Uchiha Naka

"Ah, finally heading out of the village!"

On the path through the Uchiha clan grounds, Uchiha Tenshu smiled, smoothing down his jet-black hair and adjusting the backpack on his back. It was packed with Sealing Scrolls, each containing a vast amount of supplies. With the short blade strapped to his waist and the ninja tool pouch on his leg, he was fully armed.

Three days had passed since Elder Raimon's arrangements. During these three days, Uchiha Tenshu had gone about his usual routine, training hard while ensuring he had all the necessary supplies for his journey. Ash, who had been assigned to him by Elder Raimon, had also provided plenty of useful advice.

Additionally, he had organized the stories he had written in advance, preparing to hand them over to Yukino ahead of time.

In his previous life, Uchiha Tenshu had been an avid reader. He had delved into everything from novels and fables to various stories and fairy tales. While that might not have been much in his past life, in the Ninja World, he was practically a master storyteller!

Even after two years of telling Yukino a new story every single day, he had never once repeated himself.

With the stories Uchiha Tenshu had left behind, there was enough material to last her three months, even if she only read one per day.

"Still, I hope this mission goes smoothly. It's a pity that while the mission isn't difficult, it's not something that can be completed in a short time. Fortunately, I already have a target," Uchiha Tenshu muttered to himself.

He prepared to set off.

Just then, a girl sprinting toward him collided directly with his body.

Uchiha Tenshu instinctively wanted to dodge, but he stopped himself in an instant. After all, his strength was only that of a Genin; there was no need to be too conspicuous in a village like Konoha.

Consequently, the girl's head bumped into Uchiha Tenshu's shoulder. Thanks to his specialized physical training and the support of abundant medicine and nutrition, Uchiha Tenshu was nearly a head taller than his peers.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" the girl apologized hurriedly, looking up with a hint of panic and anxiety in her eyes.

"It's fine," Uchiha Tenshu waved his hand. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly noticed something.

He began to study her carefully.

Looking closely, Uchiha Tenshu saw her large eyes, pale purple hair, and beautiful face, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity.

"What is your name?" Uchiha Tenshu asked.

"My name is Naka, Uchiha Naka."

Under Uchiha Tenshu's intense gaze, Uchiha Naka spoke with a rather embarrassed expression.

"What? Your name is Naka! Uchiha Naka?"

Uchiha Tenshu was stunned. The girl in front of him was actually the future Uchiha Naka, who would awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan and end the Uchiha clan's civil war.

Thinking of her exceptional talent and how she had single-handedly developed Izanami to counter Izanagi—the ultimate Genjutsu of the Uchiha clan—she was truly a once-in-a-century genius.

Strange, why haven't I seen her in the clan's elite ninja training before? Uchiha Tenshu wondered, feeling puzzled.

"Yes! Big brother, do you know Naka?" Uchiha Naka asked in a soft, sweet voice.

"Um! You..."

Before Uchiha Tenshu could continue his inquiry, several other Uchiha boys, also around seven or eight years old, rushed over, cutting off his words.

"Catch her! Don't let her get away!"

Uchiha Naka shouted, and the three lackeys beside him glared menacingly.

Strange, they are all from the Uchiha clan, why are they treating Uchiha Naka like this?

Uchiha Tenshu stood frozen, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of this sudden situation.

But remembering Naka's future importance, Uchiha Tenshu quickly snapped back to reality. He stepped in front of Naka and looked coldly at the boys. "Hey, you lot, why are you chasing Naka? Give me a proper explanation right now!"

"You, don't give me that nonsense! You actually dare to side with this branch-family Uchiha? This stinking girl dared to steal my ninjutsu; I'm going to teach her a lesson!"

Uchiha Naka (the boy) said with his head held high, though he felt a twinge of fear when he looked at Uchiha Tenshu's height.

Height represented age. Age represented the length of time spent training. And the length of training naturally represented one's strength.

The Uchiha Tenshu in front of him was nearly a head taller than him, meaning he had at least two more years of training under his belt.

Still, Uchiha Naka thought he was in the right—even if they went to the elders, he wouldn't be at fault—so he braced himself and said, "What, since when is it okay in the Ninja World to openly steal someone else's ninjutsu? Even if we're from the same clan, it's not allowed!"

In the Ninja World, ninjutsu was like the secret martial arts manuals or legendary weapons of his past life; if someone coveted them, it would inevitably lead to a bitter, life-or-death feud. Even within the Uchiha clan, stealing someone's ninjutsu without permission was grounds for a severe beating.

Hearing this, Uchiha Naka (the girl) hurriedly defended herself. She grabbed Uchiha Tenshu's arm, her eyes filled with grievance. "I didn't steal it! It's a ninjutsu I developed myself! Because I had finished learning my ninjutsu and wanted to learn new, powerful ones, but no one would teach me, so I developed it myself! When he saw it, he just said I stole his ninjutsu!"

"You're lying! You haven't even entered the elite ninja training, and you think you can develop the Dragon Fire Technique? My ninjutsu was taught to me by my father personally! And your family has never even learned this Dragon Fire Technique," Uchiha Naka (the boy) said, crossing his arms with a sneer.

As he spoke, his lackeys chimed in.

"That's right, that's right!"

"What a liar."

"..."

Uchiha Tenshu had already made his judgment. He knew Naka had a talent for developing ninjutsu; in the future, she would even create the super S-rank Genjutsu, Izanami—a technique so powerful that even the Mangekyō Sharingan couldn't counter it. Her ability to develop ninjutsu was clearly immense.

With that, Uchiha Tenshu sneered, "Talk is cheap. Why don't you let Naka demonstrate the Dragon Fire Technique on the spot, and you do the same? I'll judge your ninjutsu. If she really did steal it, I won't protect her."

Uchiha Naka let out a cold snort. "Hmph, if she can actually pull it off, then I'll believe her."

In response, Uchiha Naka took a deep breath and quickly formed the hand seals. "Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique!" Instantly, a scorching, dragon-shaped flame erupted from her mouth with astonishing power, shooting into the sky like a beam of fire over twenty meters long.

Uchiha Naka and his lackeys were stunned, unable to believe their eyes; she had actually done it, and her technique was even more powerful than his own.

"Well? Does this prove that Naka developed the jutsu herself? Why don't you show us your own Dragon Fire Technique so I can critique it?" Uchiha Tenshu said, looking at Uchiha Naka.

Uchiha Naka's face turned from green to white, and he argued sophistically, "So what if she developed it herself? She's just a branch family member; she must have seen my hand seals."

Uchiha Tenshu laughed in cold fury. "In the Ninja World, strength is everything. If you aren't convinced, feel free to challenge me and see who is truly qualified to wield such power. This matter ends here. If you dare to continue bothering my sister Naka, I'll have no choice but to teach you a lesson myself."

Intimidated by Uchiha Tenshu's imposing aura, Uchiha Naka dared not say another word and slunk away with his lackeys in tow.