Chapter 8 — Ninja
Eight-year-old Uchiha Shigeru had been in contact with chakra for three years. His strength was already comparable to a lower-ranking ninja. Although he couldn't fully manipulate chakra at this moment, a body trained for three years was not something these two brats could match.
At this moment.
8:30 in the morning.
He ran confidently at the front. "In my world, no one can stand before me."
"Then let's see about that," Kinoshita Hikaru followed closely behind.
One lap, two laps, ten laps… a hundred laps.
By now, Uchiha Shigeru was drenched in sweat. Hikaru and Minato Namikaze were utterly exhausted, their bodies wobbling under the strain.
Yet no one gave up. Only one thought filled their minds: absolutely do not fall first.
Ding ding ding…
The lunch bell rang, and students began to pour out, seeing the three still running on the training field.
Kinoshita Muraichi stood on the rooftop, watching quietly with a gentle smile.
A man's friendship is forged through conflict.
"Keep going, little brothers."
Whoosh!
Kato Tokuyoshi—A senior teacher—jumped up and called out, "Sensei Muraichi, aren't you going to stop this pointless contest?"
"This isn't pointless. Don't underestimate their determination."
Kato Tokuyoshi sneered. He disliked this junior very much. Were it not for Muraichi being a special Jonin, he would have made sure this brat understood the authority of his seniors.
Still so arrogant.
He spoke with certainty, "That's an Uchiha. How could those two brats possibly win?"
"Who knows?" Muraichi replied calmly.
Kato Tokuyoshi fell silent, his heart seething. Seriously? This attitude—don't they know respect?
"How about a bet, Sensei Muraichi?"
Muraichi raised an eyebrow in surprise. "A bet? On what?"
"One round of barbecue. You're young, it's understandable if you misjudge them."
As a Chunin, Kato Tokuyoshi restrained himself. They were all comrades in the village, so he couldn't go overboard. It wasn't because Muraichi was a special Jonin.
"Three rounds, with two children included. How about that?"
"Fine."
The bet set, Muraichi looked at the training field and felt a thrill of joy. Last time, his brothers had run all day; their stamina was more than enough, and winning three rounds of meals would be delightful.ヽ(○^㉨^)ﾉ♪
Sorry, little brothers, you're the stakes. This is the last time!
Ding ding ding! The class bell rang.
The three were still running.
Ding ding ding! The end-of-day bell rang. Everyone else went home.
The three were still running.
"Keep going. You must persevere," Minato muttered, each step feeling like a thousand pounds. Yet he refused to lose.
Because this was not just a sparring match—it was a battle to the limit.
His eyes squinted; sweat had soaked into them.
No giving up, no losing. On the path of a ninja, failure means death.
Just like their parents!
Each breath burned his throat like fire, yet without entering the flames, how could one taste the burning heat?
Uchiha Shigeru ran at the front, thinking, "Damn it… how can they endure this long… so tired… I just want to sleep."
No. He must hold on. As an Uchiha, he could not be defeated by two brats.
He gritted his teeth, forcing his body onward with sheer willpower.
Many witnessed this: Hiruzen in the Hokage's office, Orochimaru perched in a tree.
None cared about winning or losing. What mattered was this resilience. In their hearts, a single thought resounded:
"Never give up until the very end. You have already grasped the essence of being a ninja."
"Go, Shigeru-kun!" Uchiha Mikoto waved her fists, cheering for him.
Hearing the goddess's voice, Shigeru's dazed mind immediately cleared. A wide smile spread across his face.
But with that smile, his rhythm collapsed. A wave of exhaustion struck, assaulting his mind, and he immediately passed out, face first on the ground.
Unacceptable!
Uchiha Mikoto: "Oh no! Σ(っ°Д°;)っ"
She quickly ran over, hoisting Uchiha Shigeru onto her back and headed for the infirmary.
Minato Namikaze, seeing his friend pass out, had only one thought in his mind: "No need to treat Hikaru to a meal now!" Then his legs buckled, and he collapsed onto the ground.
Seeing his friends fall, Kinoshita Hikaru immediately ran over to support Minato and also went to the infirmary.
This time, Hikaru had pushed himself past two limits but hadn't yet reached the point of fainting. He glanced at his status panel.
[Multiverse Proficiency Panel]
Name: Kinoshita Hikaru
Age: 6
Ability: Rubber Fruit (Beginner) (7/100)
Technique: Chakra Extraction (Beginner) (19/100)
Skills: Kunai Throwing (Beginner) (5/10), Taijutsu (Beginner) (2/10), Hand Seals (Intermediate) (60/1000)
Ninjutsu: None
On the rooftop, Kinoshita Muraichi looked at Kato Tokuyoshi with a gentle smile.
"I won, Teacher Kato."
"Hmph, I will honor the bet. Just tell me when we're going to eat, I'll go first."
Kato Tokuyoshi turned to leave, but Muraichi stopped him.
"Wait. The kids haven't eaten all day. Let's do it today, one meal first, alright?"
"Alright then."
…
Meanwhile, in the small infirmary, four little brats crowded inside, making it a bit cramped. Seeing Hikaru, one of them exclaimed in surprise, "Why are you here again?"
"Uh…" Hikaru didn't know how to respond. Should he not be here? Then… should he leave?
After a short while, once everyone had mostly recovered, Kinoshita Muraichi walked in, smiling.
"You all worked hard today. As a reward for the three of you, Teacher Kato and I have decided to treat you to barbecue."
"Meat? Awesome! (✪▽✪)"
"Thank you, teachers," Minato said, his pale little face betraying just how hungry he was.
The tiny infirmary instantly erupted in cheers.
Uchiha Shigeru, still faint, slowly woke, seeing everyone celebrating. His expression darkened. Do you have any manners? There's a patient here!
He glared at Uchiha Mikoto in complaint. "Mikoto-chan…"
"Enough. You got distracted and lost the match."
"No… it's fine (ಡωಡ)"
Shigeru scratched his head and gave a silly smile, then shot a glare at the two of them. What are you so proud of, huh?
"Saisei-chan, you come too," Kinoshita Muraichi generously invited the goddess nurse, then looked at Kato Tokuyoshi. "Senpai, what do you think?"
"Sure!" Kato gritted his teeth and instinctively reached for his wallet, realizing today would cost him.
Oh well, how much can one girl eat?
"Then Mikoto-chan, you're coming too. Everyone go eat barbecue together."
"Really?"
"Of course."
As everyone left the infirmary, Uchiha Shigeru still didn't move. He didn't blame Mikoto; he blamed himself. As an Uchiha, losing to two brats was humiliating.
Just then, Kinoshita Muraichi entered.
"Time to eat barbecue."
"I'm not going," Shigeru replied stubbornly.
"Why, feel humiliated losing to commoners?"
"Hmph!" Shigeru didn't answer.
"…Losing is losing. What does it teach you, young one? You still have to train."
With that, Muraichi walked out. "Hurry and eat, or your opponents will finish it all."
Unacceptable!
Since he lost this time, Shigeru stood up and ran out. "Then let's have a contest of eating! Let's see who can eat the most!"