Genius

"Nani?"

"How is that possible?!"

"He actually succeeded?"

"The Great Fireball Technique is usually difficult even for Genin to learn. How could an idiot like Houka possibly..."

"Idiot, what are you standing there for? Get out of the way!"

As the fireball hurtled closer, the Uchiha children finally snapped out of it. They yelped and leaped aside, each of them landing face-first in the dirt, looking utterly pathetic.

Boom!

The fireball exploded, and a surging wave of heat swept out in every direction. Tiny embers fell on the Uchiha children, making them shriek in pain.

"..." On the ground, Uchiha Obito stared blankly at Houka, as if he'd just seen Professor Do Min-joon, an alien. His expression twitched with disbelief, then suspicion, then shock—and sheer astonishment.

The technique had drained a third of the Chakra inside Houka's body, and his face paled. At the same time, much of the violent rage in his heart ebbed away. The wild power in his pupils finally began to fade, so Houka opened his eyes and stared coldly at the Uchiha children sprawled on the ground, screaming.

"Who hit Obito just now?" Houka stepped forward. His voice wasn't loud, but after that Great Fireball, it carried an unmistakable weight.

"Houka, how could you possibly have learned the Great Fireball Technique?!"

"Cheating! He must have cheated!"

"Damn it, how could I lose to an idiot like you? I—Ah!!"

Before he could finish, Houka kicked the brat flying. This time, he landed face-first in the dirt.

"Houka, forget it." Obito struggled to his feet. He didn't want to cause Houka trouble on his account.

"Forget it? What are you talking about!" A haughty Uchiha boy gritted his teeth and stood up, sneering. "Uchiha Houka, don't think you're so great just because you can use the Great Fireball Technique! Heh, my dad's a deputy squad leader in the Police Force. Just you wait. You dared to use the Great Fireball Technique on a clan member in the street. You're dead!"

Houka's brow furrowed at that, but he'd already done it, so he wasn't about to back down.

"Someone like you, who can only rely on his father and is good for nothing on his own, is the real loser, isn't he?" Houka said coolly, then kicked him over.

"Uchiha Houka, you bastard!" The boy scrambled to his feet, gritting his teeth. Dust covered him, his fists clenched, and the veins in his temples bulged. "Remember this. My name is Uchiha Ronai. One day, I'll defeat you once and for all!"

"Let's go!" Uchiha Ronai turned and walked away.

The Uchiha children who'd been screaming on the ground staggered to their feet. They glanced at Houka in fear, then hurried after Uchiha Ronai.

Houka narrowed his eyes. More and more adults had gathered to watch. If this went on, it might attract even bigger trouble. Otherwise, he would've beaten the brats until their butts were black and blue.

But Uchiha Ronai? Heh. At the Ninja Academy next school year, I hope you realize your mistake. Otherwise...

"Obito, are you all right?"

Houka helped Uchiha Obito up and looked him over. He seemed pretty battered, but his worst injury was a lost tooth. Everything else was just scrapes and bruises. He didn't even need to go to the hospital.

That made sense. They were just a bunch of kids. Even in a group, they couldn't do too much damage.

Houka let out a sigh of relief.

"Damn it, I lost a tooth." Obito handed Houka the meat he'd been holding, then bent down to find his tooth. He picked it up and carefully put it away.

"Don't worry. You're only six, so you'll definitely grow another one," Houka reassured him.

"I hope so. But... Houka, are you hiding something from me? That Fire Release just now—what exactly..." Uchiha Obito's eyes were practically glowing green. As one of the bottom three students in his Ninja Academy year, he desperately wanted strength and the recognition of others.

And Houka had just given him a tremendous amount of hope.

In the previous school year at the Ninja Academy, Houka's grades had been only slightly better than Obito's. They weren't far apart. How could someone who'd been near the bottom of the class use Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique?

"Ahem!" Houka coughed softly, then pointed to the nearby adults who were whispering and gesturing. "Let's talk at home."

"All right, but you have to tell me the truth!"

"Yeah, yeah!"

At the headquarters of the Konoha Military Police Force, a report was passed up from the lower ranks at lightning speed. Before long, it had reached the higher-ups.

"Uchiha Houka? That name sounds familiar." Uchiha Yamano, captain of the Konoha Military Police Force, stroked his chin as he read the report. "He managed to use Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique at six. Is he a genius? I remember I couldn't use this technique until I was nine."

"Fugaku!" Uchiha Yamano called toward the outside.

"Yes!"

Soon, someone opened the door and entered. It was Uchiha Fugaku, who had met Houka once at Konoha Hospital.

"Look into this child." Uchiha Yamano handed him a slip of paper.

Uchiha Fugaku took it respectfully. When he saw the name, his eyes widened slightly. "It's him?"

"What, do you know the boy?" Uchiha Yamano asked.

"His name is Uchiha Houka. I saw him at Konoha Hospital just this morning. He's a hardworking child. I'm sorry, Captain, but that's all I know." Uchiha Fugaku didn't hide anything.

"Hmm. Look into him further. This child might be a genius of my Uchiha Clan. Heh." Uchiha Yamano grinned like a sly old fox.

"A genius?" Uchiha Fugaku froze, then looked at the information on the back of the slip. "What? He just used Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique?! He's only six!"

Seeing the shock in Uchiha Fugaku's eyes, Uchiha Yamano smiled. "Keep this confidential. If he really is a genius, we have to protect the boy. The war just ended, and even inside the village, things aren't peaceful."

Not long afterward, the same report reached the great clans of Konoha.

The Senju Clan.

Tsunade glanced at the report and dismissed it without a second thought. The other Senju Clan elders had gradually withdrawn from Konoha's stage, limited by their strength and experience. Whatever they might have thought about it, there was little they could do.

The Hyuga Clan.

In the original story, the Hyuga Clan and the Uchiha Clan had fought bitterly over the title of Konoha's strongest clan. But at this time, the Senju Clan hadn't yet completely left the village's stage. With the Senju Clan serving as a buffer, the Hyuga weren't as wary of the Uchiha as they would be in later years. So they set the report aside. (To be continued)