Meeting the Third

"Uchiha Hui?"

"That's me. What do you want?"

"We need your cooperation in investigating an attack. Please come with us."

"No."

"Huh?"

The two Anbu froze, apparently not expecting anyone to dare refuse their "invitation." While they stood stunned, Uchiha Hui spoke again.

"Isn't that girl right there? If you have questions, why not ask her? I just happened to be passing by."

"That isn't proper procedure."

The Anbu continued explaining in a low voice.

At that,

Uchiha Hui said nothing. He simply stood at the courtyard entrance, quietly watching them, clearly having no intention of following.

"I'll report this to the Third. Don't leave the village without permission for the time being."

In the end, the Anbu did not forcibly take Uchiha Hui away. After exchanging a glance with his companion, he sped off toward the edge of the Uchiha Clan Compound.

Had it been someone else,

they might have detained them outright for "refusing to cooperate with an investigation."

But this was an Uchiha ninja, the younger brother of the Uchiha Clan Head, and they were inside the Uchiha Clan Compound. Their arrival had already drawn the attention of quite a few ninja.

If they tried to forcibly take Uchiha Hui away,

within a minute,

the two of them might find themselves surrounded. Forget taking him away—they probably wouldn't even be able to leave themselves.

Besides, their brief investigation and questioning had confirmed that Uchiha Hui had indeed done a good deed. There was no need for the Anbu to make things so hostile.

They would report back first and go from there.

Watching the Anbu leave,

Uchiha Hui scratched his head.

An hour earlier,

he had returned straight home after saving that girl. Before he could finish cooking, the Anbu had shown up at his door.

Fortunately, he had done nothing wrong and had nothing to fear.

If he said he wasn't going, he wasn't going.

That much privilege,

the Uchiha still had.

However,

he felt there might be more to this incident than he had imagined. The girl he had rescued seemed to have an unusual identity; otherwise, the Anbu wouldn't have come in person even after learning what had happened.

"Whatever. Let's open some loot first. I haven't had time to look since I got back."

Uchiha Hui returned to his room. While waiting for his meal to finish simmering, he turned his attention to the system's Temporary Space.

There,

seven or eight glowing orbs lay waiting.

That was right!

He had only "killed" two spies, yet so many rewards had dropped.

This was also Uchiha Hui's first time killing anyone.

So,

the rewards for killing had surprised him somewhat.

He had anticipated that killing would yield plenty of rewards, but now that it had actually happened, Uchiha Hui still couldn't help feeling excited.

Was this pushing me to kill more people?!

Otherwise, why would killing just two people drop so much, while sparring and defeating someone usually only gave one reward?

Steadying himself,

Uchiha Hui casually opened two white orbs.

[Trace Chakra x1]

[Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Technique (Experience Card)]

The first two were basic drops: a portion of Chakra and an Experience Card. After a brief moment of thought, Uchiha Hui used them without hesitation.

Instantly, his Chakra stirred, and his proficiency in the Hidden Mist Technique rose by 20%, reaching 85% at the practiced level.

"Keep going!"

Without any hesitation, Uchiha Hui stole a glance at the pot and pulled out two more orbs.

[Water Release: Water Prison Technique (Ninjutsu Card)]

[Water Release: Water Prison Technique (Experience Card)]

Another reasonably useful ninjutsu?

Looking at the new rewards, Uchiha Hui chose to learn them again. He first learned the Water Prison Technique, then used the Experience Card, instantly boosting his proficiency in the newly acquired ninjutsu.

"Doesn't seem like anything particularly powerful dropped?"

Uchiha Hui couldn't help grumbling.

Unlike the rewards from sparring with Uchiha ninja, the drops from these two Kirigakure spies were rather lackluster.

After all, they couldn't increase his pupil power, only expand his ninjutsu repertoire.

"Three left. Give me a 'legendary gold' drop, will you? It was my first time killing someone. Don't I get a consolation prize?"

Uchiha Hui's gaze settled on the remaining orbs. He rubbed his hands together and opened them.

As expected,

there were no surprises.

[Moderate chakra x1]

[Water Release: Water Clone Technique]

[Trace chakra x1]

One more ninjutsu, with all the other rewards being chakra.

He was a little disappointed.

But he wasn't utterly let down.

For Uchiha Hui, as long as he was growing stronger, he was on the right path. He didn't mind if his short-term progress was a little slow.

As it happened,

he now knew more and more ninjutsu, and increasing his total chakra would help him in battle. He couldn't end up like a certain guy who was always running out of mana, exhausting his chakra midway through a fight and forcing every matchup into a "fifty-fifty."

