Although the memorial had been held under the banner of honoring the Uchiha Clan's heroes, it ultimately ended in discord.
Itachi couldn't understand.
If they were heroes of Konoha, why was the Hokage unwilling to acknowledge their Uchiha surname in front of the other clans?
Likewise, Itachi couldn't understand.
Why were his father and Chiba so insistent on the Uchiha name within Konoha?
Wasn't the Uchiha Clan part of Konoha?
What had happened between Konoha and the Uchiha?
He had always thought that he was a member of the Uchiha Clan, and also a shinobi of Konoha.
But just now, when Sarutobi Hiruzen had sidestepped the issue and mentioned Obito's surname—
In Itachi's eyes,
Konoha was Konoha, while the Uchiha were merely the Uchiha.
It was obvious that standing on higher ground let you see farther.
And yet it seemed nobody wanted to climb that easily reached summit.
Neither Sarutobi Hiruzen nor Uchiha Fugaku was any different.
"What are you thinking about?"
Seeing Itachi lost in thought,
Chiba reached out and tapped his forehead.
Itachi came back to himself and stared blankly at Chiba before speaking.
"Chiba, why does everyone have to be so concerned with their clan?"
"From the perspective of the village, isn't there really any difference between Konoha and the Uchiha?"
"But Lord Hokage and Father seem to have reached a dead end."
At that, Chiba smiled.
"I've told you before, haven't I? Your weakness is that you think too much."
"And now, I have to add one more thing."
"You're too idealistic."
"Do you really think everyone can think about things from the village's perspective, the way you do?"
"I don't know about everyone else, but I think the Hokage should be able to!"
Itachi nodded firmly.
The Hokage was the leader of Konoha.
He didn't command just one clan, but the whole of Konoha.
It was only natural for him to think about things from the perspective of the entire village.
"That's why you'll see Sarutobi Hiruzen always using the village as his excuse."
"Itachi, do you remember what I told you before?"
"What?"
"Behind wars between countries lies politics!"
"And behind politics lies human nature."
"And the thing in this world that can least withstand scrutiny, and that people can trust the least... is human nature."
"That's all there is to it."
Chiba was saying incomprehensible things again.
But if Itachi thought carefully about what he'd said,
he could indeed glean something from it.
Smack!
Before Itachi could mull over Chiba's words, he was interrupted.
Chiba tapped his forehead again.
"I told you not to think so much."
"At our age, we should act on a rush of passion."
"A rush of passion?"
Itachi tilted his head and looked at Chiba.
"Do you have that, Chiba?"
"Of course. It's just that I won't act for the sake of the Will of Fire."
At that, Itachi smiled.
"Chiba, you really are still the same Chiba."
Itachi gazed into the distance, though it was hard to tell what he was looking at.
Suddenly, Chiba felt his clothes tug.
At some point,
Itachi had raised his right hand and carefully taken hold of Chiba's sleeve.
"Chiba."
"What is it?"
"I want to see the battlefield."
"That's not a good place. People die there."
"I know."
"But I still want to see it. I want to truly understand war, shinobi, and the village."
"So, will you support me?"
Itachi gripped Chiba's sleeve even tighter.
Chiba tilted his head in confusion.
Why are you so nervous?
Chiba quickly understood.
That was right. Itachi was only five years old, after all.
Even if he waited a while longer, he'd only be six.
He was still just a child.
A child who simply thought too much.
Unlike Chiba, Itachi hadn't come from another world with two lifetimes' worth of memories.
Making the decision to go to the battlefield took courage, especially for Itachi, who had already witnessed the cruelty of war once before.
Because—
This time was different from when Uchiha Fugaku had taken him to the battlefield before.
As a shinobi, he would have to kill the enemy.
And he could be killed, too.
Ding!
[Special mission triggered at random!] [As a shinobi, you should be baptized in blood. As the successor of Fujitora Issho, you should make his swordsmanship famous throughout the Shinobi World!] [Special Mission: Make Your Name. Kill three hundred enemies on the battlefield. Rewards: Double Chakra, Fujitora Issho template progress: 2%, Aizen Sosuke template progress: 0.5%. Time limit: three months!]
Another new special mission?
It was unexpected, but it also made sense.
The special mission had appeared twice in total.
Both times, it had come when Chiba was faced with a choice.
Did that mean special missions were triggered only when he faced a major event or decision?
Of course, that might not be a necessary condition.
But at the very least, it made them much more likely to appear.
After all, not once had a special mission appeared during the month of routine training.
More importantly...
This time's reward.
The reward from a single special mission was greater than what he'd get from a month of swinging his sword for daily missions.
Along with the template progress, the system had also granted him double the chakra this time.
What was chakra in the Naruto world?
Chakra was a form of energy created by perfectly combining the energies that the body controlled. It came from two sources.
The first was the physical energy extracted from each of the body's trillion cells.
The second was the spiritual energy cultivated through extensive training and accumulated experience.
At times, chakra could be equated with stamina.
And right now, what Chiba lacked most was the stamina to use his Devil Fruit abilities.
"Of course! I've been looking forward to the battlefield for a long time, too."
Chiba gave him a firm answer.
P.S. Please, could I have a flower, a rating ticket, and a monthly ticket?
Chapter 51
Chakra was formed by combining physical energy and spiritual energy.
Of course, there was also a third kind of energy in the Naruto world: Natural Energy, like a cheat.
But that was essential to Sage Mode, and Chiba couldn't get near it yet.
Spiritual energy was actually tied to the soul.
So, having crossed over with his soul, in addition to the original Uchiha Chiba, Chiba had a natural advantage in spiritual energy.
And on top of that, he had received the inheritance of the Death God Aizen and gained the power of Reiatsu.
Chiba's spiritual energy was absurdly high.
What truly held Chiba back, as it happened, was his physical energy.
Unlike the Senju Clan and the Uzumaki Clan, the Uchiha Clan didn't have a ridiculously powerful physique.
Of course, compared with the other clans, the Uchiha Clan still had excellent physical abilities.
After all, they were descendants of the Sage of Six Paths.
At a time like this, the system had directly rewarded him with double the chakra.