Naruto: I Am Uchiha Shirou [40]

In the forest, two Chūnin wearing Konoha forehead protectors walked one after the other, sharing gossip.

"Tsk tsk, do you know why that Uchiha Shirou is rarely seen?"

"Why's that? Brother Ikeda, is there some embarrassing secret about the proud Uchiha clan?"

"Heh, Saburo, since you're new here, let me tell you. The rumors are all true."

"Impossible!"

The younger Chūnin, barely sixteen or seventeen years old, looked shocked as he stared at the more experienced Chūnin beside him.

"The Uchiha clan's pride is well-known!"

"Pride, my foot!" scoffed the rugged-looking Chūnin with a cold laugh. "The so-called proud Uchiha? Lady Tsunade tamed that wolf into a little lapdog. Everyone whispers about it behind their backs."

"Our commander, Lady Tsunade, turned the Uchiha's little wolf into a tame puppy. You should see how obedient he is—always serving her, front and back. Officially, he's compiling resource reports, but everyone knows what that means. Damn it!"

As he spoke, his eyes turned red with jealousy.

"Look at the rest of the Uchiha in the camp—they're all avoiding people because they think it's humiliating!"

The younger Chūnin, wide-eyed, eagerly absorbed this juicy gossip from the frontlines.

However, not far away, Tsunade, standing near the waterfall, overheard everything. Her face darkened with fury, and she was about to lash out when a hand suddenly covered her mouth.

An arm wrapped around her waist, and Shirou swiftly whisked her into the forest without hesitation.

"Shirou—!"

Tsunade didn't resist. If she wanted to, there was no way he could have taken her away.

Once in the forest, Shirou's expression remained calm. He shook his head and smiled faintly.

"Just rumors, Captain Tsunade. Surely you're not planning to take out your anger on some random Chūnin over something so trivial?"

His amused smile made Tsunade flinch—not out of gratitude, but guilt.

She realized she had never considered what her actions might mean for Shirou.

With Uchiha's pride etched into his bones, the burden of family expectations—and now these rumors—must have been crushing.

Initially, she had only thought about using the Uchiha to send a signal to the village.

It worked. The Uchiha stepped forward.

The clan got the opportunity they wanted—a chance to ease tensions with the other Konoha families.

It seemed like a win-win. But Shirou had become a pawn, bearing the weight of it all.

"Shirou, I—"

Just as Tsunade hesitated, preparing to apologize, Shirou smiled and stopped her.

"Captain Tsunade, I've gained everything I could have dreamed of. The clan gives me full access to training resources—three-tomoe Sharingan resources while I'm still at one tomoe. They even cover all my medical expenses for my genetic condition. I have access to every clan technique and every secret, and I've earned status."

The more he spoke, the more Tsunade felt a pang in her heart.

"So, Captain Tsunade, there's no need to overthink this. Besides, let me tell you a little secret."

Shirou leaned in with a mischievous yet sincere smile, teasing, "I volunteered for all of this. After all, Captain Tsunade isn't just Konoha's princess—she's the princess of the Land of Fire."

His playful comment made Tsunade pause. Then her expression shifted, her eyebrows raising in a teasing arch.

"Really? So it was all voluntary, huh, you brat."

Did she believe him?

Shirou didn't respond, only smiling enigmatically. People always believe what they see or deduce themselves, even if you tell them the truth.

More importantly, words left unsaid often weigh heavier than those spoken.

If her guilt lingered in her heart, growing over time until it eventually erupted, that would be when he truly reaped the rewards.

No one understood the world of ninja politics better than he did.

Suddenly, the sound of rustling came from deeper in the forest as the two gossiping Chūnin approached.

"Why is there clothing by the waterfall?!"

The younger Chūnin gawked, pointing to the Uchiha-crest-marked outfit draped over a ninja blade.

"Let's go!"

The older Chūnin, clearly more experienced, grabbed his companion and hastily dragged him away.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Shut up! Think about it—clothes by the waterfall, and you heard someone say Captain Tsunade went toward the back hills. Use your pig brain! Obviously, someone's underwater doing nasty things!"

Rustling noises faded as the two hurriedly retreated.

Tsunade's face darkened again in rage.

"Idiots!"

The anger she had managed to suppress flared up anew.

What did they mean, coming to the back hills for Uchiha? And underwater, no less? What nonsense!

Shirou was equally dumbfounded. He had deliberately left the blade and clothes as a warning that someone was training here.

But these fools had let their imaginations run wild!

"Shirou—!"

Tsunade looked ready to explode, but when her eyes fell on Shirou's young face, she swallowed her anger.

Shirou bore the heaviest burden of all.

"Back to camp. I need to check your health and your progress with summoning and medical ninjutsu!"

Tsunade glared at him, frustrated.

"You're the first to master an A-rank jutsu, and it's not even medical ninjutsu!"

Shirou simply shook his head, then raised his left hand. To Tsunade's surprise, pale green medical chakra glowed in his palm.

"My first A-rank jutsu was Mystical Palm Technique, which you taught me, Captain Tsunade."

His youthful face lit up with an earnest smile, and for a moment, Tsunade's pupils contracted.

She remembered the first time Shirou came to her, insisting on learning medical ninjutsu to fulfill his childish dream of saving the ninja world.

At that moment, she realized he hadn't changed. He had always stayed true to himself.

"Tch! The Uchiha clan all have screws loose," Tsunade muttered with feigned annoyance.

But even she didn't notice how her tone softened.

The boy she once mocked for his naive dream had grown into someone silently enduring the dark burdens of his clan and village, yet he still held onto that dream.

PS: Shirou: "I, Uchiha Shirou, have a dream!"