Growing Toward the Sun!

Since I was graduating early to replenish the war effort, I hadn't received any definite information about my teammates. I was only told to report to Military Headquarters on the outskirts of Konoha at noon the next day.

"Military Headquarters?" I stared blankly, then hurriedly opened my student handbook to check. The entry for Military Headquarters read—

[Frontline Elite Force]

"Holy crap!" I was devastated.

I'd thought it would be like Team 7: first a team-placement test, then a few hundred Genin missions to temper our resolve. I never expected to be assigned to the most dangerous place as soon as I graduated.

Mom, I wanna go home!!!

As I walked down the road with Kuixing, my Forehead Protector drew people's attention. They looked at me with admiration and envy, pointing and whispering as I passed. I vaguely heard my name, Shisui's name, and... Kakashi's name.

I'd actually been ranked alongside those two monsters.

I perked up, the corners of my mouth rising uncontrollably.

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

Kuixing trailed behind me the entire way, acting strangely. She didn't even eat her dango.

After I'd told her the good news that I'd passed the exam, she'd given me a wholehearted hug right outside the exam hall. But since then, Kuixing had been unusually quiet. She hadn't said a word, just walked along staring blankly at the ground, lost in thought. I had no idea what was on her mind.

I walked ahead, distracted too.

"Kuixing, do you want to come in for a bit?"

It wasn't until we stood at the entrance to the Clan Head Mansion and I gently tapped her forehead that Uchiha Kuixing finally came to her senses. The confusion in her eyes began to clear, and the stars that usually shone there returned, slowly reflecting my face.

"Maybe next time..." She took a step back and said quietly, "I want to practice with my shuriken."

"Practice with your shuriken?" I was a little surprised. Since when had she become so hardworking?

"Yes... because I don't want to be left behind here." She lowered her head. Her voice was gentle, but her tone firm, as though she'd made up her mind.

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

"What?"

My brows furrowed. I was completely against her taking such a risk.

"It's better for you to stay at school," I advised. "Besides, Kuixing... I know you don't like the battlefield."

How could a child from a family battered by war possibly like the battlefield?

"But if I stay at school, I won't get to see Akatsuki..."

I laughed. "Even if you go to the battlefield, that doesn't mean you'll see me. There are so many war zones and the front lines stretch so far. How would you know where you'd be assigned?"

"I just have to come in first," she suddenly muttered.

I hadn't heard her clearly, so I leaned closer and asked, "What?"

Kuixing suddenly raised her head. The boy's face was reflected in her eyes, and the darkness in her heart abruptly gave way to light.

Right. She just had to come in first.

Uchiha Kuixing suddenly saw things clearly.

In that moment, she seemed to find a door—or perhaps a path.

The path wound and twisted, perhaps fraught with hardships, perhaps shrouded in darkness. But at its end... lay Uchiha Akatsuki.

Uchiha Kuixing didn't know what had come over her. She was too young to even understand the word "love." But whenever she saw Uchiha Akatsuki, she felt that even her miserable life was bearable after all.

The vast, empty mansion no longer frightened her. She could sleep peacefully in the dark, gloomy nights. Just thinking about holding Akatsuki's hand in the morning gave strength to her body and heart, sweeping away the fatigue and resentment of getting up early.

Whenever she thought of him, it was as if the sky itself brightened.

Uchiha Kuixing's life was frighteningly monotonous. At first, she had only one person to care about: her father, who fought for his life on the battlefield. He drank too much, was cold and strict with her, yet loved her deeply.

But at some point, Uchiha Akatsuki had barged into her life, bringing a ray of light to her closed-off, gloomy world. Gentle but unyielding, he broke through the haze and dispelled the cold and loneliness in her heart.

She was still very young, and didn't understand what she felt. But she wanted to hold on to that light. Sometimes, in her dreams, she even wanted to kiss it. She wanted to be the only one in those dark eyes... She wanted him to belong to her completely, to cut herself apart and sew herself into his body, to make their paths through life overlap and intertwine.

