Uchiha Zuho (3)

The birth of Uchiha Zuho should have injected a new sense of vitality and hope into this family.

The brothers were meant to grow up side by side, experiencing the trivialities of life together and maturing healthily under the careful guidance of their parents and grandfather, but all of this shattered when Uchiha Zuho turned two.

Much like Uchiha Fun, Uchiha Zuho began rigorous training at the age of two.

However, his talent was vastly inferior to his older brother's, so he spent every day being scolded and subjected to constant extra training.

Under the twisted upbringing of Uchiha Setsuna, Uchiha Fun also came to view his younger brother as his own subordinate, believing that from the moment of birth, he was destined to serve him—the head of the main family—just like the branch family of the Hyuga Clan.

Consequently, his attitude toward this incompetent younger brother was quite cold; every time Uchiha Zuho tried to get close, he was met with Uchiha Fun's mockery and sarcasm.

Young Uchiha Zuho did not understand why his grandfather and brother disliked him, believing only that he was the cause of their constant disappointment.

Once, Uchiha Zuho understood the meaning behind his name from his parents, but he felt nothing wrong with helping his brother and resolved to train hard to become his brother's most solid and reliable support.

Later, through sheer grit and effort, Uchiha Zuho slowly reached a level that Uchiha Setsuna could accept, so he was no longer scolded after that day.

Uchiha Zuho felt he had begun to earn his grandfather's approval, and he remained happy for a long time because of it.

Little did he know that in Uchiha Setsuna's eyes, he did not need to be stronger than his brother; he only needed to grow along the path already laid out for him. Once his plan was implemented, Uchiha Zuho would sooner or later become an asset to Uchiha Fun.

Uchiha Setsuna continued to focus his energy on the more talented Uchiha Fun, while Uchiha Zuho was enrolled in the Ninja Academy.

He believed that Uchiha Zuho, who had just turned three, was surely the strongest in the Ninja Academy.

After entering the Ninja Academy, Uchiha Zuho did not let his grandfather down; he studied hard at school and continued his training at home, desperate to prove himself.

A year passed, and during a sparring match, four-year-old Uchiha Zuho encountered a formidable opponent: a peer from the Sarutobi Clan who could use the Water Release: Water Formation Wall.

The other students all felt this person was the strongest in their grade, and Uchiha Zuho agreed.

Because his pride and joy, the Great Fireball, had no advantage against the Water Formation Wall, he was unable to overcome his opponent despite giving it his all.

Just as he was about to lose, he suddenly remembered the meaning of his name, "Zuho"—he was Uchiha Zuho, the one destined to be his brother's support!

Filled with renewed strength, he unleashed his most powerful Great Fireball once more, and his opponent countered with the Water Formation Wall again.

The two ninjutsu collided, but this time the Great Fireball was more powerful than before. Although the Water Formation Wall blocked the flames, the arena was filled with steam and mist, obscuring the view of those watching from the sidelines.

The Sarutobi child in the mist assumed they could not see each other and relaxed, but Uchiha Zuho, standing opposite him, could see him clearly.

Driven by his conviction, he had awakened the Two-Tomoe Sharingan!

The Sharingan possesses powerful abilities such as observation, copying, and hypnosis, granting its wielder insight far beyond that of an ordinary person.

Relying on the Sharingan to track his opponent, Uchiha Zuho used taijutsu within the mist to catch him off guard, ultimately defeating him.

Before the mist dissipated, Uchiha Zuho's Two-Tomoe Sharingan deactivated; he did not even realize he had awakened it, but everything had been seen clearly by Hyuga Shinichi, who was watching from the sidelines with his Byakugan active.

By observing the flow of chakra within Uchiha Zuho's body and seeing the special chakra gathering in his eyes, he knew that Uchiha Zuho had awakened his dojutsu.

Hyuga Shinichi couldn't help but think that awakening the Sharingan at only three years old, and as a Two-Tomoe at that, truly made him a genius.

When the mist cleared, it revealed the Sarutobi child lying on the ground clutching his face, and Uchiha Zuho standing tall with his fists clenched.

"Uchiha Zuho! Winner! Both sides, perform the Seal of Reconciliation!"

The teacher on the sidelines announced the winner of the match. The kind-hearted Uchiha Zuho, unaffected by the awakening of his eyes, reached out to pull the Sarutobi classmate up from the ground, and they performed the Seal of Reconciliation.

The students watching from the sidelines cheered loudly.

"Zuho! Zuho!"

Upon returning home, Uchiha Zuho told his family about the match at school. Hearing that his grandson had defeated a clansman of the current Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Uchiha Setsuna praised Uchiha Zuho for the first time.

It was merely a "Well done!", but it made Uchiha Zuho feel that he had truly earned his grandfather's approval.

Having gained victory and recognition, Uchiha Zuho's confidence soared. Believing himself to be the strongest in the Ninja Academy, he gathered many followers at school, including members of the Uchiha clan from his own generation.

He became even more determined to be the strong support his brother needed.

From then on, Uchiha Zuho trained even harder, and his strength continued to improve.

In the days that followed, he participated in more matches, demonstrating extraordinary strength each time.

Uchiha Zuho's reputation gradually spread throughout the Ninja Academy, and his classmates' opinions of him grew higher and higher.

Yet, he did not become arrogant or complacent; instead, he became even more humble and diligent.

Because he knew he still had a long way to go, and to become his brother's support, he needed to keep getting stronger.

Until that day, when a shocking piece of news spread through the entire Ninja Academy: a student was planning to take the graduation exam early! And he was only four years old!

This astonishing rumor instantly became the focus of the students, and almost everyone, without exception, linked this brave student who challenged convention to Uchiha Zuho.

For a time, all sorts of well-wishes flooded toward Uchiha Zuho, leaving him both surprised and confused.

Faced with the enthusiastic blessings of his classmates, he couldn't help but feel lost and completely bewildered.

Despite his inner confusion, after carefully looking into the situation, Uchiha Zuho did his best to explain to everyone that he was not the one taking the graduation exam early.

After clearing up the misunderstanding, Uchiha Zuho decided to go to the exam site himself to see what was happening.

Filled with curiosity, he rushed toward the testing grounds, wanting to see with his own eyes who was taking the graduation exam early.

Along the way, various guesses and images flashed through his mind—who could it be? The answer would only be revealed once he reached the exam hall.

When Uchiha Zuho arrived, his eyes widened and his face showed an expression of disbelief, for the person appearing before him taking the exam was none other than Hyuga Shinichi!

This was completely unexpected; Uchiha Zuho had never imagined it would be him.

What shocked Uchiha Zuho even more was that Hyuga Shinichi had already finished all the written questions in such a short time.

Watching Hyuga Shinichi's relaxed and composed demeanor, Uchiha Zuho sighed to himself.

"I never expected him to be this capable."