Naruto: Choosing from Birth

"No, it's the seasoning! They have plenty of seasoning, while we only have salt. So miserable!"

"I see. Apparently Cheng made it himself. I heard them mention something called Uchiha Brand 'Lao Gan Ma'? Is there really such a sauce?"

"How about we go ask for some? I'm so jealous of Cheng's underlings, Big Bear, Bear Two, and Bear Three. They haven't stopped eating."

"I... I want to become one of his underlings too."

That day, a special chili sauce called Uchiha Brand "Lao Gan Ma" rose to prominence in Konoha.

Before long, it would sweep across the entire ninja world...

PS: Well, Konoha Ninja Academy has basically been stirred into chaos. Things will speed up from here on.

Preview: Next chapter—Ninja Academy Exchange! Kumogakure's A-B Combo makes a powerful entrance.*

The next day, Ishibashi-sensei came to the Hokage's office.

"Hokage, I believe Uchiha Cheng surpasses Ninja Academy students in both intelligence and strength. He should be allowed to graduate early."

The Third Hokage looked at Ishibashi's bruised face.

"What happened, Ishibashi? Still, you have worked hard lately. But there's no precedent for early graduation."

Even someone as formidable as Orochimaru, who had scored full marks on every exam, had not graduated early.

In the original story, Minato Namikaze had also graduated with perfect scores, yet he had still spent the full six years at the Ninja Academy.

The precedent for early graduation had only been set by Kakashi's monstrous rate of growth. And was it not also an unusual form of compensation from the village after White Fang's death?

But then he recalled the Anbu report from yesterday that Uchiha Cheng had been getting close to Kushina.

Whether intentional or not, Kushina would soon become a Jinchuriki. They could not let some Uchiha brat run off with her.

"N-Nothing..." Ishibashi found it hard to speak of the injury on his face. "It is just that Uchiha Cheng is a genius unlike any I have ever seen. The Ninja Academy's current education will only limit his development."

"It would be difficult to suddenly let him graduate early on his own for no reason. It might arouse the Uchiha Clan's suspicions. After all, he is the clan head's son."

"How about this? We'll hold a simple exam for them at the end of the term, and make early graduation his reward. If he himself wants to graduate early, then outsiders will have nothing to say, right?"

"Yes!"

In the blink of an eye, nearly half a year passed, and the semester was about to end.

During this time, the flow of people entering and leaving Konoha grew even greater.

The ninja world now gradually showed signs of the calm before a storm.

Delegations from various places became more numerous. Seven days ago, a Kumogakure delegation had arrived in Konoha!

Leading it was Omori Hara, known in Kumogakure as the "Day Tiger." The delegation's second-in-command was Matsudaira Kazuto, the "Cunning Rabbit."

It could not be helped. This Kumogakure group contained important figures, so the choice of leader could not be taken lightly.

Of course, merchants still made up a large portion of the traffic. The Land of Fire, where Konoha was located, had the most fertile land and sat at the center of the region, making it merchants' preferred destination.

But word had spread that Konoha had produced a sauce called Uchiha Brand "Lao Gan Ma," which could turn even plain rice balls into a delicious meal.

Thus, merchants flocked over to seek trade deals. Most importantly, they wanted distribution rights.

Before dawn had even broken, the Uchiha Clan compound was packed with merchants from all over. After half a year, it was said that a sole distributor would finally be selected today.

Meanwhile, as the inventor, Uchiha Cheng accompanied his father, the clan head, and several clan elders as they met representatives of merchants from various countries in the council hall.

Uchiha Kagami, the clan head, sat in the seat of honor, feeling particularly delighted. He had never expected his youngest son to possess not only astonishing talent in cultivation, but also so many clever ideas.

This Lao Gan Ma thing he had come up with had actually attracted so many merchants seeking cooperation.

With this, the Uchiha Clan would not only possess great strength, but also gain a steady new source of income.

"Ahem!"

Uchiha Kagami cleared his throat. "We understand why you have all come..."

"As ninjas, we will not bother with empty pleasantries. The Uchiha Clan is not involved in production, so we will grant full agency rights for this special sauce... Lao Gan Ma, to a single trading company."

"We will not sell the formula! We will only take a share of your sales profits. The agent will handle production costs, distribution channels, and counterfeit suppression. However, should there be safety issues such as personal attacks, the Uchiha Clan can provide assistance."

"So now, we must consider each trading company's capabilities, as well as the percentage you are willing to offer..."