She chased after that feeling, drawing closer and closer to Uchiha Akatsuki. She began doing everything she could to cling to him. His almost complete lack of resistance to her constant closeness made her feel that she already had the upper hand.

For a while, Uchiha Kuixing was lost in the sweet dream that he would belong to her forever.

But that dream soon shattered.

Because when she truly stood beside Uchiha Akatsuki, she discovered the unbridgeable gulf between them.

He was exceptional. Just how exceptional was Uchiha Akatsuki?

He'd entered the training camp at three, unleashed a Fireball that blotted out the sky at four, entered the Ninja Academy at five, and graduated early as the top student in his class before he was even six.

The clan head's son, immensely talented, knowledgeable, diligent, and hardworking... Beneath each of those shining accolades, Uchiha Akatsuki made Kuixing feel anxious.

He had already left her far behind. In the future, he would have many people around him—many people as exceptional as he was.

What did that make her? Would he even still see her?

Their relationship was like that of a sunflower and the sun: one forever blazed in the sky, dazzling and brilliant, while the other chased after it endlessly, humble and lowly.

Realizing this, little Kuixing fell into despair. For days on end, she was distracted and distraught, so miserable she couldn't sleep at night.

And when she finally stopped hurting long enough to think, the answer became crystal clear.

She knew she couldn't take this feeling anymore.

She didn't want to merely chase after him. She wanted to stand by Uchiha Akatsuki's side.

She wanted him close enough to reach.

She wanted him within arm's reach.

In the span of a few breaths, something new appeared in Kuixing. Perhaps it was courage, perhaps hope. Whatever it was, it shone brightly.

Her expression changed abruptly. She looked calm and composed, yet utterly resolute. I didn't know what she'd been thinking, but from the look of her, she seemed to have decided which path to take.

I suddenly realized that the little girl who'd always trailed behind me seemed to be growing into the person her name promised she would be.

Growing toward the sun, worthy of the starlight.

This was the real Uchiha Kuixing.

Sometimes, a person could grow up in an instant.

After that, there was no talking Kuixing out of it. Her parents had both been scarred by the battlefield, blood and tears staining their lives. Just a few days ago, she'd gone deathly pale at the thought of me going to war.

But now she seemed like a different person, completely unwavering.

"Fine. If you can get into Military Headquarters, I won't stop you." I shook my head and finally gave in.

I seemed to be the one who always gave in.

When I entered the Clan Head Mansion, I found it unexpectedly lively.

Lord Fugaku was sitting on a floor cushion with little Itachi in his arms. A newspaper, tea, and a baby bottle sat on the low table in front of him. Mikoto was in the kitchen as usual, clattering away at something or other.

I took off my shoes and walked over, sitting across from Fugaku. I lowered my head and reported, "Father, I passed the Genin exam. I came in first."

"Good work, Akatsuki." Even though my results were flawless, Uchiha Fugaku didn't smile at all. It was as if this was only what he expected of me.

"Don't be proud. This is only the first step."

"Yes." I secretly rolled my eyes.

"As talented warriors, you'll eventually be sent to the front lines. You'll face real combat soon. Are you afraid?"

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

The standard answer. One hundred points.

"Good." Fugaku was indeed satisfied. Even Itachi was subjected to a head pat.

"I've been told to report to the 12th Military Division tomorrow morning," I said, looking up at Fugaku. Mostly, though, I was looking at the little Itachi in his arms, who kept reaching for me to hold him. I silently grumbled.

Father, you're so oblivious. Can't you see Itachi's asking me to hold him?

Let me hold him! Let me hold him! (Angry)

Fugaku didn't seem surprised at all to hear that I'd been assigned to Military Headquarters. He simply told me, as usual, that I had to serve the clan and grow up as quickly as possible. It was all the same old nonsense I'd heard so often my ears had grown numb.

I sighed inwardly, straightened my posture, and let it go in one ear and out the other, my mouth set to automatic reply.

