Chapter 13: Hope

The next morning.

Yuzhibo Dongshilang finished his morning physical training early, then after a brief rest at home, he came to the corner of the courtyard.

Standing on the stone slab installed the day before, he stomped his foot and felt no problem. The slab beneath his feet was rough on one side and smooth on the other; the rough side faced down, the smooth side up. On the open ground beside it lay a perfectly round stone ball forty centimetres in diameter, its surface also smooth and shiny. One could see that considerable effort had gone into its making.

He tested the weight; sure enough, it was not something a kid his age could push. He hurried indoors and called over Uchiha Meixiang, who had just gotten up and was preparing breakfast, asking her to help push the stone ball onto the slab.

"Although training requires perseverance and diligent practice, Dongshilang doesn't need to be so impatient; starting after breakfast is not too late!"

"I've already waited several days; if I wait any longer, the yellow flowers will be cold…" How could I wait any longer? Since Dongshilang began planning his training regimen, this practice has been listed as his top priority.

Reluctantly, he pushed the stone ball onto the slab.

"The weight is unexpectedly heavy! Is this training really effective?" Recalling the scene Dongshilang described, she also felt uncertain.

At that moment, Uchiha Dongshilang was already holding a wooden plank and two bamboo poles about fifty to sixty centimetres long, having come to the side of the stone ball.

"Of course it's heavy! Otherwise I wouldn't have bothered Meixiang sis. This stone ball is a solid granite sphere; it must weigh over 100 kilograms!!

The reason he used a wooden plank instead of the stone slabs delivered yesterday is that this is his first practice. Wood is more flexible, making it easier to handle, and those two stone slabs are also not light—he couldn't just move them around as a child.

Hearing Dongshilang's words, Uchiha Meixiang pursed her lips, saying nothing more. She didn't return to the kitchen to prepare breakfast, but stood quietly to the side, watching his next moves.

All one could see was him placing the wooden plank on the round stone ball, then sitting down on it with a plop. He supported his body with the two bamboo poles to keep balance, slowly sitting cross-legged on the plank.

That's right; he was imitating the Senjutsu training method of Mount Myoboku. In his training plan, both the Mangekyo Sharingan and Senjutsu were top priorities, relating to many of his future decisions.

If both his Senjutsu training and the awakening of the Mangekyo Sharingan succeeded, he would try to alter the tragic fate of the Uchiha clan's annihilation. After all, he too is an Uchiha, a member of the clan—this is an inescapable destiny.

If only one of them succeeded, he would judge based on the results of his Senjutsu training and the Mangekyo Sharingan's eye techniques, deciding whether to save the clan somewhat or flee with a few close relatives.

If the Mangekyo Sharingan's awakening failed and his Senjutsu training also came up short, there's nothing more to say—he'd directly prepare a fake‑death escape plan, find a place with beautiful green mountains and clear waters to spend his twilight years o(∩_∩)o

As for recklessly going all‑out against the Third Hokage, Obito Uchiha, and Itachi Uchiha, Dongshilang could only say, "I couldn't possibly do that…" He simply isn't the type who, after getting hot‑blooded, throws caution to the wind.

After considering how to prevent this tragedy, Dongshilang still decided to wait and see how things played out. Although the Leaf Village constantly talks about the Will of Fire, normally just hearing it is fine. In this matter, there is no absolute power; rashly intervening could get him killed without even knowing how he died.

As for defecting to the Third Hokage, he thought better of it. Remembering the original story, after the Third Hokage died, Itachi Uchiha immediately rushed back to the Leaf Village, unable to wait. That was to intimidate those lurking in the shadows who harbored ill will toward the Uchiha.

Hastily defecting, the Third Hokage would first wonder what your motives are. Moreover, without having awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, in such a clan‑annihilating event you wouldn't even qualify to be a pawn.

Even if he had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, just think of Shisui Uchiha's fate: ambushed by Danzo Shimura, who snatched one of his Mangekyo eyes, causing his plan to collapse outright.

Although Dongshilang felt that Shisui's plan itself was unreliable, too naïve to think that a pair of eyes could change the conflict between the clan and the village.

As for Senjutsu, Dongshilang approached it with a "try anything" attitude, beginning to prepare a try. Well! The precondition is being able to guarantee his own safety.

As for whether he could succeed, he didn't have much confidence. All he could do was pray to the all‑powerful transmigration god.

No matter what, I've also read the whole collection. One should still have dreams—what if it actually succeeded?

"Clang!"

"Ouch!"

Two sounds came in succession: the 'clang' was the sound of the wooden plank hitting the ground.

"Ouch," was the sound of Dongshilang falling flat on his face.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Meixiang burst out laughing, heedless of her image.

There's no one else to blame but himself; his own designed contraption was too much of a trap, and he ended up trapping himself.

Whether it's the level stone slab on the ground, the smooth stone ball on the slab, or the wooden plank on the ball—if only those two were present, one could sit on it and, with a single support point, barely maintain balance.

But Dongshilang added another layer. Although he had the two bamboo poles as support points to keep balance, any slight wobble of the stone ball's upper or lower surface would trigger a chain reaction, making balance control even more difficult.

Even with the two bamboo poles as supports, a moment's inattention sent him tumbling off the slab.

"Well! Who knows if this training method will yield any results? But seeing Dongshilang's embarrassed look, sis is unexpectedly happy *^ο^*

Ignoring his shameless aunt's mockery, Uchiha Dongshilang picked up the fallen stone slab and bamboo poles and began his "Senjutsu" training once again.

He still wouldn't believe it—if a bunch of toads, snakes, and slugs could do it, then he, a proud 985 university student, couldn't?

If in the original story only the reincarnated Asura Hashirama Senju and Naruto Uzumaki managed to succeed, that would be fine enough. But since Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze, and Kabuto Yakushi exist, and in Boruto's era even the pervert Orochimaru, and his own artificially created son Mitsuki—a synthetic human—have all managed to enter Sage Mode, then he, an Ōtsutsuki‑bloodlined alien and descendant of Indra, just couldn't do it???