Time gradually slipped away, and the date arrived at December 31st.
The weather became colder, but people's faces were filled with festivity. This was the last day of the year, and the residents on the streets all started to decorate with lanterns and colored banners, preparing for tomorrow's New Year's Eve.
During these dozen or so days, Jokichi did not slack off in the slightest, immersing himself entirely in training.
Because he was focusing on practicing ninja tool mastery, coupled with the continuous heavy snow recently, he did not go to the training ground outside to train, but stayed in the dojo in his own courtyard.
Just as Itachi's advice had said, concentrating on training one thing made the speed of progress much faster than when he was distracted by training multiple things before.
Coupled with a training volume far exceeding that of ordinary people, Jokichi had now proficiently mastered the basic moves of the sword and kunai. As long as he sparred more with others later and summarized his combat experience, he would be able to throw himself into real battles.
As for shuriken...
Whether it was due to the heavy wind and snow recently, or his lack of talent, there had been no progress.
From a distance of five meters, the probability of hitting the target was around fifty percent, which was purely relying on luck.
If he wanted to hit the bullseye, out of a hundred practice throws, there might not even be one hit.
This kind of training progress made Jokichi want to give up several times.
However, on second thought, if he could not even guarantee the hit rate of shuriken, wouldn't his future ninjutsu be even more inaccurate?
Could it be that he would only learn AoE area-of-effect ninjutsu in the future?
But as everyone knows, large-scale ninjutsu has another title, called Mob Clearing Jutsu.
It means that apart from being used to clear out mobs, it is completely useless.
Of course, Jokichi also knew that this was just a result caused by the limitations of the anime.
And this is a real world.
Situations like the Great Fireball Technique that can never kill anyone, or the show-off Dragon Flame Jutsu, should not occur.
But to give up many single-target ninjutsu because he could not aim accurately, this kind of reason...
It is really quite laughable!
Therefore, although the progress was slow, Jokichi never gave up on his shuriken training.
During this period, apart from buying food and daily necessities, he basically did not go out, turning a deaf ear to matters outside.
Only Uzumaki Naruto would occasionally come looking for him, telling him some gossip in the village.
However, no major events happened either.
Today, it was dazzlingly sunny, and the white snow had completely melted.
Jokichi did not train, but went out to purchase goods for the New Year.
He had invited Uzumaki Naruto to eat together tomorrow and then attend the evening fireworks festival.
That night, the full moon hung high.
Jokichi held a plate of dim sum snacks and a drink, sitting on the stone stool in the courtyard, leisurely admiring the moon.
He was not an iron man who only knew how to train; every day after six in the evening, he would stop training and find something leisurely to relax his body and mind.
Sometimes it was reading novels, sometimes reading manga, sometimes going out for a walk...
It was just that, perhaps because Itachi unknowingly pulled him into the Tsukuyomi, making him deeply realize his own shortcomings!
He had been training rather diligently recently and had not relaxed much.
Now that the end of the year was approaching, he took the opportunity to rest properly.
He nibbled on melon seeds while admiring the moon.
Looking at the moon that was obviously a circle larger than in his previous life, he could not help but have a sudden whim.
This moon was created by the Sage of Six Paths' Chibaku Tensei. If this moon was used as material, could things related to the Sage of Six Paths be forged?
But on second thought, the Sage of Six Paths had no memes in his previous life, and the Sage Eyes and Sage Body on him could also be obtained from Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto.
There was absolutely no need to make a special trip to the moon.
However, to forge the Tenseigan in the future, he would definitely still have to make a trip to the moon. When the time comes, he might as well dig up a shovelful of ore to bring back along the way.
Thinking of this, Jokichi could not help but smile.
Since when did he become so unconcerned even about Six Paths-level things?
Whether it was the Rinnegan or the Sage Body, these were things that all ambitious people in the entire world dreamed of.
Suddenly, a black shadow flashed through the moonlight.
The speed was extremely fast, fleeting in a flash, like an illusion.
A sharp glint flashed and disappeared in Jokichi's eyes; the scarlet Sharingan slowly spun, then returned to black.
He picked up the teapot, filled another empty cup, placed it on the opposite side of the stone table, and asked indifferently, "Coming only at this time, did some accident happen?"
"Mhm! I was sent out of the village to execute a mission."
An indifferent voice sounded from behind, and Uchiha Itachi, who had wrapped his entire body in a cloak, walked out from behind Jokichi.
Jokichi did not speak, merely reaching out his hand to guide him to the empty seat in front.
Uchiha Itachi shook his head gently, "The longer the stay, the greater the probability of being discovered. When that time comes, you will have big trouble. I will leave after I finish handing things over."
Jokichi was not pretentious either, nodding and saying, "Speak!"
"This is a portion of the bodily tissues of everyone in the Uchiha clan, containing both blood and hair. Itachi took out a scroll from his wide sleeve and placed it on the table as he spoke."
Jokichi picked up the scroll and looked at it from left to right, then put it into the pocket in his clothes, and looked at Itachi again, "Anything else?"
"I am preparing to execute the plan tomorrow."
Saying that, Itachi continued to take out four scrolls from his sleeve. "Considering the possibility of failure, I have recorded some of the ninjutsu I am skilled at into these few scrolls."
"Failure..."
Jokichi pursed his lips, his left hand resting on the stone table, tapping lightly intermittently. After a long while, he asked, "Do you need any help?"
Itachi gently shook his head, "If I fail, please secretly take care of my younger brother."
"If you fail, won't it implicate the clan?" Jokichi was somewhat surprised.
"Regardless of whether it is a failure or success, the conflict between the clan and the village will be resolved. The difference is merely the situation they will face in the village afterwards."
"What kind of plan have you prepared exactly?"
"You will know when the time comes."
After saying this sentence, Itachi's body turned into crows and flew away, using the darkness shaded by the rock wall.
A thick cloud drifted across the sky, covering the full moon.
The earth instantly plunged into darkness.
Jokichi gazed in the direction the crows disappeared and remained silent. Only after a long while did he sigh deeply: "The skies are going to change."
...
The skies had indeed changed.
The days that were originally either strong winds or blowing snow rarely ushered in continuous sunny days.
The sun rose early, and the sunlight shone upon the earth, bringing a trace of warmth to this cold winter.
Jokichi got up early, changed into a new blue kimono, and went to the bathroom to wash up and tidy himself.
Before long, a boy with black hair and black eyes, fair skin, and delicate and handsome facial features walked out.
Jokichi opened the courtyard gate, stretching out a smile toward the morning sun.
In the distance, Uzumaki Naruto, also wearing a blue kimono and trailing a long scarf, ran over from the path yelling and shouting.
"A new year and a new atmosphere. Let's hope that good luck will shelter us this year too!"
...
Uchiha compound.
Uchiha Itachi held Sasuke's hand and happily went to the street.
Akimichi, Yamanaka, Nara, Inuzuka, Aburame, Hyuga, and even ordinary ninjas or villagers...
Every family poured onto the streets accompanied by their relatives.
On the main street, people came and went, each and every one displaying happy smiles.
Hokage Building.
Sarutobi Hiruzen stood on the rooftop looking down, his wrinkles weathered by time smoothed out, brimming with a radiant smile.
In the dark underground.
An old man with bandages covering his eye and wrapping his body sat alone in a gloomy office.
Hearing the faint bustle coming from the street, he opened his exposed single eye.
A gloomy and sharp light flickered, not knowing what he was plotting.