Chapter 276: Reward for Fighting, Striving for Advanced Fire Release

"The past always seems beautiful and full of nostalgia; I really miss the Ninja Academy life," Genma remarked as he rested under a tree, drenched in sweat.

Back when he was in school, he always looked forward to graduating and was eager for the life of a Ninja. But now that he had graduated, Genma found himself reminiscing about his school days.

Training was not as intense back then, and Academy senseis were not as strict as Chen-sensei. Even if he stayed up late at night, he could make up for lost sleep with less important theory classes.

He thought about it carefully and realized that he had always been contradictory: looking forward to vacations while in school, then missing school during vacations, and soon after longing for the next break.

"Maybe if we go back to the Academy, we'll end up missing our Ninja days again," Genma thought to himself with a chuckle.

"I don't miss it at all; what's past is past," Ebisu voiced his opinion.

"Haha, that's because your true nature showed when you were in fourth grade," Genma laughed loudly at his good friend.

Ebisu's face darkened. It wasn't that his true nature was revealed; he had simply met two lifelong enemies.

Seeing his good friend's murderous expression, Genma chuckled and prepared to make his escape.

"Both of you, rest properly and recover your strength quickly so you can get back to training. Since you both came from the Academy, if your Taijutsu reaches even half of Guy's level, I'll be able to focus on teaching you Ninjutsu," Chen-sensei said, appearing behind them and squeezing their shoulders.

Genma took a deep breath and nodded quickly.

Ebisu also sat down obediently, ready to rest up and continue training as soon as possible. He recognized Chen-sensei's skill and could indeed feel the improvement in his Taijutsu.

"Chen-sensei, it seems like we haven't done a single mission yet. Do you have any plans for us in that regard?" Genma asked with curiosity.

Although he wasn't keen on doing menial tasks, he was concerned that not doing any missions might prevent them from taking on higher-level missions in the future. Since they had become Ninjas, they needed to earn their own money instead of relying on their families.

He hadn't asked earlier because he thought a powerful Ninja like Chen-sensei would surely have his own plans and arrangements.

"Oh right, you still need to do some missions. I almost forgot," Chen-sensei said, rubbing his chin and looking enlightened.

In his younger days, Chen-sensei had completed enough missions and saved up quite a bit of money. Now, unless directly assigned by the Hokage, he rarely took on missions. Additionally, with Guy being so outstanding, Chen-sensei had been focused on ensuring Guy trained properly and grew stronger, which is why he had forgotten about the mission arrangements.

Ninjas are required to undertake missions. If they didn't do any, Chen-sensei wouldn't even be able to recommend them for the Chunin exams.

Genma: …

He had considered many possibilities, but never thought that Chen-sensei might have simply forgotten.

Seeing Genma's desperate expression, Chen-sensei cleared his throat and changed his tone:

"I was just joking earlier. How could I have forgotten? I already have plans. I just wanted you to spend more time training and improving your skills in the early stages. Doing too many D-Rank missions isn't very meaningful."

Genma looked at Chen-sensei with suspicion, feeling that Chen-sensei seemed more natural when he said he had forgotten.

Chen-sensei calmly took out a book with a cool, older sister cover and started reading. Genma silently shifted his gaze away.

When Guy was tired and started to rest, he relayed Mutsuki's response to Chen-sensei.

"Then let's set it for tomorrow. We'll meet at this training ground after 2 PM," Chen-sensei decided after some thought.

Guy nodded and made a note of Chen-sensei's words, planning to inform Mutsuki later in the evening. He was also looking forward to getting another meal, as the fried rice from yesterday was really delicious.

...

On the morning of the exchange meeting, Obito and Shisui met at the agreed location and then went together to attend the event.

The exchange meeting was held within the Uchiha Clan's territory, in a large courtyard. Conversations and casual chatting could take place inside the house, while sparring and practice could be done in the open space of the courtyard.

By the time Obito and Shisui arrived, many Uchiha Ninjas wearing headbands were already seated inside the house.

Shisui glanced around casually and noticed that he was the only one without a headband; all the Uchiha present were indeed very young, mostly teenagers.

Shisui also saw Uchiha Tekka, the only Uchiha present who was close in age to them. Uchiha Tekka was chatting with their senpai Uchiha Inabi, who had already become a member of the police force. Noticing Shisui's gaze, Uchiha Tekka smiled and greeted him.

"Who is he? He looks even younger than you and isn't wearing a headband," Uchiha Inabi asked curiously.

"You're talking about Shisui. He's still just a prospective second-year student at the Academy, so he doesn't have a headband yet," Uchiha Tekka explained.

