Stilts Soccer Begins Spreading Beyond the Ninja Academy

At dusk, on the Ninja Academy training field, the lingering glow of the setting sun fell across every student's face, reflecting their excitement. Obito and his team had just been defeated by Uchiha's upperclassman team, but rather than feeling discouraged, they were surrounded by a group of enthusiastic students.

"Obito, what are your stilts made of? Can you teach us? We want to make our own too. After all, if we wait for yours, it'll take too long," one student asked eagerly, his eyes full of anticipation.

Obito chuckled and pulled a stack of manuals from his backpack. He said proudly, "I knew you'd like it, so I printed the construction manuals in advance! They include the rules of Stilt Football too—everything's in there! Just make them according to the specifications inside!"

"That's great! Thanks, Obito!" The students cheered as they accepted the manuals, their faces full of gratitude.

"Obito, you're different from the other Uchiha. They all walk around with cold faces, while you act like an idiot all day long. You really are the odd one out of the Uchiha Clan," one student teased him, with a hint of familiarity in his tone.

Obito proudly puffed out his chest and laughed. "Because I'm going to become Hokage! How could I do that without having something special about me?"

"Hahaha, you want to become Hokage? Can you even compare to Uchiha Chuan?" another student asked with a laugh.

Obito curled his lip and said stubbornly, "Tch, I'll surpass Uchiha Chuan sooner or later! Besides, Uchiha Chuan doesn't even want to become Hokage."

"Hahaha, so it's only because Uchiha Chuan doesn't want to be Hokage that you think you can surpass him?" The students burst into laughter, clearly amused by Obito's confidence.

"Hmph, even if he did want to become Hokage, I still wouldn't lose to him!" Obito declared proudly, determination gleaming in his eyes.

At that moment, Asuma walked over as well. Taking a manual, he said arrogantly to Obito, "Hmph, Obito, I won't lose to you Uchiha either! Just wait. Once we make our own stilts and get enough practice, we'll definitely defeat you!"

Obito answered without backing down, "Hmph, Asuma, you're welcome to challenge us!"

As the sun gradually set and night descended over Konoha, the students headed home with their manuals. And as they returned home, the Stilt Football craze swiftly swept through the entire village.

As night fell, similar conversations rang out in households throughout Konoha.

"Dad, where's the toolbox? I want to make stilts!" A child rushed excitedly into his home, waving the manual Obito had handed out.

"What stilts?" his father asked, looking up in confusion.

"Stilts for Stilt Football, these ones!" The child handed him the manual, his eyes full of anticipation.

"Football? This is some kind of sports game? Instead of training properly, you're going off to play games?" The father frowned, a trace of reproach in his voice.

"Uchiha Chuan invented it! Uchiha Chuan said it can be used for both training and playing!" the child explained urgently, clearly unwilling to miss such an interesting activity.

"Uchiha Chuan invented it? It can be used for both training and playing?" The father was immediately intrigued and began flipping through the manual. As he carefully read its contents, approval gradually appeared in his eyes.

"Fine. Make it, and let me see whether it really can be used for both training and playing." The father nodded, clearly drawn in by this novel sport as well.

"Hehe, it'd be even better if Dad can help!" The child jumped excitedly, clearly delighted by his father's involvement.

The same scene played out in nearly every household in Konoha. Even Kakashi and the White Fang of the Leaf were no exception.

Moreover, they moved quickly. They made theirs before anyone else and were the first to try them out.

"Uchiha Chuan really is a genius. He actually invented a sport like this. Playing football on stilts is practically a whole new version of tree climbing and water walking. It's simpler than tree climbing and water walking, yet it also trains real-time reaction ability. Once you become proficient at it, tree climbing and water walking will be effortless," Hatake Sakumo said with admiration, his eyes full of approval.

He turned to Kakashi and said, "Kakashi, you should participate as much as possible from now on. Even if you're only acting as a referee, you should referee while standing on stilts. It will greatly benefit the further improvement of your chakra control."

"I understand, Father." Kakashi nodded, a note of respect in his voice.

"Not only that, after some time, you can try removing these handrails and rely solely on chakra to stick to the stilts, like this." As Hatake Sakumo spoke, he demonstrated. He stood steadily atop the stilts without using the handrails at all, moving with ease through chakra control alone.

"Yes, I'll work hard." Determination flashed in Kakashi's eyes, and he was clearly confident in his father's advice.

Similar assessments arose in every corner of Konoha.

Whether young ninja or seasoned veterans, all of them were drawn to the sport. They tried walking on stilts one after another and praised it endlessly.

"Oh, this feels very similar to tree climbing and water walking. Especially when running, it isn't easy to control properly, and you still have to kick the ball. No wonder Uchiha Chuan said it could be used for both training and playing. It really is a genius invention." A middle-aged ninja carefully moved about on stilts, his face filled with amazement.

"Exactly. It's much more interesting than simply climbing trees and walking on water, and it can train both reaction speed and teamwork. What an incredible idea!" another ninja agreed, his voice full of praise.

As people experienced it more deeply, more and more families began to marvel at Stilt Football. Both children and parents immersed themselves in this brand-new sport, enjoying the dual pleasures of training and entertainment.

Even the Third Hokage was no exception. When he returned home from work, Asuma had already made the stilts. He found an excuse to send Asuma away, then ended up trying them before his son did.

And the more he experienced it, the more he realized that this sport could no longer be prevented from spreading.

Because it was better than training through tree climbing and water walking alone.

"Uchiha Chuan truly is a genius," the Third Hokage murmured, his voice carrying a trace of helplessness and bitterness.

Although Konoha also had a genius like Minato, Uchiha Chuan's creativity and influence still made the Third Hokage uneasy. He increasingly felt that the rise of the Uchiha Clan was unstoppable. Yet the rise of the Uchiha did not serve the village's interests, leaving him deeply troubled.

"Is there really no way left to restrain the Uchiha?" The Third Hokage sank into deep thought. His fingers lightly tapped against the windowsill, as though he were pondering something.