Uchiha Zuho (6)

"Huh? You're inviting me?"

Uchiha Zuho asked with an expression of disbelief.

"Are you really that kind?"

"Take it or leave it."

Hyuga Shinichi rolled his eyes at him and turned to walk away.

"I don't have time, I still have to go home and train..."

"Is that so? Then let's go eat together next time you're free."

Hyuga Shinichi walked away after saying this, leaving Uchiha Zuho standing there alone, blankly watching the backs of the three as they walked away.

This match made Hyuga Shinichi famous throughout the Ninja Academy, and many were surprised by and admired his strength.

Uchiha Zuho returned home, where Uchiha Setsuna was sitting in the main seat of the living room waiting for him, with his older brother Uchiha Fun sitting beside him.

"Grandfather, brother."

Uchiha Setsuna in the main seat kept his eyes closed and did not respond, while Uchiha Fun stood up in a rage and began to interrogate Uchiha Zuho.

"Did you really lose a match to someone from the Hyuga Clan who is several months younger than you!"

Uchiha Zuho lowered his head, not saying a word; he knew he had disappointed his grandfather and brother this time.

"Do you have any idea! You made me a laughingstock in front of my friends!"

Uchiha Fun roared.

Uchiha Zuho thought to himself, so that group of clansmen must have told his brother. It made sense; there were classmates watching the match who knew his brother, and even if his brother didn't go to school, he would basically know what happened at the academy.

"I..."

Just as Uchiha Zuho was about to open his mouth to explain to his brother, Uchiha Setsuna in the main seat opened his eyes and said slowly.

"A loss is a loss; there is nothing to argue about. However, I am very curious, what is your opinion of this Hyuga Shinichi?"

Uchiha Zuho raised his head, a trace of confusion revealing itself in his eyes.

"I... I don't know. I only know that he is very strong..."

"Hmph! As an Uchiha, you actually bow your head to a Hyuga! I heard he even invited you to go eat barbecue! I really don't know what you are thinking! Don't tell me you actually want to be friends with him!..."

Uchiha Setsuna's angry scolding continued, but after hearing the word "friends," Uchiha Zuho could no longer hear what his grandfather was saying.

The word "friends" echoed repeatedly in his mind. He had never thought of himself and Hyuga Shinichi as friends before; at most, their interactions were born from mutual dislike. But Hyuga Shinichi had invited him to eat barbecue—did he see him as a friend?

"Uchiha Zuho! Are you even listening to what I'm saying!"

Uchiha Setsuna's roar pulled Uchiha Zuho back from his thoughts.

"Hmph! So now you won't even listen to my words, is that it!"

"Grandfather, I..."

Uchiha Zuho opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

"Enough! You are forbidden from having any contact with that Hyuga Shinichi from now on! Oh, I heard he even graduated from the Ninja Academy early, right! Hmph! To be surpassed by someone younger than you—get to the training ground and put in extra work!"

Uchiha Setsuna waved his hand with a face full of rage, as if he wanted to cast away the dissatisfaction and anger in his heart.

His gaze, filled with fury, made it impossible for anyone to look him in the eye, as if he were telling Uchiha Zuho:

Get out of my sight right now!

Seeing this, Uchiha Zuho turned and left in silence, though a sense of emptiness could not help but well up in his heart.

From then on, Uchiha Zuho rarely had the chance to see Hyuga Shinichi again. After graduating from the academy, Hyuga Shinichi devoted himself entirely to his training under Uzumaki Mito.

Even if the two of them happened to run into each other on the street, Uchiha Zuho would only offer a few sarcastic remarks before they both hurried away.

Just like that, the two who had once formed a bond on the rooftop returned to their original state of being strangers.

Time flew like an arrow, yet that brief and profound memory lingered in Uchiha Zuho's heart, unable to be shaken off even now...

The recollection stopped there, returning to that room.

Uchiha Kaori, as his mother, wanted to stand up to comfort her son—it was clear she had heard the commotion between the two brothers outside the door—but she was held back by her husband, Uchiha Shin, who shook his head at her and snuck a glance at Uchiha Setsuna in the main seat.

This small movement was caught entirely by Uchiha Setsuna, who let out a cold, dissatisfied snort.

Uchiha Zuho, startled by this snort, trembled, which also drew his attention.

"Zuho! With a weak character like yours, how will you ever become an asset to your brother Fun in the future!"

This roar from Uchiha Setsuna frightened Uchiha Zuho into kneeling down immediately, pressing his head tightly against the floor.

Over the years, Uchiha Setsuna's attitude toward Uchiha Zuho had grown increasingly cold; it seemed that ever since he was defeated by Hyuga Shinichi, he had become more and more dissatisfied with Uchiha Zuho.

This was also because Uchiha Fun had successfully awakened his Sharingan at the age of six, even if it was only a Single Tomoe Sharingan.

Yet when Uchiha Zuho turned six, he still hadn't awakened his Sharingan, and it remained the same now that he was seven.

Every time Uchiha Zuho saw his brother's enviable Sharingan, a sense of loss would inevitably well up in his heart.

Why couldn't he be like his brother? Was it because he wasn't working hard enough?

Although Hyuga Shinichi once said that I had actually awakened the Sharingan during that match at the age of four, no matter how I tried over these years, I had never been able to unleash the power of the Sharingan.

"I'm sorry, Grandfather..."

"Enough! You don't even measure up to half of your brother! Our Uchiha clan has no room for someone as weak as you!

Listen well! Don't even think about stepping out of this house starting tomorrow! Stay home and behave! Train without stopping!

Now! Immediately! At once! Get out of my sight! I don't want to see your cowardly and incompetent face!"

Uchiha Setsuna's eyes bulged with rage, his voice deafening, as if he wanted to tear Uchiha Zuho, who stood before him, to shreds.

Uchiha Zuho stood up trembling, struggling to hold back his tears for fear that Uchiha Setsuna would discover them; if he did, he would be punished for how an Uchiha could ever shed tears over a mere scolding.

The couple in the room watched their youngest son tremble as he bowed to them in farewell before leaving the room.

Uchiha Kaori, as a mother, could no longer bear it and spoke to Uchiha Setsuna.

"Father, Zuho is still young..."

"Enough! It is because the two of you spoil Zuho so much that he has become this annoying, weakling! Such womanly benevolence! Do you not realize that my grandson carries the mission of reviving the Uchiha clan!..."

Uchiha Zuho, who had not yet walked far outside, heard the roar erupting from the room again and lowered his already bowed head even further.

He went upstairs to his room, closed the door, and collapsed onto his bed, feeling powerless.

Previously, he had felt that he was always inferior to his brother and could never satisfy his grandfather, which was why he was always disliked and beaten, enduring it all in silence.

But today, after meeting the two Hyuga brothers at the Bathhouse, his heart was in turmoil.

They were clearly members of the Hyuga main house, yet they stood up for their younger brother from the branch family.

What about himself and his brother?

PS: The author would like to say that the character Uchiha Zuho is very important to the later plot, so I have written quite a bit about him because I want to make this character more well-rounded. I am almost finished with this character's arc and will continue with the plot regarding Hyuga Shinichi. Everyone can just treat this as a flashback in Naruto.

Please send free "Power of Love" votes, and I would appreciate it if everyone could leave more comments. Thank you all.