"Ethan, it's late! Rest first! You can practice tomorrow!" Uchiha Sarah called out from beneath the tree, her voice carrying both concern and a hint of reproach.
"You can't ignore your body just because you're feeling better!" she added, her tone firm yet gentle.
Ethan, still high atop the tree, paused his training when he heard his mother's reminder. Uchiha Sarah had been watching his entire Chakra extraction session with a vigilant eye. She was pleased to see her child working so hard, yet she knew that no matter how smooth the process seemed, his health must never be compromised.
"Eh? Okay, Mom! I'll come down right away!" Ethan shouted, glancing down in surprise. Seeing his mother with her hands firmly on her waist, he stuck out his tongue playfully and hurriedly began his descent.
When he was more than a meter from the ground, Ethan gathered his courage, leaped down, and landed steadily before his mother. Blushing slightly, he touched the back of his head and chuckled, "Hehe! I lost track of time!"
Sarah smiled, a mix of relief and mild exasperation in her eyes. "It's mainly because your Chakra extraction went so smoothly—it was far simpler than I expected."
"Yeah!" Ethan agreed with an enthusiastic nod.
Uchiha Sarah reached out, gently patting his head. "Alright, that's enough for tonight. Go and get some rest."
"Yes, Mom!" Ethan replied eagerly, then dashed off to his room to rest and recover.
The next morning, after a hearty breakfast of Sea Kings meat prepared by his mother and Uchiha Mikoto, Ethan and the others gathered in the small training ground in the backyard. They began practicing their health-preserving exercises, an essential routine to further enhance their vitality.
[You eat Sea Kings meat to assist in practicing health-preserving exercises, proficiency +10, lifespan +9, life essence +0.03.]
As they worked, Ethan couldn't help but muse aloud, "It will take some time before these health-preserving exercises reach perfection!"
One of his companions added, "I bet the effect on improving our lifespan will be tremendous once we break through!"
Ethan, with a spark of curiosity, wondered, "I just don't know what it will be like once we surpass our current limits..."
After practicing the health-preserving exercises five times that morning—and after digesting most of the Sea Kings meat—Ethan decided to take a break. First, he enjoyed a refreshing shower before returning to the backyard. There, while occasionally instructing his mother and Mikoto on key points of the exercises, he focused on practicing seals.
"There's no rush to practice ninjutsu right now," he explained to them. "First, we need to improve our Chakra control, as well as the proficiency and speed of our seals. As they say, sharpening the knife doesn't delay the chopping of wood. Taking our time now will only save us time later."
[You practiced the seal and successfully entered the skill of seal. Seal proficiency +1.]
[You practiced the seal, seal proficiency +2.]
[You practiced the seal, seal proficiency +3.]
Perhaps it was due to his remarkable physical talent after recovery—or perhaps the benefits of the health-preserving exercises—the coordination of his body, his understanding, and his overall physique were all improving at an impressive rate. Ethan's seal proficiency began to climb visibly, and within half an hour, both Uchiha Sarah and Mikoto completed their morning exercises. Ethan's seal proficiency had not only broken through the entry stage but had firmly entered the proficient stage. His sealing skills were so refined that he could execute nearly two seals per second without error.
"Knock, knock, knock!" came a series of light knocks from the front yard.
The sound was soon followed by a chorus of voices and the familiar tone of Tsunade's greeting. "Master Sarah, little Ethan, are you home?" Tsunade called out cheerfully.
"Huh?" Ethan and the others were momentarily taken aback. "Tsunade?" they echoed in unison.
"Come on! Let's go see what she wants!" someone urged.
Immediately, Uchiha Sarah—formerly known as Chiri—beckoned Ethan and Mikoto to the front yard. She opened the door wide to welcome Tsunade.
"Come in and sit down!" Sarah invited warmly.
But Tsunade waved her hand dismissively. "No, thank you, Master Sarah. I have other matters to attend to with Ethan today, so I won't be sitting down."
"Oh? What's the matter?" Ethan asked, his curiosity piqued.
Sarah exchanged a knowing glance with Ethan. "That..." she began, her voice trailing off as she prepared to explain the new task Tsunade had in mind.
In that moment, as the morning light filtered through the trees and the training ground buzzed with anticipation, Ethan realized that his journey was evolving rapidly. With each passing day, he grew stronger, smarter, and ever more ready to face the challenges ahead—all under the watchful eyes of those who cared for him most.
Tsunade said a little embarrassedly, "Yesterday my teacher—the Third Generation—asked me to go to the Hokage's office. He already knew that I accepted Ethan as my apprentice!"
She continued, "So he wanted me to take Ethan to meet his master. And, it seems, he also hopes that Ethan can enroll in the ninja school!"
Tsunade sighed, shaking her head. "Honestly, with Ethan's vast knowledge, the ninja school is a complete waste of time. From the medical skills we exchanged yesterday, it's clear that his abilities surpass what they teach there. I bet he could master their lessons in just a few days!"
She paused, her tone mixed with amusement and exasperation. "But I can't just ignore my teacher's request. After all, he is the Hokage. I also know that he wants Ethan to undergo that so-called brainwashing of the Will of Fire."
A wry smile played on her lips as she added, "Unfortunately, teacher, you may have made a mistake. With Ethan's intelligence, he's not someone you can easily brainwash!"
Ethan stood there, speechless for a moment, as Tsunade's words sank in. In her heart, she secretly rejoiced. She had little regard for the Third Generation now—if the time were right, she might even have turned against them. Their endless calculations and attempts to manipulate her were tiresome.
Before Ethan could respond, Uchiha Sarah stepped forward. With a firm gesture, she reached out and patted Ethan's head. "No! I still have to go," she declared, not giving Ethan a chance to protest. "Ethan, you need to meet the Third Generation first. Enroll formally, get to know your classmates. When you feel you're not learning anything useful from school, you can simply use Shadow Clone techniques to attend classes. Or let Tsunade represent you and learn medical ninjutsu on your behalf!"
Sarah's eyes shone with determination as she added, "I have no intention of letting you graduate early. Your strength is not yet sufficient to be a full-fledged ninja. If you do so too soon, Sarutobi Hiruzen might send you on dangerous tasks outside the village—and with old Danzo secretly eyeing you, that would be far too risky. We must wait until you have absolute self-protection!"
Tsunade looked at Ethan with a mixed expression of concern and approval. "What do you think, Ethan?" she asked, her voice gentle yet insistent.
Ethan hesitated, caught between the competing voices of duty and his own desire to continue his personal training. His eyes darted around, and with a look that left him no real choice, he finally said in a small, resigned voice, "..."
In that moment, Ethan realized that, despite his own reservations, he had no option but to follow their plan. The combined insistence of Tsunade and Uchiha Sarah left him with little room for negotiation. With a soft sigh and a determined nod, he silently accepted his fate.
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