"The Hokage wouldn't steal food from villagers. What you're doing is robbery—it's a crime." Higashino Makoto turned back and deliberately asked his friends, "Hayate, where do they send criminals?"
"They should be sent to the Konoha Police Force. I remember it's full of Uchiha. They're really heartless. Once you're inside, they hang you up and beat you first."
Little Yugao piled on, too. "That's right, they're really scary. They eat four children a day, especially little girls. The one squatting down is the tastiest."
"Ah!" The girl jumped up with a scream and ran off, abandoning her companions.
The stocky boy looked terrified, too. He gritted his teeth through the pain, mustered his strength, and dragged his two underlings away. "I don't wanna go to the Police Force!"
As he ran, he let out a defeated wail.
Higashino Makoto didn't stop them. They were just brats; a beating was enough. If they were still acting so arrogantly the next time they met, he'd beat them again.
Back by the fire, the food was ready. Gekko Hayate picked up a grilled fish, blew on it to cool it down, and took a bite. He nodded. "It's ready."
At that, Uzuki Yugao grabbed a fish and dug in. She was starving.
Higashino Makoto picked one up, too, but didn't start eating. Instead, he turned and called toward the trees on the other side. "Had enough of watching? Come down and eat with us."
His two friends curiously looked in the direction he'd called. A kid about their age nimbly jumped down from a tree.
He wore a blue, short-sleeved shirt with a stand-up collar. His black hair was tousled and slightly wavy, and his face was cute and delicate. His big, beautiful eyes were especially striking. His nose was a little larger than most kids', but it wasn't ugly—just distinctive.
He asked shyly, "Are you sure it's okay?"
"Of course. We're not bad kids. Dad always says helping others is a good thing. Besides, Makoto's grilled fish tastes great." As she spoke, Uzuki Yugao picked up a fish and handed it to him. "By the way, what's your name?"
"Shisui. I'm Uchiha Shisui."
"Huh? Hahaha..." The girl froze, her hand still in midair. After all, she'd just spread a rumor about his clan, and now she'd met one of them in person.
"Thanks for the food." Uchiha Shisui took the fish and weakly explained, "Um, our clan members may look stern, but we really don't eat children."
Hayate and Yugao: "..."
From his clothes, Higashino Makoto had guessed that he was an Uchiha. He just hadn't expected him to be the famed Body Flicker Shisui. He didn't have any of the haughty, aloof demeanor said to be passed down through the Uchiha clan. On the contrary, he was unexpectedly shy and easygoing.
They were all kids—at least, one of them was on the surface—and it didn't take long for them to hit it off. After introducing themselves and chatting for a while, they put the story about the Police Force eating children behind them.
Higashino Makoto asked curiously, "Uchiha Shisui, right? How old are you?"
"Just call me Shisui. I'm four."
Uzuki Yugao: "Huh, we're the same age! Though you look like Makoto, always pretending to be an adult."
Gekko Hayate: "Leave me out of it. I'm a year older than you two."
Higashino Makoto was a little surprised. He hadn't realized he was the same age as Uchiha Shisui. Did that mean they'd all start school in the same year?
Hopefully, we won't be in the same class. And even if we are, I hope we won't end up on the same team after graduation.
Everyone knew how easily that could make someone into fodder for awakening the Sharingan.
Kakashi sacrificed one eye right at the start, and Dreamer scored a pair of Two-Tomoe. That was already considered a good outcome.
Poor Teacher Mizuki, and classmates Tenma and Shinji—they became three randomly selected sacrifices. Itachi Uchiha also got a pair of Two-Tomoe.
The worst off was Sasuke. He sacrificed the entire clan and awakened a One-Tomoe from then on—but not completely. That was how it went.
After lunch, they cleaned up.
Higashino Makoto clapped his hands. "All right, we're fed and rested. Let's begin."
Uchiha Shisui asked, "Are you going to play a game? If so, please let me join."
He wasn't simply eager to play. He thought making more friends outside the clan compound was a good idea, which was why he often went out. He couldn't say exactly why he felt that way. He was still too young to understand; he just instinctively wanted to fit in with groups of kids who weren't from his clan.
Unfortunately, he'd tried a few times, but the children saw the Uchiha Clan Crest on his back and made it clear they didn't welcome him. So far, Higashino Makoto's little group seemed to be the only ones who weren't afraid of him.
Uzuki Yugao waggled a fair little finger. "Nope. Makoto's going to teach us how to control Chakra."
"Oh, is that so? Then I should go home."
Higashino Makoto asked, "No wonder you're from a great clan. Have you already gotten this far in your training?"
"No, I haven't. But I think this kind of training must involve the secrets of every clan. It'd be rude to learn it without permission."
"What kind of secret is that? It's just something I figured out myself. It's fine—come join us."
At that, Shisui immediately put his concerns aside and happily joined in.
Kids from great clans really knew how to follow the rules. After all, they were the ones who benefited most from them.
The four of them then began an enthusiastic session of Chakra Control training.
Tree climbing and Water Walking sounded simple. You just attached a layer of Chakra to the soles of your feet. On a solid surface, you had to make it generate suction; on a fluid surface like water, you had to control it to create enough tension to support your body.
The problem was controlling the force. You had to constantly feel what was beneath your feet and adjust the Chakra accordingly. Too much would damage the surface you were clinging to; too little, and you wouldn't be able to stay put.
In battle, you wouldn't have time to carefully judge every little thing. So, just like the Chakra Extraction Technique, it was easy to learn, but mastering the basics meant training until it became instinctive.
Just like breathing: you didn't have to consciously control your lungs expanding and contracting. Your body did it automatically.
This kind of training took quite a while.
Shisui made the fastest progress that afternoon. His talent was remarkable, and he soon got the hang of it. Give him a few more days, and he might be able to reach Higashino Makoto's level.
After all, thanks to the way White Natural Energy nourished and improved his body, Higashino Makoto's control over Chakra had grown more effortless by the day.
Shisui, on the other hand, was simply gifted, with the Uchiha bloodline's natural affinity for Chakra on top of that.
After all, the Uchiha were descended from the Otsutsuki, and Chakra was something the Otsutsuki Clan had brought to the Shinobi World in the first place.
Gekko Hayate came in second. He was a year older and had a few advantages.
Uzuki Yugao had the worst time. She took one hit after another all afternoon. Poor kid—she'd been pouting like a little dumpling from start to finish.
After the four of them made short work of a few more fish at dusk, they called it a day and headed home.
Before they parted, Uchiha Shisui asked hopefully, "Can we train together like this again?"
Uzuki Yugao happily agreed. "Sure, Shisui! We already know where each other lives, don't we? If you get bored at home, you're always welcome to come see us."
Higashino Makoto and Gekko Hayate didn't say anything. They just smiled and gave Shisui a thumbs-up.
The usually mature-looking Uchiha Shisui broke into a rare, carefree smile and returned the thumbs-up.
Fortunately, none of the three wore green jumpsuits, and their teeth didn't shine. Otherwise, Konoha would have gained three goofballs.
On the way home, Uchiha Shisui felt incredibly happy. He didn't know why; he just felt cheerful and at ease. It was a completely different feeling from being around his clanmates.
At that moment, the young boy even wondered if his clan had become a little too closed off. Maybe they should get out more often and spend time with everyone in the village, instead of staying cooped up in that lousy Police Force all day.
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