"Revitalize the Uchiha clan?"
Naturally, revitalizing the clan meant having more children. And having more children... meant finding more female ninjas.
Uchiha Kage had only meant it as a joke—especially since Sasuke always wore such a stern expression—but he hadn't expected him to take it seriously.
Now, standing at the Ninja Academy, Uchiha Kage stared out the window and sighed silently.
Forget it. Let's focus on last night's thunder instead.
"Good morning, Kage-san."
While he was lost in thought, a short-haired girl who rolled her eyes at him every day quietly took the seat next to him.
Hinata Hyuga.
The morning sun filtered into the classroom, casting a golden glow along the edges of her short hair. Up close, the fine hairs on her pale face caught the light, making her look as if she were bathed in a soft, sacred halo.
The Hyuga clan's eldest daughter looked especially serene and lovely today, like a quiet white flower blooming softly in her seat.
"Good morning."
Uchiha Kage turned from the window and looked directly at the little white flower beside him... and didn't stop looking until that flower turned a little pink.
It wasn't that he was trying to tease the shy girl. It wasn't about "revitalizing the Uchiha clan," either. It was just...
He always felt like her pure, crystal eyes were staring at his most important parts every single day.
If he didn't look back, he'd feel like he was missing out.
That said, this girl in her early teens was by far the most well-developed among her peers—legs of just the right length, porcelain skin, and a clean, faint fragrance that was unlike perfume but just as pleasant.
Her delicate hands looked soft and boneless, the kind someone could play with endlessly without getting bored... though her hard ninjutsu training had left them marked with old scars, slightly lowering her "score."
"Kage-san..."
Hinata shyly pulled her hands into her sleeves and tucked her legs under the table. She softly called the name of the boy next to her.
Why does Kage keep staring at me every day?
Could it be...
Does he hate me? Is he waiting to find a reason to beat me up...?
Of course, she had imagined other possibilities, but before she could get too lost in thought—
"I win, Forehead Girl!"
"No way! I got here first, Pig!"
The chaos at the classroom entrance cut their moment short.
As usual, the school day began with the two girls arguing before even stepping through the door.
Swish. Swish.
Shuriken and kunai hit the center of the training targets with satisfying precision.
Graduation was just around the corner, and training sessions had grown more frequent and more intense.
"Sasuke-kun is so cool!"
"My Kage is even cooler!"
Unlike Haruno Sakura—who could only daydream and scream into thin air—Yamanaka Ino was far bolder. She clung to Uchiha Kage's arm right in front of everyone, showing off.
Meanwhile, Hinata Hyuga sat on the grass alone, knees hugged to her chest, watching silently as the boy who usually sat beside her was now nestled against a yellow-haired girl.
So Ino's the type Kage likes... Pretty and confident girls like her...
"Can you be a little more subtle?"
Sakura frowned. Seeing her "best friend" clinging to Kage, even pressing her chest against him, rubbed her the wrong way.
"If you're jealous, just admit it. Kage doesn't mind, so what's your problem?"
There were only two good-looking boys in the whole class—and unfortunately, Sakura had picked the cold one.
Ino snuggled closer to Kage, making a triumphant face at her childhood rival.
"Ugh, it's too hot today. Let me rest a bit."
Though the soft sensation on his arm was certainly nice, Uchiha Kage felt overheated.
Cute was fine, but sexy was better—and right now, nothing compared to the "Big Thunder" from last night.
Still... he couldn't figure out why Ino, unlike in the original story, wasn't fawning over Sasuke alongside Sakura. Instead, she was head-over-heels for him.
"Sorry! I forgot about your condition..."
Ino quickly pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at the sweat on his forehead.
Everyone at school knew Kage was talented with shuriken, but physically weak.
"It's fine."
Kage had indeed been weak when he first arrived here. But after all these years, he had more or less regained normal health.
And after acquiring last night's Ninja Fragment, he was probably even stronger than average now.
He gently patted the blonde girl's head, motioning for her to stop.
"Mm..."
Despite her usual confidence, being touched by the boy she liked made Ino go soft. Her voice dropped, and her cheeks reddened.
"I'm not jealous!"
Sakura clenched her teeth and turned away. She couldn't stand Ino's smugness any longer.
But if only Sasuke were as kind as Kage...
She sneaked a glance at Kage standing next to Ino—then over at Sasuke sitting alone in the shade, cold and distant—and stamped her foot in frustration.
"Next is the sparring exercise!"
Seeing that the students had mastered the basics of shuriken throwing, their teacher, Iruka, moved on.
"Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto—step forward!"
[You have obtained: Ninja Student Naruto Fragment ×1]
Huh?
I don't even need to be in that 'dream'... Can I really collect ninja fragments in reality too?
Uchiha Kage stared at the shimmering fragment that appeared in the air after Sasuke and Naruto's match.
When he picked it up and successfully fused it, his eyes widened.
So this cheat works outside the dream as well? It's always on?
"The winner is Uchiha Sasuke! Now, make the seal of reconciliation."
Iruka was a little surprised. Usually, Sasuke crushed Naruto in a flash. But today, Naruto held out much longer—long enough to force Sasuke to use the Clone Technique to win.
Even if he was a fox demon... he had improved.
"Damn it!"
Naruto pounded the grass in frustration.
He could lose to anyone—but losing to Sasuke? That burned.
"Dead-last loser."
Sasuke muttered his usual nickname for Naruto.
"What did you say!?"
The two boys, who had just clasped hands in reconciliation, were now grabbing each other's collars and wrestling in the grass like wild animals.
"Dammit, Naruto! Let Sasuke go!"
The girls—led by Sakura—swarmed to scold Naruto and immediately fawned over Sasuke again.
"You two, knock it off!"
Iruka sighed and broke them apart.
He was used to it by now. These two always fought like this after sparring.
"Next group: Hyuga Hinata and Uchiha Kage!"