Contemplation

"This child," Uchiha Miko said with a helpless expression, "is truly stubborn; he doesn't even listen to me anymore. But he certainly inherited my intelligence! I just wonder if he inherited his father's talent for cultivation." Uchiha Zhuang sat on the ground, practicing his chakra while lost in thought. In this world, every individual is a living, breathing person, each with their own set of values and methodologies—it's quite interesting. Miko's father was a scholar, which I know, so she grew up absorbing a wealth of knowledge and history, allowing her to develop her own critical thinking. As for Genmu, he was the great-grandson of a former Uchiha clan head, so he possessed a certain level of cultivation talent. Furthermore, the Sharingan isn't that easy to awaken. The nonsense written in Earth's books about "instantly awakening the Mangekyou" (aside from Obito's plot-armored awakening) is ridiculous; if it were that easy, the Uchiha would have unified the ninja world during the Warring States period, or even unified it through internal strife. Everyone would be piloting Gundams. But if I were to awaken it instantly, that would truly be a stroke of luck.

Currently, I have a mission to suppress bandits and mountain robbers, as well as a vial of Soul Portrait Evolution Fluid. It's quite intriguing. It's called "Soul Portrait" rather than "Sharingan Evolution Fluid"—let me think. The Sharingan cannot be called a "Soul Portrait" before reaching the Three-Tomoe stage, because at that stage, it lacks the power to interfere with reality or manifest abilities. Therefore, the Soul Portrait fluid should be used after reaching the Three-Tomoe stage. Hmm, that might not be strictly true, but for the sake of caution and taking the safest route, I should wait until after I reach the Three-Tomoe stage to use it. After some deliberation, Uchiha Zhuang began to carefully read through his cultivation techniques and insights.

The next day, Uchiha Zhuang went out early in the morning and arrived at a small pond to practice walking on water and climbing trees. Near noon, Uchiha Zhuang summoned the system and saw that the shop was still grayed out; there were prerequisite missions that hadn't been completed. With a thought, he redeemed the Speed Boots, put them on, and cloaked them so they appeared as ordinary civilian shoes. He tapped his feet, feeling quite comfortable, and then began running toward the Konoha commercial district. At this time, the civilians of Konoha did not yet harbor much prejudice against the Uchiha clan, so wearing the clan's fan crest didn't cause much of a stir. He found a ramen shop in the commercial district and ordered an extra-large portion of tonkotsu chicken cutlet ramen. He tasted it, and it was indeed quite interesting—the flavor was fresh and delicious, and the portion was generous. Large, filling, and tasty; Ichiraku Ramen seemed to be opening soon, likely around the time Jiraiya graduated. The Third Hokage was still very young, and the Second was in his prime. Soon, after finishing the ramen and paying, he walked out of the shop and saw a little girl with long red hair running happily while holding a small pinwheel, with a young man protecting her from behind. It must be the Uzumaki Clan; yes, at this time, the Uzumaki Clan was still quite prosperous and had not yet fallen, Uchiha Zhuang thought. As he walked home, Uchiha Zhuang noticed many interesting details he could never have discovered while watching the anime or reading the manga. For example: how civilians worked, whether there were many ninjas on the streets, how ninjas and civilians coexisted harmoniously, and the bustling prosperity of Konoha. Conversely, he also saw the somewhat lopsided technology of the ninja world, sensed the figures occasionally flashing by in the shadows, and spotted samurai, monks, and sorcerers. Although rare, this proved that Konoha's inclusivity and openness were genuine. The upper echelons of Konoha were very open and tolerant toward civilians. It was quite good; his understanding was richer than he had imagined, and Uchiha Zhuang found himself liking this world more and more. If he were to cast aside all ambitions and just be a "salted fish," perhaps he could live a very stable life following the main plot. After all, under the future rule of Naruto, Konoha would develop rapidly! He strolled leisurely, passing by the river embankment, crossing the intersection of the residential area, and walking over a small wooden bridge until he encountered several children gathered together in a small alley. A familiar script! Driven by the idea of getting some exercise, Uchiha Zhuang walked up stealthily and found, as expected, four little boys surrounding a little girl, constantly hitting her, pushing her, and jeering, shouting things like, "Monster! Freak! Beat her to death!" "Stop it!" Uchiha Zhuang shouted. The little brats stopped and looked at him. One chubby boy stepped forward and said, "What are you doing? Do you want to get beaten up too?" Ignoring his question, Uchiha Zhuang looked at the little girl, who was sitting on the ground with her hair disheveled, her clothes stained with dirt and grime. She was burying her head, seemingly crying softly. Frowning, Uchiha Zhuang looked at the sturdy-looking chubby boy and his three accomplices. He said calmly, "Hitting people is wrong. You little brats, go home and play in the mud!" The chubby boy's eyes widened in anger, and without another word, he launched a flurry of wild punches. It had to be said, the chubby boy had a physical advantage and a streak of ruthlessness; although he was young, if he continued to develop this way, he would surely become the boss of these streets in time. Uchiha Zhuang took a breath, assumed a bow stance, and raised his hands, but instantly shifted into a kickboxing stance, his fists loosely clenched and held in front of him. In that moment, Uchiha Zhuang remembered the Kage-level insights, which warned that when facing a powerful enemy, one should not follow rigid, textbook patterns. While such methods were practiced and familiar, they were easily countered due to their rigidity, leading to defeat; therefore, one must be flexible and adaptable. Facing the chubby boy's fierce, straight-punch charge, the exceptionally calm Uchiha Zhuang dodged the punch, sidestepped to trip him, and then pushed hard against the boy's back. The chubby boy fell face-first, landing hard. After the push, Uchiha Zhuang didn't look at the boy, but rushed toward the three stunned accomplices, landing a chakra-enhanced punch on each of their heads. "Thud, thud, thud!" The three immediately lay on the ground, writhing in pain. Uchiha Zhuang stepped forward and kicked them a few times, and once the little lackeys were crying enough, he turned to deal with the chubby boy. The chubby boy was worthy of his potential as a child king; despite blood coming from his mouth—likely a knocked-out tooth—he stood up and glared at Uchiha Zhuang, then launched a savage charge, roaring as he rushed forward. Uchiha Zhuang chuckled inwardly, "Little fatty, you're about to reach your limit." He then channeled a bit of chakra into his feet and delivered a side-whip kick. With a "whoosh" and the sound of wind, he kicked the chubby boy into a nearby pile of trash. Two metal trash cans were dented with a loud "clang." Uchiha Zhuang thought he might have gone too far—what if the chubby boy died? Was his strength too great? After all, he was still just a child. He stared at the trash can for a long while (after all, the Sharingan was extraordinary; it wasn't unreasonable for his eyesight to be a bit better), and upon confirming the boy's breathing was steady and he had merely fainted, Uchiha Zhuang felt relieved. As expected of the magical ninja world, everyone's physical constitution was quite good. The three lackeys were still wailing on the ground. Uchiha Zhuang looked down at them and said, "I hate people who bully girls the most. If you dare to do something like this again, I'll break your legs." Then, ignoring the mess, he walked to the little girl, took her arm, hoisted her onto his back, and walked away.