Konoha's New Sprouts

Time flowed like the water in a stream, slow and gentle.

Konoha Year 61, Summer.

Following the immense shock of his father's passing and the Uchiha clan's annihilation, Hyuga Ningxue's life seemed to have entered a forced, low-speed orbit.

Working for a living was certainly arduous, but it allowed him to experience more of the diverse facets of life.

His resolve for revenge remained unshaken, yet the meaning of his daily existence remained unknown.

He still rose before dawn every day to train, his sweat intermingling with the faint light of daybreak.

His mother's condition fluctuated; on good days, she could sit by the window and soak in the sun for an entire afternoon, while on bad days, she would remain in a deep slumber all day long.

Ningxue had long since grown accustomed to seamlessly switching between training, studying, chores, and his part-time job.

His cooking techniques grew increasingly proficient, and his efficiency in tidying the house continued to improve.

Over the course of this year, Ichiraku Ramen finally expanded its shop.

Throughout this year, Teuchi never forgot his original intentions, always offering a glimmer of warmth to those who had reached a dead end.

At the academy, he remained the reclusive student who sat in the corner wearing earplugs.

Only, the coldness that once defined him seemed to have been covered by a layer of indifference.

As for the classmates who used to mock him, none had dared to provoke him again since his outburst last time.

Perhaps blind concealment only invites contempt; showing one's strength appropriately might just spare one's life some unnecessary trouble.

His theoretical grades remained stable in the middle of the pack, and his taijutsu performance stayed at a decent level, perfectly playing the part of a Branch Family member of the Hyuga with average talent and an introverted personality.

Training with Neji was one of the few moments in his life that stirred up ripples.

Their sparring sessions on the training ground grew increasingly ruthless and precise; every collision was a challenge to his own limits and a venting of the inner rage he harbored.

But after training ended, they would often just sit on the sidelines in silence, gasping for air, rarely exchanging words.

Their shared pain and goals allowed them to understand one another without the need for excessive speech.

Working at Ichiraku Ramen became a place where he could pick up bits of gossip.

He listened to customers discuss missions, complain about life, and share interesting anecdotes.

He no longer rejected the noise as he once had.

Because he discovered that a little gossip could bring him unexpected rewards.

For instance, which supermarket had discounted eggs, or where one could find milk on sale.

He watched Teuchi's busy figure, fearing the man might turn into a furious capitalist.

After all, there were times when Teuchi was so busy his eyes glowed red, as if he had activated some kind of berserk mode.

He also feared that the first thing one does after "reaching the shore" is to forget their roots.

Now that the shop had expanded and business was booming, he worried about doubled workloads, reduced wages, and the loss of one's original self.

Fortunately, he remained the same warm-hearted and kind Teuchi.

He would still secretly give Ningxue a little extra pay or food, and this kindness was something Ningxue accepted silently, keeping it close to his heart.

It was precisely because of this warmth that Ningxue's inner world shifted from black to gray.

In his eyes, the black-and-white filter was gone.

In its place was a neutral gray.

He was now more like a quiet bystander.

Konoha Year 62, Autumn.

The leaves in the courtyard began to turn yellow and drift to the ground. Ningxue's life rhythm remained as stable as it was rigid.

His mother's condition seemed to stabilize slightly that autumn; although she remained weak, the time she spent in a deep sleep decreased.

Occasionally, when he prepared dinner, she was even able to get up and help him cook.

Communication between mother and son remained sparse, but the feeling of relying on one another for survival felt particularly profound in the increasingly desolate autumn wind.

At the academy, he had grown a bit taller; the figure sitting in the corner was no longer quite so inconspicuous, though his presence remained thin.

The newly enrolled first-years were full of vitality, and the gazes they cast toward him held an instinctive curiosity and a trace of fear for an upperclassman.

He merely swept his eyes over them indifferently, as if he were looking at nothing more than moving shadows.

The confrontation with Neji entered a new stage. Neji's Gentle Fist became increasingly sharp, and his mastery of the Byakugan grew more refined.

Ningxue, meanwhile, extended his reach into Ice Release, while simultaneously practicing both Wind Release and Water Release.

Business at Ichiraku Ramen remained booming. After the expansion, Teuchi had his daughter help out in the kitchen, but Ningxue remained a regular evening assistant.

He washed dishes, wiped tables, and served ramen with movements that were skilled and fluid.

Naruto was still a regular customer, his boisterous personality unchanged, though it was strange that for a period of time, his relationship with Shikamaru, Choji, and the others had been quite good.

Sometimes they would come here together to eat ramen. Yet, suddenly one day, they acted like total strangers.

Back then, they had discussed what kind of ninjas they wanted to become, and Ningxue had listened to it all in silence.

Konoha Year 63, March.

At this time, Konoha had shed its cold, replaced by the greenery awakened by the spring breeze.

On this day, Hyuga Neji officially graduated from the Ninja Academy and became a Genin. He was not as excited or jubilant as some of the other graduates; he simply received his Forehead Protector calmly, his eyes carrying their usual sharpness and determination.

Ning Xue met him in the school hallway, but the two only chatted for a few moments before hurrying away.

Because both of them understood, and there was no need for more words, they were well aware that they each had their own goals.

And graduating from the Ninja Academy was merely a small step.

Konoha Year 63, April.

A new batch of Ninja Academy students enrolled, injecting fresh blood and noise into the campus once again.

Ning Xue walked through the crowd, looking at those new faces full of childishness and longing, feeling as if he had already been here for a very, very long time.

Wait, no? Five years—alright, it had indeed been a long time.

Ning Xue turned and left without sparing another glance at the group of freshmen; after all, there was nothing worth seeing, it was just a chance encounter.

He still had many things to do. To him, his world was gray; he had a goal of revenge, the pressures of life, confusion about the future, and the steam at Ichiraku Ramen.

In the time that followed, he continued to train, attend school, take care of his mother, and work.

It was as if he had entered a loop.

As time passed, his mother's condition did not show any significant improvement, merely maintaining a state where she could occasionally be active for longer periods.

At best, she could wake up early, just like him.

Seeing his mother's current state, he truly wanted to graduate as soon as possible, become a ninja, and obtain a more stable source of income and more free time for cultivation.

His training frequency with Hyuga Neji decreased because Hyuga Neji had begun executing missions.

Every time they returned to sparring, he would discover that Hyuga Neji's strength had clearly grown, and after the sparring ended, he would actually complain.

Sometimes he would say that D-Rank Missions were just about catching cats or walking dogs and were completely meaningless, though the commission fees were indeed substantial.

There were also requests to help clear out wild beasts appearing in the vicinity that were affecting passersby.

At Ichiraku Ramen, he had become the most senior part-time worker.

Teuchi treated him almost like a member of the family, even beginning to entrust him with the preparation of some simple ingredients.

Just like that, very quickly, another year passed.

It was Konoha Year 64... February.