That was not the future Uchiha Hui wanted!

Feeling his chakra swell again,

Uchiha Hui was surprised by the increase from "moderate chakra." At the same time, he began wondering what level his current chakra reserves had reached.

All told,

he must have absorbed at least ten portions of chakra by now. By his estimate, surely he should be on par with an ordinary Jonin?

With his post-battle rewards sorted out,

the food in Uchiha Hui's pot was ready as well.

He stood, brought the pot over, then sat down at the table and started eating.

Knock, knock!

Just as Uchiha Hui settled into his meal, another knock sounded outside.

With a quick check,

Uchiha Hui discovered it was the Anbu who had left earlier.

"Are you ever going to give it a rest?"

Uchiha Hui opened the door irritably.

The Anbu ninja noticed the undisguised impatience on his face.

Fortunately, years of discipline kept the Anbu unruffled.

"Uchiha Hui, the Third wants to see you."

The Anbu's tone was serious.

But his words still made Uchiha Hui feel a little uneasy.

How had I ended up on the Third's radar?

Hadn't I just happened to save a girl?

Could that girl be the Third's illegitimate daughter?

Even now,

Uchiha Hui still didn't know who he had rescued. At the time, he had merely found her somewhat familiar and guessed she was a supporting character or an extra from the story.

After killing the attackers, he hadn't asked any questions. He had simply turned and left.

"Got it. Wait until I finish eating."

Uchiha Hui nodded in acknowledgment.

But hearing that, the Anbu couldn't help frowning. He gave Uchiha Hui a surprised look, and when the latter actually returned to the table and began wolfing down his food, he found himself unable to comprehend how this man's mind worked.

Standing there, the Anbu was at a loss.

Should I leave?

The Third told me to bring him back. Returning alone would hardly seem like I was doing my duty.

Stay here and wait?

This Uchiha Hui fellow doesn't seem to have any intention of inviting me inside.

So I just get to stand outside in the cold wind?

The Anbu silently found a corner and concealed himself.

Nearly half an hour later,

Uchiha Hui finished tidying up and stepped outside. His gaze swept around, spotting the Anbu huddled to one side like a quail. He offered him a "kindly" smile, then set off toward the Hokage Building.

The Hokage Building had also suffered damage during the Night of the Nine-Tails.

Fortunately, the damage hadn't been too severe, and emergency repairs had been carried out over the past few days.

So it was still functioning normally.

With the Anbu guiding him,

Uchiha Hui soon arrived outside an office.

"Come in!"

An aged, weary voice rang out.

Uchiha Hui straightened, then pushed open the door and walked inside.

Before him stood the familiar figure of the Third.

On the desk in front of him were piles of things resembling "memorials to the throne," stacked as high as a small mountain.

"Hui, right?"

The Third looked at Uchiha Hui as he entered and smiled.

As he spoke,

he casually picked up the pipe beside him.

"Lord Third!"

Uchiha Hui offered a simple bow, then looked at him and waited.

"Kurenai has already told me about what happened today. You did well. You protected a fellow villager and foiled the enemy's plans."

The Third watched Uchiha Hui as he spoke slowly.

As he spoke, however, he realized Uchiha Hui was far more composed than he had imagined. This differed considerably from the image in his memories, leaving him momentarily distracted.

"It was what I should have done."

Uchiha Hui gave an almost imperceptible nod to express his thoughts. At the same time, he learned the name of the person he had rescued from the Third.

Kurenai?

For the Third to address her that way,

the only person I could remember was Kurenai Yuhi.

So,

the little girl I saved earlier was Kurenai Yuhi?

No wonder she looked familiar.

When it came to Kurenai Yuhi,

Uchiha Hui's strongest impressions were simply "widow" and "single mother."

Her "skill in genjutsu" came second.

"The village has been unstable lately, and all sorts of scoundrels have been unable to resist crawling out of the woodwork. In the past week alone, we've captured four spies from different ninja villages. Including the two who attacked Kurenai today, that makes six..."

The Third spoke with a hint of melancholy.

Uchiha Hui did not respond.

He felt there was no need for him to speak at a time like this. He was merely a Chunin, and an Uchiha Clan member at that.

When it came to the village's affairs, great or small,

there was little room for him to weigh in.

"By saving Kurenai this time, you also indirectly spared the village considerable losses. This is your reward from the village: a Fire Release Ninjutsu. I hope you'll stay true to your convictions and continue looking out for the village."

