Growing Towards the Sun!

Because this was an early graduation to replenish war resources, I hadn't received any concrete information about my teammates, only a notification to report to the military department on the outskirts of Konoha at noon the next day.

"The military department?" I was completely bewildered. I hurriedly opened my student handbook to check, only to find the entry for the military department read—

[Frontline Elite Force]

"What the hell!" I had a breakdown.

I had assumed it would be like Team 7, starting with a placement exam followed by hundreds of genin missions to temper my character. I never expected to be assigned to the most dangerous place the moment I graduated.

Mom, I want to go home!!!

Walking down the street with Aoi, I drew attention because of my forehead protector. People pointed and whispered as I passed, their faces filled with awe and envy. I vaguely caught my name, Shisui's name, and then... Kakashi's name.

To be ranked alongside those two monsters.

I felt a surge of joy, the corners of my lips curling upward uncontrollably.

Before I knew it, the word "genius" had become inseparable from me.

Along the way, Aoi trailed behind me, acting strangely; she didn't even eat her dango.

Except for the moment right after we left the exam hall, when I told her the good news about passing and she gave me a thorough, heartfelt hug, Aoi had been incredibly quiet the whole way. She hadn't said a single word, just staring blankly at the ground, lost in thought, wondering what was on her mind.

I walked in front, also feeling a bit distracted.

"Aoi, want to come in and sit for a while?"

It wasn't until we stood at the entrance of the Clan Head Mansion and I gave her forehead a gentle tap that Uchiha Aoi snapped out of her daze. Her eyes, which had been lost in confusion the entire way, finally began to gather the starlight of old, slowly reflecting my face.

"Next time..." She took a step back and whispered, "I want to go practice shurikenjutsu."

"Practice shurikenjutsu?" I was a bit surprised. Since when was she so diligent?

"It's... because I don't want to be left behind here..." She lowered her head, her voice soft but her tone firm, as if she had made up her mind.

"If Akatsuki is going to the battlefield, I want to go to the battlefield too."

"What?"

My brows furrowed; I completely disagreed with her taking such risks.

"It's better if you stay at the academy," I urged. "And Aoi... I know you don't like the battlefield."

How could a child born into a family tormented by war ever like the battlefield?

"But if I stay at the academy forever, I won't be able to see Akatsuki..."

I chuckled helplessly: "Even if you go to the battlefield, you won't necessarily see me. There are so many war zones and the front lines are so long; how could you know where you'll be assigned?"

"I just need to rank first," she suddenly muttered. I didn't hear it clearly and leaned in, asking, "What?"

Aoi suddenly looked up, her pupils deeply reflecting the boy's face, and her heart suddenly brightened.

Yes, she just needed to rank first.

Uchiha Aoi felt a sudden clarity.

In this moment, she had touched a door, or perhaps, a path.

This path was winding and tortuous, perhaps fraught with difficulties and obstacles, perhaps shrouded in darkness, but its destination... led to Uchiha Akatsuki.

Uchiha Aoi didn't know what was wrong with her; at her age, she couldn't even understand the word "like," but every time she saw Uchiha Akatsuki, she felt that her miserable life wasn't entirely unbearable.

The vast, cold mansion was no longer terrifying, and she could sleep peacefully in the dark, gloomy nights. The mere thought of holding Akatsuki's hand in the morning gave her body and soul strength, sweeping away the fatigue and annoyance of waking up early.

When she thought of him, it was as if the sky had brightened.

Uchiha Aoi's life was terrifyingly monotonous. Originally, she had only one attachment—her father, who was fighting for his life on the battlefield. That alcoholic, cold, and strictly demanding father who nonetheless loved her deeply.

But at some point, Uchiha Akatsuki had burst in, bringing a ray of light into her closed, dark world, gently and firmly breaking through the mist, scattering the coldness and loneliness in her heart.

She was still very young and didn't understand the feelings in her heart, but she wanted to grasp this light. Sometimes in her dreams, she even wanted to kiss this light. She wanted those dark eyes to hold only her... she wanted him to belong entirely to her, wanted to cut herself open and sew herself into his body, wanted his life trajectory to overlap and intertwine with hers.

She chased this feeling, getting closer and closer to Uchiha Akatsuki, and began to use every means to entangle him. His limitless closeness and his almost non-resistant handling of her made her feel that she had already secured her victory.

