He stood near the center of the clearing, stretching his shoulders.
A calm voice came from behind him. "Good morning, Shinji."
Shinji turned immediately. Standing on the branch of a nearby tree was the Third Hokage.
The elderly man stepped down lightly to the ground. Despite his age, his landing was completely silent.
Shinji straightened. "Lord Hokage."
Hiruzen waved a hand.
"For today, you can simply call me sensei."
Shinji nodded. "Yes, sir."
Hiruzen studied him for a moment. "You arrived early."
"I thought it would be disrespectful not to."
The Hokage chuckled softly. "A good mindset." He stepped toward the center of the clearing. "Today is simple."
Shinji waited.
"I need to understand what you're capable of." The older shinobi folded his hands behind his back. "So we will spar."
Shinji's posture shifted slightly. "Understood."
Hiruzen raised a finger. "One rule."
Shinji listened.
"Do not hold back."
Shinji blinked. "Sir?"
Hiruzen smiled faintly. "You heard me." He stepped back several paces. "Treat this as if you were facing an enemy."
Shinji hesitated. "You're the Hokage."
"Yes."
"That seems unwise."
Hiruzen laughed quietly. "You don't need to worry about hurting me."
That confidence made Shinji pause. Then he remembered something. This man had been called The Professor during the war. One of the strongest shinobi alive.
Shinji exhaled slowly. "Understood."
Hiruzen raised one hand casually. "Begin whenever you're ready."
Shinji's eyes sharpened instantly. Sharingan. Three tomoe spun into existence.
He moved first. His body burst forward across the grass. But Hiruzen didn't move. Shinji closed the distance and launched a punch toward the Hokage's ribs.
Hiruzen slipped aside effortlessly. Shinji followed immediately with a spinning kick. Blocked.
The Hokage's forearm rose just enough to redirect the strike. Shinji stepped in again. Two punches. A sweep. A palm strike. Every movement flowed smoothly into the next.
The Uchiha clan taijutsu style was aggressive and fluid, built around constant pressure and quick transitions between strikes.
Hiruzen parried each attack with minimal movement. His feet barely shifted. His hands moved just enough. After several exchanges he chuckled lightly.
"Your fundamentals are excellent."
Shinji didn't respond.
He flipped backward and formed hand signs mid-air.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A massive sphere of flames erupted from his mouth, roaring across the clearing.
Hiruzen vanished.
The fireball exploded against the ground. Shinji's Sharingan spun instantly. Above. He jumped sideways just as Hiruzen's foot descended from the air. The kick struck the ground hard enough to crack the dirt.
Shinji rolled, grabbed a handful of shuriken from his pouch, and threw them.
Hiruzen flicked them aside with two fingers. Shinji was already moving.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu!"
Multiple smaller fireballs shot forward like flaming birds. Hiruzen moved through them with ease. Shinji dashed forward again. His Sharingan tracked every motion.
He's barely trying. That realization irritated him slightly. He attacked again. This time mixing feints with strikes. Hiruzen blocked, redirected, and stepped aside each time.
Shinji shifted strategies. He created distance again.
"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
A long stream of flames surged forward like a serpent. The fire roared through the clearing. Hiruzen stepped through it. His chakra formed a subtle barrier that split the flames around him.
Shinji vanished into the trees.
Hiruzen stood quietly in the center of the field. Then he smiled faintly. "Ah." Shinji's chakra signature moved around the perimeter. Setting something up. Hiruzen made no move to interrupt.
Instead he waited.
A moment later Shinji reappeared from the left side. He launched another volley of shuriken. Hiruzen deflected them again But then something interesting happened.
The shuriken collided mid-air.
Smoke burst outward.
Clones.
Three shadow clones emerged from the smoke cloud. They rushed forward simultaneously. Hiruzen parried one. Blocked another. The third grabbed his arm And Shinji himself appeared behind him.
"Got you."
Shinji formed hand signs.
"Fire Style"
Hiruzen vanished. The real Hokage appeared several feet away. Shinji's jutsu fired harmlessly into empty air.
The clones dispersed.
Hiruzen's smile widened slightly. "That was clever."
