(Author note: Yua (Indra's sensei's) physical appearance picture here. You'll also find it in the comments.)
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The morning mist clung to the hillside like a shroud, wreathing the solitary figure who stood atop it in an ethereal glow.
Lord Renjirō Tsukihana moved with deliberate precision, his bare chest glistening with sweat despite the chill air.
Each swing of the wooden training sword in his hands cut through the mist, creating momentary tunnels in the vapor before it swirled back to fill the void.
His muscular frame, impressive for a man of sixty years, showed no signs of fatigue as he continued the kata he had practiced for decades.
The wooden sword whistled through the air, each stroke perfectly mirroring the one before it. Below him stretched a dense forest, silent witnesses to the lord's morning ritual.
After the ten thousandth swing, the wooden practice sword finally surrendered to the force behind it, splintering with a sharp crack.
Renjirō paused, examining the broken pieces with a critical eye before carefully placing both fragments on the ground, treating them with the same respect he would afford a fallen warrior.
He approached a silk cloth laid upon a flat stone. Upon it rested a sheathed sword - not the ornate, jewel-encrusted weapon that many nobles favored, but a masterwork of practical elegance.
The scabbard was simple black lacquer with subtle silver inlay depicting a crescent moon over flowing water.
Renjirō knelt before the weapon, taking a slow, controlled breath that steamed in the cold morning air.
He lifted the sword with both hands, his movements reverent. Rising to his feet, he flicked the blade partially from its sheath, revealing steel that gleamed with an almost supernatural luster.
In one fluid motion, he drew the sword fully and executed a perfect horizontal cut. The blade sang as it moved, and for a moment, nothing happened.
Then, a visible wave of chakra erupted from the edge, racing toward the forest below. The energy sliced through the trees as if they were made of paper, creating a perfect line of devastation that split the forest in two.
Hundreds of trees toppled simultaneously, their fall echoing across the valley like distant thunder.
"Magnificent as always, my lord," a voice commented from behind him.
Renjirō didn't turn, recognizing the voice of his advisor. "How long have you been watching, Hōzui?"
Lord Hōzui stepped forward, his elegant robes of deep navy rustling softly.
His silver-gray hair was tied in a loose bun, and as usual, he held an ornate folding fan that partially concealed his face when opened. He clapped his hands together appreciatively.
"Long enough to witness poetry in motion," Hōzui replied, his eyes twinkling with genuine admiration. "Your form improves with age, like the finest sake."
Renjirō sheathed his sword. "You bring news," he stated rather than asked.
Hōzui snapped his fan closed, his expression becoming more serious. "Indeed. It seems Lady Aokihime's... initiative... regarding your daughter has failed rather spectacularly."
Renjirō's face remained impassive, though something flickered briefly in his eyes. "Explain."
"The assassins she hired - all four of them - are dead," Hōzui reported, moving to stand beside his lord to gaze down at the bisected forest.
"One killed by a ANBU operative who apparently was observing the situation, the other three by the Konoha jōnin accompanying the girl."
"Four A-rank missing-nin," Renjirō mused, his tone giving away nothing. "And my daughter?"
"Survived without a scratch," Hōzui replied, watching his lord's face carefully.
Though Renjirō's expression didn't change, Hōzui - who had served him for decades - detected the slight relaxation around his eyes. Pride, however small, however carefully hidden.
"Interesting," Renjirō said simply.
"More interesting still," Hōzui continued, "is that she seems to have acquired a protector. The Uchiha boy on her team - not the clan head, but the recently discovered one - appears to have taken quite an interest in her welfare."
Renjirō raised an eyebrow slightly. "An Uchiha?"
"Indeed. And this arrived from Konoha this morning." Hōzui produced a sealed scroll from within his robes. "A formal communication from the Hokage, with an enclosed letter from the young Uchiha himself."
Renjirō took the scroll, breaking the seal and scanning its contents.
The Hokage's portion was diplomatic and carefully worded - expressing regret over the "unfortunate incident" involving missing-nin near Tsuma-no-Sato, noting that the matter had been "resolved," and introducing the enclosed personal communication from Uchiha Indra.
The second letter was what truly caught Renjirō's attention.
