Making Preparations (Please Bookmark and Recommend)

The Uchiha clan compound lay in the far northeastern corner of Konohagakure, far from the village's center. Zhong Hao's hidden training ground was three kilometers southeast of the Uchiha compound. In other words, Zhong Hao's cabin was not far from Uchiha territory, which was why Uchiha Ang had appeared there.

This was something Zhong Hao had not anticipated.

When Uchiha Ang returned to the clan compound, the entire clan was shocked and wanted to know what had happened. However, he had lost too much blood and fallen unconscious. It was not until late that night, under the effects of medical ninjutsu, that he slowly woke up.

In the room, Uchiha Ang lay on a tatami mat in the center. A medical ninja wiped away his sweat, nodded to the others, and stepped aside. Three people gathered around him: his mother, his elder sister, and his elder brother.

"What exactly happened? Why are you in such a state? Explain everything clearly." A stern voice came from outside the door. Uchiha Ang tried to struggle upright, but his mother pressed him back onto the tatami.

"No need to get up." The door slid open, and a graying man entered before kneeling on the floor.

"Yes, Father." Tears streamed down Uchiha Ang's already pale face. He could no longer feel the presence of his right hand, and before his family, the grievance in his heart burst forth at once.

Ten minutes later, he had recounted the entire matter in full, without concealing anything, including how he had forcibly seized the training ground and severely injured Tang Ze and the other two.

After hearing Uchiha Ang's account, his mother, kneeling beside him, stroked the place where his arm had been while wiping away her tears. His sister bit her lip and said nothing. His brother had always been closest to him, and now his eyes were split with rage as he shouted that they had to take revenge.

"So, you swore on Uchiha honor that you would seek revenge only against that brat and would not take your anger out on anyone else?" After a moment of silence, his father spoke.

Uchiha Ang had spoken for a long time, exhausting much of his strength. His breathing grew ragged as he answered weakly, "Yes, Father."

But his brother began clamoring, "How can that be enough? Those three mongrels were the cause of this. For the Uchiha name, and to avenge Ang's severed arm, we must wipe them all out! As for that training ground, since it was built near Uchiha territory, it belongs to the Uchiha clan. Ang did nothing wrong by taking it."

"Silence!" his father roared. "How many times have I taught you to remain calm when faced with trouble? Do not act rashly. Do not let fury burn away your reason. How can I entrust everything to you if you are like this?"

After rebuking him, he turned to Uchiha Ang and said coldly, "Since you have lost an arm, live as an ordinary person from now on. As for your revenge, the Uchiha will take it upon ourselves. That brat will not live. That is all." With that, he rose to leave.

Seeing his father about to go, his elder brother hurriedly said, "Then those three brats—"

Before he could finish, his father interrupted, "Since we have taken on Ang's hatred, we must also take on his oath. This is the honor of the Uchiha name, and it must not be profaned. Still, my reaction appears to have been within that brat's expectations. What a mature mind."

He turned around, his hawk-like gaze fixed on Uchiha Ang. "And Ang, even now, you do not know who that brat is or what his name is. As the son of Uchiha Masaki, you have greatly disappointed me."

From the moment Uchiha Masaki declared that he would no longer be a ninja, Uchiha Ang's heart had already turned to ashes. He stared hopelessly at the ceiling, no longer hearing anything from the outside world.

Seeing him like this, Uchiha Masaki let out a heavy sigh and clenched his fists tightly. This was, after all, the son in whom he had placed great hopes. Now that he had become like this, even a man who had spent his life fighting on battlefields could not help but feel mentally exhausted.

He turned to his daughter and said, "Mikoto, when you return, tell Fugaku about the situation here. Tell him that all his energy should be focused on succeeding to the position of clan head. Although Ang's matter has become known throughout the Uchiha, I will handle it properly. Tell him not to dwell on it."

Uchiha Mikoto gave a graceful bow and answered respectfully, "I understand, Father."

