"You did well. You didn't shame the Uchiha name. Those bastards from the Shimura clan deserve to be taught a lesson."
That was what Uchiha Minami said to Uchiha Yuan before leaving. Their group had come swiftly and left just as fast.
The small grove soon returned to silence, and after a few words of parting, Uchiha Shisui also took his leave.
When Yuan returned to the classroom, he saw Hyūga Kagami standing in front of Hatake Haruka.
He tilted his head slightly, and their conversation drifted clearly into his ears.
"Haruka-kun, if you ever run into trouble, you can come to me. The name of the Hyūga Clan carries its own weight—it'll be enough to make sure you're not bullied again."
Haruka looked puzzled. "Kagami-kun, I don't understand what you mean."
Kagami said, "Didn't Uchiha Yuan fight Shimura Ken and the sixth-years because of you?"
"Yes," Haruka admitted, his tone dimming. "If it weren't for Yuan-kun's help, I'd have been humiliated even worse."
He lowered his gaze, frustration flashing across his face. "I'm still too weak… but, Kagami-kun, how did you know about that?"
"I heard it from an older clansman in the sixth year," Kagami explained. "Word's spread across the academy—everyone's talking about how Uchiha Yuan single-handedly defeated Shimura Ken's entire gang."
He paused, then added, "My cousin also said that Shimura Ken's brother, Shimura Nozomi, already took people to ambush Uchiha Yuan."
"What?!" Haruka shot to his feet in alarm. "I have to tell Teacher Sarutobi!"
But before he could move, Uchiha Yuan walked back into the classroom.
"Yuan-kun! Thank goodness you're okay," Haruka said, hurrying over. "Kagami-kun said Shimura Ken's brother took people to find you."
Yuan smiled faintly. "I'm fine. Don't forget—I'm an Uchiha. No one in Konoha would dare provoke an Uchiha."
Kagami stepped forward, his voice cool. "But you don't represent the Uchiha. You're only a branch descendant, aren't you?"
Yuan caught the mocking tone but didn't seem to care. He gave Kagami a calm glance and said, "Kagami-kun, the Uchiha aren't like the Hyūga. We don't divide our own into main and branch families.
"Everyone knows the Hyūga branch members' lives are literally in the hands of the main house. The branch is nothing but a line of slaves to their masters.
"Both of our clans may be great houses of the ninja world, but for that reason alone, the Hyūga will never stand as tall as the Uchiha."
Kagami's temples bulged, his expression twisting in anger. "Enough! The matters of the Hyūga Clan are not yours to criticize!"
Yuan smiled faintly. "Hyūga Kagami, strength is all that matters to me. My position within the clan means nothing.
"As long as I have power, anyone who dares to cross me will learn what true pain feels like."
The sharp glint in Yuan's eyes was so fierce that Kagami instinctively averted his gaze. With a sharp "hmph," he turned and strode away.
Haruka looked at Yuan apologetically. "I'm sorry, Yuan-kun. I've caused you so much trouble…"
Yuan waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it, Haruka. Even if it hadn't been for Kakashi-senpai's bowl of ramen, I still wouldn't have stood by doing nothing.
"Besides, I believe that if it had been Kagami or any other student in your place, they would've stepped in too."
At his desk, Kagami—who had been eavesdropping—paused slightly when he heard that. His expression softened a little.
After school, Yuan and Haruka once again returned to the open training ground within the Hatake compound. Yuan continued teaching Haruka how to stand firm, control his breathing, and circulate his inner energy and blood.
But today, Haruka seemed distracted. He couldn't hold his stance for long before faltering.
Seeing his posture slacken, Yuan picked up a thin branch and struck him sharply with it.
"Haruka! Tighten your body! Focus your mind!" he barked.
The branch left a bright red welt across Haruka's small arm, but he immediately resumed his stance with renewed focus.
Yuan stood in front of him, meeting his eyes. "You think all this trouble happened because of you, don't you?"
"Don't speak—just listen.
"I chose to help you. That was my decision, and I don't regret it.
"If you truly feel guilty, then train harder. Maybe one day, I'll be the one who needs your help."
Haruka's eyes lit up at that, and his expression grew firm and resolute.
As his breathing grew steady and his form stabilized, Yuan began pacing slowly around the clearing. His gaze drifted, seemingly aimless, but several times it swept casually toward Kakashi's house.
Today, he didn't feel that familiar sense of being watched—nor did he sense that faint, chilling aura unlike any living being.
Still, his instincts told him that Sakumo Hatake's spirit was indeed watching this training ground.
Ever since he had first encountered Sakumo's lingering soul, a bold idea had begun to take shape in Yuan's mind—
He wanted to apprentice himself to Sakumo Hatake.
Yuan understood his own shortcomings all too well.
Though his taijutsu seemed strong, it was due more to his heightened spiritual perception and physical conditioning.
If a person were a computer, then Yuan's training in senjutsu had greatly upgraded his hardware—his CPU's computing power far surpassed that of ordinary people.
To him, other people's movements appeared almost in slow motion, allowing him to react effortlessly.
However, his taijutsu itself—the "software"—was still underdeveloped. The program's structure was clumsy, unable to make full use of his powerful "processor."
As for ninjutsu, Yuan wanted more than rote learning; he wanted to understand the principles behind each technique—not just how, but why.
But neither his family nor the Ninja Academy could provide that kind of deep knowledge.
His past life's scientific mindset gave him a unique way to analyze jutsu, yet there were still countless mysteries that baffled him.
What he needed now was a true master—someone deeply versed in the art of ninjutsu—to guide him.
Yet with his current status, unvalued within his clan and without any connections, he had no one he could approach for such instruction.
Sakumo Hatake—the White Fang of Konoha—was famed for his unparalleled kenjutsu. And judging from Kakashi's later creation of Chidori and Raikiri, it was clear that the Hatake family's foundation in ninjutsu and swordsmanship ran profound and deep.
Moreover, Sakumo now existed only as a spirit bound by lingering regret. No one but Yuan could see him.
That meant Yuan could train under him in secret, hone his skills freely, and never risk exposing the full extent of his power.
To Yuan, Sakumo Hatake was the perfect answer to his current predicament.
Now the question was—
How could he approach Sakumo Hatake?
And how could he convince the White Fang to teach him?
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