The Hokage Took One Look at My Handsome Face and Simply Had to Have Me

"Rustle, rustle!"

The wind on Hokage Rock was especially noisy today.

Facing all those bewildered looks, Qing Xuan decided to drop the act.

"I'm a disciple personally chosen by the Third Hokage!"

The Hokage's son across from him shrugged and said casually, "That's right. But the Hokage is getting on in years, and he's busy handling official business, so he doesn't have the energy or the time to guide your training. That's why sending me was just perfect!"

Perfect, my ass! You think this is babysitting?

What makes you think you're qualified to teach in the Hokage's place?

Qing Xuan was speechless. He felt like the Hokage had sold him a pipe dream.

But the other man had a sound argument, and Qing Xuan couldn't refute it.

"I don't like the smell of smoke."

He tried to protest. "I'm still a kid. Secondhand smoke will stunt my growth..."

Now you remember you're a kid? Kakashi removed Asuma's arm from his shoulder. Right now, all he wanted was to get as far away from the two of them as possible.

"Then I won't smoke."

Asuma flicked away the cigarette in his hand. It landed on a clump of dry grass, and a breeze sent smoke curling upward.

This guy's pretty reasonable, actually?

Qing Xuan stared, dumbfounded. Who said Asuma had been a delinquent in his younger days? Were delinquents usually this easygoing?

All right! Qing Xuan gave up resisting completely. The Hokage's son wasn't a bad choice, after all. If Asuma didn't die, who knew whether the Sixth Hokage would be anyone else!

The two exchanged a glance and instantly reached an understanding.

"Wait!"

A cool voice rang out from the side. Qing Xuan looked over and saw a slender finger pointing at him.

"Does he really have the strength of a Chunin?"

Faced with Hyuga Kikyo's doubt, Qing Xuan couldn't even be bothered to respond.

Lady, that's enough. With everything going on, you're still hung up on this?

Honestly, I hate it when people point at me. If you didn't have such pretty hands, I'd have blown up at you already!

That piqued Asuma's interest. He turned to look at the deadpan man beside him, and the two exchanged another glance, once again reaching an understanding.

"In that case, why don't we have a match?"

Asuma egged them on. "The only way to judge someone's strength properly is to experience it firsthand, isn't it?"

"There's something I forgot to mention earlier, too."

Kakashi was no longer playing dead. He was even more enthusiastic about stirring things up than Asuma.

"You're both exceptionally promising Chunins. But in terms of strength, Uchiha Qing Xuan may even be at the top."

Qing Xuan knew that the young Kakashi could be a bit sharp-tongued, but he hadn't known the guy had the makings of a troublemaker, too.

Damn! These two old schemers!

Those words successfully roused Hyuga Kikyo's competitive spirit. A genius of the Hyuga branch family, she had never thought much of even a prestigious clan like the Uchiha. Besides, the Hyuga were famous for their dojutsu as well.

She absolutely refused to believe that a six-year-old Uchiha child could be stronger than her. At that age, he probably hadn't even attended the Ninja Academy yet.

And he certainly couldn't have the combat experience gained from completing all kinds of missions.

In Hyuga Kikyo's eyes, Uchiha Qing Xuan was nothing but a greenhorn who had never fought for real!

"Then let's do it!"

Veins bulged around her clear white eyes in an instant. Hyuga Kikyo went straight into combat mode, ready to fight.

There was no Uchiha arrogance in the Hyuga branch family. She intended to give it her all!

"Hold on!"

Qing Xuan remained seated on the rock, looking completely unruffled.

As long as I stay seated, she'll feel too awkward to attack me outright!

"Have you even asked what I think?"

He spoke slowly, but there was no real resistance in his words.

"It's not that I won't fight, but at least let me introduce myself first!"

His request was perfectly reasonable. Hyuga Kikyo wasn't the sort to bully people, so the girl nodded and agreed to let him introduce himself first.

"My name is Uchiha Qing Xuan. My dad is Ryuu Uchiha, and I hear my mom is Lord Tsunade, one of the Sannin!"

His introduction began with a real bombshell.

"Lord Tsunade?!"

Shizune couldn't help crying out. She had just shared her dream, and now her idol's son was sitting right in front of her. It felt so unreal that she could hardly take it in.

But Hyuga Kikyo's attention was on someone else. "Ryuu Uchiha? Lord Liuyun is your father?"

For the first time, astonishment appeared on the young woman's face.

"Oh? You know my father?"

It turned out she was one of his father's admirers. Qing Xuan couldn't help smiling. It seemed this fight wasn't going to happen after all.

"I've never met him..."

The black-haired young woman furrowed her brows and said, "But I've heard he's a notorious womanizer who flirts with women wherever he goes. He often hangs out with Lord Jiraiya, too. They get caught peeping at the women's bathhouse all the time, and Lord Tsunade often takes it out on Lord Jiraiya..."

Why is it all bad stuff?

Hearing about his father for the first time, Qing Xuan didn't know what to say. Was his dad really that bad? Even after being dead for so many years, such a terrible reputation still lingered around Konoha. It seemed he'd spent his life taking advantage of respectable women.

"Of course, none of that matters."

Qing Xuan coughed lightly and hastily tried to salvage his father's reputation.

"I've spent my whole life getting by in the Land of Wind. Once, I stole a sheep without paying for it and was hunted by a Sunagakure assassination squad. In the end, I managed to escape..."

The more everyone listened, the stranger it sounded.

He'd spent his whole life getting by in the Land of Wind?

No wonder they'd never heard of anyone like him in the Uchiha Clan.

But being hunted by a Sunagakure assassination squad just for stealing a sheep—wasn't that a bit far-fetched? How much could they hate you to send Anbu after you? And how could you still be standing here alive?

Doubt filled Hyuga Kikyo's eyes. Even Shizune felt the kid was making things up.

Kakashi and Asuma, however, didn't think so.

They knew more. According to Shikaku Nara, who had already returned to the village, they really had encountered a dozen or so Sunagakure pursuit squad members when they'd met Qing Xuan.

The kid had actually escaped from a siege like that!

"After I returned to the village, I was taken to the Hokage's office to chat with the Third Hokage. The Hokage took one look at my handsome face and simply had to have me, so he slapped his thigh and decided to take me as his disciple. I was too embarrassed to refuse, so I sort of halfheartedly agreed..."

Asuma Sarutobi nearly choked listening to him. That was technically what had happened, but why did it sound so different coming from this guy's mouth?

And why was his introduction nothing like anyone else's?

"After I returned to the Uchiha Clan, my clansmen treated me really well and adored me. My uncle, Fugaku Uchiha, even made me the Young Clan Head of the Uchiha Clan..."

At that, even Kakashi and Asuma were starting to doubt him.

"Enough!"

Hyuga Kikyo couldn't hold back any longer and cut him off.

The girl, who always held herself to strict standards, couldn't tolerate such nonsense. She scolded him, "What on earth are you talking about? The Uchiha Clan doesn't have any Young Clan Head!"

Even after being called out, Qing Xuan didn't look the least bit flustered. He waved to a Military Police Force Chunin patrolling nearby on Hokage Rock.

Whoosh!

The young man in the green vest jogged over and bowed respectfully to Qing Xuan.

"Young Clan Head, what can I do for you?"

Ah, this!

Everyone stared at the bona fide Uchiha before them, stunned.

Qing Xuan calmly fished a few coins out of his pocket and handed them to Uchiha Jin. "I'm thirsty. Go buy me some water."