Shinji stood still, breathing steadily. "You let it happen."
Hiruzen nodded. "Yes."
Shinji frowned. "Why?"
"Because I wanted to see the plan."
The Hokage gestured lightly. "You used clones to force my attention forward while positioning yourself behind me."
He chuckled. "That's a tactic my younger self might have used."
Shinji relaxed slightly. "So it worked?"
Hiruzen shook his head. "It was a good idea."
Then he added calmly, "But you underestimated the difference in experience."
Shinji sighed.
The Hokage gestured again. "Continue."
Shinji attacked again. This time faster. His Sharingan tracked every muscle movement in Hiruzen's body. He aimed for openings. Hiruzen closed them effortlessly.
Hiruzen gently pushed him backward. Shinji landed and slid across the grass. His breathing had grown slightly heavier now. Hiruzen looked exactly the same as before. Completely relaxed.
"Your reaction speed is impressive," the Hokage said. "Especially with the Sharingan."
Shinji didn't reply. Instead he attacked again. His strikes came faster. More aggressive. He mixed taijutsu with sudden bursts of fire jutsu.
Yet Hiruzen moved through everything untouched. Not a single hit landed. After several minutes Shinji stepped back.
Hiruzen still hadn't broken a sweat. The Hokage folded his hands behind his back. "Is that everything?"
Shinji stared at him. "For now."
Hiruzen smiled. "Good." Then he raised a single hand. "Now it's my turn."
Shinji's Sharingan focused instantly. Hiruzen moved. The distance between them vanished. Shinji barely blocked the first strike. The impact sent a shock through his arm.
Hiruzen followed with another. And another. Shinji defended desperately. His Sharingan predicted the attacks. But his body struggled to keep up. The Hokage's taijutsu was precise.
Every strike forced Shinji backward. Within seconds he was on the defensive. Shinji jumped away, creating distance. Hiruzen stopped immediately.
"Enough."
Shinji exhaled slowly.
The Hokage studied him for a moment. Then he smiled. "Well." "That was enlightening.".
Burned patches of grass smoked lightly where Shinji's fire techniques had struck. A few leaves still drifted slowly down from the trees above.
Shinji stood where the fight had ended, steadying his breathing. Across from him, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked completely relaxed. The Hokage brushed a bit of dirt from his sleeve.
He walked slowly across the clearing, examining the scorched ground. "You didn't hesitate to use your strongest techniques."
"You told me not to hold back."
"And you followed instructions well."
Hiruzen stopped a few feet away and studied him carefully. "Your taijutsu is excellent." "The Uchiha clan style emphasizes pressure and fluid transitions."
The Hokage gestured lightly. "You chain attacks well and adjust quickly when your opponent defends."
Shinji nodded once.
"That's how we're taught."
Hiruzen continued. "Your fire techniques are also solid." "Great Fireball. Phoenix Sage Fire. Fire Dragon Flame Bullet."
He looked back at Shinji.
"All executed cleanly."
Shinji rubbed the back of his neck slightly. "I wish they had worked better."
The Hokage smiled faintly. "They would have worked quite well against most opponents." He paused. "But not against me."
Shinji smirked slightly. "Yeah, I figured that out."
Hiruzen stepped closer.
"What interested me most, however" He tapped his temple lightly. "was your thinking."
Shinji tilted his head. "My thinking?"
"The clone trap." Hiruzen nodded approvingly.
"You used shuriken to force my attention forward, then hid clones in the smoke cloud to pressure my guard while positioning yourself behind me."
Shinji shrugged. "It seemed logical."
"It was." Hiruzen's smile widened slightly. "In fact" He paused. "That is the exact sort of tactic I used frequently when I was younger."
Shinji raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yes." The Hokage nodded. "A simple but effective strategy." Then his expression grew thoughtful. "You also adjusted your approach several times during the fight."
Shinji frowned slightly. "I noticed I wasn't getting anywhere."
"That's correct." Hiruzen folded his hands behind his back. "You shifted between taijutsu pressure, ranged fire techniques, and clone tactics." "That analytical mindset will serve you well."
