Coming to the Valley of Hell wasn't a vacation; there were missions to fulfill.
As the leisure time of the first day faded, the Konoha reinforcements, guided by members of the Uchiha clan, quickly began to familiarize themselves with their duties.
Ren Uchiha was no exception, though his "mission" looked a little different from the rest.
"Hikaku-senpai... isn't this a bit too conspicuous?"
In the early morning light, deep within a dense forest training ground behind the cliffs of the Valley of Hell, Ren trailed behind the Uchiha clansman assigned to him.
"There is no problem at all."
Hikaku Uchiha calmly retrieved two wooden training swords (bokken) from a weapon rack and tossed one to Ren.
"Unlike the others, you have traded blows with the Kumogakure Jinchūriki. Your strength already far surpasses that of a typical Jonin. Therefore, wasting time on mundane patrol duties is meaningless. What you must do is solidify your foundation and grow stronger in the limited time we have!"
"Starting today," Hikaku continued, "I will teach you the fundamental sword styles of the Uchiha in the morning. After lunch, the Great Elder and other Uchiha members in the valley will conduct combat training—a comprehensive honing of your Genjutsu, Kenjutsu, Taijutsu, and Ninjutsu."
"In the evening, you will use medicinal baths prepared by our clan's apothecaries to help you master Orochimaru's Curse Mark. We've received word that newly acquired sealing scrolls are being transported to the valley; you will spend your nights studying them to supplement your ninja knowledge."
Hikaku paused, pulling a scroll from his waist and tossing it to Ren. "Also, for the duration of this training, you must wear these."
Ren unfurled the scroll to see a large kanji for "Iron" (铁) at its center.
Performing the hand signs—Pig, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram—he unsealed a set of wrist and ankle weights. The moment they hit his hands, they nearly dragged him to the forest floor. They weighed at least half a ton!
Ren instantly surged his chakra, barely managing to lift the gear.
Hikaku smiled. "These are 'Thousand-Jin Iron Rings' sealed within protective guards. It's a crude method, but for a ninja's speed, strength, and endurance, the results are significant."
"Four pieces. That's four thousand jin—roughly two tons!"
"Furthermore, the sealing formula was commissioned from the Uzumaki clan. It will restrict your chakra flow to the level of a Genin. Depending on your performance, we will increase the weight."
Ren stared at the weights in realization. This was essentially a high-end version of the training weights Might Guy would eventually give Rock Lee.
The Uchiha version was clearly superior, allowing for adjustable weight and integrated chakra suppression.
Hikaku shifted into a Moon-Gazing stance, his wooden sword angled sharply. His gaze turned icy.
"Stop standing there like a fool. Put them on and let's begin!"
Ren, clutching his wooden sword in one hand and the soul-crushing weights in the other, felt a bit overwhelmed. "Wait, wearing these... will I even be able to move?"
"You'd better move," Hikaku said flatly. "You carry the hopes of the entire clan and an investment beyond measure. To be honest, I've never seen anyone given such a perfect environment for growth. Do you really think you have a way out now?"
Ren fell silent. He was right. Where was his "way out"? The story he knew had been rewritten into something unrecognizable; the future was a blur.
But Ren understood one thing. He was here, in this Valley of Hell—a place that should have been buried in the dust of history, a place where the Chinoike were supposed to be massacred. He was receiving the gifts of these "outcasts of hell" because he had fought for it. This was his "end-game reward" for surviving the Land of Rain.
Was he going to walk away from destiny because of a "tiny" difficulty?
"I understand!"
Ren took a deep breath, his eyes hardening. He struggled into the heavy gear, raised his wooden sword, and faced the man who radiated the aura of a true powerhouse.
Hikaku Uchiha. Before Great Elder Setsuna arrived, he was the top combatant in the Valley of Hell. His father was Hikaku Uchiha Sr., a legendary figure second only to Madara and Izuna during the Warring States period.
"That's more like it." Hikaku's smile didn't reach his cold eyes. "One warning: my teaching method is... unconventional. You had better train with the intent to kill me. Otherwise, you'll die."
"Uchiha-style Kenjutsu is for geniuses. Mediocre fools don't get very far. During this process, I will evaluate your aptitude. If I determine you lack the talent to master this blade... then I'm sorry."
"Ren Uchiha, even if you are the future Clan Leader, even if the Great Elder insists, I will tell you to quit. I won't teach you another move."
Suddenly, a system notification flared in Ren's vision:
[Warning! The Elite Jonin, Hikaku Uchiha, is projecting killing intent toward you!]
The wooden sword blurred. Hikaku lunged with a speed and angle Ren had never seen before! Startled, Ren snapped his Sharingan open, struggling against the two tons of dead weight to bring his sword up in a desperate parry.
Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!
"Ow!!"
The dense forest echoed with the sound of wood hitting wood—and the occasional pained howl of a teenager.
Something had shifted. Usually, Ren "unlocked" skills through life-and-death combat, but this was the first time he was undergoing formal, grueling training. His system panel began to reflect this change with progress bars:
- [Uchiha Style: Sun Halo Dance (S+)] - Proficiency: (Beginner, 85/100)
- [Basic Shinobi Kenjutsu (D)] - Proficiency: (Skilled, 22/500)
But Ren didn't have time to study the UI. After a lunch he barely had time to digest, he was dragged into the second round of "punishment": combat training with Great Elder Setsuna.
Setsuna admitted that Hikaku was the superior swordsman, so the old man's job was to refine Ren's actual combat instincts.
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