Going Home!

Today was the same as any other day of ninjutsu training.

The training ground was vast and empty. I stood at the very front of the line, silently watching the instructor perform his ninjutsu.

"Snake-Ram-Monkey-Boar-Horse-Tiger!" His speed was incredible, his hand seals flawless, and his chakra reserves abundant.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

As the final hand seal clicked into place, he inhaled deeply and unleashed a torrent of fire! In an instant, a massive fireball blanketed the sky above the training ground. Everywhere I looked, heat waves billowed, leaving only wisps of smoke and embers in their wake. I was standing too close; the residual heat from the fireball curled my black hair, and the scorching wave forced me to take a step back, my eyes barely able to stay open. I drew a breath, but my throat immediately felt dry and scratchy, making me want to cough.

How terrifying! Even without being the target of the fireball, one could still feel its sheer power.

It wasn't my first time witnessing the might of ninjutsu, but every time I saw it, I couldn't help but be struck with awe.

That was nothing short of destructive power!

It was easy to imagine that in the ninja world, even a mere Genin was a being that no ordinary person could ever hope to compare to!

"Number One, come up here." Once the fireball finally dissipated, the instructor beckoned to me.

I walked forward obediently.

"This is just training today; you need to try and mobilize your chakra." He remained expressionless, though a flicker of mockery flashed in his eyes. "I know, it's inevitable to fail when performing ninjutsu for the first time. Don't be too nervous. I believe that as long as you practice diligently in the future, one day you will reach my level."

With that, he looked into my eyes. "Number One, your chakra affinities are Lightning, Fire, and Wind. You have an innate advantage with Fire Style, so you try first."

"Yes."

I moved my feet and stepped onto the platform, spreading my hands in front of me, which immediately drew a round of mocking laughter.

A three-year-old's fingers, still like five little white beans—translucent, short, and small. Yet, to harbor the delusion of controlling a C-rank offensive ninjutsu—anyone would find that laughable.

During previous hand seal practice, I had often encountered the issue of my fingers being too short to form the seals properly; that was the disadvantage of being so small.

However, hand seals were never the key to determining whether a ninjutsu was powerful or not; chakra was.

How to precisely mobilize chakra, how to provide a continuous supply, and how to unleash it in a single burst—that was what ultimately determined the success of a jutsu. And I had confidence in my control over chakra.

"Begin." The instructor sat firmly on his high horse, while all the children below watched me with eyes full of coldness, hope, or worry.

"Yes." I nodded, feet slightly apart, and began the hand seals.

"Snake—" I wasn't fast. My fingertips touched lightly, my posture was standard, and my movements were steady. Some people observing from the shadows showed expressions of approval.

"Ram—" The chakra throughout my body began to flow, slowly gathering toward my chest. I could feel that magical energy coursing through me. For a moment, it felt as if I were resting in my mother's embrace—warm and secure—and an incomparable surge of power slowly rose within my heart.

Power. This was the power of a ninja!

"Monkey—" My eyes grew hot, and something flashed through my mind. The feeling was fleeting, yet indescribably wonderful.

"Boar—Horse—Tiger—" My mind began to empty, and my body started to move on autopilot. A massive amount of chakra surged into my chest, my hair swaying and my sleeves fluttering in the wind.

"Very good!" The instructor stood up at this moment and shouted, "Now, try to mobilize your chakra—"

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

Before he could finish his command, accompanied by a childish yet clear and resolute voice, a pillar of flame erupted into the sky!

As the ninjutsu began, an uncontrollable force of fire surged from my mouth! The massive fireball, obeying the ancient laws of ninjutsu, instantly spread across the entire hall!

For a moment, gasps of astonishment erupted one after another. Even the instructor stood up in shock, and those watching from the shadows widened their eyes.

Three years old, and a full-fledged C-rank Fire Style jutsu... How many years had it been since a child with such powerful ninjutsu talent had appeared?

I looked at the fireball before me, feeling incredibly excited myself.

Originally, this was supposed to be a perfect ninjutsu demonstration.

According to my calculations, the chakra I had condensed was just enough to finish one fireball and end the performance with style.

But as I kept exhaling, I realized I couldn't stop...

Damn it!

In the moment of my panic, the chakra slipped out of my control. It began to flow wildly, desperately seeking an exit, and the Fireball Jutsu became the perfect vessel. That massive power surged forward, carrying the fireball with it! The flames instantly expanded several times over, and with a "boom," they spread toward the crowd like a wildfire!

I wanted to stop, but my body felt as if it were no longer my own, autonomously continuing the ninjutsu.

For a moment, screams, roars, and the figures of the instructor and a group of hidden guards rushing over were all jumbled together, chaotic and deafening.

The next moment, I felt a heavy chop to the back of my neck, and then the world spun, and I blacked out.

When I woke up again, I was lying on a bed next to a window. A gentle breeze blew in from outside, bringing with it a wave of humid air.

"Awake?"

