40. Angry Uchiha Masaki

Orochimaru personally demonstrated the Summoning Technique, and with a burst of smoke, a large blue snake appeared.

The blue snake raised its head, its golden eyes gleaming as it spoke in a human voice. "Lord Orochimaru," it greeted respectfully.

Orochimaru's piercing gaze remained calm as he addressed the serpent. "Bring out the contract scroll."

The snake opened its wide mouth, its body writhing as it regurgitated the scroll used to form contracts with Ryūchi Cave.

Turning to Sora, Orochimaru explained, "Unroll the scroll, sign your name in blood, and press your bloody handprint onto it with your dominant hand. This will bind you to Ryūchi Cave's summoning contract."

Sora carefully unrolled the scroll, the surface slightly sticky from the serpent's saliva. As his eyes scanned the names, he noticed the last signature belonged to Orochimaru, but the other names were unfamiliar.

Without hesitation, Sora bit his finger, letting a drop of blood pool on his fingertip. He signed his name on the scroll and then pressed a bloody handprint beneath it.

After completing the contract, Sora rolled the scroll back up and handed it to the blue snake.

The serpent obediently swallowed the scroll back into its stomach and said, "Lord Orochimaru, Master Sora, I will return to Ryūchi Cave now."

Another plume of smoke enveloped the blue snake, and when it cleared, the creature had vanished.

Orochimaru then pulled out another scroll and tossed it to Sora.

"This scroll contains one of my secret techniques," Orochimaru explained. "Study it on your own. If you encounter anything you don't understand, take note of it. I will return every two weeks to answer your questions."

He continued, outlining Sora's training plan. "Your morning training—physical conditioning and reaction exercises—will remain the same. However, your afternoon training will change. There is no need to continue practising low-level ninjutsu.

"Now that you have obtained the Uchiha clan's Fire Release techniques, you will focus on mastering them. I reviewed the scroll, and the Fireball Jutsu and Great Fire Annihilation techniques require mastery of both form transformation and Nature Transformation for fire-based chakra.

"Since you already have experience with form transformation and Nature Transformation of lightning-based chakra, I won't guide you on those fundamentals again. Figure out how to apply what you've learned to the fire attribute.

"In addition to this, you will practice the Summoning Technique during your afternoon sessions. Once you've completely mastered it, you may proceed to train in my secret technique.

"Organize your time wisely," Orochimaru instructed.

He observed Sora with a faint smirk, clearly confident in his pupil.

Sora, known for his diligence and self-discipline, rarely needed supervision. Despite the heavier training regimen, he felt motivated.

'I can definitely make breakthrough progress if I follow this plan,' Sora thought, his resolve strengthening as he envisioned his goals.

"Alright," Orochimaru said, his tone calm yet commanding. "You can begin your training. I have matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave. If an emergency arises, you can find me at the Hokage Building. Once you've mastered the Summoning Technique, you can also summon a snake from Ryūchi Cave to reach me directly."

"Understood, Orochimaru-sensei," Qianyu replied with a bow of respect.

As Orochimaru departed, Sora immediately immersed himself in the new training plan, driven by the determination to grow stronger.

Uchiha Clan Compound

Upon returning to the Uchiha compound, Uchiha Fugaku went straight to his father, Uchiha Masaki.

Seeing his son enter, Uchiha Masaki wasted no time. "Fugaku, how did it go? Sora must have accepted the two scrolls and the goodwill gesture from the Uchiha clan, right?"

Before Fugaku could respond, Masaki continued, his tone self-assured. "There's no way he would refuse. Those scrolls contain the Fire Release techniques passed down through generations of the Uchiha clan. Even Orochimaru cannot replicate their value. Not to mention the Sharingan training tips—he must be grateful to the Uchiha clan."

However, Fugaku's expression darkened, and he hesitated before replying. "Father… Sora didn't accept our overture. He… burned the scrolls."

For a moment, Uchiha Masaki was stunned, his expression flickering between disbelief and anger. "He burned the scrolls?" he repeated, his voice laced with incredulity.

Fugaku nodded grimly. "Yes. He also made it explicitly clear that he does not accept the Uchiha clan's apology."

Masaki's fist slammed against the table with a thunderous crack, shattering it into splinters. His face turned red with fury, and veins bulged on his neck as he shouted, "That boy is nothing more than an outcast we abandoned! Who does he think he is? He's not a member of the Hokage's lineage!"

Masaki's rage filled the room, his breathing heavy as he struggled to contain his emotions. Fugaku, equally angered, remained silent, his own pride wounded by Sora's actions.

The room fell into an oppressive silence, broken only by Masaki's laboured breaths. After a moment, he exhaled deeply, his face regaining its composure. Though his anger simmered beneath the surface, he forced himself to think clearly.

Masaki's tone turned cold and calculated. "If that boy Sora has no sense of shame, we will leave him to his own devices. Fugaku, there's something I need you to do."

"Yes, Father," Fugaku replied, standing straighter. "What is it?"

"I'll call for a clan meeting tomorrow," Masaki said sternly. "From now on, you are to closely monitor the clan, especially those members prone to causing trouble. Keep an eye on them at all times.

"If you find anyone engaging in reckless behaviour, report it to me immediately. I will handle the situation personally.

"The Uchiha clan must begin changing now. If we delay any further, the consequences could be catastrophic. Fugaku, I foresee turmoil in the ninja world within the year. When that time comes, Konoha will have no choice but to rely on the Uchiha clan's strength.

"This war will be our opportunity—our chance to show the entire village that the Uchiha clan is indispensable. But if we continue with our arrogance, our downfall will be inevitable. You know the attitude of our clansmen. If we emerge victorious, their pride will only grow, and they'll act even more recklessly.

"Change must start now. If we fail, and the Hokage decides to take action against the Uchiha clan after the war, it may be the end of our legacy. We cannot allow that to happen during our generation."

Fugaku's expression grew serious as he absorbed his father's words. "Understood, Father. I'll take responsibility for monitoring the clan."

After Fugaku left, Uchiha Masaki's thoughts lingered on Sora, his anger and unease simmering beneath his calm demeanour.

'That boy has become untouchable,' Masaki thought bitterly.

Sora was now protected not only by Orochimaru but also by Sarutobi Hiruzen and even Uzumaki Mito. When Sora first returned to Konoha, Uzumaki Mito proposed adopting him, though Sarutobi Hiruzen ultimately rejected the idea.

Still, Uzumaki Mito, a member of the Senju clan and a formidable figure in her own right would undoubtedly shield Sora if needed. With such powerful allies, Sora had little reason to fear the Uchiha clan.

'He no longer acknowledges the Uchiha clan, and if he grows stronger and becomes part of the Hokage's inner circle, he'll surely work against us at every turn,' Masaki thought, his hands clenching tightly.

But no matter how much Masaki resented Sora, he knew the boy was beyond his reach—at least for now.

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