Fat Tiger

Fat Tiger couldn't hold back any longer. He said to the boys beside him, "You guys, this is the awful brat who stole our snacks and beat us up a while back. He even threatened us, saying we were trash and our big brother must be trash too. What a jerk!" The boys were outraged when they heard this. Insulting their underlings was one thing, but the kid had actually dared to mouth off at them. Their teenage hormones were clearly surging in the heat of this childish brawl, and they were gradually losing their reason, driven by the urge to fight. The three boys slowly stepped forward and began throwing out threats. "You Uchiha brat, I, Dama, am the future heir to the famous Dama Clan. I know ninjutsu, you know. If you surrender now, I might go easy on you." "I'd like to see what kind of ninjutsu you can use," Uchiha Zhuang said curiously. Honestly, what level could kids this young reach? He really wanted to find out. "You bastard! I'm twelve, and I'll graduate from the Ninja Academy in a year. I'm in the top five of this year's practical combat class! You dare take me on? You're dead!" Dama finished speaking and began forming Hand Seals, one per second. A dozen seconds later, he shouted, "Water Release: Water Shockwave!" A jet of water shot out like a high-pressure hose. Uchiha Zhuang sidestepped and dodged it, but the two little brats behind him took the hit and were instantly swept off their feet, unable to get back up. The Water Shockwave was just a jet of water that shot forward and then petered out. Uchiha Zhuang understood. That's really weak. Dama stared at Uchiha Zhuang, who had dodged the attack, and was shocked. Wasn't he supposed to be amazed by Dama's Water Release Ninjutsu and then get hit? Dama had no chakra left to use another technique, so it looked like close combat was his only option. The three boys exchanged glances and nodded, then charged together, ready to fight. Uchiha Zhuang wanted to see how good they were at close combat, so he defended against every attack. He had to admit, the three worked well together. They mixed long- and short-range attacks, striking with good rhythm and force. But Uchiha Zhuang watched them as if they were monkeys. After about five minutes, the three were exhausted, yet they still hadn't landed a single hit. Once Uchiha Zhuang had fully assessed the supposed skill level of the Ninja Academy's upperclassmen, he kicked them all away. Since they were older kids, he held back seventy percent of his strength. They flew seven or eight meters and landed with pained groans. Fat Tiger, watching from farther away, was trembling with fear. Still, out of pride as the leader of the kids and under the gaze of his underlings, he forced himself to stand his ground against Uchiha Zhuang. Honestly, Uchiha Zhuang admired Fat Tiger. He had strength, knew how to handle himself, and even had some principles. He was a brat who could still be set straight. Wanting everyone there to understand his strength so they wouldn't do anything out of line in the future, Uchiha Zhuang pretended to form a dozen Hand Seals, then called out, "Water Release: Water Flow Technique!" A huge torrent surged out of the alley like a waterfall, sweeping Fat Tiger and more than a dozen underlings onto the road. The spectacle immediately drew a crowd of onlookers. When the security forces arrived, everyone was taken in for questioning. Fat Tiger and his underlings all trembled as they muttered things like "Water Release," "Uchiha," and "scary."

"Smack!" A ninja walked in and slapped the wooden table, but Uchiha Zhuang, sitting across from him, didn't care in the slightest. He picked his nose. "Uchiha Zhuang, you're a child from the Genmu family, right? I'm amazed you have that much chakra at five years old, but you can't just attack your classmates! This could turn into a serious matter, so think carefully!" Uchiha Mai said. Seeing the young woman looking angry made Uchiha Zhuang feel pleased. Then he said, "I was the one being attacked. They were going to beat me up, and I'm sure your investigation has already confirmed that. Besides, I'm the only member of the Uchiha Clan to enroll in the Ninja Academy this year. I'm sure the clan elders will protect me. After all, I'm a genius." Uchiha Zhuang didn't care as he looked at Uchiha Mai, whose eyes were wide and whose One-Tomoe was active. Damn, even genjutsu doesn't work on him? He's awakened his Sharingan! Are kids these days really growing up this fast?! Just as the two were glaring at each other, the door lock clicked open. A middle-aged ninja who was clearly much higher-ranking walked in and said to Uchiha Zhuang, "We've determined that you acted in self-defense. More than thirty people surrounded and attacked you, and you beat them all. You did well. You could be considered one of the Uchiha Clan's most promising rising talents in recent years. You can go home now." Uchiha Zhuang raised an eyebrow and stood up, unsurprised. As he reached the corner of the hallway, the middle-aged ninja suddenly asked, "Can you tell me how many Tomoe you've awakened?" Uchiha Zhuang paused and looked back at him from a distance, then opened his eyes, revealing a One-Tomoe Sharingan. "I see. I understand now. Thank you." Uchiha Zhuang slowly left the interrogation room and headed for the clan compound.