For a time, Uchiha Aoi was immersed in the dream that this person would belong to her forever.

But this dream shattered quickly.

Because when she truly stood by Uchiha Akatsuki's side, she discovered an insurmountable chasm between them.

Excellence—what an incredibly excellent person Uchiha Akatsuki was.

He entered the special training camp at three, his Great Fireball Jutsu blotted out the sky at four, he entered the Ninja Academy at five, and graduated early at the top of his class before he was even six.

The son of the clan head, gifted with immense talent, well-versed in reason, diligent and hardworking... Uchiha Akatsuki, under all these halos, made Aoi panic.

This person had long since left her far behind. In the future, there would be many people by his side, many people as excellent as he was.

Then what am I? Can he still see me?

Her relationship with him was like a sunflower and the sun; one was forever burning in the sky, dazzling and eye-catching, while the other chased incessantly, falling into a humble, low valley.

Realizing this, little Aoi was plunged into complete agony, her soul listless for days on end, even suffering from insomnia due to her distress.

The result of her painful contemplation was exceptionally clear.

She knew she had had enough of this feeling.

She no longer wanted to just chase after him; she wanted to stand by Uchiha Akatsuki's side.

She wanted him within arm's reach.

She wanted him to be within her grasp.

In the span of just a few breaths, something new appeared in Aoi—perhaps it was courage, perhaps hope, but regardless, it was something that shone brilliantly.

Her gaze shifted abruptly, becoming calm, steady, and unshakable. I do not know what she had just been thinking, but looking at her, it seemed she had already decided what path she would take next.

I suddenly realized that this little girl who had always been behind me seemed to be becoming exactly what her name had hoped for.

Growing toward the sun, living up to the starlight.

This was the true Uchiha Aoi.

Sometimes, a person's growth happens in a single instant.

After that, I could no longer dissuade Aoi. Even though her father and mother had been left bloodied and scarred by the battlefield, and even though she had been pale with terror just days ago when I mentioned going to the front lines.

But now, she was like a different person, without the slightest hesitation.

"Fine, if you can pass the exam and get into the Military Division, I won't stop you." I shook my head, finally compromising.

It seems I am always the one who compromises.

Upon entering the Clan Head Mansion, I found the house unexpectedly lively today.

Uchiha Fugaku was sitting on a cushion holding little Itachi, with a newspaper, tea, and a milk bottle placed on the low table. Mikoto was in the kitchen as usual, clattering away at something.

I changed my shoes and walked in, sitting down across from Fugaku, and lowered my head to report: "Father, I passed the Genin exam. I placed first."

"Well done, Akatsuki." Even though my results were flawless, there wasn't a hint of a smile on Uchiha Fugaku's face. It was as if this was all just expected of me.

"Do not be arrogant; this is only the first step."

"Yes." I rolled my eyes in secret.

"As elite combat assets, you will eventually be dispatched to the front lines. You will face real battle. Are you afraid?"

"If I were afraid, I wouldn't have become a ninja. For the honor of the clan, I will not take a single step back."

Standard answer, +100 points.

"Very good." Fugaku was satisfied, as expected, and even Itachi suffered a head-pat.

"I was notified to report to the 12th Military Division tomorrow morning," I said, looking up at Fugaku, though I was mostly staring at little Itachi in his arms, who kept reaching out for me to hold him, silently complaining.

Father, you really have no sense of the situation—can't you see Itachi is trying to act spoiled with me?

Hurry up and let me hold him! (Angry)

Fugaku didn't seem surprised at all to hear about the Military Division, simply telling me as usual to be loyal to the clan and to grow up quickly—all the same empty words I'd heard until my ears grew callouses.

I sighed inwardly, straightened my posture, let the words go in one ear and out the other, and set my mouth to auto-response mode.

Because I knew that next, I would have to go through a series of long, stinking, fake, and insincere reports. Things like future development, the status of my connections with other promising children in the village, insights on ninjutsu and training, my recent ideological state and understanding of clan affairs, as well as wartime analysis of Konoha and surrounding nations, and so on.

It's hard being the eldest son!

"Dinner is ready!" Perhaps a quarter of an hour had passed, perhaps several hours, when Mikoto took off her apron and walked over. The wonderful aroma of food she brought with her successfully eased the serious atmosphere, and I felt my stomach rumble.

