Chapter 32
AN : You can read chapters published ahead by supporting me (3$) on my p@treon account - p@treon.com/noviceauthor777
Currently published 21 extra chapters with 36K words in P@treon.
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**The next morning**
A trace of red light appeared on the eastern horizon, gradually infiltrating the sky as a new day dawned.
A figure walked towards the largest training ground in the Uchiha compound. It was Toshiro, and his attire was almost the same as the previous day, with the only difference being a Tanto, more than two feet long, hanging from his waist.
All the early graduates from the Uchiha clan received instructions the previous night to assemble directly at the training ground today, where their sensei and teammates would be revealed.
Arriving at dawn, Toshiro found the training ground empty. "Huh! Am I the first to arrive?" he thought out loud.
Undeterred, he found a large tree, jumped to its top, and sat cross-legged to begin his meditation practice while waiting for his companions.
The time passed slowly. About half an hour later, a little girl of seven or eight years old walked into the training ground.
I saw a pair of charming dimples on her sweet, round face, and her large, expressive eyes glistened with cleverness and mischief.
With a cherry mouth set below her high-bridged nose, she wore a purple cotton Uchiha long-sleeve shirt, paired with ninja pants and sandals.
"I didn't expect you to be my teammate!"
"Huh! Is that Toshiro?" she asked, looking up upon hearing the voice.
"Yes, it's me! Our other teammate is here too!" Toshiro replied.
Glancing at the entrance to the training ground, Toshiro jumped down from the tree and stood beside the newcomer. It was the genius girl, Uchiha Asuka, who had graduated at the same time as him.
Their other teammate also revealed himself. Toshiro and Asuka both recognized him as Uchiha Kirishima, a boy around ten years old, two years older than Toshiro and Asuka, and currently in the fifth grade at the academy.
Seeing Uchiha Kirishima, Asuka's eyes lit up. She leaped over, grabbed his right arm, and said with a playful smile, "Kirishima-kun, I didn't expect you to be my teammate. I'm really happy!"
Seeing her expression, Toshiro couldn't help but shudder. He knew all too well that this seemingly sweet and innocent Asuka was, in reality, a little devil with a cunning streak.
During past games of Werewolf Kill, she would quietly manipulate the players around her, often coming up with crafty schemes to trick her companions, leading to complaints and frustration. Toshiro, with his adult mindset, had managed to avoid falling into her traps several times. This led to a mutual wariness between them, though they did find an unexpected synergy in playing pranks together.
Uchiha Kirishima's identity was notable as well. According to gossip among their peers, Kirishima and Asuka's parents were acquainted and had once been teammates. This connection likely explained why their playing together was never questioned.
'Is this the ninja version of an arranged marriage?' Toshiro mused.
Such arrangements were not uncommon among families with Kekkai kenkai.
"It's Asuka and Toshiro! Ha! Ha! Ha! I didn't expect it to be the two of you!" Kirishima exclaimed, scratching the back of his head with a rather surprised expression.
'Do I feel like a fool, or is it just my imagination?' Toshiro wondered silently, glancing at Asuka.
Before they could exchange more words, a figure suddenly appeared in front of them.
The newcomer was tall with broad shoulders, a pair of sparkling black eyes set in a bronzed face, and a neatly groomed mustache on his slightly pointed chin. His handsome appearance carried a sense of masculinity, enhanced by the green ninja vest he wore. As soon as he arrived, he reached out and ruffled Asuka's little head.
"Uncle Satoshi, you're our instructor? That's fantastic!" Asuka exclaimed, her eyes narrowing with joy as two small dimples appeared at the corners of her mouth. She was clearly very pleased to have her uncle as their instructor.
Toshiro recognized the newcomer as Uchiha Satoshi, the younger brother of the current clan patriarch, Uchiha Shigeyama. Satoshi held a significant position in the police force, leading a team that handled difficult tasks from the Hokage.
"Alright, you are a ninja now, you need to act like it. You can't be as mischievous as before," Satoshi said, his tone firm but affectionate.
"I understand!" Asuka replied cheerfully.
Asuka, Toshiro, and Kirishima stood in a row, facing Satoshi like soldiers being reviewed.
Satoshi, reflecting on his unexpected role as a mentor, felt a deep responsibility to protect these kids. "We may already know each other, but let's start with introductions. Who wants to go first?"
"I'll go first! I'll go first!" Kirishima eagerly jumped forward, raising his hand.
"My name is Kirishima Uchiha, and I'm ten years old. My favorite food is sukiyaki. I hate seeing other people cry, and my dream is to become the first Uchiha Hokage!"
"Oh, ambitious! But if you want to become the Hokage, Kirishima, you'll have to work very hard!" Satoshi encouraged, choosing to support rather than discourage Kirishima's lofty aspirations.
"My name is Asuka Uchiha, and I'm eight years old. I like flower arrangements, and I hate being teased. My dream for the future is... to be a beautiful bride and then a good mother!" Asuka said, her eyes sparkling with determination.
As Asuka spoke, she glanced shyly at Kirishima beside her, her face tinged with a longing expression.
Are all the children in the ninja world so precocious? Toshiro wondered. She's only eight years old and is already fantasizing about being a bride!
Also, that look in her eyes was strange. Why did she look like she was in love? This doesn't match her personality!
Recalling Kirishima's passionate speech, Toshiro was surprised. The usually sharp and cunning little girl seemed to have a soft spot for this kind of hot-blooded determination.