"However, Inabi, don't be fooled by Shisui's young age. His strength surpasses even mine. You might not be aware of this because you've been busy with missions and police duties in recent years, but he is the latest genius to emerge from our Uchiha clan."

When mentioning that Shisui's strength surpassed his own, Uchiha Tekka's face showed admiration rather than resentment. He genuinely felt the difference between a genius and an ordinary person in Shisui. The efficiency of his training was on a different level; even if someone trained for a couple more years, they could be easily surpassed in an instant.

Uchiha Tekka was a very typical Uchiha, and under the strong respect for strength, he never saw Shisui as a younger clan member but always treated him as an equal.

"Oh, then I'm a bit interested in getting to know him, especially if he has surpassed you right after his first year," Uchiha Inabi said, showing interest in Shisui.

He knew Uchiha Tekka's strength and could be considered a small genius himself. To be highly regarded by Uchiha Tekka, Shisui's strength must be extraordinary.

"Who is the person next to him? He looks quite unfamiliar," Uchiha Inabi noted, observing Obito who was curiously looking around.

"That's Uchiha Obito, who graduated this year just like me," Uchiha Tekka answered with a complex expression.

"Uchiha Obito? I remember there was someone once called the Uchiha's underachiever with that name. Is it him?" Uchiha Inabi recalled some related memories.

"Yes, he used to have very poor grades, but he's far from being the underachiever now. His strength surged dramatically in the fourth year. With his current ability, he could probably become a Chunin just by participating in the Chunin Exams directly."

Uchiha Tekka couldn't help but recall Obito's performance in the practical exams during the third semester against Guy. He was certain that he would be crushed by either of them.

"That's quite an impressive Uchiha," Uchiha Inabi nodded, saying. Regardless of past performance, as long as one becomes strong, they are considered an excellent Uchiha.

Uchiha Inabi then approached Shisui and Obito, wanting to get to know them.

"Hello, I'm Uchiha Inabi. I've heard about your achievements from Tekka. You both are considered geniuses of the Uchiha clan," Uchiha Inabi said as he reached Obito and Shisui.

"Hello, Inabi-san. I wouldn't call myself a genius; I'm just a bit ahead of my peers for now," Shisui replied modestly.

"Hello, I'm Uchiha Obito," Obito responded, stopping his wandering gaze when he heard the voice.

"If someone who can defeat Tekka at this age isn't considered a genius, then there might be very few geniuses among the Uchiha. There's no need to be like those hypocritical people. We Uchiha speak through our strength—strong is strong," Uchiha Inabi said with a smile.

Uchiha Tekka, who had come along, nodded in agreement. If Shisui isn't a genius, then he really can't think of anyone else in the Uchiha who could be considered a genius.

Uchiha Inabi's words drew the attention of some other Uchiha, who were surprised to hear Inabi giving praise. Inabi was quite well-known among the new generation of Uchiha: he graduated at ten, became a Chunin at twelve, and at thirteen this year, entered the police force based on his own strength.

"If you have any questions about training, feel free to ask me. If you want to improve your practical combat skills, I can also offer guidance during the battle later. Don't hesitate to think it would be a bother; consider it a warm-up before challenging others," Uchiha Inabi said with a smile.

"Very well, the exchange meeting is for guiding juniors and challenging seniors," Uchiha Yashiro said with a satisfied expression as he walked over.

"That's right," Uchiha Fugaku, who was walking alongside Yashiro, nodded in agreement.

"Clan Head Fugaku."

"Elder Yashiro."

The young Uchiha on the field greeted the two Uchiha Elders as they arrived. The two elders were not young ninjas themselves; they were there as organizers and combat judges. They would evaluate the battles of the Uchiha and award those who performed excellently.

"Shisui, do your best," Fugaku encouraged Shisui with a pat on the shoulder and then went to the front to give a brief speech.

Fugaku's speech was indeed very brief; he spoke for just one minute before officially starting the exchange meeting.

"This is definitely better than those senseis at the Academy who go on for half an hour," Obito remarked, recalling the lengthy speeches of past senseis.

"Do either of you have any questions for me?" Uchiha Inabi asked the two. If they didn't have any, he would go find other, more senior Uchiha to talk to.

"I heard that there might be a reward of a high-level Fire Release at the exchange meeting. How can one obtain it?" Obito asked directly.

Upon hearing that Obito's goal was to be awarded a high-level Fire Release, Uchiha Inabi smiled and said in a joking tone:

"If you can defeat me in battle, Clan Head Fugaku will definitely reward you with a high-level Fire Release."

Obito was now focused on his goal.

---

Don't forget to check out my patreon where you can read up to 50 advanced chapters https://www.patreon.com/CrazyNinja