Lotm Rogue-like across worlds.

The Uchiha clan was located on the outskirts of Konoha. Apart from the coats of arms that decorated the houses and the same type of clothing, nothing special made this place stand out from the rest of the districts. At first, I expected wariness, but when several Uchiha met me, they only asked if I was lost and why I had come. Despite the isolation, it seemed that their resentment was directed not at the villagers, but at the higher ranks.

When I got to the right house, it was quiet. After knocking, I didn't wait long — the door was opened by a woman with a soft, friendly smile.

—Hello,— I said, bowing slightly. — I'm a classmate of Sasuke's. We agreed to practice together. Is he at home?

"Oh, you must be Seiji, right?" She smiled a little wider, lowering her gaze to my level. — Yes, Sasuke told me. Come in, please.

I nodded as I crossed the threshold.

- thanks.

The house immediately seemed spacious to me, despite its modest size. Wooden floors and thin walls made of paper and wood created a cozy feeling. There was a small niche for shoes at the entrance, and then there was a neat tatami path. There was a shoe cabinet against the wall, on which several vases with flowers were placed.

Mikoto motioned for me to move on, holding the door open.

"Just take off your shoes, please," she added.

I took off my shoes and, following her, looked around the living room. It was a spacious room with sliding partitions, one of which opened onto a small garden. There was a low wooden table top in the corner, surrounded by seat cushions. A scroll with calligraphy hung above it, and books were neatly arranged on a shelf next to it.

— Sasuke is in his room now, I'll call him. You sit down for now, okay? — She said, pointing to the table.

—Sure, thanks," I replied, sitting down.

Mikoto went deeper into the house, leaving me alone in this silence filled with the light scent of green tea.

Sasuke didn't have to wait long. A few minutes after Mikoto had gone deeper into the house, he appeared around the corner. His steps were fast and his gaze focused. When he saw me, he frowned slightly, but his eyes were more curious than displeased.

"You came,— Sasuke said, stopping in the doorway.

I nodded without getting up from the pillow.

"You suggested it yourself,— I replied calmly.

Sasuke snorted slightly, as if he wanted to say something else, but he was interrupted by Mikoto, who returned to the room with a soft but determined smile.

—Well, well, don't rush," she said, looking at us. — You need to eat before training. You're just kids.

— Mom, we won't be long! Sasuke protested, but his tone was more plaintive than indignant.

— No discussion. The table is already set, let's go," she motioned for us to follow her.

I stood up, exchanged a brief glance with Sasuke, and followed Mikoto into the next room. There were already plates of simple but delicious dishes on the low table—rice, stewed vegetables and miso soup. Mikoto pointed to the seats, inviting us to sit down.

—Eat well,— she said, sitting down next to him.

Sasuke sat down across from me, still looking a little unhappy, but he didn't object anymore. I started eating in silence, just like him. The food was delicious, and its fragrance filled the room. Mikoto gave us warm glances from time to time, but she didn't interfere in the conversation. When we finished, she cleared away the dishes, and we got up from the table.

"Thank you for the food," I said politely, bowing slightly. Mikoto smiled back.

"You're welcome." Be careful and don't linger," she admonished.

We left the house, and Sasuke took a step forward and turned to me.

— We have a training ground not far from here. Shall we go? Sasuke looked at me with a slight challenge in his eyes.

—Of course," I replied, keeping my tone calm.

The journey took only a few minutes. The playground turned out to be a fenced area with several throwing targets, training dummies, and even low barriers for practicing jumps. The space was perfect for training.

Sasuke stopped in the middle of the playground and, folding his arms on his chest, looked at me with a slight condescension.

"I'm not going to teach you our style. It's a family thing. He spoke with seriousness, as if he had cut off any possibility of objections beforehand.

"I don't need to," I replied in a flat voice. — I'm interested in sparring. Experience is more important.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, clearly considering my words, but soon shifted his gaze to one of the targets. He was obviously up to something, but he was trying to hide it behind a calm expression on his face.

"Then show me how you throw shurikens,— he said, pretending it was just a test. — If you want to train, first prove that you can do something.

I nodded and walked over to the counter where the shurikens were. After selecting a few, I stood on the mark and, taking aim, quickly threw them one by one. All four shurikens hit the center of the target, leaving neat holes in it.

Sasuke, who was watching me, frowned slightly, but immediately changed his expression to one of indifference. His lips twitched slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but restrained himself.

"You did that last time, too," he finally said, pretending it was just a casual remark. — You probably practice a lot.

I sensed that he was trying to lead the conversation to something, and I decided to play along.

