In High Spirits

"Do you two want to go back to the Ninja Academy and play house like bored kids...?"

Aburame Keiichi questioned them with icy hostility, his threat palpable.

"Teacher Aburame Keiichi, first of all, while the learning life at the Ninja Academy is tedious, it's not the 'playing house' you describe."

Uchiha Kai put down his bento box and replied, neither subservient nor arrogant.

"Secondly, if it's with my companions, I don't care where we go." The young man shrugged.

"Oh, and the bento was delicious, thank you for the meal."

With that, the three fell silent. Facing the increasingly frigid Aburame Keiichi, they stood their ground without fear, engaging in a silent standoff.

Seeing this, Aburame Keiichi raised an eyebrow.

"Interesting..."

"You think playing these games in front of me is interesting?" the man's voice was cold, laced with mockery.

"Putting on a show of shared hatred and united hearts, displaying your so-called bonds." Aburame Keiichi belittled them dismissively.

"Saying some nonsensical things and then putting on a passionate act will change your weak nature?"

"You think this will move me? That it will change your fate!?"

By the end, Aburame Keiichi was almost roaring.

"In the end, you're just a bunch of failures, good-for-nothings who defy orders. Go back to the Ninja Academy with your boring fantasies."

The cold man narrowed his eyes, delivering his final verdict.

"Understood, Teacher. We have no objections to your decision, and we respect it. We understand your intentions." The young man still replied in a calm tone.

"However, regarding the rest of what you said..." the young man's tone suddenly shifted.

The arrogant Uchiha curled his lips, unleashing a bold declaration in the most tranquil voice.

"I think—it's all bullshit."

Aburame Keiichi froze upon hearing this, as if stunned, and shook his ears in disbelief.

"Huh?" The man, perhaps laughing in anger, blinked.

"Speak, continue."

"Well, even if you try to stop me, I'll finish what I have to say." Uchiha Kai smiled.

Veins bulged on Aburame Keiichi's temple.

"Firstly, I don't know if you've experienced some trauma that makes you so sensitive to the bonds between others. If I've said something wrong, please forgive me."

The young man spoke these "understanding" words with a smile, but the smile on his lips didn't falter in the slightest.

Aburame Keiichi remained silent, his face darkening with a grim expression.

"Bonds, not just the bonds between the three of us, but all the bonds in this world that can truly connect people." The young man's gaze was firm, with a brilliant light flashing within.

"Are never trivial matters, nor are they something others can trample on at will!"

A furious sound erupted as the young man suddenly looked up.

Black tomoe swirled within his pupils, and terrifyingly cold Chakra burst forth from the scarlet blood, striking directly at Aburame Keiichi.

Seeing this, Aburame Keiichi was not flustered at all; he had expected it. Facing the legendary Kekkei Genkai, the Sharingan, known throughout the Ninja World, the man didn't dodge but met the gaze head-on.

"Heh... a mere Single Tomoe..." A dismissive hum sounded, showing no regard for Uchiha Kai.

Then, in the next second, a pupil power twice as strong as anticipated surged down, violently impacting the man's Chakra.

"Ugh..."

With a muffled groan, Aburame Keiichi actually took half a step back.

Feeling the immense shock in his mind, his eyeballs stung. Aburame Keiichi's long-frozen face finally showed a change.

Even for this old hand who had been deeply entrenched in the Ninja World for years, he was startled by the terrifying mental impact.

"This kid's eyes!? Are they really just Single Tomoe?" Aburame Keiichi was somewhat shocked, as he wasn't unfamiliar with the Sharingan's power.

Having served in the Anbu for so long, he lacked no experience or knowledge. It was precisely because of this that he knew what Uchiha Kai was displaying represented.

"Good kid..." He couldn't help but praise him, as if the one who had been caught off guard wasn't him.

"I merely shared my food with my companions. If I were the one tied up..." The young man paused, looking at the other boy who was fiercely cursing Aburame Keiichi with a grim expression.

"Katsura would absolutely make the same choice I did."

"Even if the situation were more urgent, if we were on the battlefield, and I encountered an insurmountable predicament or crisis, Katsura and Rei would absolutely help me without hesitation."

The young man proudly lifted his head. It was as it should be.

The two behind him also showed their stance through their expressions.

"Just like today, we will never abandon any companion." The three spoke in unison.

In the center of the field, Aburame Keiichi was about to speak when the young man interrupted him.

"Moreover, our decision wasn't made out of impulsive passion for a fleeting moment."

The young man said this, a confident smile on his face.

"We do this only because," his tone paused.

"We have the capital to bear the consequences of the choices we make."

The young man's tone was light, as if he were talking about something trivial.

"Oh? Interesting," Aburame Keiichi shrugged, his tone playful.

"Then tell me, what capital do you have? I'm genuinely curious."

"It's simple, we ourselves are the capital," the young man said nonchalantly.

"I, Uchiha Kai. The strongest among this year's graduates. In ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, no one in my year is my equal. I am also a member of the Uchiha Clan, and the list for the Guard Squad reserves is always open to me."

The young man pointed to himself and said calmly.

"Rei, I don't need to elaborate on the Hyuga Clan, do I? Having defeated the most outstanding clan member of her year to graduate, she possesses perseverance that is second to none. At this age, she has already awakened her Byakugan and has her own insights into secret technique cultivation. Such a person deserves all the praise."

The young man calmly explained, completely oblivious to the girl's increasingly bright eyes.

"As for Kei, although this guy is a bit reckless, a hot-blooded idiot, and often says the wrong things to upset people," the young man said in a rush, it was unclear whether he was praising or mocking.

"Hey, hey, hey! Am I that exaggerated!" Morino Kei, tied to a stake, protested, but Uchiha Kai ignored him.

"However, you must have also felt it, right? Kei's strength and Chakra..." the young man's words came to an abrupt halt, and he looked meaningfully at Aburame Keiichi.

"Hmph... indeed, it's different. When that fool grabbed the insect clone, I thought it was some Cloud ninja specializing in taijutsu who had caught him. The amount of Chakra was also astonishingly large, almost suffocating my Kikaichū."

Hearing this, Aburame Keiichi couldn't help but recall.

The next second, the young man continued.

"This is our capital, based on this alone."

The arrogant Uchiha stood beside his companions, stating an undeniable truth.

"Wherever the three of us go, we will receive the best treatment, and you, teacher, will also be able to find us."

"The optimal solution."

With that, the young man stood firm, continuing to confront the grim-faced Aburame Keiichi.

"So, this is your answer to me?" the man asked softly.

"Is this what all three of you mean?"

The three remained silent.

The air was silent for a long time, and then Aburame Keiichi suddenly recalled a conversation with Hiruzen Sarutobi.

The man couldn't help but curl his lips, looking at the stubborn trio.

He finally couldn't contain his laughter.

So he said:

"All three of you!"

"Are qualified!!"