"Hmph. Foolish."Uzuki Yugao snorted coldly, her eyes full of disdain for Natsume Yō.
"Heh… we'll see about that."Yō's lips curled into a faint smile as he turned and walked away. His fists clenched tight at his sides. One day… all these people looking down on me will have no choice but to look up.
At the Natsume household.
"This should rattle the higher-ups, right?"As he refined chakra, Yō couldn't help but smirk at the thought. Publicly defeating someone like Uchiha Yūsuke—considered a clan prodigy—might not shock the entire village, but at the very least, it had to catch some attention.
And he wasn't wrong.
If a clan heir had beaten Yūsuke, it would've been no big deal, just a line in some report.But a civilian student doing it? That was borderline unheard of—especially when Yō had casually thrown out ninjutsu and even pulled off Lion Combo, a taijutsu sequence civilians weren't supposed to know.
By Konoha's long-standing "rules," civilian kids didn't have chakra before graduation. Mastering ninjutsu? Absolutely impossible.Only one person had ever broken that mold in recent memory—Namikaze Minato.
But even Minato had leaned on being Jiraiya of the Sannin's disciple. By then, he was already half inside Konoha's elite circle.
Natsume Yō, however, had no such connections. Pure civilian. No family backing. And yet here he was—standing tall after beating an Uchiha heir.
In the depths of Konoha's underground, shadows flickered.
"…Natsume Yō, was it? Interesting. Perhaps… worth grooming."A low voice growled from half-light, half-dark.
The man's pineapple-shaped hair barely swayed as he sat there, his scarred chin forming a harsh X. His eyes gleamed with predatory sharpness. Just by sitting still, his presence suffocated the air.
Shimura Danzō.The shadow king of Konoha.Second Hokage's disciple. Leader of Root.
Meanwhile, inside the Hokage's office.
"To think such a talent could appear… hahahaha! The Will of Fire still burns bright!"The Third Hokage's laughter rang out, warm and relieved, in stark contrast to Danzō's gloom.
Konoha was in the middle of the Great Ninja War. It wasn't just supplies they were bleeding for—it was talent. And talent was scarce.
But under the Will of Fire, Konoha had always produced the strongest. The legendary Sannin. The Ino-Shika-Chō trio. Then Minato, the golden flash of the younger generation. Uchiha Shisui, Hatake Kakashi, and other shining prodigies.
And now… another name had been added: Natsume Yō.
Still, Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his eyes."…But until now, he showed no signs of anything special. How did he suddenly become this strong? Hm. I'll have to ask him personally."Even with joy in his heart, the old Hokage remained cautious. This was wartime. Overlooking the details could be fatal.
The other clans began to take note as well—none more than the Uchiha.
But Yō didn't care. He had no ties to any faction, no grudges, no enemies who could target him yet. For now, his life wasn't in danger.
Besides, he had bigger things to worry about: the system's first side quest.Two years. Become the strongest of his generation.
"…Then so be it."He exhaled, closing his eyes again as chakra surged through his body.Work harder, Natsume Yō. The road is long, but there's no turning back.