"My name is Rikuya Hayashi. I like sleeping and playing games. My dream is to spend my life lying down and growing old in peace."
Rikuya spoke his dream aloud.
This statement made Minato Namikaze and Kakashi take a closer look at him, their curiosity piqued.
Yes—unlike so many others, his goal wasn't to become Hokage.
That position was something you could only dream about if you were from the Hokage's bloodline. Even someone as overwhelmingly strong as Madara Uchiha never had a real chance at the seat. Rikuya had no illusions about it.
History itself proved his point.
Even in the so-called "non-flammable" Boruto era, it was still the Hokage's own lineage that sat in the Hokage's chair.Some democracy that was.
Truth be told, if you looked closely, a lot of things in the shinobi world—and in the stories about it—were unsettling when you thought about them.
After introductions were finished, Minato walked with them, explaining some of the practical knowledge every full-fledged shinobi needed—combat techniques, battlefield traps, and other skills.
These were things the Academy would never teach.
The reason was simple: the details changed constantly. If you acted purely based on what you learned in school, you could easily find yourself in trouble.
A squad leader's role was to use their real-world experience to keep the new genin from walking into the same traps they had once fallen into.
It was because of how well this system worked that it became the standard across the shinobi world.
Rikuya found himself learning a lot.
Even small tips about hand seals helped him perform jutsu faster—an area he had always struggled with.
The Uchiha clan had never given him personal instruction, and no one at the Academy had bothered either.
Even the Summoning Technique he'd obtained had only been possible thanks to his "white-knight" ally pulling strings for him. Without that, it would have been impossible.
Ninjutsu…
It was only once you lived in the shinobi world that you realized just how hard it was to acquire.
The Academy only taught the "Three Basic Techniques" like the Clone Technique—D-rank jutsu. If someone knew anything more advanced, it was usually because it had been passed down in their clan or taught by a personal master.
That was why both Rikuya and Koji Yamanaka listened so intently to Minato's explanations.
Kakashi, on the other hand, wasn't as focused.
His father was the legendary Rikuya Hayashi, and he had been training him since childhood. These lessons were nothing new to him.
Before long, they arrived at the training grounds.
Konoha had many of them—you just had to book in advance.
Every major shinobi clan had their own training areas as well.
Calling them "training grounds" was a bit generous, though. They were usually nothing more than open fields with some throwing targets and wooden posts.
Given the destructive power of shinobi, it made sense to keep things simple; if you invested too much in the facilities, the repair costs would be ruinous.
The key was that no civilians lived nearby.
"All right—let's begin the test," Minato announced.
If it had been another squad leader, things would have been much simpler.
A leader's official role was only to help new genin get used to being shinobi—not necessarily to train them. Unless they liked a student enough to go the extra mile, they usually wouldn't.
But Minato's responsible and thorough personality was a huge blessing for his students.
When he trained someone, he really trained them—sometimes even teaching them new jutsu.
That was why having a good teacher could make such a difference.
The test covered kunai throwing, physical conditioning, close-quarters combat skills, chakra control, hand seal speed, the Three Basic Techniques… and more.
All of it was the foundation of a shinobi's strength.
Having powerful jutsu alone wasn't enough. Many strong shinobi had died in battle simply because their fundamentals were lacking.
The most famous example was Nawaki Senju.
Despite being a direct heir of the Senju clan and a student of Orochimaru, one of the Sannin, he died because of a simple explosive tag trap.
Bloodline, status—none of it could save you if your basics were weak.
"Alright, I've seen enough. Starting tomorrow, I'll prepare a personalized training plan for each of you," Minato said, looking over the three of them as they caught their breath.
Kakashi had the most raw talent, Koji Yamanaka was second, and the weakest was Rikuya Hayashi.
For Rikuya to have mastered the Summoning Technique was almost impossible under normal circumstances.
It wasn't just the difficulty of learning it—the real problem was chakra capacity.
With his civilian-level physical ability, he shouldn't have enough chakra for such a technique.
Everyone knew he wasn't a true-born Uchiha. His surname had come from his mother's remarriage into the clan. Uchiha children could use C-rank jutsu at a young age because of their heritage; Rikuya wasn't the same.
Clan members had both acquired and inherited advantages. Their very bodies were shaped by generations of shinobi blood.
Still, Minato didn't question him. Shinobi never pried into another's secrets.
"Today's training is over. Your missions will start tomorrow. Here—your forehead protectors. Congratulations, you're officially genin of the Hidden Leaf. Meet in front of the Hokage Building tomorrow morning. Dismissed!"
Minato tossed them their headbands, then turned to leave.
It was worth remembering: the shinobi life was military in nature. Orders from above were absolute.
Even if you were ordered to your death, you could not refuse.
Yes—it was that cold.
Rikuya Hayashi had been driven to suicide for choosing to save a comrade instead of completing a mission.
He had been so powerful that even the Sannin would pale before him, yet even he had been destroyed by the weight of the rules.
That was the fate of those who disobeyed orders.
An insubordinate shinobi could be executed on the spot without it being considered excessive.
As for abuse of power? That wasn't as big a risk as it sounded—between secret techniques and genjutsu, it was hard to get away with framing someone.
After they were dismissed, the three split up.
Normally, Rikuya would have gone back to his rented place to do research.
But for now, he had to return to the Uchiha compound.
Even with the clan negotiating on his behalf with the village, he was still worried Danzo might pull something ruthless.
When he got back, a woman from one of the clan's main houses greeted him.
"Lady Mei has gone on an emergency mission. Your belongings have been set up for you," she said.
The Uchiha clan admired strength.
Before, they had looked down on Rikuya as a "failure." But once they learned he had defeated Kakashi, their attitude naturally improved.
Before, they wouldn't have even spoken to him.
"Thank you, Aunt Yukika," Rikuya said politely before hurrying to his quarters.
He wasn't surprised that Uchiha Mei had gone on a mission—she was infamous for taking as many as she could. It was how she had become a tokubetsu jōnin at such a young age.
Once her skills improved further, she could easily rise to full jōnin.
And in Konoha, the difference in status between a jōnin and a non-jōnin was massive. Jōnin could even vote on who became Hokage.
For Mei to become the undisputed head of her household, she first had to reach jōnin rank. For now, her leadership was only in name.
Once she officially became head of house, her authority would be second only to the clan leader's—commanding hundreds and controlling the resources of her branch.
That was why the position was so coveted.
Of course, if you had the overwhelming power of someone like Madara Uchiha, you could simply dominate the clan by force.
When Rikuya reached the basement, he stopped dead in his tracks.
Brand-new, high-quality laboratory equipment had been set up, along with a large collection of books and scrolls.
Many of the scrolls were clan property, the kind only a prestigious house like the Uchiha could possess.
Pulling one from the shelf, Rikuya realized he had struck gold.
Chakra: Its Nature and Analysis.
The author? Madara Uchiha himself.
Well, damn. Rikuya couldn't help but mutter in awe.
When it came to understanding chakra, the "Shura of the Shinobi World" certainly knew more than even the so-called God of Shinobi.
Hashirama Senju might have been stronger overall, but he was never the type to write something like this.
This one scroll alone was worth more to Rikuya than some of his own prized inventions—and it was only one of many.
His excitement growing, he eagerly began examining the rest.
(End of Chapter)