After Uchiha Masaki and Uchiha Mikoto left, his elder brother looked at Ang's vacant face and dead, ash-gray eyes. He slammed a fist into the floor and roared, "Damn it! Damn it! Ang, your brother will definitely avenge you! I'll kill everyone connected to that scum! Kill them all!!!"

Deep hatred filled his eyes. His younger brother's pain gnawed at his heart like maggots in rotting bone, leaving him in unbearable anguish. He would never let this go.

If Zhong Hao had been there, he would surely have sighed. There are so many little-brother obsessives in the world of Naruto, and every damn one of them seems to be born an Uchiha.

Uchiha Masaki was making plans, and Zhong Hao was doing the same.

At dusk, Zhong Hao and Da Ye carried Tang Ze on a wooden board to the orphanage, a place where he had once lived for half a year.

The director treated Tang Ze with ninjutsu once more, while Ji Mei applied medicine and wrapped his wounds in bandages.

Once the director stood up, Zhong Hao made a gesture. The two left the room and came beneath a cedar tree far from the building.

Yakushi Nonō, the person Yakushi Kabuto treasured most, was the director of the orphanage.

As soon as they reached the cedar tree, Nonō anxiously asked, "Hao, what exactly happened to you? Why was Tang Ze burned by ninjutsu? Who attacked you?"

Zhong Hao explained everything before saying, "Director, have Ji Mei and the others move back to the orphanage for now. Try not to let them run around outside. I will probably be leaving the village for several years, so tell them not to worry."

Nonō said, "It's good that you're back. The Uchiha won't dare act recklessly here, but where are you going? It's dangerous outside."

Zhong Hao shook his head without answering and turned to leave. Nonō moved, blocking his path. Zhong Hao flashed past her, appearing behind her in an instant before quickly walking away.

Shock appeared on Nonō's face. Though she had seen Zhong Hao diligently training his taijutsu every day, she did not approve. By conventional thinking, without chakra, no amount of training was anything but wasted effort. Seeing his speed now left her utterly stunned.

When Zhong Hao reached the gate, he turned back to Nonō and said, "Oh, Director, there's a box beside Tang Ze's bed. What's inside is for you. Don't worry about me."

With that, he ran into the distance without looking back. A murmured sentence drifted away on the night wind: "This way, the Director won't have to worry about funding for the orphanage, and Kabuto won't have to join Root. At the very least, it can be put off for a few more years, until I return..."

After leaving the orphanage, Zhong Hao hurried to one of Konohagakure's training grounds. He heard a continuous series of blows striking a wooden post.

When he saw Might Guy, Zhong Hao smiled to himself. This guy really is still training.

He walked over and teased him good-naturedly, "Guy, your youth never seems to run out."

Guy noticed Zhong Hao as well. His fists and feet did not stop as he continued striking the wooden post. "Hao, are you here to challenge me to a duel?"

"No, I have something to ask of you." He handed Guy a photograph of Ji Mei and the other two. "These are my three younger siblings. You've met them before. I'll be leaving the village to train in a few days, and I want to ask you to protect them if they face danger."

"Training in the name of youth? That sounds amazing! I want to go too." Guy stopped training in surprise, his face full of envy. Then he immediately slumped. "Unfortunately, Father won't let me leave the village. But don't worry, Hao. I'll protect your younger siblings. That is a man's promise." As he spoke, he raised a thumbs-up, and a gleam flashed across his two rows of sparkling white teeth.

Zhong Hao asked casually, "Is Uncle Duy in the village?"

Guy said, "He's always here. Father is a genin, so he rarely gets missions outside the village."

Zhong Hao nodded with a smile and gave him a thumbs-up as well. "Even if he is only a genin, I believe he is an outstanding ninja. Just as I have always believed that you, Guy, can become the finest jonin through taijutsu alone."

"Waaah—Hao... Only you believe in me." Guy was instantly moved to tears. In the next moment, his energy surged to the heavens. "Is this Father's youth? Let me add more training for the sake of youth—three thousand strikes on the wooden post! Oh! Fu—"

Seeing Guy's youthful spirit at full force, Zhong Hao did not disturb him further and left in satisfaction.

