"Do you mean Chiba?"
Fugaku nodded.
"He's still the same. No matter how hard I try, I can never catch up to him!"
Fugaku seemed to understand why.
"Is that so? Then perhaps he'll be your lifelong friend and rival!"
"If you have time, you can invite him over to visit!"
"I understand, Father!"
Fugaku had a deep impression of Uchiha Chiba.
The Uchiha Clan having produced a blind person had a greater impact on the clan than anyone had imagined.
The Uchiha Clan had helped create Konoha alongside the Senju Clan. No one could hide the clan's brilliance.
But when someone shone too brightly, their sharp edges were bound to show.
No one in a position of power wanted an individual or clan to outshine them.
The last brilliant Senju had already fallen into decline.
Would the Uchiha be next?
Fugaku didn't know. He wasn't sure.
But the mere birth of a blind person had sparked public opinion that damaged the Uchiha Clan's pride and honor. Without a doubt, it was a warning bell for the clan.
It was a signal, a warning, and an invisible contest all at once.
Before dawn, Chiba woke from his sleep.
He could see a blurry outline before him.
He knew that little Koizumi had snuck into his bed again last night.
Whenever their parents were away on a mission, she always used her fear as an excuse to crawl into Chiba's bed.
He was used to it by now.
Gently stroking Koizumi's cheek, Chiba smiled.
Maybe this kind of life wasn't so bad.
He just didn't know how long it could last.
He tidied up a little, then headed out with his cane.
Daily Mission: Swing a sword 1,000 times. Reward: % template.
Though it was only %, it was a % of Fujitora Issho, the Marine Admiral who stood at the pinnacle of combat power in the One Piece world. All he had to do was swing his sword 1,000 times to get it.
It couldn't be any easier.
Who knew whether the Daily Mission would change in the future?
Chiba naturally wouldn't pass up any chance to grow stronger.
After all, ordinary people could hardly imagine the darkness in Konoha.
Chiba knew just how many prodigies that darkness had swallowed.
The Senju and Uchiha, Hatake Sakumo, the Konoha Sannin, Namikaze Minato...
That darkness had caused Konoha to fall from being the strongest of the Five Great Nations to the bottom.
It had to be said that, in a way, the Konoha F4 Group was quite talented.
Drawing his cane sword, Chiba swung it through the air.
He put all his strength into each swing, carving streaks of light through the air.
Chiba had the cane sword made with money left by his father and a subsidy from the Uchiha Clan. It was supposedly the best sword in the whole village.
It could absorb Chakra Nature Transformation and unleash different kinds of slashes.
But Chiba couldn't make use of that just yet.
As sweat poured from him,
Chiba finished his Daily Mission and washed up. Only then did Koizumi, still bleary-eyed, get out of bed.
Seeing Chiba with his cane, and the bathroom filled with steam, she yawned.
"Chiba, you snuck up to train again..."
"Didn't I tell you there's an entrance ceremony today? You're supposed to take the day off!"
Koizumi's scolding seemed rather cute to Chiba.
He smiled and patted her on the head.
"In that case—"
"To make it up to you... I'll treat you to dumplings this morning!"
Sweet treats had always been little girls' favorites.
Whenever she had some free time, eating a couple of skewers of dumplings in Konoha was what made Koizumi happiest.
"Then you promised, Chiba!"
Chiba smiled and nodded.
"That's right. All the dumplings you can eat!"
Chapter 4
Konoha's Dumpling Shop wasn't as famous as Ichiraku Ramen.
But for anyone with a sweet tooth, it was an irresistible temptation.
Since they'd come early, the shop wasn't crowded.
Chiba and Koizumi found a quiet spot and sat down.
The shop was filled with all kinds of people.
There were ninjas returning from missions, as well as ninja students about to head to school.
But most of them, to one degree or another, focused their attention on Chiba.
The Uchiha Clan crest, the distinctive black cloth over his eyes, and the cane he used to find his way.
