Itori's training soon became the focus of Kenji's life, the central purpose that kept him going despite the growing darkness clouding his vision. With the progressive blindness in his left eye, time was a luxury he couldn't afford. He knew that with each passing day, his own light dimmed, and with it, his ability to protect his son in the future. The small private training yard transformed into a personal crucible where the Uchiha heritage, discipline forged in centuries of war, would meet the immense flow of Uzumaki chakra, a vital force that promised to redefine the limits of power. All of this unfolded under the tutelage of a father who saw in his son not only his future but also his redemption, an opportunity to create something pure and strong in a world of shadows.
Kenji, with the patience of a master and the demands of a warrior, adapted his clan's rigorous techniques to Itori's unique needs. While Taijutsu (hand-to-hand combat) was fundamental, Kenji focused on fluidity, adaptation, and efficiency. He didn't seek brute force but an agility that would allow Itori to overcome larger opponents. "Your body is an extension of your will, Itori," Kenji instructed, his voice hoarse from use but patient and full of wisdom, as the child dodged his controlled blows with surprising, almost instinctive, agility for his age. "Every movement must be a whisper before it is a scream. A silent movement that precedes a devastating action. Think, anticipate, don't just react. Precision is more important than strength." Itori learned quickly, his inquisitive mind absorbing every lesson like a sponge, his small muscles responding with a vitality and resilience Kenji could barely believe. Falls didn't discourage him; he would get up with a smile, ready to try again.
Itori's physical training began every dawn with demanding exercises designed for children, which included running around the perimeter of the Uchiha compound. As Itori grew stronger, Kenji tied small, customized weights to his ankles and wrists, gradually increasing the difficulty to strengthen his muscles and tendons without compromising his development. Then came agility and balance exercises, such as jumping between trees without touching the ground, using momentum and coordination, or maintaining balance on thin branches for increasingly longer periods. These skills were crucial for stealthy and rapid movement on the battlefield, and Kenji emphasized their importance with examples from past missions. "In war," Kenji would tell him, "a ninja who cannot move lightly is a dead ninja." Itori not only mastered these tests but performed them with an unexpected grace for a child, moving like a gust of wind.
Kenji also taught him basic Uchiha Taijutsu forms, focusing on quick, forceful strikes that utilized full-body power, as well as efficient blocks and dodges. But, aware of his mother's heritage, Kenji incorporated elements of a more flexible and adaptive fighting style that prioritized fluidity of movement and using the opponent's momentum against them, rather than just direct confrontation. Itori seemed to absorb this blend of styles effortlessly, as if it were already coded in his DNA. "An Uchiha is not only strong," Kenji reminded him, his single eye observing every detail, "they are also adaptable, like water that persistently molds rock. Don't limit yourself to a single fighting style."
Weapon handling, though elementary at that age, was practiced with surprising seriousness. Kenji taught him to throw kunai and shuriken with precision, using wooden targets of various shapes and sizes. At first, Itori could barely hit the board, his throws erratic. But his persistence was unbreakable; he repeated the action again and again until his throws became more accurate, his weapons striking the center of the target with impressive regularity. Most impressive was his learning speed; Itori corrected his mistakes almost immediately, internalizing the lessons with an ease that left Kenji astonished. It was as if his body and mind were predestined for combat, a natural prodigy in the ninja arts.
The real challenge and greatest fascination arose with chakra control. Kenji, a consummate master in this aspect thanks to his deep knowledge of chakra and his Sharingan, paid special attention to teaching him deep meditation. Itori, with astonishing concentration for his five years, sat motionless for surprisingly long periods for a child his age, his small mind connecting with the vast energy that ran through his veins, the Uzumaki chakra bubbling beneath his skin. Kenji taught him to visualize the flow of chakra within his body, to feel it like a flowing river, to concentrate it at specific points, and to release it in a controlled manner, like a gentle breeze or a controlled explosion.
As his control improved, Kenji introduced chakra adhesion exercises. The first was the classic: adhering leaves to his body with chakra. Itori tried, at first with difficulty, the leaves falling repeatedly from his hands and arms, frustrating him momentarily. But his persistence was unbreakable, a stubbornness inherited from his mother. Soon, the leaves stuck to his palms, then to his arms, and finally, to his forehead. His chakra's ability to mold and cling was evident, a clear sign of his Uzumaki lineage and adaptability.