From the beginning, his true target had been Guy's father, Might Duy, the man capable of opening the Eight Gates. Given Guy's nature and Duy's character, they could not possibly deal a killing blow to fellow Konohagakure ninja, even if they were Uchiha. But opening even the Sixth Gate would be enough to intimidate the Uchiha.

After leaving the training ground, Zhong Hao headed toward the bustling streets at the center of Konohagakure. He intended to provide Ji Mei and the others with one final safeguard.

With the Land of Fire, the nation richest in resources, at its back, Konohagakure's economy was thriving as well. Even at eight or nine in the evening, the streets remained crowded and prosperous.

Zhong Hao entered a barbecue restaurant and made his way with practiced familiarity to a large door at the very back. He pushed it open. The guards on either side glanced at him but did not stop him, allowing him through.

Behind the door was a spacious corridor. It was not long, and beyond it lay an enormous room. In the center stood a large dining table, beside which sat a round ball wearing clothes.

Well... more precisely, a fat man shaped like a ball.

Zhong Hao sat in a chair beside the table. The fat man glanced at him, swept up all the remaining meat from his plate, and said, "It's little Zhong Hao. You came at just the right time. The restaurant's procurement team brought back specialty beef from the Land of Lightning today. Eat as much as you want. Uncle Dingyuan is treating."

Zhong Hao smiled. "If I really ate my fill, Uncle Dingyuan might not have enough meat here."

Akimichi Dingyuan, thirty-two years old, was the cousin of Akimichi Choza, the head of the Akimichi clan. During an eating contest held by a newly opened restaurant in Konohagakure, Zhong Hao had utterly crushed him in appetite.

That time, Zhong Hao had eaten half a month's worth of food from the restaurant, reducing its owner to tears. Left with no choice, the owner had paid to send the calamity away. Since then, no eating contests had ever been held in Konohagakure again.

Not only did Zhong Hao's taijutsu training require enormous amounts of meat, but his body's growth also needed tremendous energy. The moment any food entered his stomach, it was immediately digested into pure biological energy, leaving behind not even a trace of waste.

There was something only he and Zhong Yunxi knew. His body had been in a constant state of nutritional deficiency for years and desperately needed a massive amount of nourishment. This was also why he was so eager to enter One Piece.

As everyone knew, the larger an Akimichi's body and the more fat it contained, the stronger they became. Encountering someone who could eat even more than they could had made the entire Akimichi clan extremely interested. Later, after learning of Zhong Hao's relationship with Shinku Yuhi, they gradually came to regard him as one of their own younger relatives.

After hearing Zhong Hao's account, Akimichi Dingyuan learned the full story. His expression darkened as he slapped the table and said solemnly, "That Uchiha brat has gone too far. Don't worry, little Zhong Hao. The Uchiha may be strong, but Ino-Shika-Cho is not to be underestimated either. Uncle will make sure you come to no harm in this matter."

Zhong Hao declined his goodwill, handed him the photograph of Ji Mei and the other two, and asked him to look after them. Then he said, "I already have a detailed plan, so don't worry. Once I return to the village next time, the Uchiha threat will be nothing worth mentioning."

Akimichi Dingyuan looked at Zhong Hao, who showed no fear. The determination and confidence between his brows made Dingyuan feel, in a daze, as if he were witnessing an overwhelmingly powerful expert rapidly rising.

He laughed heartily twice. "Perhaps in the future, they will regret it. Regret provoking you."

Zhong Hao laughed with him, slapped the table, and shouted, "Bring out the meat! Bring out all the meat! I'm going to eat Uncle Dingyuan poor today!"

After eating and drinking his fill, Zhong Hao left the barbecue restaurant and walked through Konohagakure's night market streets. It was already eleven at night, and the streets had noticeably grown quieter.

"With Duy's indirect protection and Ino-Shika-Cho standing together, the chances of Ji Mei and the others being harmed by misplaced anger can be reduced to the lowest possible level. Next, it depends on my growth. Uchiha, I hope you are smart enough. Otherwise..." Zhong Hao murmured to himself in the darkness.