Raigen led three caged beasts into the side yard. Two tigers and one bear. A lion came last, heavy steps, calm eyes.
"Grandpa," Bali said, stepping closer, "can they understand signs?"
"Try," Raigen replied. "These ones are high-intelligence ninja beasts."
Bali raised his hand and clenched, then opened his palm.
The tiger's ears flicked. The lion lowered its head slightly.
"Good," Bali said. "We start with simple orders."
He pointed to the forest, then traced a circle, then made a pulling motion.
"Fetch. Living prey. No humans."
The lion blinked once. The tiger chuffed softly.
Raigen watched carefully. "They're reading your body cues."
"Add illusion control," Bali said. "Only if needed. Short-range, precise."
Raigen's tomoe spun. "I'll mask them from wild game. Push targets toward the traps."
"Do it."
—
By sunset, the beasts returned in staggered groups.
Two rabbits with thick fur, a snake with a faint chakra pulse, and a strange horned boar. Later, river fish from the west canal.
"Keep patterns," Bali told the lion. "No killing for play. Only what we need."
The bear grunted like it understood.
Bali smirked. "Smart."
Raigen nodded once. "They can learn sign language. We'll build a set."
"Good," Bali said. "Hunt, herd, guard, follow, stop. No noise on 'two taps'."
He tapped twice on the fence. The tiger froze mid-step.
"Perfect."
—
At home, Hiotmi and Kirito practiced the basic Qi set Bali gave them.
"Feet shoulder-width," Bali said. "Knees soft. Spine straight."
"Breath in belly," Hiotmi repeated, one hand on her lower abdomen.
"Slow. No forcing," Kirito added.
"Now Tai Chi wave," Bali guided. "Inhale, expand the chest. Exhale, sink the weight."
Their movements were simple, smooth, and consistent.
"Keep this daily," Bali said. "Breathing pattern is the lock. Posture is the key."
Hiotmi nodded. "It calms the mind."
Kirito flexed his fingers. "Vision is clearer after practice."
"Normal," Bali said. "Qi methods clean internal noise. Your chakra routes improve after."
—
Elder Setsuna arrived unannounced the next day. He carried a wrapped box and a plain smile.
"Setsuna-sama," Raigen greeted.
"Relax," Setsuna said quietly. "I'm here for the boy."
Bali stood straight. "Elder."
"You don't want academy," Setsuna said. "Correct?"
"Correct."
"Reason?"
Bali kept it short. "Time cost too high. Methods better at home."
Setsuna watched him for a beat. "You're a true Uchiha—direct and confident."
He looked at Raigen. "I'll talk to Fugaku."
Raigen's eyes narrowed. "And say what?"
"That the boy is… merchant track," Setsuna said dryly. "Logistics. Procurement. Useful but not political."
Bali's lips twitched. "Cover?"
"Protection," Setsuna corrected. "Some talents are safer when unseen."
—
When Setsuna left, Hiotmi exhaled. "He helped us."
Raigen nodded. "He lied to Fugaku for us before. He'll do it again."
Kirito looked at Bali. "Follow Elder's advice. Keep your head low."
"Fine," Bali said. "We build quietly."
He turned to the beasts. "Form line."
The tiger, lion, and bear stood in sequence.
Bali showed quick signs: two fingers forward, palm down, palm up, fist tight, open hand.
"Hunt-path. Low. Return. Hold. Release."
Each beast repeated the sign with a small movement—paw, tail, tilt.
Raigen smiled slightly. "They're learning fast."
"They're assets," Bali said. "We train them like a unit."
—
At night, Bali sat cross-legged. His breathing slowed until the room felt still.
Sun method. Moon method. Fire method. All inside his mind space.
His inner scene formed like a clean room. A golden sun above. A silver moon below. A controlled flame at center.
"Balance first," he thought. "Sun warms the channels. Moon cools the mind. Fire cleans waste."
He expanded the mental "sun" until his inner body glowed. Then he pulled the "moon" over the heart area. He kept the "fire" small, steady, and contained.
No noise. No shaking. No leakage.
His consciousness thickened. Focus held.