Before dinner, Mikoto and I were busy as a whirlwind, and by the time I successfully sat at the table, little Itachi was already in my arms.

"Mother, I have become a ninja. Starting tomorrow, I will join a squad in the Military Division and begin executing ninja missions." I sat quietly, not touching my chopsticks. I held little Itachi in my arms, my forehead protector shining brightly under the light.

"The Military Division? Isn't the base for the Military Division outside the village? That's close to the battlefield..." Mikoto's worry seemed to outweigh her joy. She wanted to say more, but was interrupted by Fugaku: "The child has to gain experience eventually. With a Jounin leading the squad, there won't be any problems."

I didn't speak, just listened quietly while rolling my eyes like crazy in my heart.

Lord Fugaku, if it were your biological son Uchiha Itachi sitting here, would you still let him go to the battlefield?

Hmph, father doesn't love me, mother doesn't care, I'm just a little cabbage in the field!

I pinched the round cheeks of little Itachi, who was looking at me with a confused expression, and signaled to him with my eyes: Don't you dare be ungrateful for the life you have!

Hearing this, Mikoto had no choice but to close her mouth, but she placed a large piece of meat into my bowl and began a frantic mode of piling food onto my plate throughout the entire dinner.

I ate a piece of braised pork and cheered up again.

Salty and sweet, so delicious! Mother is still the best to me!

After dinner, Lord Fugaku naturally wouldn't participate in the cleanup; he headed to the study to handle official business, while I stayed behind to help clean up and watch over little Itachi.

Because Itachi had already started teething, he had eaten a bit of rice and vegetables, and now that his belly was full, he was getting sleepy. Mikoto leaned over, pinched Itachi's little hand, shook it back and forth, and complained: "Now you're sleepy? You were so restless when it was time to sleep earlier!"

I chuckled, affectionately rubbing my cheek against his. Mikoto took the opportunity to poke Itachi's nose, lecturing him: "You have to be a good boy in the future, too, so your big brother can focus on his missions. Do you understand?"

"Mother, Itachi already knows." I stepped in to smooth things over.

"You..."

Mikoto looked at me, her brows suddenly knitting together as the corners of her mouth turned down.

I was all too familiar with this expression; I saw it on Mother's face often.

It was a look that conveyed sorrow and heartache.

"Akatsuki, you are the one I worry about most in this family." She exhorted me, enunciating every word: "The battlefield is treacherous. You must be careful at all times and make sure to return home safely."

She added, "Also, you are not allowed to take long-term missions, or else by the time you return, little Itachi won't even recognize you!"

Under the lamplight, Mikoto's hands gripped mine, holding them for a long time.

My heart felt warm, yet heavy—this was the feeling of being cared for.

"Yes, I know all of this."

In the middle of the night, I sat up in bed, jumped out the window, and slipped out of the Clan Head Mansion.

I hadn't even put on my shoes, running barefoot to Mother's courtyard. Half-asleep, Mother was woken by my intrusion; she grumbled at me in her daze before finally pulling me into her arms to sleep, resigned.

In the darkness, I watched the silhouette of Mother's profile gradually emerge under the moonlight. Even as just an outline, one could tell how beautiful she truly was.

Mother's face always seemed buried in messy hair and housework, causing me to overlook the fact that she was a naturally beautiful person.

As I watched... I grew sleepy. My eyes couldn't stop closing.

I hugged her tightly and drifted off to sleep.

The night was dreamless.

The next morning, I stepped out into the dew. Taking advantage of the fact that Fugaku and Mikoto were still asleep, I returned to the mansion early to change clothes, wash up, wrap my leggings, and put on my shoes.

In the mirror, the features of the Uchiha clan were still shining. I stared for a moment, then began to contort my face, making several grimaces in an attempt to ruin this pretty face.

The result was an obvious failure.

Whether laughing or crying, or even showing a look of terror or something indescribable, this face remained beautiful from every angle.

Truly, beauty has no limits.

My hair had grown out, and being too lazy to style it, I tied it back with the star-shaped hair tie Kuixing had given me.

After a final inspection to ensure everything was in order, I strapped Murasame to my back and stepped out, full of vigor.

Life as a ninja, here I come!