Everyone recognized Chiba at a glance.
He was that blind boy from the Uchiha Clan.
The one who had spread the story that the Uchiha Clan's pride and honor were a subject of public discussion.
Feeling the gazes around him, Chiba remained calm.
Koizumi, however, was displeased, her brow furrowing.
"Chiba, maybe next time we should buy the dumplings and eat them at home!"
She couldn't stand those looks.
Chiba rarely ventured outside the Uchiha Clan.
Even so, he was used to looks like these.
"It's fine, Koizumi. Wouldn't it be a shame to let their stares ruin the taste of the dumplings? They're not worth it!"
That was right. They weren't worth it.
Koizumi grinned as the dumplings were brought to their table and swallowed.
Sweet treats could always draw in little girls.
At another table, another lovely figure was also drawn to the sweets.
Of course, a pretty girl always had one or two admirers around her.
Especially someone as pretty as Kurenai Yuhi, who had been beautiful since childhood.
Among her admirers, Asuma Sarutobi had [defeated] all his rivals.
Not because he was especially outstanding, but because everyone knew that
his father was the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Being the Hokage's son was both a blessing and a burden.
The blessing was that he was the son of the [strongest Hokage in history]. People were bound to envy someone born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
The burden was that Asuma's life was full of setbacks.
As a young man, he was rebellious and even clashed with Sarutobi Hiruzen, leaving Konoha Ninja Village for a time to wander around.
After he'd had his fill of wandering, he seemed to understand what was meant by [the king]. No one knew how he'd managed to win over such a beautiful woman, but he hurried to find Kurenai Yuhi and have a child with her.
In the end, before the child was even born, he died with a flourish in a battle against Akatsuki.
His death wasn't particularly heroic, but the original story made it seem deeply moving.
Unfortunately, at that point, everyone wanted to see Naruto take on Akatsuki, so Asuma's death seemed a little insignificant.
Everyone was shouting about how tragically Neji had died, but no one remembered Asuma.
Even funnier, the child was nicknamed Mirai Uchiha. Anyone who didn't know better would think Asuma had been cuckolded by Shisui.
Watching Asuma hover around Kurenai Yuhi like a lovesick puppy, Chiba knew
that Asuma Sarutobi was still a rebellious rich kid at this point.
"Kurenai, I passed the Chunin Ninja Exams. I'm a Chunin now!"
Showing off one's strength in front of a woman was a way to attract her.
But girls tended to mature earlier than boys.
To Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma's behavior seemed childish and ridiculous.
She merely gave him a polite smile and said,
"Really? Well, congratulations, Asuma!"
"To celebrate my becoming a Chunin, the dumplings are on me today, Kurenai!"
Asuma sat beside Kurenai Yuhi as if they were old friends and continued,
"This Chunin Ninja Exam was easier than I expected. I'm sure I'll become a Jonin faster than anyone else in my class."
"Is that so? I heard Kakashi already qualified for promotion to Jonin. Are you sure you can surpass him?"
Her calm tone left Asuma at a loss for words.
Kakashi Hatake was an undisputed prodigy in Asuma's class.
He'd become a Chunin at just six years old and already had the ability to become a Jonin. He hadn't been promoted yet only because he was young and lacked experience.
After being tempered by the Third Shinobi World War, it was only a matter of time before he became a Jonin.
"Either way, I'm already a Chunin."
Asuma seemed a little irritated. He spotted Chiba at the next table and seemed to find an excuse to ease the awkwardness.
"Kurenai, have you heard about the blind boy from the Uchiha Clan?"
"I've never seen him, but I've heard of him."
"He's sitting right next to us. Kurenai, don't you think it's ridiculous that he's a Uchiha who's supposed to be all about eyes, yet he was born blind?"
Asuma's voice wasn't particularly loud.
But Chiba and Koizumi were seated at the next table, so they could naturally hear him.