Moyu Had Chunin-Level Strength

The match was over.

Uchiha Makoto stood in the crowd, listening to the buzz of conversation around him, feeling a little uneasy.

He wasn't afraid.

Just anxious.

He had already held back as much as he could.

Really, he swore!

But dealing with that kid Asuma had still been far too easy.

As easy as an adult beating up a child, though Asuma was indeed a child.

The problem was, he was a child too.

A six-year-old had utterly trounced another six-year-old, the Hokage's son, who had received elite training since he was little...

Did that make sense?

No, it didn't.

At least, not to any normal person.

Uchiha Makoto stole a glance at the spectator stands.

The Hokage had already left.

Wearing his signature kindly smile, he had offered a few platitudes like, "Konoha's future is in your hands," and then left.

He had left without any fuss, but Uchiha Makoto didn't buy it.

He didn't believe that old fox hadn't noticed anything.

Would a Hokage who had held office for decades, a seasoned veteran of two shinobi world wars, really fail to notice a six-year-old holding back?

Holding back was an understatement.

I'm done for, Uchiha Makoto muttered inwardly. Now I'm back on the higher-ups' radar.

He remembered the surveillance by the Root and the Anbu.

Things had quieted down lately, but that was because he had been "acting normal."

An ordinary Uchiha orphan with some talent, but nothing too outstanding.

Konoha had plenty of children like that.

There was no need to keep watching him.

But things were different now.

Now he was a prodigy who could "easily defeat the Hokage's son."

So he would most likely be watched again.

"What a pain..." Uchiha Makoto rubbed his temples.

But on second thought, perhaps it wasn't that bad.

Relations between Konoha and the Uchiha were delicate, but they hadn't reached the point of an open falling-out.

Shisui was under surveillance, but it was only surveillance.

That meant the Uchiha still had value.

It meant a "prodigy" like him was still safe for now, as long as he didn't cross certain lines.

"I'll just take things as they come." Uchiha Makoto sighed.

That was all he could do.

The first half of the school year ended, bringing a short, week-long break.

It was so short that half of it had passed before Uchiha Makoto even decided how to spend it.

"Konoha really is stingy these days." He sat on a rock beside the training ground, watching Obito and Guy spar.

Obito's punch missed, and Guy kicked him in the backside, sending him sprawling face-first.

"Makoto!" Obito got up, looking aggrieved. "Guy kicked my butt again!"

"That's because you're too slow." Guy looked perfectly serious. "Youth allows no slacking!"

Uchiha Makoto ignored them. His mind was elsewhere.

He was thinking about this era. The Second Shinobi World War had ended only a few years ago, and the Third Shinobi World War had yet to begin.

But war was already in the air. Konoha needed shinobi, lots of shinobi.

That was why the school program had been shortened. Students had to graduate in four years, five at most.

That was why the Ninja Academy's vacations had been shortened too.

A week was already considered long.

Even students who didn't meet the standards had to graduate and become Genin.

They too had to... go to the battlefield, then become cannon fodder.

Many of them might not live to see fifteen.

"I have to get stronger," he said quietly.

Not just for himself.

But also for these... idiots.

"Makoto!"

Obito took another kick and ran over.

"I'm not fighting Guy anymore!" he complained. "He keeps kicking my butt!"

"That's because you suck," Uchiha Makoto said.

"I..." Obito was at a loss for words.

"All right." Uchiha Makoto stood up. "No more fighting Guy today."

"Then who am I fighting?" Obito asked.

"Him." Uchiha Makoto pointed at Moyu on his shoulder.

Moyu tilted his head.

"Him?" Obito's eyes widened. "That crow?"

"Yeah." Uchiha Makoto nodded.

"Come on, Makoto, don't mess with me." Obito laughed. "What can a crow fight?"

"He's no ordinary crow," Uchiha Makoto said mysteriously.

"Then what is he?"

"He has a special Yin Release bloodline." Uchiha Makoto lowered his voice. "He might be descended from some powerful summoning beast, and he's already reached Chunin-level strength!"

Obito froze.

"R-really?"

"Why would I lie to you?" Uchiha Makoto said. "Look at his eyes. Aren't they especially bright?"

Obito leaned closer to look, and Moyu looked back at him.

The boy and the crow stared at each other.

"They are pretty bright," Obito said.

"And his feathers," Uchiha Makoto continued. "Aren't they especially black?"

"They are pretty black."

"Exactly." Uchiha Makoto clapped his hands. "That's a sign of his Yin Release bloodline!"

Obito nodded, only half understanding.

[Lie-Into-Reality activated.]

[Target: Obito Uchiha.]

[Lie: Moyu possesses a special Yin Release bloodline, is descended from a powerful summoning beast, and currently has Chunin-level strength.]

[Trust: 100%.]

[Manifestation: Moyu gains yin release chakra. Strength increases to Chunin level (weak).]

Uchiha Makoto felt his shoulder grow heavier. Moyu's feathers seemed darker, and his eyes seemed brighter.

His body... seemed a tiny bit bigger?

It wasn't obvious, but he had definitely changed.

"Can you feel it?" Uchiha Makoto asked.

"Feel what?" Obito looked bewildered.

"His presence," Uchiha Makoto said. "A Chunin-level presence."

Obito focused on sensing it.

Then his expression changed.

"I-it does seem like there's a little..." He swallowed. "Pressure?"

"Not a little," Uchiha Makoto corrected him. "A lot."

