The Uchiha Feast

As he made his way through the forest, Shen Ye still hadn't seen a single member of the Uchiha clan.

"Could that guy have lied to me? I've come all this way and still haven't seen them."

Suddenly, the sound of fighting reached Shen Ye's ears. He looked in the direction it came from and saw two Uchiha clan members battling.

One of them was an old acquaintance of Shen Ye's: Uchiha Fugaku.

He hesitated. If he rushed over now, Fugaku would recognize him instantly.

Even wearing Uchiha clothes wouldn't help. They would only fool people who had never seen Ye Xuan before.

But the urge to fight stirred within Shen Ye. Since arriving in this world, he hadn't yet witnessed a real battle.

"Even if they find out, so what? Uchiha Fugaku is only a Genin right now. I can handle him just fine."

The corners of Shen Ye's mouth lifted slightly, confidence filling his eyes as he leaped toward them. In a few bounds, he landed on a massive tree branch.

From there, he had a clear view of the two fighters.

The other Uchiha had a Forehead Protector too, but he was clearly being pushed back by Uchiha Fugaku.

From that, Shen Ye guessed that the man was also a Genin, and that his strength was inferior to Fugaku's.

Suddenly, a sly smile appeared on Fugaku's lips, and his movements quickened.

His opponent never even saw when Fugaku produced a Shuriken and sent it flying toward his forehead.

Shen Ye gave a cold snort. This was the perfect moment to jump in and block Uchiha Fugaku's attack.

"Strength of a Hundred!"

A heavy force surged beneath his feet, launching Shen Ye toward the ground. His fist struck Fugaku's arm with pinpoint accuracy.

The Shuriken clattered to the ground. Fugaku quickly checked his momentum and slid his arm downward.

In an instant, he redirected the tremendous force, then leaped backward several steps to put some distance between himself and Shen Ye.

"Thanks for blocking that attack for me. Otherwise, there'd definitely have been a scratch on my Forehead Protector."

"Shen Ye? What are you doing here wearing our clan's clothes? You thief!"

"Go to hell. What I wear is none of your business."

The man standing behind Shen Ye frowned. From the exchange between Shen Ye and Fugaku, he had realized that the boy standing before him wasn't a member of the Uchiha clan.

"Although this is our clan's hunt, and it's meant to let us gauge the differences in strength between us, this boy just saved me. Please don't insult him."

Uchiha Fugaku took a deep breath, his heart filled with unbridled fury.

He had only questioned Shen Ye, while Shen Ye was the one who had insulted him.

"Fine, then. Enjoy the Uchiha clan's feast. From now on, I'll pretend I don't know you."

After saying that, Fugaku turned and headed deeper into the forest, leaving Shen Ye and the other man standing there.

Shen Ye scratched his head, unsure what Fugaku meant. Was he planning to use the other clan members to teach him a lesson?

But since Shen Ye had chosen to join the contest, he wasn't afraid of anything. He wouldn't even fear the strongest member of the Uchiha clan standing right in front of him.

"Your name is Shen Ye, right?"

"That's right. I'm staying at Lady Tsunade's place now. If you ever need help, you can come find me."

Shen Ye could tell that this guy wasn't very favored by the Uchiha clan. He might even have been ostracized.

Without lingering with him, Shen Ye ran after Uchiha Fugaku, hoping to teach him a proper lesson while he had the chance.

But the sky gradually darkened, and Shen Ye didn't see another Uchiha clan member after that.

"The Uchiha clan's feast? I haven't seen a single person. No wonder they eventually fell into decline overnight."

Shen Ye shook his head helplessly, changed back into his own clothes, and headed for the village, ready to end his day of stealing.

When he returned to the village gates, he saw groups of Uchiha clan members milling about. Among them were several familiar faces.

Uchiha Fugaku stood not far from Mikoto, his gaze drifting toward her from time to time.

At the edge of the group stood the man Shen Ye had saved. He looked completely unremarkable.

Fugaku and Mikoto noticed Shen Ye at almost the same time, but neither of them showed any reaction. They seemed to have an unspoken understanding.

"The annual Uchiha Hunt is coming to an end. Whether or not you've gained anything, starting today, clan members are forbidden from fighting among themselves!"

The highly respected Uchiha Clan Head stood in the middle of the group and made the announcement. Shen Ye wasn't interested, so he went around them and entered the village.

He had just walked into the village when he came face-to-face with Jiraiya, who was out on patrol.

"Shen Ye, it's not often the Ninja Academy takes a break. Why'd you go outside the village?"

"I heard the Uchiha clan was holding its hunt today, so I went to see what it was like. After all, the Uchiha clan is one of the oldest clans, dating back to Konoha's founding."

Jiraiya didn't say anything. The smile at the corner of his mouth was rather strange, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't bring himself to.

Shen Ye was a little puzzled, but he didn't press him.

"Jiraiya, can I ask you something?"

Shen Ye edged closer to Jiraiya, acting as if he had a secret to share.

Jiraiya's interest was piqued by Shen Ye's manner. He leaned in and listened closely to what the boy was about to say.

"I want to know if you've ever peeked at Tsunade's body. Don't worry, I won't tell her."

Jiraiya's mouth twitched twice. He couldn't figure out what was going on in the little guy's head.

From his reaction, Shen Ye immediately figured out that Jiraiya had never enjoyed that sort of privilege.

"I can tell the answer just by looking at your face."

"By the way, why have you suddenly gotten so tall?"

"Big Sis Tsunade used me as a lab rat and tested a ninjutsu she'd just learned on me."

Shen Ye looked utterly aggrieved as he pinned the blame for everything on Tsunade.

Jiraiya's expression shifted, and an immature idea suddenly crossed his mind.

"Jiraiya, don't get any wild ideas. Big Sis Tsunade has already classified that ninjutsu as a forbidden technique, and she swore to me that she'd never use it again."