"Asuka's dream isn't bad, but to be a good mother, but you'll need to be more ladylike!" Satoshi said jokingly, not disappointed with Asuka's slightly realistic and modest dream.
"My name is Toshiro Uchiha, and I'm eight years old. I like to read books and quietly soak in hot springs, and I hate trouble. My dream is to experience the different sceneries of this world, taste its delicacies, and meet different beautiful young ladies to make friends with them!"
Uchiha Satoshi raised an eyebrow at Toshiro's unique dream. 'Eh~ Toshiro's dream is quite grand!'
He sighed, unsure of what to say. At such a young age, wanting to make friends with many beautiful young ladies... is this guy going to be a little pervert in the future?
Asuka and Kirishima widened their eyes and looked at Toshiro in surprise, their small mouths slightly open in disbelief.
"Hah! Ha! Ha! Don't look at me with such strange expressions! Also, we all introduced ourselves, but the sensei hasn't yet!"
'We're just shocked by your brazenness' the three of them seemed to say in unison, their eyes reflecting shock, surprise, and disdain. Toshiro was speechless. Isn't this the most simple dream of human beings?
"It's my turn. My name is Uchiha Satoshi, and I'm 33 years old. I like drinking tea, and I hate senseless killing. As for my dream, it's just like Kirishima's: to become Hokage!"
'Although I know this dream will never come true,' he thought silently, not wanting to shatter Kirishima's youthful illusions.
"Okay, let's do a little test. Your goal is to grab these two bells from me before noon. Use any means necessary, come at me with the intention to kill!" As he spoke, he produced two bells and shook them in his hand.
"Huh! Bell test again? Sensei, this test is too old-fashioned, isn't it?" Toshiro complained. Everyone, from the Sannin to the future Team 7, has experienced this test. It's too clichéd!
"Huh! Old-fashioned, you say? Honestly, I don't have much experience as an instructor either; I learned this from my teachers," Satoshi replied, explaining his intention to the puzzled Asuka and Kirishima.
"Toshiro, how do you know about this test?" Satoshi asked with curiosity in his voice.
"I've only heard of it before!" Toshiro replied nonchalantly. Just as he was about to ask another question, Kirishima's voice interrupted him.
"Good! Let's start now!" Kirishima exclaimed energetically, his right fist slamming into his palm.
"Okay, then you can start your attack now..."
Satoshi stood in the center of the training ground, smiling as he faced them.
"You guys don't interfere. Let me go first—this is a dignified duel between men!" Kirishima declared, stepping forward confidently.
"Nani?" Toshiro's thoughts were in chaos. How could someone so peculiar exist in the Uchiha clan, known for their reserved and meticulous nature? First Obito, and now this strange teammate!
Even Asuka, who is usually composed, seemed taken aback. She clenched her fists, with black lines appearing on her forehead and a faint blue vein popping out. However, when she noticed Toshiro's gaze, she immediately forced a smile.
What's with these two? Is this the so-called 'Opposites attract each other'? Toshiro wondered, perplexed by the stark contrast in their personalities. Their interactions seemed almost surreal.
"Let me see how far Kirishima, who dreams of becoming Hokage, has come with his skills," Satoshi-sensei said, laughing heartily and encouragingly.
"Ohhh!" Kirishima responded with enthusiasm. Without hesitation, he drew a kunai from the ninja bag at his waist and threw some shuriken and charged at Satoshi.
Asuka and Toshiro exchanged glances and stepped aside, giving the arena to Kirishima and Satoshi. They watched silently, observing the unfolding duel.
Facing the incoming shuriken, Satoshi prepared himself for Kirishima's attack.
Facing the incoming shuriken, Satoshi-sensei remained calm. Instead of drawing a kunai to counter, he extended his hands, gathering a single shuriken at his fingertips and flicking them lightly. The shuriken thrown by Satoshi's richocheted off at each other like a chain reaction. Soon, the shuriken lay scattered on the ground.
'Awesome!'
'This technique is incredible!' Toshiro thought, watching the impressive display. Even without activating his Sharingan, Satoshi, as a seasoned shinobi, exhibited skills far superior to the average ninja.
"I'm not done yet!"
Undeterred by the failed attack, Kirishima gripped a kunai in each hand, chakra bursting from his feet as he charged at sensei with remarkable speed, hoping to turn the tide with his physical prowess.
Despite the relentless kunai attacks, Satoshi-sensei remained composed. He sidestepped one attack, then extended a finger through the tail ring of a kunai and, with a slight force, disarmed Kirishima.
"Whew! Swish! Swish!" With a flick of his fingers, the kunai danced like a butterfly, performing intricate maneuvers in Satoshi's hands, bewildering Kirishima and concealing the direction of the next attack.
Momentarily distracted by the kunai's movements, Kirishima left an opening. Satoshi used the kunai to block an attack, then deftly flipped his wrist, driving the kunai toward Kirishima's wrist. Realizing the danger, Kirishima reluctantly released his grip.
With empty hands, Kirishima didn't remain passive. He twisted his waist and executed a powerful whip kick aimed at Satoshi's midsection.
"Brush!"
Satoshi performed a graceful forward flip, passing over Kirishima's head and landing behind him, evading the attack while exploiting the gap in Kirishima's defense.
"Damn!" Kirishima growled, refusing to surrender despite the unfavorable position. Utilizing his shorter stature, he squatted and swept his right leg in a low arc, targeting Satoshi's lower body.
AN : You can read chapters published ahead by supporting me (3$) on my p@treon account - p@treon.com/noviceauthor777
Currently published 21 extra chapters with 36K words in P@treon.