Honing Oneself

"None of that matters now."

Uchiha Fugaku turned around.

"Senior Setsuna, you have opened your heart to me, and I shall do the same for you. So, will you agree to my request and protect the future hopes of our clan: my eldest son, Itachi, and Naoki?"

Naoki, who had been lost in thought, suddenly turned his head to glance at Uchiha Fugaku.

He had never expected the man to mention him in the same breath as Itachi...

In truth, Naoki still underestimated his own value. Although Uchiha Fugaku possessed the fatal flaws of being indecisive, over-calculating, and overly cautious when it came to major undertakings, he was nonetheless one of the sharpest minds within the Uchiha clan and even all of Konoha. He understood that if Naoki continued to grow smoothly, he would surely become the next Uchiha Yashiro, or perhaps even stronger! That was why he chose this moment to speak such words...

"I agree to this matter!"

The cherry blossom trees outside the medical department building swayed in the breeze, and a few petals drifted onto the ground between the two.

Sakurai Hideko kept her head lowered, her toes gently scuffing the earth.

"So, you are leaving for the front lines soon?"

Naoki smiled. "Not exactly soon. After all, the situation on the southern battlefield is not urgent."

"But I heard it is quite dangerous over there..."

Sakurai Hideko looked up, her clear eyes gazing at him quietly. She seemed to want to say something, but she bit her lip and remained silent.

Watching her hesitate, Naoki felt a stir in his heart.

Over the past month or so, he had invited her out several times under the guise of "repaying the debt of saving his life." From their initial awkwardness to their current ability to stand at the entrance of the medical department and chat, their relationship had begun to thaw like snow in the spring.

"Hideko," Naoki suddenly spoke.

Sakurai Hideko looked up at him, her eyelashes fluttering gently.

"I will return," Naoki said, his tone light yet exceptionally earnest. "Please, wait for me."

She froze for a moment, then lowered her head, a faint blush creeping up to the tips of her ears.

"Mm."

She paused, then took a small white amulet from her sleeve and handed it to Naoki.

"I went to the Fire Temple to pray for this a few days ago," she said, her voice as soft as a mosquito's hum. "It is nothing valuable..."

Naoki looked down at the amulet in his palm; the stitching was fine and dense, and a pale pink cherry blossom pattern was embroidered on the white fabric.

He gripped it tightly and said, "I will keep it with me always."

Sakurai Hideko did not look up, only giving a soft "Mm."

Someone in the distance called Hideko's name, and she stepped back half a pace as if waking from a dream.

"I have to go to work." She looked up at him, her clear eyes reflecting his image. "See you this afternoon."

Naoki nodded.

Watching Hideko's figure disappear into the medical department, Naoki stood in place for a long time, the amulet in his palm feeling slightly warm.

He recalled that rainy night, the dim light in the alley, and the way her cheeks had flushed when he held her arm.

Suddenly, he felt that in this strange world, he finally had something to hold onto.

"What are you daydreaming about?"

Uchiha Zongxin's voice drifted over from behind him.

Naoki turned to see the brothers, Uchiha Zongxin and Uchiha Zongye, standing not far away—one with arms crossed and brows raised, the other smiling in silence.

"Why are you two here?" Naoki calmly tucked the amulet into his pocket.

"Just passing by, just passing by," Uchiha Zongxin drawled. "We happened to see someone bidding a touching farewell to a young lady from the medical department. Truly moving, truly moving indeed."

Naoki rolled his eyes and asked, "How long have you been watching?"

"Not long," Uchiha Zongxin said, putting on a thoughtful expression. "Just since the very beginning, I suppose..."

"You guy..." Naoki raised his fist.

"Hey!" Uchiha Zongxin ducked behind his brother. "We were just passing through while on patrol, unlike you, standing guard here every single day like a lovesick puppy..."

Uchiha Zongxin emphasized the last few words, which only served to annoy Naoki further.

Lovesick puppy? That was far too harsh!

This was love, alright?

Naoki argued, "How can you slander someone's innocence out of thin air..."

Uchiha Zongxin asked, "What innocence? I saw it with my own eyes. Every day you see that woman, you're practically wagging your tail. If that's not a lovesick puppy, what is?"

Naoki's face turned red as he retorted, "This is love, do you understand? Love is mutual..."

Naoki continued to spout things that were difficult to understand, stumbling over his words and losing his usual composure, which sent the Uchiha brothers into fits of laughter, filling the surrounding air with a sense of mirth.

The departure date was soon set...

Sarutobi Hiruzen assembled nearly a hundred people, most of whom were mid-to-low-level ninja, with only nine jonin. The entire team was led by his eldest son, the Konoha jonin Sarutobi Shinnosuke.

The hundred-man squad was set to depart for the south early the next morning. After finishing his day of training, Naoki went to the medical department building, only to be told that Sakurai Hideko would be working very late.

Given that this mission would likely keep him away for a long time, he deliberated for a moment before deciding to turn back home.

For Konoha, the Southern Border Battlefield had always been a minor irritation—not particularly damaging, but an endless, nagging nuisance. The Kirigakure ninjas who crossed the sea were like cockroaches; they couldn't be driven away, and even when killed, more would simply appear. Thus, Naoki needed to make thorough preparations before heading out.

At night, Naoki checked his backpack repeatedly.

Kunai, shuriken, explosive tags, military rations, medical bandages... everything was neatly arranged. He carefully sewed the cherry-blossom amulet into his inner pocket, right against his heart.

Outside the window, the moonlight was cold, and the night in Konoha was as tranquil as ever.

He lay down, then sat back up, finally pushing the window open to stare blankly into the night.

The night breeze blew in, carrying the scent of grass and earth into his nostrils.

In the distance, the silhouettes of houses under reconstruction were faintly visible; Konoha was slowly regaining its vitality from the ruins.

"Can't sleep?"

Uchiha Zongye's voice drifted from the guest room next door, followed by the sound of rustling.

Naoki didn't turn around. "Did I wake you?"

"No." Uchiha Zongye walked over and stood by the window. "I wasn't asleep either."

The two looked out into the night in silence.

"Naoki," Uchiha Zongye suddenly spoke up, "Fugaku personally sought me out this afternoon..."

"He wants me to join the squad heading to the Southern Border Battlefield."

Naoki frowned and asked, "Is it because of me?"

"Perhaps that's part of it, but I am willing to go as well."

"Why? Don't you know how dangerous it is there? You barely survived the Shinobi World War..."

Uchiha Zongye shook his head and looked out the window; Konoha was exceptionally quiet in the night.

"Watching the gap between us grow wider these past few days reminds me of the past. I used to think I was working hard, but seeing you now, I realize my efforts were not worth mentioning."

"You were always behind me before, but perhaps from now on, it will be my turn to follow you. I can't afford to fall too far behind, so I agreed to Fugaku's request to go to the battlefield and hone myself."