Upon hearing this, the representatives of the various trading companies immediately began discussing matters with their assistants and associates.

Then, one representative after another began making bids.

"My Tieyun Trading Company is willing to offer an eighty-twenty split. We take eighty, and you take twenty. The costs are rather high, after all, but we can absolutely guarantee that within one month, our sales network will reach every nation in the world, because we have trading companies in every country."

"Hehe, Tieyun Trading Company starts by pushing the share so low, taking the lion's share for yourselves? That hardly seems appropriate! My Yinchuan Trading Company is willing to give the Uchiha Clan five million ryo upfront as a gesture of goodwill, plus a seventy-thirty split. We take seventy, and you take thirty..."

"My Sanmu Trading Company is willing to offer three million, plus a sixty-forty split..."

Meanwhile, waves of cheers rang out across the Ninja Academy's training field.

The Third Hokage had actually come to inspect the academy today. He was an important figure. Many students had attended for two years, and aside from seeing Hokage Rock every day, this was their first time seeing the real person.

Standing on the podium, the Third Hokage wore a benevolent smile and raised a hand. "Students, has it been three years since I last met with you all like this? So many new students have never even seen me. As the academy's principal, I have been somewhat neglectful."

Still in his prime, he was unquestionably the "Hero of Shinobi!" Only a few faint crow's feet had appeared at the corners of his eyes.

The teachers and students below fell silent for a few seconds.

Nomura-sensei, who taught theory classes for fourth through sixth years, stepped forward from the crowd. "Hokage, you are not merely our principal. You are also the Hokage of all Konoha. You are responsible for every ninja and villager in Konoha. We are immensely grateful that you can take time out of your busy schedule to care about the students' studies."

As expected of a theory teacher, he sure had a complete set of flattering lines—no, complimentary lines.

The Third Hokage smiled. "These past years, I have indeed been tied up with affairs, busy beyond measure. But I actually know very well how all of you have performed at the academy..."

"Many students have always taken pride in studying at Konoha Ninja Academy. Confidence is a good thing, but you must not go too far. Quite a few of you think Konoha Ninja Academy is the only school in the ninja world. You rank near the top of your own classes, so you believe yourselves to be the strongest among your peers, and that surpassing your seniors is merely a matter of time. Yet you do not realize that Konoha is only one of the larger ninja villages in the ninja world."

"Coincidentally, Cloud Village has brought a group of children your age. You can have a proper exchange with them."

"Now, let us give a warm welcome to the students from Cloud Village."

The Third Hokage's chakra-enhanced voice rang clearly throughout the entire training field.

Then, a group of children walked in from the academy gates in neat formation, heads held high, led by an exceptionally muscular Kumogakure Ninja with a tiger-head tattoo on his powerful arm...*

This Ninja Academy exchange used a challenge arena format.

Each side sent one student onto the platform for practical combat exchanges.

The loser left the platform immediately. The winner could either remain on the arena to continue challenging opponents or be replaced by another student.

Since this event was merely meant to give the students a clearer understanding of their own strength and broaden their horizons, victory and defeat were not truly that important.

However, it could also reflect the future combat reserves of the two ninja villages. As both host and the largest ninja village, Konoha naturally wanted to win with dignity.

Therefore, Konoha Ninja Academy's first contestant was Kitada Ryo, ranked third in practical combat among the sixth years.

Cloud Village had never been one to willingly show weakness.

Because of the Third Raikage's forceful personality, all of Cloud Village, from its style to its education, was exceptionally aggressive. This was also reflected in its overbearing diplomacy.

They had never known what fear was, much less acted timid simply because they were on someone else's turf.

Cloud Village's first student was unexpectedly a girl.

After the two formed the Seal of Confrontation.

The Cloud Village girl took a swift step forward, faint sounds of wind and thunder accompanying her through the air.

Bang!!!

With a single strike, she sent the unprepared Kitada Ryo flying out of bounds.

There were no unnecessary moves and no complicated process.

She directly claimed the first victory with her extraordinary speed.

"This..."

The entire field fell silent in an instant.

That was too fast, too easy, wasn't it?

Kitada Ryo was a sixth-year student, ranked third in practical combat among the graduating class.

Everyone from Konoha revealed expressions of disbelief.

"How is that possible? One hit?"

"She must be the strongest student in Cloud Village's Ninja Academy."

"That was a sneak attack. Otherwise, how could Kitada Ryo have failed to react?"