Taking a Master

"Hahahaha! That's right! I am the legendary White-Haired Boy, Master Jiraiya!"

Jiraiya burst into hearty laughter upon hearing this.

"Speaking of which, kid, your shuriken throwing is pretty good. You're almost catching up to how I was when I was your age."

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiraiya's gaze shifted to the wooden post nearby, where five shuriken were lined up in a perfect horizontal row.

"You flatter me, Master Jiraiya. It's all thanks to Gen's guidance."

Minato Namikaze scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Gen? That tsundere brat from earlier? Interesting. It's rare to see a boy get so close to an Uchiha. Kid, you're not bad at all. Hehe~ what about this last one?"

As they talked, the grilled fish in Jiraiya's hand had been reduced to nothing but bones. After tossing the remains into the fire, he turned his attention to the final piece of grilled fish.

"Ah? Please, go ahead, Master Jiraiya. But does it really matter that Gen is an Uchiha? Isn't he a member of the village just like everyone else?"

Minato looked puzzled; he couldn't understand why so many people in the village held prejudices against the Uchiha.

Through his interactions with Uchiha Gen, Minato felt that Gen was actually quite a good person, except for... well, except for the fact that his punches really hurt.

"...Yeah, the Uchiha are members of the village too. Say, kid, what's your name?"

Jiraiya, who had been busy eating, paused. He looked at Minato with a complex expression, focusing particularly on those incredibly clear, azure eyes.

A group of adults, and yet they aren't as clear-sighted as a child?

For a moment, Jiraiya couldn't help but think of many things.

"My name is Minato Namikaze! The one who just left is Uchiha Gen, and he... he is my friend."

Minato spoke with firm conviction.

Looking at Jiraiya, Minato felt his dream take on a deeper meaning. He wanted to become Hokage, but before, it was just a goal; now, he wanted to change the prejudices of the world!

"Minato Namikaze, huh? Hahahaha! Then, are you interested in learning from me? I mean becoming my apprentice. I don't know why, but I feel like the taste of this grilled fish tonight suits my palate perfectly. To ensure I can keep eating fish like this, well, Minato Namikaze, give me an answer."

After staring at Minato in a daze for a moment, Jiraiya set down the fish and spoke to him with uncharacteristic seriousness.

If I take on an apprentice who is so close to the Uchiha, the Old Man and Tsunade will probably yell at me, right?

"Ah?"

Jiraiya's sudden proposal caught Minato off guard, and he instantly reverted to his usual dazed state.

"What? Not interested in the great Master Jiraiya?"

Seeing Minato's stunned expression, Jiraiya chuckled.

"No, that's not it! I'm just too surprised. It's an honor, Teacher!"

As soon as Jiraiya spoke, Minato hurriedly bowed, his voice filled with resolve.

"My whim to go out for research today was definitely the right choice. To think I'd find such a fantastic disciple! Hahahaha! Minato, there's still fire left, you can keep grilling fish, right?"

"No problem, Teacher Jiraiya, I'll go catch some more right now."

"I can't just eat for free, I'll help too!"

Amidst the sparks of the campfire, one large figure and one small one chased the traces of fish in the river, guided by the dim, flickering light.

Uchiha Clan Compound.

Under the moonlight, Uchiha Gen stood in the training ground of his new home. Before him, an Uchiha Jonin stood silently, while several elders, including Setsuna Uchiha, watched from the sidelines in silence.

"Gen, his strength is quite impressive. You can go all out against him; we need to accurately gauge your current level."

Watching Uchiha Gen on the field, Setsuna Uchiha spoke in a deep voice.

Setsuna couldn't have been more pleased with what happened at the Ninja Academy today.

To slap the young heir of the Hyuga clan to the ground so hard he couldn't even get up—that is what it means to be an Uchiha!

It was precisely because of this incident that he didn't even need to persuade them; these old fossils had come running here on their own.

As for testing Uchiha Gen's strength, it was simply to make it easier to guide him.

For the Uchiha, combat records were the best way to measure ability, and Uchiha Gen, who had defeated Hyuga Hiashi in a single move, had clearly earned the recognition of all the Uchiha top brass.

"I see. I'll need a blade."

Glancing at the elders at the edge of the training ground, Uchiha Gen pondered for a moment before speaking softly.

He didn't know the man opposite him, but his intuition told him that this man... was strong!

"A blade? You've been practicing swordsmanship too? Then... Prison Flame, that sword—you can't use it anyway, so let Gen use it. Trust me, he won't let you down."

Setsuna Uchiha's eyes lit up. In this situation, if Uchiha Gen asked for a blade, it meant that in Gen's own mind, he would be even stronger with one.

Having had brief contact with Uchiha Gen, Setsuna had come to understand him a little.

Uchiha Gen was definitely not the type to do something unnecessary.

"Hmph, you're certainly generous, Setsuna Uchiha, asking me to hand over a blade like that just like that. Brat, don't you dare disappoint me."

Uchiha Qiuyan cast a glance at Setsuna Uchiha and raised his palm to weave a hand seal. Accompanied by a puff of white smoke, a slender, straight blade with a lustrous white finish instantly appeared in his hand. Looking at the longsword, a flicker of nostalgia crossed Uchiha Qiuyan's eyes, and the next moment, he swiftly tossed the blade toward Uchiha Gen.

Clap!

Raising his hand, the longsword was caught.

A sensation of coolness traveled from the hilt into his grip. Looking at the gleaming white blade in his hand, Uchiha Gen's eyes lit up.

A fine blade! An absolutely fine blade!!

"The sword is named Mingzun. It is a Kusanagi-class masterpiece forged from chakra metal combined with rare meteorite ore. Kid, if your performance is brilliant enough, this blade... will be yours."

Uchiha Qiuyan's eyes held a trace of reluctance, yet he still spoke in a deep, steady voice.

A fine blade should not be left to decay alongside a withered man like him as time passed; his own time was running out.

"I hope that old codger Setsuna has a good eye. Gen, if you are as foolish as that boy Fugaku Uchiha, then you are not worthy of wielding this blade."

"Young Master Gen, you may attack at any time."

As Mingzun settled into Uchiha Gen's hand, the Uchiha ninja on the field spoke up accordingly.