Written in formal calligraphy, it was a request for Sayaka's hand in marriage - but the brushstrokes revealed much to Renjirō's experienced eye.
Sharp angles, heavy pressure on the downstrokes, slight inconsistencies in the spacing - all signs of barely contained anger beneath the formal words - left there on purpose, since it must have been checked by his Sensei soon after.
A deep, rumbling laugh escaped Renjirō's lips, startling a flock of birds from a nearby tree.
"Something amuses you, my lord?" Hōzui inquired, though the slight curve of his lips suggested he already knew.
"This boy," Renjirō gestured with the letter, "asks for my daughter's hand while his writing screams his rage at me."
His laughter grew louder. "He knows who ordered the assassination, yet still formally requests marriage while showing his teeth. I like him already."
Hōzui smiled behind his fan. "He does show remarkable spirit for one so young."
Renjirō's laughter subsided as he considered the implications. "Sayaka has chosen him to follow, then. To protect her and grow stronger alongside her."
He frowned slightly. "But why not the clan head? The last true Uchiha would be a more prestigious match."
"Ah, that would be Sasuke Uchiha," Hōzui replied, opening his fan with a practiced flick. "From my inquiries, he is... problematic. Consumed by vengeance against his brother, the infamous Itachi who slaughtered their clan.
Many in Konoha's intelligence circles privately wonder if they can keep him leashed, or if he'll eventually seek his own death in pursuit of revenge."
Hōzui tapped his closed fan thoughtfully against his palm. "Sayaka has chosen wisely, I think. This Indra seems resourceful, intelligent, and patient.
When Sasuke inevitably gets himself killed chasing his brother, Indra will inherit all clan assets as the sole remaining Uchiha. A much more stable investment for the future."
Renjirō nodded slowly, processing this information. "And what of my wife? How did she take the news of her failure?"
"Lady Aokihime is... displeased," Hōzui replied diplomatically. "She has retired to her private chambers and refuses all visitors.
Your legitimate children are similarly distressed, particularly your eldest son, who seems to have taken personal offense at Sayaka's continued existence."
"Weaklings, all of them," Renjirō muttered, his contempt evident. "My sons wallow in drink and women, boasting of strength they've never earned.
My daughters demand more jewels, more servants, more silks - as if finery could replace substance. And my wife..." He shook his head. "Aokihime has given me nothing but disappointment."
"And yet Sayaka survives against all odds," Hōzui observed carefully.
A ghost of a smile touched Renjirō's lips. "Yes. Perhaps there is strength in her after all."
"Your response to the Uchiha boy?" Hōzui prompted.
Renjirō considered for a moment. "Bring me paper and brush."
With a smile hidden behind his fan, Hōzui reached into his robes and produced a sealing scroll.
With a small application of chakra, he released the seal, producing a sheet of fine rice paper, an inkstone, water, and a brush of exceptional quality.
Quickly preparing the ink, he handed the brush to Renjirō and held the paper steady. Renjirō dipped the brush and, with strokes as sharp and precise as his sword cuts, wrote just three words:
"Prove your worth."
He folded the paper and handed it to Hōzui. "Send this to the gutsy brat."
"Nothing more?" Hōzui asked, carefully tucking the message away.
Renjirō turned back toward the devastated forest, a rare, genuine smile crossing his face. "No. Let's see what he's made of." He let out another hearty laugh. "If he wants my daughter, let him earn her."
Hōzui bowed deeply, recognizing his dismissal, and departed silently, leaving his lord to resume his training.
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"Prove your worth," Yua read aloud, holding the unfolded paper between her fingers. "Well, he certainly doesn't waste words."
Indra, blindfolded over one eye, continued to throw kunai at targets scattered throughout the Uchiha compound training ground.
Each blade struck within millimeters of the center, forming a perfect pattern despite his partially obstructed vision - purposefully done for training for if he were ever to be blinded in an eye.
For everyone would naturally go for the eye when it comes against an Uchiha.
"What do you think it means?" Yua pressed, watching her student with a critical eye.
"It means exactly what it says," Indra replied, launching another kunai that split a leaf falling through the air before embedding itself in the target behind. "I need to prove I'm worthy of his daughter."
Yua sighed, tucking the message into her vest pocket. "I knew you'd say that. Looks like I'll need to start giving you private training, as if you were my direct apprentice."