The Third spoke at length.

But when he realized Uchiha Hui seemed to have no intention of speaking, he soon stopped. He took a scroll from beside him and gestured with it.

"Thank you, Lord Hokage!"

Uchiha Hui was a little surprised.

He had thought he had only been summoned to listen to a "lecture." He hadn't expected a reward as well, which was a pleasant surprise.

He swiftly grabbed the scroll and stuffed it into his pocket without even looking at it, as though afraid the Third might change his mind.

At the sight,

the corner of the Third's eye twitched slightly. He clearly hadn't expected that reaction.

But years of cultivated composure kept him from saying anything.

After a slight nod,

he signaled that Uchiha Hui could leave.

Uchiha Hui had no desire to linger. He turned and left. Staying in the Hokage's office was genuinely uncomfortable.

He had sensed at least three pairs of eyes watching him.

"Shisui."

Once Uchiha Hui had left,

the Third took a few more puffs of his pipe, then spoke.

The next second,

a figure appeared in front of the desk.

He wore something resembling a mask, yet had been addressed directly by name.

"What do you think?"

the Third asked.

This wasn't the first time he had heard Uchiha Hui's name. Over the past month, it had come up several times.

The first had been three days after the Night of the Nine-Tails, when the Konoha Military Police Force brought in a spy. After a brief inquiry, he learned that Uchiha Hui had "reported" the spy.

The second had been a report from the Anbu ninja monitoring the Uchiha. Uchiha Hui had been constantly seeking sparring partners within the clan, and his strength had improved significantly.

The most recent occasion had been today.

It was precisely because of all this

that the Third had decided to meet this Uchiha ninja.

Of course, thanking him in person was also an important reason.

Kurenai Yuhi wasn't just any chunin.

Her father was the commander of the genin and chunin. If Kurenai Yuhi had been captured by a spy, important village intelligence might have been leaked.

"Hui seems to have changed."

Shisui's voice was crisp.

He lowered his head, seemingly searching his memories. Soon, he spoke again. "He used to be a ninja with fairly ordinary talent, but lately, most of the clan's chunin are no longer a match for him. He also no longer says the sort of exaggerated things he used to..."

"Then keep a closer eye on him from now on. If you find anything worth reporting, tell me directly."

The Third nodded slightly and gave his instructions.

Shisui Uchiha nodded slightly, then vanished on the spot a moment later. Presumably, he had either concealed himself in some corner or left the room.

"What troubled times!"

After a long silence, the Third exhaled his last puff of smoke, glanced out the window, and returned his attention to the desk before him.

He had already decided to visit the daimyo's residence soon to finalize his return to the position of Hokage. He also needed to request more aid from the daimyo for Konoha's reconstruction.

The Uchiha Clan Compound.

With some time still left, Uchiha Hui found another opponent by offering a hefty sum and agreeing to "self-imposed restrictions."

Then,

he obtained a portion of "Trace Pupil Power."

Only then did he return home, satisfied.

"Absorb!"

His Sharingan was now just a sliver away from reaching the peak of the Two-Tomoe stage.

He had thought today would be a good day.

Not only had he killed two spies and earned a series of rewards, but he would also be able to grind his Sharingan straight to Three-Tomoe.

Instead,

the portion of "Pupil Power" that dropped hadn't even filled the remaining 2% of his progress.

Uchiha Hui could feel his Pupil Power growing. Vaguely, some sort of transformation seemed to be taking place, but his progress remained stuck at 99%. It seemed he needed more Pupil Power to complete the evolution to Three-Tomoe.

He had gotten excited for nothing.

Still,

when he considered that just a few more portions of Pupil Power would be enough for the upgrade,

Uchiha Hui quickly calmed down.

Reaching Three-Tomoe was only a matter of time.

There was nothing to worry about!

However, as he lay in bed that night, Uchiha Hui thought of something else.

With his current reputation within the clan,

very few chunin were still willing to spar with him.

After all, not everyone enjoyed being beaten up.

It had nothing to do with money.

Uchiha ninja had their pride. They weren't willing to serve as someone's punching bag every day.

“Should I try a Jonin?”

An idea popped into Uchiha Hui's head.

The gains chunin could provide were already proving insufficient. At this point, finding higher-level opponents was clearly necessary.

But there's no need to rush. Growing too strong too quickly could draw too much attention...

Uchiha Hui felt deeply insecure.

So, even with Uchiha Fugaku backing him, he still stuck to his approach of "steady development."