He opened his eyes. The floor under him was slightly warm.
"Stable," he murmured. "Finally stable."
—
The four loyal kids waited outside the shed.
Kenji: blunt, mean to enemies, silent to allies.
Taro: anxious, fast hands, good memory.
Masa: calm, likes plans and maps.
Shin: heavy build, slow to anger, unstoppable once moving.
"Boss," Kenji said, "we caught more river fish. Chakra faint but real."
"Good," Bali said. "Rotate feed for beasts. Tiger needs high-protein. Lion needs steady fats. Bear needs mixed diet."
Shin nodded slowly. "I'll do it."
"Taro," Bali added, "write the sign list clean. Beasts learn by habit."
Taro lifted a notebook. "Already doing. Five core signs. Adding two for 'guard' and 'circle'."
"Masa," Bali said, "build trap paths. We herd, we don't chase."
Masa pointed to a charcoal plan. "Here. Narrow channel. Push game into net. Minimal noise."
"Proceed."
—
Hiotmi watched them from the veranda. "They act like a squad."
"They are a squad," Kirito said. "The boy formed a unit without calling it that."
"Will it put a target on him?"
Kirito exhaled slowly. "Setsuna's cover will help. Merchant track. Quiet power."
Hiotmi looked at the beasts again. The lion sat while Bali adjusted its collar, then nodded once like a person.
"They understand too much," she whispered.
Kirito's Sharingan spun once. "They understand enough."
—
Setsuna returned after two days with a short answer.
"Fugaku accepted," he told Raigen. "Official record: the boy will help with clan trade. No academy for now."
Raigen bowed his head. "Thank you."
Setsuna turned to Bali. "In return, you keep your methods quiet. No displays in public. No fights unless cornered."
"Understood," Bali said.
Setsuna placed the wrapped box in Bali's hands. "Old Uchiha field journal. Not chakra theory. Movement theory."
Bali opened it. Lines, angles, stance maps, weight distribution charts.
"This helps," he said.
Setsuna's eyes softened for a second. "Grow strong. Live long. That's how you repay me."
—
Night training again.
Bali entered his mind space. The sun-moon-fire triad stood ready.
"New method," he thought. "Sun enters crown. Moon enters heart. Fire stays at navel."
He inhaled slowly. On breath-in, he pulled the "sun" down to the top of his inner head.
On breath-out, he let "moon nectar" drip into the heart area, cooling, smoothing.
He held a small "fire" at the navel, digesting impurities only.
Minutes passed. Focus held. No overload. No erratic spikes.
"Good," he thought. "This is the safe way."
He opened his eyes. Pulse steady. Skin calm. Mind clear.
Progress.
—
In the yard, Raigen worked hand signs with the beasts.
Two taps: freeze.
Palm push: advance.
Closed fist: hold prey.
Open hand: release.
The bear responded slow but sure. The tiger learned fastest. The lion never broke eye contact when taking orders.
Raigen looked at Bali. "We can send them alone with simple missions."
"Not yet," Bali said. "Two more weeks. Then we test."
Raigen nodded. "I'll set routes."
"Add illusion only to disorient," Bali said. "Never force beyond three breaths."
"Agreed."
—
At dinner, Hiotmi placed bowls on the table. "Eat warm. Then light practice only."
Bali ate quietly. Kirito watched his son's face.
"Your eyes will awaken when they want," Kirito said. "Don't force it."
"I'm not forcing," Bali replied. "Foundation first. Blood will rise when ready."
Hiotmi smiled faintly. "You sound old."
Bali looked down. "I feel… focused."
Mina set tea for Raigen. "Elder Setsuna was kind."
"He was careful," Raigen said. "That's better than kind."
—
Before sleep, Bali wrote a short list on a wooden slate.
Beasts: sign language complete, simple routes next.
Food: rotate diets, track effects.
Family: keep Qi and breath daily.
Public: merchant cover, no academy.
Setsuna: repay with results, not noise.
He paused, then added one more line.
Sharingan: don't chase. Build base. Wait.
He put the slate away, lay down, and let his breath slow.