Obito fell silent and looked at Moyu.

Moyu looked back at him, then let out a cry.

"Caw!"

It wasn't loud.

But Obito felt as though that cry... contained chakra?

"Believe me now?" Uchiha Makoto asked.

"Yeah." Obito nodded vigorously.

He really did believe it.

How could anything Makoto said be false?

If Makoto said this crow had Chunin-level strength, then he had Chunin-level strength!

Even if he looked like an ordinary crow.

Even if he had just pooped on Obito's head earlier.

If Makoto said it, he believed it!

Looking at Obito's expression, which practically screamed, "I believe you, I really do," Uchiha Makoto felt like laughing.

This kid was far too easy to fool.

Still, that was good. Being easy to fool made him useful.

"Then today," Uchiha Makoto said, "you'll train with him."

"With him?" Obito pointed at Moyu.

"Right." Uchiha Makoto nodded. "Beat him, and you win."

"Beat a crow?" Obito laughed. "Makoto, you're really underestimating me."

"Want to try?" Uchiha Makoto smiled too.

"Bring it on!"

Ten minutes later, Obito lay on the ground, looking utterly defeated.

He had gained more than a dozen claw marks. They weren't deep, but they hurt.

They burned.

Moyu stood on his chest, looking at him with his head tilted.

His gaze seemed to say, That's all you've got?

"Makoto..." Obito's voice was weak. "Is he... is he really only Chunin level?"

"Yeah." Uchiha Makoto nodded.

"But he... he pinned me down and beat me up..."

"That's because you suck."

"..."

Obito wanted to argue, but he couldn't.

Because a crow really had pinned him down and beaten him up, and he hadn't been able to fight back at all.

Moyu was too fast, so fast that Obito couldn't even follow his movements.

Moyu's claws were too sharp, so sharp that every swipe left a bloody mark.

Moyu's tactics were too dirty, so dirty that he went exclusively for below-the-belt attacks.

Obito felt he had never been so humiliated in his life.

"Makoto." He looked miserable. "Has this crow... turned into some kind of spirit?"

"A spirit?" Uchiha Makoto considered it. "More or less."

"Then how... how old is he?"

"How old?" Uchiha Makoto glanced at Moyu. He figured the crow was probably a little over a year old, but after some consideration, he decided to go younger. "He's still a fledgling."

"A fledgling?!" Obito nearly jumped up. "He's still a fledgling?!"

"Yeah." Uchiha Makoto nodded. "He still has a long way to go before he's fully grown."

"I..." Obito wanted to cry. "I can't even beat a fledgling?"

"Nope." Uchiha Makoto was blunt.

"Then from now on..." Obito's voice trembled. "Am I going to get bullied by him every day?"

"Possibly," Uchiha Makoto said.

Obito wanted to cry even more, but Uchiha Makoto's next words brought him back to life.

"But," Uchiha Makoto said, "once Moyu grows up and has chicks, I can give you one."

Obito's eyes lit up instantly.

"Really?!"

"Really."

"You're the best, Makoto!" Obito sprang up from the ground and threw his arms around Uchiha Makoto. "I knew you cared about me the most!"

Obito hugged Uchiha Makoto so tightly that he could barely breathe.

"L-let go..."

Obito let go, but his eyes were still shining. The look in his eyes changed as he gazed at Moyu.

From "this dumb bird" to "this little treasure."

"Moyu, oh, Moyu," he said, rubbing his hands together with a fawning smile. "Eat more from now on, grow big and strong, and have lots of chicks..."

Moyu tilted its head.

"Caw?"

"That's right, lots of chicks," Obito continued. "The more, the better..."

Uchiha Makoto found Obito's behavior amusing.

Give him a chick?

That would have to wait until Moyu grew up.

How long would that take?

A year? Two years? Five?

It was hard to say whether Obito would even still be around by then, but he couldn't say that.

He had to make Obito believe Moyu was strong, so its offspring would be strong too.

The stronger Obito imagined Moyu to be, the stronger Moyu would actually become.

It was a ploy, but Obito bought into it.

Not only did he buy into it, he swallowed it eagerly.

"Makoto," he asked, "what does Moyu like to eat? I'll go find some!"

"Bugs," Uchiha Makoto said.

"Bugs? What kind of bugs?"

"Any kind."

"Then I'll go catch some!" Obito turned and ran. "The fattest ones!"

Uchiha Makoto watched him go and shook his head.

Then he looked at Moyu, who suddenly spoke.

"Idiot."

The voice was hoarse but clear.

Uchiha Makoto froze, and so did Obito.

He had only taken two steps before he ran back.

"M-Makoto," he stammered, "did... did it just talk?"

"Seems like it," Uchiha Makoto said.

"Crows... can talk?"

"Ordinary crows can't," Uchiha Makoto said. "But Moyu isn't an ordinary crow."

"Then it..."

"It can talk." Uchiha Makoto looked at Moyu. "Right?"

Moyu looked at him, then spoke again.

"Bugs."

"..."

"Fat ones."

"..."

Uchiha Makoto and Obito exchanged a glance.

Then they laughed at the same time.

None of them found it particularly surprising. Many ninja animals in the Hokage world were highly intelligent and could even speak.

Shisui's crows simply weren't among them.

Who would have thought that materializing a little bloodline power for Moyu would awaken its intelligence?

Cheng looked at Moyu, but what he was thinking was:

Did this dumb bird just call me an idiot?