He Runs, She Chases...

"Mikoto."

At the sound of a stern voice, Mikoto immediately stopped what she was doing and turned to look at Uchiha Chisaku, who was approaching with his hands behind his back.

"Father."

Lowering her head slightly, Mikoto spoke softly.

"Awakening the Two-Tomoe Sharingan at the age of five is quite impressive."

Looking at Mikoto before him, Chisaku nodded lightly with his hands behind his back, acknowledging her talent.

"It is thanks to Father's excellent guidance."

Hearing this, Mikoto finally breathed a sigh of relief and said to Chiansaku.

"However, losing to Hyuga Shuji in less than a minute is far too disappointing, isn't it?"

Chisaku ignored Mikoto's words entirely and spoke to her with a stern expression.

"I'm sorry. I'll keep working hard."

Mikoto unconsciously pursed her lips and replied.

"You certainly need to keep working hard. Starting tomorrow, you'll train an additional two hours every evening. I'll teach you swordsmanship."

Chisaku nodded and spoke to Mikoto.

"Yes."

Mikoto nodded slightly to show that she understood.

"Also, the Ninja Academy generally holds theory classes in the mornings. I assume you know what to do."

Chisaku continued.

"Yes."

Mikoto nodded again, indicating that she understood.

"Defeat Hyuga Shuji within one year."

Satisfied, Chisaku nodded. After leaving Mikoto with those final words, he turned and departed with his hands behind his back.

"Yes..."

Mikoto's voice sounded from behind Uchiha Chisaku.

"Whew..."

Watching Uchiha Chisaku's retreating figure, Mikoto lowered her head, a trace of exhaustion flashing through her eyes.

The next morning, Shuji and Hinagiku left home together and happened to see Hiashi and Hizashi.

After the two Branch Family members greeted the two Main Family members, Shuji looked strangely at Hiashi, whose walk was noticeably unnatural.

"What's this... did you get the wind knocked out of you while practicing?"

Hiashi shot Shuji a cold glance and silently headed toward the Ninja Academy.

"Yesterday... Father helped my brother find his dream."

Seeing this, Hizashi leaned close to Shuji and whispered.

"How did he help him find it?"

Shuji blinked, instantly interested.

"Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm."

"Hizashi!"

The moment Hizashi finished speaking, Hiashi's low shout rang out.

Hizashi immediately pursed his lips and stopped talking.

After shouting, Hiashi did not turn back. He simply kept his head lowered and continued toward the Ninja Academy.

Hiashi did not want to see Shuji's face right now.

If it were not for those two bastards, Nawaki and Shuji, how could he have... said something like that?

But...

"So, do you have a dream now?"

Shuji stepped forward, threw an arm around Hiashi's shoulders, and asked him.

"What's it to you?"

Hiashi shot Shuji a cold look and shook his shoulder irritably, trying to throw him off.

Well, he failed.

"Come on, tell me."

Shuji continued.

"I want to defeat Hyuga Tokuhiro and become the head of the Main Family."

Unable to stand Shuji's antics any longer, Hiashi could only answer helplessly.

"Ah... how filial..."

Shuji smacked his lips and let go of Hiashi.

"Hyuga Shuji!"

Just as they stepped out of the Hyuga compound and Hiashi was about to retort, an angry roar suddenly rang out, interrupting Hiashi and drawing Shuji's attention.

Shuji instinctively looked toward the voice and found Nawaki crouching at the Hyuga compound gate, holding half a bun in his hand.

"Who the hell beat you up?"

Seeing Nawaki's bruised and swollen face, Shuji unconsciously swallowed.

Good grief, did Tsunade really hit that hard?

"I'm going to kill you!"

Enemies meeting face-to-face were especially enraged. Nawaki hurled the half-eaten bun in his hand straight at Shuji.

Shuji's figure flashed, vanishing from where he stood.

Shunpo!

Smack!

The bun struck the Hyuga compound's gateframe and slowly fell down.

"Stop right there!"

Spinning around, Nawaki charged at Shuji without hesitation.

Naturally, Shuji was not foolish enough to stand there waiting.

"My bad! My bad!"

Even as he ran, Shuji shouted back at Nawaki.

But the smug grin on Shuji's face made him look nothing like someone who knew he was in the wrong.

"Die, you bastard!"

Seeing that, Nawaki's fury only intensified.

Last night, Nawaki had tossed and turned without being able to sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, Shuji's face and his sister's fist appeared in his mind.

In the end, Nawaki gave up on resting. He bought some breakfast and crouched outside the Hyuga compound to wait for Hyuga Shuji.

What a bastard! He was such a bastard!

He had actually tattled to an adult!

As for whether Tsunade might have learned about it from a teacher...

What a joke. With how drunk Tsunade had been yesterday, would she have gone to a teacher to ask about him?!

Inside the Hyuga compound, Hyuga Tokuhiro watched the scene at the gate with his Byakugan and gave a helpless chuckle.

Deactivating his Byakugan, Tokuhiro leisurely took a bite of his sandwich.

"Go clean up the front gate."

He casually instructed the maid beside him.

"Let's go."

Watching Nawaki chase after the fleeing Shuji, Hiashi spoke to Hizashi and quickened his pace toward the Ninja Academy.

Unlike Nawaki, who wanted to risk his life fighting Shuji, Hiashi wanted to risk his life fighting both Shuji and Nawaki.

And now was the perfect chance!

Shuji ran ahead while Nawaki pursued from behind, and their chase drew countless villagers' curious looks.

At Konoha Hospital, Tsunade stood beside her office window, watching the two figures chasing each other down the street.

Those two little brats...

She muttered quietly, an imperceptible smile appearing at the corner of her lips.

This was a bond...

At the Ninja Academy, Mikoto had finished scouting the entire campus and returned to her starting point—the Ninja Academy gate.

Having memorized the academy's layout, Mikoto was about to head to the classroom when she suddenly heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Come on, I really know I was wrong!"

What had he done wrong? Had Shuji-kun made some kind of mistake?

Could it be that Shuji-kun's parents were unhappy because it had taken him nearly a minute to defeat her?

Turning around, Mikoto had not even seen Shuji's face clearly when a white blur flashed past her eyes.

So fast...

Was this Shuji-kun's speed?

It was truly hard to imagine that, without the Sharingan's enhancement, Shuji-kun could reach such speed.

"I'd rather have you say that to me while lying in a hospital bed!"

The next moment, a green figure flashed past as well, and Nawaki's voice rang out.

"Don't be scared! My sister's medical skills are excellent!"