Uchiha

In half an hour, he finally arrived home under the cover of night. He had exhausted all his strength in that "battle," and his entire body lay sprawled on the bed.

After a brief rest, feeling like he had regained some energy, he pulled out the strand of red hair he had tucked into his own.

"…Forge the damn bracelet."

["Giant Bracelet successfully forged!"]

A bracelet appeared in his hands. It was made of round stone beads, each with unique textures. At the same time, information about the item appeared.

[Special item "Giant Bracelet" detected.

Effect: Allows the user to change the size of their body or a specific part at will. The size achieved depends on the Chakra consumed and the body's ability to withstand the transformation.]

"…"

Sigh…

It was obvious.

Even though he had suspected the bracelet would have this ability because of the name "GIANT BRACELET," he had hoped for something else.

The Akimichi Clan's ability the power to store fat from food and convert it into Chakra.

He was a bit disappointed.

Getting bigger or smaller is useful, sure, but…

Well.

He would definitely obtain Sasuke's blood in the future. Surely, he could forge something out of that.

With a bit of luck, he might even acquire the Sharingan, and perhaps though the chances were slim the Rinnegan. And with that, the Susanoo.

Although he wasn't sure if he could enlarge the Susanoo since it wasn't technically part of his body. But if it was created from his body…Tch.

Whatever.

But what excited him the most was that with this ability…

"He could change a specific part at will, hehe..."

His thoughts continued, and a grin that shouldn't belong to someone his age spread across his face.

As the night grew even darker, Kuro fell into a deep sleep, drool dripping from his mouth and a smile on his face.

---

The night passed.

The next day, before dawn broke, Kuro woke up.

He peeked out the window and saw the clouds on the horizon tinged red, as if set ablaze.

"Today's a good day too!"

Giving his face a few pats, feeling less drowsy, he went to the bathroom to freshen up, then changed his clothes and left to begin his morning routine, carrying simple seasonings in his backpack.

From today onward, meals would be handled in the wild.

---

The chosen location was still Training Ground 39.

Running there, he started with warm-up exercises like jump squats before diving into his intense training routine.

Everything was as usual.

However, his regimen had changed. Now, his training volume was over ten times higher.

Thanks to his abundant Chakra reserves, he was also able to include ninjutsu practice.

Transformation Technique, Clone Technique, Substitution Technique…

Even though they were basic jutsus, they were still incredibly useful. Even the Kage used them.

However, his ninjutsu practice wasn't going as well as he had hoped.

Something wasn't clicking.

Kuro didn't consider himself stupid, but there were parts of the scrolls his parents had left him that he simply couldn't understand.

Especially the sections filled with technical or professional vocabulary words he'd never even heard in the anime episodes.

How is it that in fanfics, everyone learns on their own without any foundation?

"It's not that I can't learn it… It's just that I haven't been taught yet. If someone explained it to me, I'm sure I'd get it. Yeah, that must be it!"

With that thought, he cheered up a bit.

Even though he didn't understand everything in the scrolls, he decided to improvise.

If I don't understand it, I'll guess.

After all, he had Chakra to spare, and his body recovered quickly. Even if something went wrong, he wasn't worried about exhausting himself or getting hurt.

Besides, it's unlikely that practicing the three basic jutsus would result in an immediate explosion.

Thus began his new daily routine.

Early morning physical exercises, followed by a visit to street vendors to buy some steamed buns for breakfast.

In the morning, he trained in the forest, intensifying his physical practice. At noon, he hunted to solve his meals, and in the afternoon, he dedicated time to refining his basic ninjutsu.

Although his training had diversified, it didn't mean it was any less intense.

On the contrary, everything had become much more demanding.

---

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, two months had passed, and September 3rd of Year 53 arrived.

Today was Kuro's 5th birthday.

However, to him, a birthday didn't mean much.

He had always been alone, and this day was no different from the rest. If anything, his way of "celebrating" was eating a little more than usual.

---

As usual, Kuro arrived at Training Ground 39 to practice.

After two months of intense training, his progress was evident. Physically, he could now run along tree branches like a true ninja, and he had mastered the three basic jutsus.

Although there were still parts of the scrolls he didn't fully understand, he had deciphered enough to practice them successfully.

When the results are good, motivation always grows.

Kuro was so engrossed in his practice that he didn't even bother to look for lunch.

When he finally stopped and looked around, it was already nighttime.

Standing by the shimmering river, he gazed at the orange-tinged horizon as the sun slowly set. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he smiled in satisfaction.

Plop

A sound broke the water's calm.

A black "object" fell into the river.

Kuro glanced at it casually, paying little attention.

It was probably just another thing the river carried from Konoha before losing it in the Forest of Death.

A dumping ground.

However, as the "object" drew closer, he noticed something strange. His pupils dilated as he realized what it really was.

"What the hell…?"

Without thinking twice, he jumped into the water and swam toward the "object." When he reached it, he dragged it to the shore with effort.

This wasn't an "object." No, no, no…

It was a person.

He appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen, with an ordinary face. His eyes were closed, and trails of blood ran from them down his cheeks.

He wore a Konoha headband on his forehead and a protective vest covering half his torso.

Turning the body to inspect further, that's when he saw it: the Uchiha Clan emblem embroidered on his clothing.

The atmosphere grew heavy.

Shisui Uchiha.

Kuro froze, stepping back instinctively as he stared at the lifeless body before him.

This character, who had to choose between the village and his clan, chose the village after an intense internal struggle. And, in the end, he was betrayed by those he trusted most.

How ironic.

Kuro hadn't lived through the war, so he couldn't fully grasp the deep desire for peace that drove Shisui.

He had no intention of judging whether his choices were right or wrong.

However, the scene before him was heartbreaking.

Despite losing one eye and plucking out the other to protect what he cared for, Shisui had taken his own life by throwing himself into the river, with bloody tears streaming down his face.

And yet, on his expression, there was still a faint smile.

A smile that said: I regret nothing.

Even if he had failed, he trusted that those he believed in would fulfill their purpose.

If given the chance to choose again, even knowing he would be betrayed, he would still choose the same path.

It was hard to understand.

These kinds of people are either too stupid or too naïve, but they're so sympathetic that others can't help but feel for them.

"Sigh, what a manipulated kid…"

Kuro wasn't a selfish person, but he wasn't a saint either.

He was just an ordinary person.

His primary interest was protecting himself. He didn't usually worry about others' problems, much less their sacrifices.

Maybe it's precisely because there are people like me everywhere in the world that wars keep happening.

But what's wrong with that?

Everyone had their way of living, and Kuro wasn't going to judge anyone for their choices.