Showing Off at Hokage Rock at Four in the Morning Again

"Where the leaves dance, fire burns! The firelight will illuminate the village and make the new leaves sprout!" The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, stood on the platform, his voice loud and impassioned. His gaze swept over the little children below as he tried to ignite their fervor with the Will of Fire.

However, Uchiha Chuan had already entered a state of "sleeping while standing." His head hung low, his eyes half-closed, and his breathing was steady, as if everything around him had nothing to do with him. As someone committed to taking it easy, he had long mastered this skill—it let him go through the motions while secretly getting some rest. Two birds with one stone.

"The Will of Fire is the foundation of our Konoha! It is the faith of us ninja!" The Third Hokage continued his impassioned speech, and the children below listened with boiling blood and admiration shining in their eyes.

However, Uchiha Chuan's "individuality" soon caught the Third Hokage's attention. He narrowed his eyes, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as he calculated inwardly. This kid really is different...

"Children, is the Will of Fire boring?" The Third Hokage suddenly asked with a hearty laugh, his tone carrying a hint of teasing.

"Not boring!" the children below answered in unison, their voices shaking the air.

"If it isn't boring, then why has someone fallen asleep while listening to the Will of Fire?" The Third Hokage said with a smile, pointing at Uchiha Chuan standing among the crowd.

At once, everyone's eyes focused on Uchiha Chuan. Fugaku Uchiha and several elders' faces immediately darkened as they cursed inwardly. Is the Third Hokage deliberately picking a fight? What's wrong with our Uchiha genius taking a nap? What does the Will of Fire have to do with the Uchiha anyway?!

"Chuan, wake up!" Rin Nohara, who stood beside Uchiha Chuan, gently nudged him and whispered a reminder.

"Hm? What is it?" Uchiha Chuan groggily opened his eyes. When he found everyone staring at him, his face immediately filled with confusion. "What are you looking at? Never seen a handsome guy before?"

"Hahaha!" The children below instantly burst into laughter, and even the Third Hokage could not help laughing.

"Uchiha Chuan, come up here." The Third Hokage beckoned, his tone somewhat kindly.

Uchiha Chuan sighed helplessly and could only walk onto the platform with a stiff upper lip. He grumbled inwardly, Well, there goes any chance of keeping a low profile...

"Did you sleep well?" The Third Hokage asked with a smiling face, his eyes carrying a hint of probing.

"Lord Hokage, have you ever seen Hokage Rock at four in the morning?" Uchiha Chuan asked in return, sounding rather helpless.

"Hokage Rock at four in the morning? What does that mean?" The Third Hokage froze for a moment, clearly not expecting that answer from Uchiha Chuan.

"Uh, that Uchiha Chuan is going on about getting up at four in the morning again. It's obviously a lie," several Uchiha children muttered with sullen faces. They got up at four in the morning, yet they never saw Uchiha Chuan. On the contrary, they saw him still sleeping.

And when they confronted Uchiha Chuan about it, he had actually said, as if it were perfectly natural, that he was merely telling people what they wanted to hear. Adults liked hearing nice things, so he said nice things to them. That was all.

This instantly made the Uchiha children, who had once admired Uchiha Chuan greatly, stop admiring him, Obito included.

Uchiha Chuan did not care what they thought, nor could he be bothered to think up something new. He could just use something ready-made.

"The reason I was sleeping just now was because I got up at four in the morning to train." Uchiha Chuan put on a tired act, though his expression remained spirited. "Everyone says I'm a genius, but I'm actually not. I'm simply more hardworking than all of you. You see my talent, but you don't know how much hardship lies behind it!"

"Wow!" The children below immediately gasped in amazement, their eyes filled with admiration.

Meanwhile, the Uchiha children looked at them with pity written all over their faces. Pitiful fools who have been deceived. Once you see his true face, you'll understand.

"Now I understand!" The Third Hokage nodded, a gratified smile appearing on his face. "This is the Will of Fire! It is the resolve that can only erupt for the sake of protecting the village and people one holds dear! Uchiha Chuan, you did very well!"

"Lord Hokage is right!" Might Guy shouted excitedly, waving his fist. "Yosh! I'll work as hard as Uchiha Chuan too!"

Seeing this, Uchiha Chuan secretly felt pleased with himself. I want to keep a low profile, but if an opportunity to show off comes and I don't take it, I feel uncomfortable. Worst case, I'll keep a low profile after showing off. I want both the fish and the bear's paw!

However, the Third Hokage suddenly changed the subject. "Uchiha Chuan, if the village's future came into conflict with the Uchiha's glory, how would you choose? Would you defend the village's future, or the Uchiha's glory?"

"Third Hokage!" Fugaku Uchiha and several elders' expressions instantly turned ugly, a flash of anger passing through their eyes.

Yet Uchiha Chuan was not flustered in the slightest. He countered, "Lord Hokage, are you trying to divide the village?"

"What?" The Third Hokage froze, clearly not expecting Uchiha Chuan to turn the question around on him. "When did I say I wanted to divide the village?"

"Then why did you ask that question?" Uchiha Chuan spread his hands, his tone somewhat innocent. "Isn't the Uchiha part of the village's future?"

"This..." The Third Hokage was momentarily speechless, and a trace of embarrassment crossed his face. How could he dare say that the Uchiha were not part of the village's future? If those words spread, would that not confirm the charge of dividing the village?

"Hahaha!" The Third Hokage gave a dry laugh, trying to ease the awkwardness. "Uchiha Chuan, you truly are Konoha's genius! You actually saw through the trap I had set. You have the perspective of a Hokage!"

"Hokage?" Uchiha Chuan curled his lip disdainfully. "A Hokage works himself to death. His eyesight must definitely be terrible. Anyone who wants to be Hokage is an idiot!"

"Uchiha Chuan! How can you speak like that?" Fugaku Uchiha immediately rebuked him, looking somewhat embarrassed. "What happened to the respect for the Hokage we taught you? Get down there at once!"

"Hahaha, it's fine, it's fine!" The Third Hokage waved his hand, looking somewhat helpless. "This is the Uchiha we know!"

"Hahaha!" The children below also laughed along, and the atmosphere immediately relaxed considerably.

Uchiha Chuan spread his hands, shrugged, and slowly walked off the platform. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief. I finally muddled through that...

After this episode, the Third Hokage's speech quickly came to an end as well. Uchiha Chuan returned to the crowd and secretly swore, From today onward, I'll keep taking it easy! I absolutely won't stand out again!

However, he did not know that this display of showing off had already elevated his reputation in Konoha to another level. And certain people had begun paying even closer "attention" to him...