Xian and Minato Namikaze walked side by side along the streets of Konoha. Light from the shops spilled through doors and windows, spreading across the road.
Three people approached them.
Fugaku Uchiha seemed to have been waiting specifically for Minato.
"Minato, thank you very much for your understanding. Please, come inside and join me for a chat."
Before they knew it, the two had reached the area near the Uchiha compound.
"It's very late today, so I won't impose. I'll pay you a visit tomorrow morning, Clan Head Fugaku."
Having received the answer he wanted, Fugaku didn't press the matter.
"Very well. I'll be sure to welcome you with open arms tomorrow, Minato."
After a polite bow, Fugaku turned his gaze to the boy beside Minato.
"Uchiha Sen, from now on, you have no further ties to the Uchiha Clan. I hope you'll make the most of your life."
"Please call me Mo Jingxian."
The boy curled his lip, openly disdainful of the hypocritical lecture.
"Clan Head Fugaku, don't get my name wrong again. It's very rude."
He'd taken the opportunity to reclaim his name from his previous life. He had no need for the Uchiha surname anymore.
Everyone knew the truth: he was merely a scapegoat. Still, no one had expected the boy to make such a decisive choice.
"How dare you!"
The guards behind Fugaku spoke up indignantly, their eyes fixed on Xian with clear hostility.
The atmosphere grew tense in an instant.
"I've always been bold. Big brother Minato can vouch for me."
Mo Jingxian faced them without fear, narrowing his eyes as he repeatedly glanced at their vital spots.
Fugaku quickly raised a hand to stop them.
"Stand down!"
"Yes!" x2
The brief clash came to an abrupt end. Fugaku nodded to Minato, then turned and left without hesitation.
Not bad. He'd gained another two points of Reputation. Xian wasn't about to turn down free points.
The two crossed the long street and arrived near Minato's home.
Rows of two-story wooden houses lined both sides of the street, most of them occupied by shinobi.
Minato pointed to a detached house. "What do you think?"
"Looks good."
Since Xian had been stripped of his clan status, his old house had naturally been taken back.
For a while, Xian had been a homeless wanderer.
Fortunately, Minato had given him a standalone house. Well... "given" wasn't quite right.
According to Minato, Xian was entitled to a share of Fugaku's compensation. He'd been given a ten-percent stake in two mines.
The house would count as an advance on those dividends.
His ten-percent share would bring him an annual income of 2.5 million ryo, about as much as two S-rank missions.
From then on, he was tied to Minato's wagon.
Xian didn't mind. If you wanted to get anywhere in this world, you needed connections.
After parting ways with Minato, Xian unlocked the front door.
It looked fine. The house had all the basic necessities, and he could move straight in.
Without realizing it, he found himself liking Minato even more.
Once inside, he didn't rush to inspect the house. Mo Jingxian set his backpack beside a chair and sat down quietly.
Moonlight fell through the window lattice onto the floor. A few winter jasmine plants on the sill swayed in the evening breeze.
He went over how events had unfolded, thinking about what to do next.
The danger hadn't passed. Though he'd escaped the Uchiha quagmire, he was now caught between the two sides in their struggle.
One wrong step could land him in a deadly predicament.
Fortunately, he'd managed to get on Minato Namikaze's good side.
One had offered his allegiance, and the other was willing to bring him in. They were a perfect match.
With Minato backing him, Uchiha Yashiro and Danzo probably wouldn't go too far. They still had to respect Minato's standing.
Now that Mo Jingxian had Minato's endorsement, he was effectively part of the Hokage faction.
Anyone who wanted to target him would have to consider the political implications first.
He'd bought himself a year before the Third Shinobi World War began.
What he needed most now was time. As long as he grew strong enough, then... his problems would no longer be problems.
In the end, strength was what mattered.
Once he'd sorted things out, Xian got up and began unpacking his belongings.
Before leaving, he'd packed all his important possessions.
He opened his bag and took everything out, laying it on the table one piece at a time.
Three scrolls, a Ninja Blade, some miscellaneous ninja tools, a complete set of carving tools, and 30,000 ryo in cash.
That was everything Mo Jingxian owned.
What a shame he hadn't been able to bring his wooden carvings.
He'd remember this grudge. One day, he'd make that old geezer Yashiro deliver them to him in person.
He needed to readjust to his changed identity, the upheaval in his power system, and his complicated relationships.
The next day.
Having slept for only four hours, Mo Jingxian got up early and went out to buy supplies while he had the time.
It took most of the day, but at last his new home started to look like a proper place to live.
As the sun began to set, he timed his visit and knocked on Minato's door with a gift in hand.
Kushina opened the door and stared at him in surprise.
"Why is it you?!"
"I came to see Big Brother Minato. Is he home?"
Xian raised a hand to show her the cake he was holding.
"At least you had the sense to bring something. Come in."
Kushina led Xian inside. Her blunt, boisterous personality wasn't unpleasant.
"Xian's here? Just in time for dinner. Sit down and wait a bit. You can try my cooking."
Minato came out of the kitchen wearing an apron, the picture of a devoted husband.
"Then I'm in for a treat. I'll definitely try your cooking today, Big Brother Minato."
"You're such a smooth talker for a kid."
Kushina gave Xian a fair assessment and opened the cake box.
"Why isn't it a strawberry cake? Remember to get one with strawberries next time."
