(Second Bonus Chapter, enjoy +200 ^^)
Feeling embarrassed by Yuzuru's praise, Shisui scratched his head. "Actually, I've just been learning from you, Lord Yuzuru. Your sayings have really inspired everyone in the clan."
Yuzuru smiled faintly. "Alright, enough flattery. You should check your eyes first."
As he spoke, he casually used a Water Release to form a smooth water mirror in the air.
Shisui glanced curiously at the reflection—and then his mouth fell open. "Lord Yuzuru, my eyes…!"
Seeing his astonished expression, Yuzuru said calmly, "It's just as you see. You've awakened your Sharingan."
Shisui's face lit up with excitement. "That's great! Now I can go on missions with Brother Obito!"
"Hm? With Obito?"
Yuzuru looked puzzled, and Shisui explained, "Clan head, Brother Obito said that once I awakened my Sharingan, he'd take me with him on missions."
"Don't be fooled by my age—in the academy, even older students like Yugito, Mabui, and Samui can't beat me!"
Hearing those familiar names, Yuzuru couldn't help but sigh inwardly. In the original story, those three would become the famous "Three Flowers of the Cloud," but right now, they were just little academy girls.
"Clan head Yuzuru, I'm going to find Brother Obito!"
With that, Shisui spun around and ran off. Watching the boy's boundless energy, Yuzuru smiled faintly.
So different from the overly serious child in the original timeline—this was how a five-year-old was supposed to be.
———
———
A week later.
Yuzuru was lounging in the training field, basking lazily in the sun. In the center of the field, Mikoto Uchiha, Kushina Uzumaki, and Karura were sparring fiercely, their movements fluid and powerful. Each strike and dodge carried a subtle, captivating grace unique to women.
Just as Yuzuru was watching the scene with great appreciation, three little troublemakers burst into the training grounds.
"Big Brother Yuzuru, finally found you!" Obito shouted in his usual booming voice.
Seeing Obito, Kakashi, and Shisui together, Yuzuru raised a brow. "You're looking for me?"
Obito nodded eagerly. "Big Brother Yuzuru, we want to take on higher-ranked missions outside the village, but we need your help."
Yuzuru glanced at the Cloud Village forehead protectors on Obito and Kakashi's heads, puzzled. "Aren't you two already genin? You can just pick missions from the task hall."
Obito sighed. "We could—but Shisui wants to come too. He's not a genin yet, so he can't take missions outside the village like us."
"Then just don't bring Shisui," Yuzuru said flatly.
Obito looked offended. "Big Brother Yuzuru! I'm his big brother—you can't underestimate our bond!"
Kakashi and Shisui both bowed deeply. "Please, Senior Yuzuru (Clan Head)!"
Unable to stand their pleading, Yuzuru sighed. "Fine, I'll help you this once—but just this once."
He wasn't particularly busy anyway. A little trip outside the village might even be relaxing.
When Yuzuru agreed, the three boys cheered in excitement and practically dragged him toward the mission hall.
After briefly telling Mikoto, Kushina, and Karura where he was going, Yuzuru followed the boys into the bustling mission hall.
The place was packed, with every ninja flipping through mission listings.
Ever since the Cloud Village had defeated the Allied Shinobi Forces, most employers prioritized hiring from the Cloud. As a result, missions were abundant—there was never any shortage of work.
Yuzuru picked up a mission scroll and began to browse idly.
"Help an old lady find her cat…"
"Feed pigs…"
"A widow fears thunderstorms at night—requests a ninja to stand guard (Uchiha clan preferred)…"
"What the hell is all this?" Yuzuru muttered, skipping the trivial ones and flipping to the last few pages—where one mission suddenly caught his eye.
"The Queen of Rōran Kingdom has died mysteriously. Citizens have been abducted and gone missing. Seeking skilled investigative shinobi to uncover the truth. (Includes map of Rōran's location.)"
At the sight of that word—Rōran—memories stirred in Yuzuru's mind.
Rōran lay within the Land of Wind, surrounded by endless desert, its size comparable to a small town. The nation had no ninja of its own, but it possessed the Ryūmyaku Vein—a powerful source of energy.
In the original story, a rogue from Sunagakure named Anrokuzan sought to harness the Ryūmyaku Vein's power, triggering a time-space distortion that sent Naruto Uzumaki and others into the past, where they met Minato Namikaze's squad. Judging by Kakashi's age at that time, it must have been right before the Third Great Ninja War—just before Sakumo Hatake's death.
That meant the timeline aligned perfectly.
"So because Cloud's reputation now surpasses Konoha's, the Rōran mission came to us instead?" Yuzuru murmured, already forming a theory.
Obito leaned over curiously. "Big Brother Yuzuru, what is it?"
Yuzuru smiled. "I've found us a suitable mission."
The Ryūmyaku Vein's power was immense—virtually limitless. If he could secure that power for himself during the mission, it would be quite a gain.
"Huh?"
"Let me see!" Obito snatched the mission scroll, with Kakashi and Shisui crowding in beside him.
Moments later, all three widened their eyes.
"It's an A-rank mission?!"
"C-can we even take that?"
Even Kakashi, usually the calm one, looked uncertain.
As genin, they were only cleared for D- or C-rank missions. Even with Yuzuru leading them, they had assumed the best they could attempt was a B-rank mission at most.
Who could have guessed he'd go straight for an A-rank?
A-rank missions were the ceiling for most shinobi—many involved national strategies or village secrets, and the outcome could shift regional power balances.
"S-Senior Yuzuru, can we really do this?"
"Clan head, that's an A-rank mission!"
"I'm confident in my skills, but isn't this a bit much?" Obito asked nervously. "Will the mission evaluation even approve us?"
Seeing their anxious faces, Yuzuru replied coolly, "If you want higher-ranked missions, then commit all the way."
"As for the evaluation—" his tone brimmed with confidence, "with me here, even an S-rank mission wouldn't be a problem."