Inside the interrogation room, "Group Leader Gangwan, why is the clan protecting him? He used a lethal ninjutsu in the village, and so many bystanders saw it. The consequences are terrible! This could become another weapon they use against us." Gangwan, who had been silent, replied, "He's the greatest genius our clan has produced in years. Some time ago, Genmu reported Uchiha Zhuang's situation in detail to the clan leader and elders. Apparently, he already has Chunin-level strength. You know what that means at his age. If nothing unexpected happens, he'll be able to strive for Jonin rank as soon as he graduates from the Ninja Academy. A Jonin of twelve or thirteen would be a force the village couldn't ignore." Gangwan explained it to Mai. "I see. No wonder the clan elders are protecting him. The clan will probably have to make concessions over this, won't it?" "Who knows?" Gangwan fell silent after saying that, fiddling with the exquisite pocket watch in his hand. What Gangwan didn't tell Mai was that the elders had just shared some important information with him: they planned to give this boy special support. He might even become the clan leader one day. He had already awakened two Tomoe. A month and a half ago, during a surprise practical test, his father Genmu had tested him while the elders watched from hiding. He had fought the experienced veteran Chunin Genmu without losing ground. He was only a little short on combat experience; his ninjutsu and tactics were even better than those of a seasoned Chunin. If a five-year-old like him continued to grow, he would surely make a name for himself throughout the Shinobi World!

When Uchiha Zhuang got home, he saw Genmu and Meiko waiting for him, and warmth filled his heart. At the dinner table, Meiko asked, "Did you see the person you wanted to see at school today? Did you hold hands? Hahaha!" Watching Meiko gradually lose herself in her fantasies, Uchiha Zhuang put a hand to his forehead and said, "I saw her. We even ate together. Too bad she's the Hyuga Clan's young lady, and I'm a poor Uchiha boy. A house, a car, the bride price..." Genmu and Meiko looked completely baffled, clearly not understanding the last part. But seeing Uchiha Zhuang looking so troubled, Genmu said, "Your mom and I have saved a little over the past few years. We can afford a detached house in Konoha's upscale residential district. And by 'car,' you probably mean a summoning beast, right? I know a few people who have inherited summoning contracts. They should be able to help. As for the bride price, if we work hard together over the next few years, we should have enough." Seeing Genmu and Meiko seriously discussing it, Uchiha Zhuang realized they must have already made plans for his future. He had simply grown too fast, looking fifteen despite being only five; under normal circumstances, everything would have been timed just right. Uchiha Zhuang slowly said, "Actually, I've saved up a little, too. I've accumulated about nine hundred million ryō from going out on training trips these past few months." Genmu and Meiko hadn't heard him clearly and thought he was talking nonsense. When he repeated himself, the two were too stunned to speak. Good grief, nine hundred million ryō—was that money made of paper? Seeing the three gray gold certificates Uchiha Zhuang pulled out, Genmu confirmed that they were the most valuable certificates in circulation on the black market in the Five Great Nations. The two fell silent (one hundred taels of gold equaled five kilograms; one gram equaled four hundred Chinese yuan; one Chinese yuan equaled sixteen Japanese yen; one Japanese yen equaled ten silver ryō). Uchiha Zhuang silently put the three certificates away. Otherwise, the two of them would probably have spent the whole night staring at them in silence.