Uchiha Xun was sitting by the bedside, pushing a tray of food toward me and signaling with her eyes for me to eat something.

Thinking of the sea of fire before I lost consciousness, I sat up abruptly, which pulled at the agonizing pain in the back of my neck, leaving my ears ringing.

"Where is this? Are they—are they alright!" My throat was sore and itchy, dry and raspy, making it difficult to speak.

"You child..." She furrowed her brows, helpless. "Nothing good ever happens when I run into you. You really are a handful!"

Seeing that I was genuinely anxious, she sighed and said, "Rest easy, the fire has been contained. The Special Training Department is perfectly fine, and your companions are safe as well... Oh, and there's a little girl who was quite worried about you."

Only then did I lean back against the bed, exhausted.

Uchiha Xun smiled slightly, leaned in, and whispered, "Your Fire Style is truly extraordinary; even those old fogies in the upper echelons were taken aback."

"Hm...?" I asked, bewildered. "What does that mean? Am I getting expelled?"

"Pfft," she couldn't help but laugh, touching my forehead as she said, "Not only will you not be expelled, but you're about to have a stroke of good luck."

"Your companions will continue their second half of the special training underground, but you—" she wagged her finger at me, "you have a different mission."

I looked up at her in confusion, only to notice the door in front of me slowly opening.

"Your performance was excellent."

Uchiha Fugaku's figure appeared before me for the second time. He still loomed over me, looking down from above just as he had the first time—oppressive and unsettling.

"From now on, I will instruct you personally."

I looked left and right, realizing there was truly no one else here, and pointed at myself with a face full of question marks—

"You? Personally instruct me?"

He didn't answer, simply stepping forward to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Don't move." He grabbed my hand and began to probe my meridians with his chakra. Wherever his chakra flowed, it brought a searing, burning sensation, tangling with my own—sometimes merging, sometimes annihilating one another. I wanted to pull my hand away in pain, but he gripped my arm, refusing to let me move until Uchiha Xun pressed down on his shoulder, forcing him to let go.

I was already drenched in sweat from the pain.

Bullying the young! This is just bullying!

Uchiha Fugaku didn't look entirely at ease either, squinting as he asked me, "When you used Fire Style last time, did you feel anything unusual in your body?"

Recalling that strange chakra, I closed my eyes and nodded, feeling aggrieved.

"Very good," Fugaku smiled with satisfaction. "The Uchiha upper echelons have decided to place you under my sole tutelage."

"Huh?" Before I could react, he had already stood up, asking Uchiha Xun about my physical condition.

"Clan, Clan Leader! I—" I propped up my upper body, still wanting to put up a fight.

However, he merely glanced at me, and the emotion in those eyes silenced me.

Clearly, he wasn't giving me a chance to refuse or agree; he had simply come to inform me of the result.

Then, he and Uchiha Xun exited together, leaving me alone on the bed in a daze.

At the entrance of the infirmary, the Uchiha Clan Leader and the head of the medical department were in a hushed conversation.

"Has the clan already decided?" Uchiha Xun asked, somewhat shocked. "Must it be him? The other children in his cohort clearly..."

"I know what you want to say," Fugaku interrupted her. "Uchiha Shisui's talent is also very high, but he—" He furrowed his brows and shook his head.

"Is too difficult to control."

Before the instruction began, Lord Fugaku granted me a leave of absence, allowing me to go home and visit my mother.

Half a year is neither long nor short.

In my past life, I wasn't very attached to home, always maintaining a faint sense of detachment from my relatives.

But this world is different.

Here, life and death are so close that love and hate are vented to the fullest.

After returning home, I clung to my mother, telling her everything that had happened over the past six months. I excitedly described this magnificent and wondrous ninja world through my eyes, gesturing wildly as I spoke. I showed her the ninjutsu I had learned and, like presenting a treasure, pulled shuriken from my pockets and flung them all at once into the folding screen, leaving several large holes.

She didn't say a word, just watched me with a smile, occasionally nodding to encourage me to continue.

Finally, I gloomily told my mother the news that Lord Fugaku would be instructing me personally. She was surprised, though not overly so. She simply told me that Lord Fugaku and the clan must think highly of me, and that I must study hard under him so as not to fail their great kindness.

"But I don't want to go!" I nuzzled into her arms, acting spoiled. "Mom... I want to eat rice balls... sticky rice dumplings... hmm... tempura... and a big glass of plum juice!"

"Alright, alright—"

That night, my mother gave me the scarf she had knitted, telling me to listen to Lord Fugaku, not to worry about her, to take care of my health, and to remain loyal to the clan—such scattered, fragmented words, yet filled with warmth.

In front of my mother, my smile was never forced.

In this world, she is the only one, and the one who cares for me the most.

She will always be tolerant of me, she will never abandon me, and I will never abandon her.

This has always given me strength deep in my heart.

In this cold hell, I am a child with family and a home.

So, I will go.

As long as it is for my mother, I am willing to do anything.