As Long as You Swing Your Hoe Well, No Corner Is Too Sturdy to Dig Out

"Thud!!"

The familiar muffled impact, the familiar figure.

Obito let out a cry as he went flying backward, clutching his stomach and groaning in pain.

"Obito, I told you that you're still not used to using your Sharingan. You need time to practice. Besides, the Sharingan improves your visual perception, not your speed. If you can't get your speed up, how are you going to fight me?"

Suifeng rested both hands behind his head, looking utterly relaxed.

"Suifeng, don't get smug. One day, I'll beat you!" Obito said, waving his fists.

"Sure, I'll be waiting!" Suifeng smiled at Obito, adding silently, Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river. Don't look down on a poor young man!

The news that Obito had awakened his Sharingan—and that it had immediately developed into a Two-Tomoe—didn't cause much of a stir in the village, but it did send shockwaves through the clan.

They were both of the Great Elder's faction. Of course, Obito didn't know about the clan's factions yet. Awakening the Sharingan straight into a Two-Tomoe meant that, even if his future prospects didn't match Suifeng's, he was sure to become an elite jōnin.

Another genius had emerged from the Great Elder's branch!

Along with congratulating Obito, the Great Elder unusually took the time to remind Suifeng, "Since you're friends, you should help each other. Train the boy more and help him improve his strength faster."

Suifeng smiled and agreed.

But before he could go find Obito, the boy came to him on his own as soon as he was discharged.

And that led to the scene from just now.

Obito stormed off, looking thoroughly displeased.

"What's with that kid? So he lost. Is he really that sore about it?!"

Hideki had watched the whole thing and asked, perplexed.

It wasn't as if he didn't know how strong Suifeng was. Did Obito really think awakening his Sharingan meant he could take him on? Losing was inevitable. Was there any need to be so upset?

What he didn't know was that Suifeng and Obito weren't friends at all. They were rivals in love!!

At least, that was how Obito saw it.

Ever since Suifeng had saved Rin once, his relationship with her had warmed up rapidly. Obito had seen it all, and it naturally left him disgruntled. But he couldn't beat Suifeng, so he could only stew in resentment.

"Hmph. A brat who's only just started first grade thinks he can take me on? I'll have to teach you a few hard lessons before you learn how big the world is!"

Suifeng had always looked down on simps like Obito. If Obito's Mangekyō Sharingan weren't useful to him, he wouldn't have given the guy the time of day.

The key to getting Obito to awaken his Sharingan was, naturally, Rin. And if Suifeng wanted to control the progress of Obito's Sharingan, he had to keep Rin under control.

And how was he supposed to win Rin over? By relying on the Leader's good looks, of course.

As long as you swing your hoe well, no corner is too sturdy to dig out. Given enough time and effort, Suifeng was confident he could even steal Kushina away. But he wasn't interested in older women, especially not a hot-tempered one like the Bloody Habanero. She wasn't his type. Someone like Rin—gentle, obedient, and sensible—was his target.

Don't give him any of that stuff about canon pairings, or how Rin had a thing for Obito.

Obito and Rin were only nine years old. They were just third-year students at the Ninja Academy. They hadn't even been assigned to the same team yet, let alone joined Minato Namikaze's team. They hadn't experienced war, supported each other, or formed a bond through battle. They had nothing between them. At most, they were classmates who got along a little better than most.

Obito was too timid to even approach Rin. All he could do was silently simp for her. How could a relationship like that possibly be deep?

Suifeng was nothing like him. He was good-looking and strong, and he'd even "saved" Rin once. On top of that, though he came across as a little tsundere and didn't say much, he was actually a gentle person. It was only natural that he'd won the little girl's heart in no time.

No, not a little girl—a young lady. Rin was a year older than him, and that gave him an advantage in certain situations!

After awakening his Sharingan and being discharged from the hospital, Obito's initial excitement wore off. Then his lovesick, reclusive side quickly noticed that Suifeng and Rin had grown closer. He pictured himself with a big green hat on his head, and so he came over to challenge Suifeng.

Why would Suifeng go easy on him? Did Obito really think a Two-Tomoe made him invincible? What a lunatic...

"Suifeng, are you free right now?"

After watching Obito walk away, Uchiha Hideki came over to ask.

"What's up? Did something happen?" Suifeng asked when he saw Hideki's grim expression.

"Here's the thing, Suifeng. Haku and I want to form a team with you!"

"Aren't we already on a team?"

"I don't mean the Police Force. I mean on the battlefield!"

"The battlefield?!" Suifeng's expression shifted. He'd noticed it too. Ever since Kirigakure's attack, the Police Force had been assigned noticeably more patrols, and the village's mood had grown tense. The air of unease seemed to grow stronger by the day.

But all of this was confidential for now. He was supposed to be nothing more than a prodigious eight-year-old kid. There was no way he could spot signs of war from a few clues, especially when even some of the villagers hadn't noticed. So he pretended to know nothing.

Hearing Hideki mention the battlefield, Suifeng naturally acted surprised. "What are you talking about, Hideki? What battlefield? Is there going to be a war? Who did you hear that from?"

"I've only heard some rumors, but something feels off in the village. I think war will break out soon," Hideki said. "Once it starts, even we Uchiha will have to go to the battlefield. When that happens, we hope you'll form a team with us!"

"I see!" Suifeng nodded. "I don't have a problem with that, but I'm not the team leader. Even if we go to the battlefield, I won't get to decide how we're assigned!"

"We'll figure that part out. We just need you to agree!"

"Of course I agree!" Suifeng smiled. He was quite pleased with Hideki's attitude.

Hideki and Haku were his teammates. They hadn't been together for long, but it was clear they'd already been won over by his prodigious good looks—no, by his prodigious talent. They could more or less be considered his followers.

Both of them had good potential. Hideki in particular had already awakened a Two-Tomoe at such a young age. With some proper training, he'd make an excellent subordinate.

How did factions form? Just like this.

If he wanted to have a voice in the clan, he couldn't rely on himself alone.

He also needed friends, subordinates, and followers...

He belonged to the Great Elder's branch for now, and the people closest to him were Fushan and his two teammates.

Though Fushan served the Great Elder, the Great Elder was getting old. Thinking of the future, Fushan would also stand on Suifeng's side. For one thing, the Ninjutsu: Iron Body he'd developed had already brought Fushan's strength to a whole new level. Even without awakening the Sharingan, Fushan had the strength of an elite jōnin. With the Sharingan, he was undoubtedly among the strongest elite jōnin, approaching the level of a Kage.

There weren't many experts like him, even in the Uchiha Clan. What had allowed him to stand out among so many jōnin? Wasn't it the Iron Body Suifeng had developed?

Fushan had watched the whole process, from turning the idea for the technique into reality to mastering it through training. He could already sense that its limits and potential far exceeded what he'd imagined. Naturally, he thought even more highly of Suifeng, the one who'd developed it. The Great Elder represented the past, while Suifeng represented an unlimited future.

In their recent interactions, Suifeng had already sensed a subtle change in Fushan's attitude toward him. When it came to many matters, Fushan had gradually begun offering advice from Suifeng's perspective rather than the Great Elder's. Sometimes, he even subtly guided Suifeng into voicing his own opinions. That alone said a lot.