The Festival

Without even a moment to mourn Minato, who wanted to use the break to overtake everyone through intensive training.

Chiba Genichi and the three girls at his side were about to attend the festival.

For the past two days, Konoha had been holding a small festival. Lanterns hung outside every home, and as soon as night fell, people flooded the streets, filling them with noise and excitement.

Genichi had been half-forcibly dragged out of the house and away from his training. Looking at the bustling scene before him and the three little girls beside him—one in black, one in white, and one in red, each wearing an exquisite kimono in a different style—he found the sight delightful and refreshing.

Taking a break now and then wasn't so bad. Work and rest in balance.

"I want this."

"I want to eat that."

"These candied hawthorns are delicious. Buy them."

"That hat looks nice. Buy it."

"That scarf is pretty. Buy it."

With barely any money left at home, Genichi didn't hesitate to unleash the power of money. Tonight's expenses were covered by the little rich girl, Kushina.

Kushina had come to Konoha as a Jinchūriki, dedicating herself to the village. There was no way Uzumaki Mito would shortchange her own clanswoman. With a wave of her hand, she had granted Kushina two streets belonging to the Senju Clan, making her the Ninja Academy's richest little girl.

Genichi wasn't making any money at the moment, but he'd never worried about it. Ever since he'd learned the Ninja Code at the Academy—"Outside of missions, do not harm nobles without cause or seize the property of wealthy merchants"—he'd taken it as gospel.

The way to make money was right there in the code.

In the harsh world of the shinobi, how many wealthy merchants and nobles could possibly be decent people?

Genichi had no qualms about redistributing social resources and giving surplus goods to those in need.

It wasn't as if he'd transmigrated just to go outside the village, sleep rough, and risk his life fighting other shinobi for a hundred thousand ryo.

The festival was still going on, this time inside an izakaya.

"Tsunade, have you gotten even better at drinking than before?" Orochimaru said, looking at the empty bottles piling up on the table.

"Don't remind me. It's all that damn, naturally evil little brat Genichi's fault," Tsunade grumbled. "Ever since he started learning Sealing Jutsu from Grandma Mito, I'm no longer Grandma's favorite granddaughter.

"At first, Grandma Mito only made Nawaki train. Now she's trying to control my gambling and my drinking. As long as I'm home, she finds fault with everything I do."

Over the past year, under Grandma Mito's stern gaze, Tsunade had been forced to "willingly" organize books on medical knowledge for Genichi. How was she supposed to find time to read medical books when she had to study Sealing Jutsu every day? That brat was crazy—he didn't even study medicine, but kept demanding the books anyway. Just wait until I get the chance. I'll use my super strength to knock some sense into him.

"Speaking of Nawaki, Orochimaru, would you consider being his teacher?" Tsunade asked seriously. "You've been his idol since he was little. I asked him, and he said he hoped to train under you someday."

Since Orochimaru was close to Tsunade, he and Nawaki had known each other for a long time.

Remembering the lively boy he'd known, Orochimaru licked his lips. "Heh. No problem. Is he planning to graduate early?"

"No, no. Just let him claim the title early."

"Speaking of taking on students, I recently met a promising young man at the Academy," Jiraiya interjected, already half-drunk.

"Minato Namikaze. He's an outstanding, hardworking young man. Talented, handsome, and a good student—just like I was when I was a kid." Jiraiya laughed heartily as he spoke.

What did being handsome and a good student have to do with Jiraiya? Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Oh, I've heard of him. He's in the same class as that Chiba Genichi I mentioned, but he's only in second place."

The alcohol was going to Tsunade's head. In her mind, Chiba Genichi's image as "someone else's kid" began to overlap with the image of the last "someone else's kid," Orochimaru. Both of them were eager to learn.

"Orochimaru, you remind me a lot of that boy Genichi. Since you're taking on students anyway, why not go meet him?" Tsunade asked.

"Heh. We'll see," Orochimaru declined politely. He'd agreed to take Nawaki on because they were close. At the moment, he was determined to master every jutsu in the world and had no plans to find anyone to inherit his shinobi way or his knowledge.

The festival ended, and Genichi was about to say goodbye to everyone.

"Genichi, my grandfather says he'd like to meet you," Mikoto Uchiha said, inviting him again.

Genichi recalled his impression of Mikoto's grandfather. He quickly pictured a classic old Uchiha from the Warring States period, eager to restore the Uchiha Clan's glory and encouraging his granddaughter to make more friends.

Oh no. He's after me.

"Your grandfather isn't planning to help you awaken the Two-Tomoe Sharingan, is he?" Genichi asked uneasily.

"Huh? What are you thinking? Come on, let's go." Mikoto, a beat slow to catch on, grabbed Genichi's hand and started leading him toward the Uchiha Clan Compound.

Talking about awakening the Two-Tomoe Sharingan—didn't that imply Genichi was important to her? A beat late, Mikoto realized she was holding hands with him.

Her face turned bright red. She lowered her head again, too shy to say a word.

When he was young, Uchiha Kohaku had been a skilled shinobi who could dance beneath blades and sing amid flames. Now, he served as the clan's second elder and acting clan leader.

Kohaku was one of the few who had noticed the rift between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha. He hoped the Uchiha Clan would regain its former glory and live in harmony with the village. He also hoped his granddaughter would grow up healthy and happy, without having to endure other people's strange looks.

His son and daughter-in-law had died in an accident not long after his granddaughter was born, so Kohaku took an especially keen interest in Mikoto's upbringing.

As he watched his granddaughter grow and reach the age to attend the Academy, Kohaku repeatedly urged her to make friends at school and enjoy a happy childhood.

Then one day, during a school break, his granddaughter went out happily with her classmates as usual.

Kohaku had thought everything was going smoothly and life was peaceful. But when he saw his granddaughter run home with the Sharingan in her eyes, his pupils contracted.

"What happened? Did my granddaughter's friend die just because she went out? Is this still Konoha?"

Kohaku had thought that awakening the Sharingan always came with grief. He was still trying to figure out how to comfort his granddaughter when she excitedly began talking about strange things like "the Sharingan is a cup," "I'm about to awaken the Mangekyo," and "the genjutsu awakening method."

After listening for a long while, Kohaku finally realized he'd misunderstood.

"Chiba Genichi, is it? Let's see what this is all about."