patreon.com/anish_44 ☕ Support via Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/anish_44