Uchiha Clan Compound
A solemn, oppressive atmosphere hung over the area.
Inside a central chamber, Uchiha Han was kneeling on one knee, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
Standing before him, hands clasped behind his back, was a man facing away from him—
The head of the Uchiha Clan, and captain of the Konoha Military Police Force:
Uchiha Kageyama.
"Idiot!"
"C-Captain…"
Uchiha Han knelt there in fear and reverence, his body trembling slightly.
Uchiha Kageyama turned around, staring at him coldly.
"All this chaos—over nothing more than a brat."
"Do you realize that even the Hokage himself has personally intervened in this matter?!"
Han didn't dare say a single word under the reprimand.
His heart was filled with regret and frustration.
He had never imagined that a mere outsider brat like Yuya could stir up such a storm—causing such a sensation that the entire Uchiha Clan was pushed into the spotlight.
If I'd known this would happen… I should've found a way to kill that kid back then.
Now it was too late.
Yuya had become a genius famous throughout Konoha, and everyone knew he had a grudge with the Uchiha Clan.
If anything happened to Yuya now, even if the Uchiha Clan were completely innocent, they would never be able to clear their name.
However—
There was still one unresolved issue.
In less than three months, Yuya and Uchiha Han were scheduled for a life-and-death duel.
"Although the Third Hokage has personally taken notice of this matter," Uchiha Kageyama said coldly,
"this concerns the pride of the Uchiha Clan. We cannot back down."
"Do you understand?!"
"Right now, neither you nor that brat matters. What matters is the dignity of the Uchiha Clan—we cannot afford to lose face!"
"If the Uchiha Clan has to yield just because a brat showed a bit of talent, then what standing would we have left in Konoha?!"
The chill in his words was enough to freeze the air.
"I… I understand…"
Uchiha Han replied in a trembling voice.
Seeing this, Uchiha Kageyama shook his head and turned away once more.
"You may leave. Three months from now—I don't want to see any accidents."
"Yes!"
Uchiha Han answered firmly, murderous intent flashing in his eyes.
In his view, even Yuya's first-place finish in the Ninja Academy's practical ranking exam was nothing more than children playing at combat.
Defeating him?
That was nothing but a dream.
Training Grounds – Forest
The wind rustled through the trees, leaves whispering softly.
Bang! Bang! Bang!!
Rhythmic impacts echoed through the woods.
Yuya stood before a tree trunk as thick as two people embracing it, repeatedly driving his fists into it.
A deep crater had already formed in the trunk—and Yuya's fists continued to hammer into that same spot.
Inside the indentation, faint traces of blood were visible.
Even though Yuya's hands were wrapped in bandages, throwing hundreds—thousands—of punches inevitably caused injury.
"Ha!!"
Silently counting, when he reached one thousand, Yuya let out a powerful shout and threw a heavy punch.
Crack—!!!
This punch unconsciously carried shock force.
The thick trunk, already deeply dented, shattered outright from the impact.
"…Whew. I've broken more than a dozen wooden posts already."
Yuya looked at the destroyed trunk and sighed helplessly.
"These things are way too fragile. Maybe I should switch to metal posts?"
But metal training equipment was expensive—very expensive.
After thinking for a moment, Yuya came up with a compromise.
If metal wasn't an option…
Stone would do.
Stone posts were far tougher than wood—though the pain would be significantly worse.
"For the sake of building a body strong enough to open the Second Gate, it's worth it."
"At worst, I'll just wrap more bandages around my hands."
Muttering to himself, determination gleamed in Yuya's eyes.
It had been less than two days since Yuya defeated Minato, took first place, and became famous throughout Konoha.
Yet Yuya hadn't rested at all.
The moment the practical ranking exam ended, he threw himself straight back into training.
Reputation meant nothing.
Only strength was real.
Not to mention the looming danger right in front of him—
And the approaching Second Shinobi World War, which would be fraught with deadly risks.
Without real power, one would be nothing more than cannon fodder.
After a brief rest, Yuya prepared to resume training—
One thousand side kicks next, followed by push-ups.
Just as he walked back toward the half-destroyed training post—
A masked figure suddenly appeared in a flicker.
"Yuya," the ANBU ninja said calmly.
"The Hokage requests your presence."
Yuya paused in surprise, then nodded.
A summons from the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was something he couldn't possibly refuse.
What surprised him wasn't the summons itself—
But the timing.
After the practical ranking exam ended, Hiruzen should have summoned him immediately.
Yet it had been delayed until now.
For a moment, Yuya had even wondered whether the Hokage had somehow forgotten him—though that was clearly impossible.
"Alright."
After responding, Yuya followed the ANBU ninja toward the village.
As they left, the ANBU couldn't help glancing at the shattered training post—
Then at the bloodstained bandages wrapped around Yuya's fists.
A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.
He looked at Yuya a few extra times.
If Yuya were merely a talented youth, that alone wouldn't be remarkable.
But talent combined with this level of relentless effort—borderline obsessive training—
That was terrifying.
Talent alone wasn't frightening.
Talent paired with the willingness to endure pain and train desperately?
That was truly dangerous.
If Yuya didn't die along the path of growth, his future would be unimaginable.
Konohagakure – Hokage Tower
Following the ANBU, Yuya quickly arrived at the Hokage Tower and passed through without obstruction.
They went all the way to the top—
The Hokage's Office.
The place where the affairs of tens of thousands of Konoha ninja were handled.
The pinnacle of authority and power within the village.
At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, sat in the Hokage's chair.
He frowned slightly, took a puff from his pipe, and pondered in silence.
"The Uchiha Clan's attitude is far more rigid than expected…"
"But that's only natural. If this matter weren't public knowledge, it would be easy to resolve."
"However… now that all of Konoha knows about it, under the eyes of the masses, the Uchiha Clan cannot afford to lose face."
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