Then came the biggest and most revealing challenge: walking up trees without hands. Kenji showed him how to concentrate chakra in the soles of his feet to stick to trunks and ascend, a fundamental technique for ninja movement. Itori, with that mix of Uchiha determination and Uzumaki resilience, began to climb. At first, he fell often, slipping and landing with a dull thud, but frustration was just an impetus to try again, a spark that fueled his will. Kenji noticed that Itori's chakra quantity was immense; he could maintain a steady flow through his feet for much longer than other children Kenji had seen in the same training, showing no signs of exhaustion. This was Nara's gift, a reserve of energy that promised formidable power. Kenji paid special attention to teaching him precise control, to mold that torrent of energy to prevent it from overflowing and causing unnecessary waste or, worse, uncontrollable damage. "An overflowing river destroys, Itori," he explained, "It drags away houses, trees, lives, if not contained. But a channeled river irrigates and gives life, allows fields to flourish. Your power is a river. Learn to guide it with a firm hand, to contain it, to release it only when necessary, and never to waste it."
Finally, Kenji began to introduce Itori's elemental affinities, an aspect that drastically differentiated him from other Uchiha children his age. Since the Uchiha Clan is predominantly Fire Release, Kenji started there, teaching him basic control of flames. Itori learned to generate small spheres of fire in his hands, controlling their size and temperature. Then, Kenji guided him to Wind and Lightning affinities, elements with which Kenji didn't have a strong natural affinity, meaning he had to rely more on his theoretical knowledge and Itori's intuition. For Wind, Itori learned to manipulate air currents, to create gentle gusts, and finally, small wind blades that could cleanly cut a tree leaf. For Lightning, the most volatile, Itori started with small electrical arcs dancing between his fingers, learning to control the energy to avoid accidental discharges. Kenji knew that these three elements, combined with Itori's vast chakra reserves, would make him a formidable adversary.
Outside their private training yard, in the common spaces of the Uchiha compound, Itori lived the life of any child his age. He attended group classes at the clan's training academy, where he learned the history of the Uchiha, their values, and their most basic techniques. He participated in the noisy games of the other children, laughing and running with inexhaustible energy. However, his scarlet hair, vibrant and bright, was a beacon, an exclamation point in a sea of the clan's typical black hair. It wasn't overt discrimination, as Kenji's authority was still strong, and the Patriarch had given his word. But there was a subtle, sometimes poorly disguised, curiosity in the eyes of the other children, and a palpable caution in the parents.
"Why is your hair red? No Uchiha has red hair!" some of his playmates would ask, with the innocence and direct, sometimes hurtful, curiosity of childhood, pointing at his bright mane.
"Are you from another clan? A spy?" others would inquire, as they observed his ease of learning, his inexhaustible vitality, his loud, uninhibited laughter that contrasted with the sometimes contained and reserved nature of Uchiha children, educated to be stoic and controlled. Itori, with the naivety of his five years, replied simply, his voice clear and without a trace of malice: "I'm Itori Uchiha. My mom had red hair, so I do too." He didn't understand the subtext of their questions, nor the slight distrust in the eyes of some parents who watched their children interact with the "different child," the one who carried the blood of an enemy clan, a constant reminder of an "impurity" in their lineage.
Kenji, with his Sharingan and vast experience in the art of deception and perception, perceived this social dynamic with painful clarity. He knew that whispers occurred behind his back, that the children's curiosity was merely a reflection of the adults' doubts and prejudices, especially those most attached to the clan's purist traditions. Therefore, his training not only sought brute strength or elemental mastery but perfection in every aspect of the ninja arts, so that Itori would be impeccable, undeniably superior. He wanted Itori to be so undeniably powerful, so undeniably capable, so undeniably brilliant, that any doubt about his lineage, any prejudice about his mixed blood, would dissipate before his brilliance, before his mere existence. The forging of Itori, the red-haired butterfly in the Uchiha crucible, a creature of unparalleled beauty and power, was just beginning, and Kenji was determined to see him fly, regardless of the cost to himself or the challenges it might bring for his son's future in the clan.