Indra paused, the kunai in his hand frozen mid-throw.
He lowered his arm and turned to face his sensei, curiosity evident in his expression. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think I was your favorite, Sensei."
"Don't get cocky, brat," Yua replied, though there was no heat in her words. "This situation requires it. Lord Renjirō is clearly challenging you to perform well in the upcoming Chunin Exams."
"The Exams?" Indra raised an eyebrow.
"It's the most public venue for you to demonstrate your abilities," Yua explained, leaning against a nearby tree.
"Lords like Renjirō value strength above all else. If you want his approval for Sayaka's hand, you'll need to impress him there."
She crossed her arms, her expression growing more serious. "The problem is, Hayate and Sayaka aren't quite ready for the Exams yet. But with Sayaka's life potentially hanging in the balance, we don't have much choice."
Yua's lips curved into a playful smile. "Though, there is another option. We could always convince Sasuke to seek Sayaka's hand instead. As clan head, he might appeal more to the Tsukihana than-"
The kunai in Indra's hand shot forward with blinding speed, aimed directly at Yua's eye. Only her jōnin reflexes saved her as she jerked her head to the side, the blade grazing her cheek before embedding itself in the tree behind her.
Yua's eyes widened in genuine surprise, not just at the attack but at what she saw in Indra's eyes - the fully matured Sharingan, three tomoe spinning rapidly in each iris, radiating pure killing intent.
'For him to have actually awakened the tomoe through sheer insulted pride...' Yua thought to herself, her noticing that as the kunai headed towards her, the only reason it grazed her cheek - for it shocked her that immensily.
"Well," she said, touching the thin line of blood on her cheek. "I seem to have touched a nerve. You're quite the possessive brat, aren't you?"
Indra's Sharingan faded back to black, but the cold intensity in his gaze remained. His lips curved into a forced smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"I don't share," he said simply. "What's mine is mine alone, and I'd kill anyone who tries to take what belongs to me - be they people, jutsu, or objects. It doesn't matter."
Yua whistled, jumping down from the tree branch she'd retreated to. "Does that mean I fall under 'yours' as well?" she asked playfully, wanting to tease the brat more. Seeing if she can finally get him embarressed.
It was really fun provoking these cold types into showing emotion.
Indra put a finger to his chin in mock contemplation, approaching her with deliberate steps. He leaned slightly forward, a smirk forming on his lips as he decided to play her game.
"Would you like to be?" he countered, his tone suggesting something far deeper than a student-teacher relationship.
Yua's jaw dropped slightly, genuinely caught off guard. "You really are a cheeky brat," she muttered, "actually flirting with your sensei." She shot her hand out to flick his forehead, but Indra anticipated the move and jumped backward.
"It's a fair question, isn't it?" he shrugged, his smirk widening. "The Uchiha need to repopulate somehow."
A vein throbbed visibly on Yua's forehead. "I'm really going to have to kick your ass one of these days."
Indra dropped into a fighting stance, his expression suddenly playful. "Come get me, then."
'This is working better than expected,' Indra thought. 'Fighting like Obito - using playfulness and unexpected behavior to throw opponents off balance - is surprisingly effective.'
Yua seemed to ready herself for combat, her muscles tensing as she evaluated his stance. Then, unexpectedly, she sighed and relaxed.
"No, we can't waste time," she said, shaking her head. "The Chunin Exams are only two months away. We need to be serious."
"What are you suggesting for today's training, then?" Indra asked, genuinely curious. "Besides finally letting me spar against you."
Yua reached into her pouch and pulled out a small square of paper, holding it up between two fingers.
"We're going to see your elemental affinity," she announced.
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(Author note: Hello everyone! I hope you all liked the chapter!
Do tell me how you found it. I didn't want to make all nobles pompous worthless people, who's breathing is a waste of oxygen, so decided to make Renjirō basically a very strong Samurai.
But of course, not to the level of the leader of the Land of Iron who fought Hanzo the Salamander, but still quite strong for a Samurai.
Also, do tell me how you think of Indra being this way. Testing out new ways of acting, to see which is useful when. It's personally what I would do in this world to see which works best.
Well, I hope to see you all later,
Bye!)