He looked at him seriously now. "You were never meant to win that spar." The Hokage smiled slightly. "I was measuring you."
Shinji crossed his arms. "And?"
Hiruzen studied him carefully for several seconds. Then he spoke plainly. "You are currently operating at roughly mid-jonin level."
The words hung in the air.
Shinji blinked. "Mid-jonin?"
"Yes." The Hokage nodded. "Your combat speed, chakra control, and tactical thinking are already beyond most chunin." He gestured toward the training field. "You could likely defeat the average chunin without much difficulty."
Shinji absorbed that quietly. "But?"
Hiruzen chuckled. "You're starting to understand my habit."
"There's always a but."
"Yes."
The Hokage's tone remained calm. "You lack experience against truly elite opponents."
Shinji nodded slightly.
"That was obvious."
Hiruzen continued. "You also rely heavily on fire style."
Shinji didn't deny it.
"That's the Uchiha specialty."
"True."
The Hokage tapped his chin thoughtfully. "But versatility is the mark of a great shinobi."
Shinji tilted his head. "So you're going to fix that."
"That is the plan."
Hiruzen reached into his pouch and pulled out a small rectangular slip of paper.
He held it out. "Before we move forward, however, I want to confirm something."
Shinji took the paper. "You're testing my nature affinity."
"Correct."
Hiruzen nodded.
Shinji focused chakra into the paper. Then the paper suddenly split in two. At the same time, one half crumpled sharply, wrinkling inward.
Shinji blinked.
"Two reactions."
Hiruzen nodded calmly. "Exactly what I expected."
The Hokage smiled slightly. "Fire is obvious given your clan."
"Lightning style, however" "is about speed and precision."
Shinji thought about that. "So they complement each other."
"Exactly." Hiruzen nodded approvingly. "You can overwhelm opponents with fire and finish them with lightning."
Shinji smirked slightly.
The Hokage began walking toward the edge of the clearing. "For today we will start with something simple."
Shinji followed. "Another spar?"
"No." Hiruzen stopped beside one of the training posts. "You already showed me your fire style." He raised one hand. "But I want to refine it."
Shinji's interest sharpened immediately. "How?"
Hiruzen formed a short sequence of hand signs. His chakra flared. "Watch closely." The Hokage inhaled slowly.
"Fire Style: Flame Bullet."
He exhaled. A tight cluster of fast-moving fireballs shot forward like blazing arrows. They slammed into the training post. The wood exploded into burning fragments. Shinji's eyes widened slightly.
Shinji studied the destroyed post.
"That would be hard to dodge."
"Exactly."
The Hokage turned back toward him.
"Your current fire techniques are powerful, but somewhat predictable."
Shinji didn't argue.
"The Uchiha traditionally focus on raw firepower."
Hiruzen smiled faintly. "But I would like to expand your toolkit." The Hokage gestured toward the clearing. "For the next several weeks we will work on three things." He raised one finger. "Expanding your fire style." Second finger. "Introducing lightning style." Third finger. "And refining your combat instincts."
"That sounds intense."
Hiruzen chuckled. "It will be."
Then he added calmly, "But if you are already mid-jonin at eleven…" His eyes gleamed slightly. "I would like to see where you are at sixteen."
The Hokage stepped back toward the center of the clearing. "Now then."
He pointed at Shinji. "Try the Flame Bullet technique."
Shinji blinked. "You're teaching it already?"
"Of course."
The Hokage smiled. "A prodigy learns fastest by doing."
Shinji formed the hand signs carefully. His chakra gathered.
"Fire Style: Flame Bullet!"
Several fast-moving fireballs shot forward. They struck the ground in a scattered pattern. Not nearly as tight as Hiruzen's version. The Hokage nodded thoughtfully.
"Not bad." "Your chakra control needs adjustment." Hiruzen walked over and gestured with his hand. "Compress the flames more tightly."
Shinji nodded. "Got it."
He formed the signs again. The fireballs launched again. They struck the ground in a more concentrated burst.
Hiruzen smiled faintly. "Much better."
Shinji looked at the scorched earth.
"This is going to be fun."
The Hokage chuckled quietly. "Yes."