The Uchiha Clan compound.
A solemn atmosphere hung over it.
Inside a room at its center, Uchiha Kan knelt on one knee, cold sweat seeping from his forehead.
Before Uchiha Kan stood a man with his back to him, hands clasped behind him.
This man was the head of the Uchiha Clan and the captain of the Konoha Military Police Force... Uchiha Kageyama.
"Fool!"
"Captain..."
Uchiha Kan knelt there in fear and awe, his body trembling slightly.
Uchiha Kageyama turned around and looked at him coldly. "You caused such a huge commotion over a mere brat."
"Do you realize that even Lord Hokage has personally inquired into this matter?!"
Listening to Uchiha Kageyama's rebuke, Uchiha Kan dared not say a word in reply.
All he felt was regret and frustration.
He had never imagined that Uya, a mere brat from another village, could cause such an uproar and thrust the entire Uchiha Clan into the center of the storm.
If I had known this would happen, I should have found a way to kill that brat outright back then!
Now, however, it would be difficult. Uya had become a genius renowned throughout Konoha, and everyone knew he had a conflict with their Uchiha Clan.
If anything happened to Uya, their Uchiha Clan would never be able to clear its name, even if it were completely innocent.
However, there was still another issue with this matter.
In less than three months, Uya and Uchiha Kan would face each other in a duel to the death!
"Although the Third Hokage has personally inquired into this matter, the Uchiha Clan's reputation is at stake. We cannot back down because of that."
Uchiha Kageyama looked coldly at Uchiha Kan, his tone carrying a note of severity. "Do you understand?! Right now, neither you nor that brat matters. What matters is our Uchiha Clan's reputation. We cannot lose face!"
"If our Uchiha Clan has to back down just because some brat has shown a little talent, how will we ever hold our heads high in Konoha again?!"
His words carried a chill cold enough to freeze the air.
"I... I understand..."
Uchiha Kan answered in a trembling voice.
Seeing this, Uchiha Kageyama shook his head, turned around, and stood with his hands behind his back again.
"You may leave. Three months from now, I don't want to see any surprises."
"Yes!"
Uchiha Kan answered without hesitation, intense killing intent showing in his eyes.
Even if Uya had taken first place in the Ninja Academy's practical combat ranking assessment, to him, it was nothing more than children playing house.
He could only dream of beating me!
In a grove of trees.
A breeze blew through from time to time, making the leaves rustle.
Bang! Bang! Bang!!
Rhythmic blows rang out.
Uya stood before a wooden post so thick it would take both arms to encircle it, punching it over and over.
There was a deep indentation in the post, and Uya's fists continued to strike that indentation, punch after punch.
Faint flecks of blood marked the dent.
Although bandages were wrapped around Uya's fists, after hundreds and thousands of repeated punches, his fists would still be injured.
"Hah!!"
Counting silently, Uya reached one thousand and suddenly drove a heavy punch forward with an exuberant shout.
Crack!!!
He had involuntarily used the power of tremors in that punch. The thick wooden post already had a deep indentation in it, and this blow shattered it outright at that spot.
"Phew, I've already broken more than a dozen wooden posts... These things really don't last. Should I switch to metal posts?"
Looking at yet another wooden post he had broken, Uya showed a hint of helplessness.
Getting a metal training implement would cost far more than a little money.
On second thought, though, there was a compromise.
If he couldn't get metal, he could get stone.
Stone would still be harder than wood, though using a stone post would probably hurt far more than using a wooden one.
"It's all worth it if I can build a body capable of opening the second gate as soon as possible. At worst, I'll wrap a few more layers of bandages around my hands!"
Rubbing his chin as he muttered, Uya's eyes showed a trace of determination.
Less than two days had passed since Uya defeated Minato Namikaze, took first place in the practical combat ranking assessment, and became renowned throughout Konoha.
Uya had not rested at all. As soon as the practical combat ranking assessment ended, he had thrown himself back into training.
Fame and all that were hollow. Only strength truly mattered.
Even setting aside the incredibly dangerous hurdle before him, the approaching Second Shinobi World War would be fraught with danger. Without powerful strength, he would be nothing but cannon fodder.
After resting briefly, Uya prepared to resume his training. Next came a thousand side kicks, followed by another round of push-ups.
Just as Uya walked up to the half-broken wooden post, a masked figure suddenly flickered into view.
"Uya, Lord Hokage would like you to come see him."
The masked Anbu spoke to Uya in an utterly calm tone.
Uya was slightly surprised, then nodded.
Naturally, he could not refuse a summons from the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi.
But that was not what surprised him. Rather... Hiruzen Sarutobi should have summoned him long ago.
He should have called for him after the practical combat ranking assessment ended that day, yet he had delayed until now.
During that time, Uya had even wondered whether Hiruzen Sarutobi had turned around and forgotten about him, but on reflection, that seemed impossible.
"All right."
After answering, Uya followed the Anbu toward the village.
As they left, the Anbu ninja could not help glancing at the wooden post Uya had broken, then at the bloodstained bandages wrapped around Uya's fists.
A trace of surprise immediately appeared in his eyes.
He could not help giving Uya a few more looks.
If Uya had merely been a boy with outstanding talent, he would not have paid him any special attention.
But Uya not only possessed outstanding talent, he could also push himself this hard, training with near-mad intensity. Even he had to take notice.
Great talent was not frightening, but someone who possessed great talent and could also endure hardship and work desperately hard was truly frightening.
With both hard work and talent, as long as Uya did not die along the way, his future was almost unimaginable.
Konoha, the Hokage Building.
Following the Anbu, Uya soon arrived there, then entered the Hokage Building without any obstruction.
They went all the way to the Hokage's office at the top of the building.
This was where all the miscellaneous affairs of Konoha's more than ten thousand ninja were handled.
It was also the pinnacle of power and status in Konoha.
At that moment, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in the Hokage's chair with a slight frown, taking a puff of smoke as he lowered his head in thought.
The Uchiha Clan's stance is actually this unyielding... But that makes sense. If no one knew about this, it could have been resolved easily.
But now everyone in Konoha knows. With all eyes on them, the Uchiha Clan cannot afford to lose face.