Because I knew that next I'd have to give another series of long, tedious, fake, and insincere reports. About my plans for the future, about my relationships with promising children in the village, about my ninjutsu and training insights, about my recent thoughts and how well I understood the clan, and about the wartime situation in Konoha and the surrounding countries.

It wasn't easy being the eldest son!

"Dinner's ready!" Maybe a quarter of an hour had passed, maybe several hours. Mikoto took off her apron and came over. The delicious smell of food clinging to her made the tense atmosphere relax. I realized I was hungry too.

Before dinner, Mikoto and I bustled around together. By the time I finally sat down at the table, little Itachi was already in my arms.

"Mother, I've become a ninja. Starting tomorrow, I'll join a squad at Military Headquarters and begin taking on missions." I sat quietly without picking up my chopsticks. Little Itachi was in my arms, and my Forehead Protector gleamed in the light.

"Military Headquarters? Isn't it outside the village? That's close to the battlefield..." Mikoto seemed more worried than happy. She was about to say something more when Fugaku cut her off. "The boy has to gain experience sooner or later. He'll have a jōnin leading his team, so nothing will happen to him."

I said nothing, listening quietly while rolling my eyes like crazy.

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

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

I pinched the round cheek of the bewildered little Itachi in my arms and gave him a look: don't take your good fortune for granted!

At that, Mikoto could only fall silent. But she put a large piece of meat in my bowl and spent the rest of dinner piling food onto my plate like mad.

I ate a piece of braised pork and cheered up.

It was sweet and savory. Delicious! Mother really was the best!

After dinner, Lord Fugaku naturally didn't help with the cleanup. He went to his study to handle official business, while I stayed behind to help clean and keep an eye on little Itachi.

Itachi had already grown a few teeth, so he'd eaten a little food just now. Now his belly was full, and he was getting sleepy. Mikoto came over, took his little hand, and rocked it back and forth as she complained, "Sleepy now, are you? When it's time to sleep, you're always so fussy!"

I chuckled and affectionately rubbed my cheek against his. Mikoto took the chance to tap Itachi on the nose and scold him. "You need to behave, too. Then your big brother can go on his missions without worrying. Understand?"

"Mother, Itachi understands." I smoothed things over.

"You..."

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

I knew that expression too well. I often saw it on Mother's face.

It was an expression of sadness and heartache.

"Akatsuki, you're the one I worry about most in this family." She gave me her instructions one word at a time. "The battlefield is dangerous. You must stay alert at all times and come back safe and sound."

She: "And no long-term missions! Otherwise, by the time you get back, Itachi won't even recognize you!"

Under the lamplight, Mikoto held both my hands, and we stayed like that for a long time.

I felt warm inside, but also heavy-hearted. This was what it felt like to have someone care about you.

"Yes, I understand."

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

I didn't even put on my shoes. Barefoot, I ran to my mother's courtyard. My half-asleep mother woke when I disturbed her and grumbled at me for a good while. In the end, she helplessly gathered me into her arms and went back to sleep.

In the darkness, I watched the outline of Mother's profile gradually emerge in the moonlight. It was only an outline, but I could still tell how beautiful she was in person.

Mother's face always seemed to be hidden beneath a mess of hair and the chores around the house. I'd overlooked the fact that she had always been beautiful.

As I watched... I got sleepy. My eyes kept drooping shut.

I held her tightly and fell asleep.

I had no dreams that night.

The next morning, I stepped out into the dew. While Fugaku and Mikoto were still asleep, I hurried back to the mansion to change, wash up, tie on my leg wraps, and put on my shoes.

The Uchiha Clan's good looks still shone back at me from the mirror. I stared for a while, then scrunched up my face, making several ridiculous expressions in an attempt to ruin it.

The result was an obvious failure.

Whether I smiled or cried, looked terrified, or made some unrecognizable face, this face was beautiful from every angle.

It was good to be pretty.

My hair had grown long by now, and I was too lazy to style it, so I tied it up with the star-shaped hair tie Kuixing had given me.

After one last look to make sure everything was in order, I slung Murasame over my back and headed out, full of energy.

A ninja's life, here I come!