The afternoon training was a grueling triple-threat ordeal, honing Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu as a single cohesive unit. By adjusting the seals on his heavy training weights, Ren's chakra was restricted to the level of a standard Uchiha Chunin, forcing him to fight within the constraints of a normal shinobi.
The Uchiha clan seemed to place little value on the Zero-Tails within Ren's body; they showed no interest in further developing that artificial Tailed Beast. Instead, their focus was laser-locked on Ren's fundamental capabilities as a ninja.
This gave Ren a very direct realization: compared to Hikaku Uchiha—the stoic swordmaster who rarely spoke—Great Elder Setsuna's mouth was far more vicious.
"Who taught you to weave signs like that?"
"Are you trying to kill me with sheer incompetence? Why do you treat Ninjutsu like spammed shuriken? Where is your accuracy!"
"Wrong! It's all backwards!"
"Are you an idiot? Shuriken are for cover; Ninjutsu is for the kill! Without your Fire Style: Chakra Mode, you wouldn't even be able to beat that brat Shisui!"
"Hmm? This four-element chakra blade is somewhat interesting, but it lacks refinement... Compared to your Wind, Fire, and Water, your Lightning Style is so weak you could only use it to scratch my back!"
When his chakra was finally depleted, Ren was granted a brief respite.
Poof!
Ren collapsed onto the ruined training ground, covered in dust and soot. Watching the white clouds drift by and the fallen leaves dancing in the wind, he looked at the smirking old man and wanted to scream at the heavens: "I'm done! I'm not doing this anymore!"
When restricted to Chunin-level chakra and forced to fight like a conventional ninja, Ren was nothing but a walking collection of openings in front of Setsuna.
His previously invincible Uchiha Style: Controlled Shuriken was useless. He cycled through every Ninjutsu in his arsenal, only for the old man to pierce through every flaw with his razor-sharp Sharingan. Setsuna would then weave through the battlefield with a proficiency in Uchiha Kenjutsu that defied logic—much like how Ren himself had once "danced" through Kakuzu's bombardment.
Setsuna would blur behind him like a passing shadow, followed by a sharp crack of a sword sheath against Ren's backside. Whenever Ren tried to counter with a polished Genjutsu, he would realize, to his horror, that he had already fallen into the old man's illusion minutes prior.
Finally, in desperation, Ren pulled out his "bottom-of-the-trunk" trump card—a composite Nin-Kenjutsu (Ninja Sword Technique) he hadn't even named yet. It was a prototype he had conceived during the Nine-Tails suppression, combining the nature transformations he had mastered: Fire Style: Heart-Fire Flame Blade, Water Style: Water Fang Blade, and Wind Style: Vacuum Blade.
To this, he added the new technique he had "farmed" from Killer Bee.
As a reminder, after Setsuna drove off the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, a notification had flashed on Ren's panel:
[Clang!]
[You bravely clashed with the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, Killer Bee, who intended to kill you. You have obtained a random skill from the target: Lightning Style: Supervibrato Lightning Blade (A-Rank, Proficient).]
[Your Heartsteel stacks have increased.]
Lightning Style: Supervibrato Lightning Blade was a top-tier A-rank chakra-flow technique from Kumogakure. It uses high-frequency vibrations induced by Lightning Style to increase the cutting power and penetration of a weapon to an extreme degree.
The combined force of these four elements was staggering. A single swing could theoretically rend anything into molecular dust—a move so potent that even Setsuna didn't dare block it head-on.
However, it was useless.
Against a powerhouse like Setsuna—who resided at the absolute peak of conventional shinobi capability—Ren couldn't rely on "berserker" AOE map-clearing attacks. Without those, he couldn't even touch the hem of the old man's robe.
Setsuna's mastered Uchiha Kenjutsu, paired with the ultimate insight of the Sharingan, created a near-desperate experience for Ren. No matter the angle of the strike or the method of attack, it was predicted. The old man's experience was so vast it felt like "precognition." He countered every move, anticipated every feint, and struck before Ren even finished his thought.
It was pure technical suppression. And since Ninjutsu that doesn't hit is just a burden on one's chakra, Ren suffered a crushing defeat even with his new ultimate move.
But there was a silver lining. Uchiha training is designed to leave a deep impression on the body through physical "chastisement" and constant combat. And as long as he could fight—even if he lost miserably—Ren could gain rewards.
[Clang!]
[In the designated training mode with Setsuna Uchiha, you bravely charged forward. You have received a random reward: A massive amount of practical experience in Uchiha Style Kenjutsu.]
[Your Uchiha Style: Sun Halo Dance level has increased. Current progress: Proficient (11/300).]
As the notification appeared, Ren felt every bruise and welt inflicted by the old man begin to glow with warmth. The "punishment" transformed into a stream of knowledge—a muscle memory that etched itself into his very fibers. From the angle of a swing to the realization of why Setsuna was able to predict him, everything became instinct.
Ren grinned foolishly at the rush of the "level-up." On the training ground, Setsuna put down his water bottle and kicked Ren in the rear. "What are you smirking at? Break time is over. Get up and go again!"
"Right away!" Ren scrambled up, his high recovery rate allowing him to reset his status in seconds.
Nightfall.
After finishing the two exhausting sessions, Ren returned to his private wooden cabin. But he couldn't rest yet. The Uchiha training was for his ninja foundations, but his night schedule was a plan coordinated between Orochimaru and the clan: The mastery of the Curse Mark, and the path to the Perfect Sage Mode.
Ren's development of the Cursed Seal of Heaven was still in its infancy, mostly limited to drawing in natural energy for basic Senjutsu chakra. But the Curse Mark itself was a path to Sage Mode—a form of imperfect transformation that often led to madness.
Following Orochimaru's genius design, this path was technically "safer" than the standard Ryūchi Cave training. After all, the White Snake Sage's method was identical to Orochimaru's: a bite from a fang, an injection of natural energy, and then seeing if you survive.
Ren's "State 2" was already powerful, providing a dragon-like physique, snake pupils, and extreme speed. But Orochimaru wanted more. He wanted Ren to completely tame this power.
To do this, a special medicine was required: The Mind Awakening Pill. It forces the body through a "death-like" stage to touch the deeper powers of the seal while the user suppresses the encroaching madness. However, Ren had lost his pills during the battle with Killer Bee. He was now using a liquid substitute prepared by the clan: The Mind Awakening Decoction.
Ren plunged into a steaming tub of pungent medicinal broth. He sat cross-legged, submerged up to his neck. Closing his eyes, he slowed his breathing and quietly released the Evil Sealing Method on his neck.
He felt the patterns of the Curse Mark crawl across his skin, turning his flesh into pale snake scales as he entered State 2. But just as he tried to trigger the deeper power to suppress the madness, a hollow, ancient, and raspy voice echoed in his ear:
"Mortal!"
"Listen... your method is wrong!"
"If you wish to achieve the true Sage form of Ryūchi Cave, you should embrace it, not reject it. You should accept this honor, rather than committing such a rebellious act!"
Ren's eyes snapped open. The world around him spun violently. With a sudden Poof of smoke, Ren vanished from his cabin in the Valley of Hell.
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