The Name of a Genius

After the practical combat class, Uchiha Ling's standing among this year's new students had finally become something no one could easily deny anymore.

Before, whenever people mentioned him, they would first add, "That Uchiha with unstable chakra."

Now, they were more likely to say something else.

"That guy who's been winning nonstop lately."

The change had come quickly, and it was realistic. Children's world was actually more straightforward than adults'. When you were weak, everyone could point fingers at you. But once you proved yourself again and again, many voices would fade away on their own.

That morning, quite a few people had gathered in front of the Ninja Academy bulletin board.

Iruka had posted the combined scores from several recent basic courses and practical combat classes. The paper still curled slightly at the edges from having just been pinned up, but the students crowded at the front were already reading out the top rankings.

"First, Sasuke Uchiha."

"Second, Uchiha Ling."

"Third, Ino Yamanaka..."

Kiba squeezed forward for a look and clicked his tongue. Ino was delighted to have made the top ranks, then deliberately lifted her chin at Ling. "You were so close."

Ling looked at the ranking list without much expression.

Second place was not the result he wanted.

But neither was it something he urgently had to change right now.

He knew very well that if he improved too quickly, he needed to hold himself back a little in certain areas. At least before the real major exams arrived, there was no need to throw out all his trump cards just to fight for first place now.

"Not satisfied, are you?"

A cool voice came from beside him.

Ling turned his head and saw Sasuke standing at the other end of the bulletin board, his dark eyes quietly fixed on him.

"It's fine," Ling replied.

Sasuke clearly did not believe him, and his voice turned colder. "If you really thought it was fine, you wouldn't keep staring at the first-place spot."

Ling looked at him for two seconds, then suddenly said, "What about you?"

"What?"

"If I took first place, would you think it was fine?"

The air seemed to still for a moment.

Sasuke pressed his lips together and did not answer immediately. But that silence alone had already given Ling his answer.

Neither of them said anything more.

Some rivalries did not need to be spoken aloud. They both understood.

During the lunch break, Shikamaru unusually took the initiative to sit beside Ling, a freshly bought skewer of dumplings in his hand.

"Lately, lots of people have been guessing when you'll knock Sasuke off the top," he said lazily after biting off a dumpling.

Ling looked toward the training field. "If they like guessing, let them guess."

"That makes it sound like you've already made up your mind." Shikamaru glanced at him. "But let me remind you of something. Being too conspicuous isn't necessarily a good thing."

Ling's heart stirred slightly.

This was not the first time someone had warned him, in one way or another, that he was drawing too much attention. From Iruka to Shikamaru, they stood in different positions, yet had reached similar conclusions.

"Do you think I'm that conspicuous right now?" Ling asked.

Shikamaru tossed away the bamboo skewer and sighed. "At your age? You're more than conspicuous. Keep this up, and even people who don't care about children's grades will give you a second look."

It sounded like a complaint, but it was painfully accurate.

Ling did not press further. He simply committed those words to memory as well.

After the afternoon classes ended, Iruka kept the top ten behind for a simple individual assessment. The content was not complicated. It was more about physical fitness, reactions, and composure under pressure. When it was Ling's turn, he remained as steady as ever, but deliberately held back several bursts that would have been too exaggerated.

Iruka noticed, but did not call him out on it.

Only after everyone else had left did he ask Ling privately, "Are you hiding something?"

Ling did not deny it. "There's no need to reveal everything."

Iruka stared at him for several breaths before slowly nodding. "That judgment was correct this time."

Ling paused slightly.

This was the first time his teacher had openly approved of him holding something back.

"But don't slack off because of that." Iruka put away the assessment sheets, his voice steady. "There will be more formal stage tests coming up. When the time comes, what you have now won't be enough."

"I know."

Of course it would not be enough.

Because the real gap often only became clearer in more intense competition.

That evening, as Ling walked alone past the school gate, he suddenly heard quiet whispers behind him.

"That's Uchiha Ling."

"The one who's been especially amazing lately?"

"Yeah. I heard even the teachers have started keeping an eye on him individually."

Ling did not slow down.

The word "amazing" landing in his ears did not make him feel relieved. On the contrary, he understood more and more clearly that as his name began to be remembered by more people, every step he took in the future would become harder to conceal.

But he had no way back, either.

That night, as usual, he sat in the courtyard and watched the chakra light in his palm slowly compress into a single point.

It was growing steadier, and heavier.

Like a seed that was growing, sinking deep into his flesh, blood, and fate.

Ling slowly closed his fingers, gripping that point of light in his palm.

From this day onward, the name "Uchiha Ling" was no longer merely a name on the clan register.

It was beginning to become the name of a genius on the lips of his peers.

And this was only the beginning.