— Yes, there is such a thing. The main thing is to choose the right angle and the power of the throw. It's not that hard if you get used to it. How do you usually throw? I looked at him, pretending not to notice his hidden interest.

Sasuke reluctantly went to the counter and took some shurikens. His movements were quick, but a little hesitant. Two shurikens hit the center, and the rest deflected to the side.

"Not bad," I said, stepping closer. — But there is a nuance. Your brush is too hard. Try to relax her a little. Look. — I took one of the shurikens and showed you how to hold it and turn your wrist when throwing. "Now you."

Sasuke repeated the movement, and his result improved. Three of the four shurikens hit the center of the target. His face lit up with a satisfied smile, which he immediately tried to hide.

"Hmm, it's not that hard," he muttered, clearly pleased with his progress.

"You see," I said, trying to sound casual. — With a little more practice, you'll be able to throw without missing.

Sasuke nodded, but immediately regained his serious look.

— Okay, now it's your turn to show what you can do. Let's see how you do in battle. He took a few steps back and took up a fighting stance, not hiding his slight anticipation.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

The training session was coming to an end. I fell to my knees, panting. Sweat was running down his face, but there was a strange feeling of satisfaction inside. Sasuke, also exhausted, stood opposite, resting his hands on his knees and regaining his breath. There was something like recognition in his gaze, but he clearly wasn't going to show it.

"You've improved," he said, trying to catch his breath. "But that's not enough.

 I got up, brushing the dust off my knees. — It ended much faster last time.

Sasuke grinned as if acknowledging my words, but immediately returned his serious expression. He went to the weapon rack and began adjusting the shurikens there, doing it with deliberate concentration.

— Do you train separately at all? "What is it?" he asked, not looking at me, as if it were a random question.

"A little,— I replied. — A set of exercises helps. Not only in speed, but also in endurance.

Sasuke turned around, crossing his arms over his chest. His eyes were slightly narrowed, as if he wanted to understand how serious I was.

"The complex?" Show me," he said, trying to sound casual.

I briefly wondered if it was worth demonstrating the standard exercises, but decided that it wasn't necessary right now.

"I'd like to practice ninjutsu right now," I replied calmly.

Sasuke frowned. Surprise flashed in his eyes, which he quickly replaced with his usual self-confidence.

"Ninjutsu?" Have you started teaching him yet?

- yes. There's something useful in the library if you know where to look," I said, pausing to gauge his reaction. Sasuke looked intrigued, although he tried to hide it.

"Show me what you can do," he said, hiding his interest behind a deliberate coolness. "Unless, of course, it's just words."

I nodded, folded the seals, and concentrated. The first technique is cloning. I formed a sequence of characters, and a perfect clone appeared next to me. Sasuke watched this with interest, his gaze was appraising.

—Not bad,— he said casually.

The next technique was transformation. I folded the new seals and a moment later appeared in front of Sasuke in his own form. He looked me up and down, trying to find flaws, but said nothing.

"You're seriously skipping the basic program," he said, regaining his usual tone. — We haven't even started studying the theory of the chakra yet.

"That's why I decided to study on my own," I replied, regaining my appearance. — The programs are too slow, and I need more.

Sasuke looked thoughtful. His pride did not allow him to ask directly, but the desire to learn was evident in his eyes.

"Can you teach me?" "What is it?" he finally asked, trying to sound casual.

- of course. Let's start with chakra control. Without this, no technique will work.

I explained the basics.: how to focus, how to feel the movement of the chakra in the body. Sasuke turned out to be a good student, despite his stubbornness. He listened attentively and diligently repeated everything that I showed. The first attempts were clumsy, but he quickly grasped the essence.

"Now try the cloning technique," I suggested, showing the sequence of seals. — It's a basic technique, but it's important.

Sasuke folded the seals and concentrated. A few seconds later, a blurry clone appeared next to him. He frowned at the result.

"It's nothing.

"It's fine for the first time,— I said. — Focus on evenly distributing the chakra. Try again.

Sasuke tried again. His clone began to look clearer, and I noticed a slight shadow of a smile as he assessed the progress.

"Now you," he said, turning to me. "Show me what else you can do."

I folded the seals for the moving technique. A moment later, he found himself in another place at the end of the site, replacing himself with a small boulder. Sasuke flinched, but quickly hid his surprise.

—Okay,— he said, squinting a little. — Keep learning.

We continued our training. I explained technique after technique, Sasuke absorbed the material with enviable speed. Despite the difference in approaches, his tenacity was impressive. We both got carried away, and time flew by.