"Uh, well... I'll remember next time."
Minato gave him an apologetic look, then turned and went back to the kitchen.
"Kid, tell me: why do you want to learn Sealing Jutsu?"
Kushina always spoke like that, blunt and direct.
Xian rubbed his nose and answered honestly.
"I feel like Sealing Jutsu and ninjutsu aren't part of the same system, so I want to study it. Maybe it's just a hobby."
He wasn't lying. He'd had the same feeling back in his previous life, when he watched Naruto clips.
Sealing Jutsu that could seal the heavens and the earth didn't seem like ninjutsu at all. It could be considered a system of its own.
"A hobby?"
Kushina murmured to herself. Whatever she'd thought of, she suddenly lost the urge to talk.
Minato was an excellent cook, and Xian successfully scored a sumptuous dinner.
After the meal, Minato asked him directly, "So, what did you come to see me about?"
Mo Jingxian had indeed come to ask for help, so he didn't beat around the bush.
"Big Brother Minato, what do you think of my Water Python Technique?"
"It's a very interesting technique. I'd rate it as excellent."
"If I submit it, what ninjutsu could I trade it for?"
Minato didn't seem surprised. He answered frankly:
"You could easily have that technique rated A-rank. As for an exchange... the rules would let you trade it for another A-rank ninjutsu."
"I have Water, Earth, and Wind Release affinities. Big Brother Minato, which techniques do you think would help me the most?"
Xian put the question to Minato. After thinking for a moment, Minato gave his answer.
"Water Body Flicker Technique, Water Substitution Technique, and Wind Release: Vacuum Blade."
Perhaps Minato noticed Xian's confusion, because he went on to explain.
"There isn't much to say about Body Flicker. Water Substitution suits your fighting style better. As for Wind Release: Vacuum Blade, it's a technique that boosts your attack power. It has low chakra consumption and high lethality. I don't think the difficulty of learning it will be a problem for you."
The eye of an Elite High Ninja was indeed sharp. Those three techniques filled the gaps Xian most needed to address.
Combined with what Xian knew about the Naruto world, he could tell Minato wasn't misleading him.
The Water Body Flicker and Water Substitution techniques were signature moves of Hanzo of the Salamander, the leader of Amegakure.
A technique's strength depended on how well its user understood it. Madara's Majestic Destroyer Flame was one example.
And Wind Release: Vacuum Blade was the kind of technique Asuma would later explain to Naruto when teaching him Wind Release: using Chakra Nature Transformation to coat a weapon and increase its cutting power.
There was no denying that Konoha's collection of ninjutsu was unrivaled across the entire Ninja World. It was only natural that talented shinobi kept emerging.
"Okay, I'll take your advice, Big Brother Minato."
Xian nodded and handed Minato the scroll of the Water Python Technique, which he'd prepared in advance.
After chatting for a while, he took his leave.
Just as Mo Jingxian was about to leave, Kushina called out to him and suddenly tossed him a scroll.
"Kid, if you can't learn this within a year, then don't tell me you're interested in Sealing Jutsu again!"
Without giving him a chance to thank her, Kushina went back upstairs.
Mo Jingxian caught the scroll. Five characters were inscribed on its cover.
"Five Elements Seal."
As his fingers traced the fine patterns in the paper, gratitude welled up inside him.
He bowed deeply. He would remember this favor and repay it one day.
Three days later.
Minato handed Mo Jingxian three ninjutsu scrolls. From then on, his combat system was complete.
For the past three days, he'd been studying the Five Elements Seal.
As he'd suspected, this technique was fundamentally different from the current system of ninjutsu.
His Water Element Mastery had let him faintly sense as much, but for now, he couldn't use it.
"Looks like I'm really not a genius."
He put his Sealing Jutsu studies aside for the time being and devoted himself entirely to practicing his new techniques.
Time passed, and before he knew it, April had arrived.
The Ninja Academy welcomed a new class of students once again, while Xian advanced to the fifth year.
He'd had a fulfilling break. Not only had his strength grown tremendously, but he'd also become much closer to Minato Namikaze and Kushina.
Back at the Ninja Academy, Xian looked at the new students, their faces full of anticipation, and felt a pang of emotion.
He wondered how many of them would survive in this cruel Ninja World.
From his observations, the number of shinobi active on the streets had dropped noticeably over the past month.
The villagers' smiles had gradually given way to nervousness.
Even the people walking through the streets hurried along.
The calm before the storm.
The shadow of war loomed over Konoha. That afternoon, Xian stepped into his classroom.
He looked around. One future Konoha elite after another sat at their desks, chatting and fooling around.
Might Guy, Asuma, Obito Uchiha...
As the former disgrace of the Uchiha, he drew no one's attention when he arrived.
Xian went straight to the lectern.
"Knock, knock!"
He rapped on the blackboard twice, drawing everyone's attention.
"Hello, everyone!"
Everyone stared at the person standing at the lectern, unsure what he was up to.
"I've renounced the Uchiha surname. From now on, please call me... Mo Jingxian."
No one spoke. The noisy classroom fell so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Was that not enough? Mo Jingxian felt a little disappointed. His Reputation panel hadn't refreshed.
But after he returned to his seat, he noticed his Reputation had increased by one point.
[Reputation from Obito Uchiha +1]
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