Uchiha Fugaku's gaze turned to the courtyard outside the window, where the plants thrived under the moonlight, each branch and leaf appearing orderly and clearly pruned.
"What do you think of Chishimo?" Fugaku asked casually, his gaze still fixed on the window.
Uchiha Mikoto gently patted Uchiha Itachi, who was dozing off in her arms, and smiled, "Chishimo is different from most Uchiha Clan members; he's a humble and polite good child. Besides, for you to think so highly of him, his talent must be exceptional. I only hope Itachi can be as outstanding as him in the future!"
Fugaku nodded in agreement.
"Indeed! That child is truly outstanding!"
A gentle breeze swept through, and the plants in the courtyard swayed with the wind, the interplay of motion and stillness creating a naturally harmonious scene…
…
Time flew by, and three years passed in the blink of an eye.
Chishimo lived a nearly monotonous life of school and training every day, occasionally sparring with Might Guy and Uchiha Shisui in his free time. Though simple, his life was fulfilling.
As for the Uchiha Clan, under Uchiha Fugaku's deliberate guidance, the Konoha Military Police Force's attitude in their work gradually improved. Although the effect was not yet significant, the Village's resistance towards the Uchiha Clan was visibly decreasing.
Everything seemed to be developing in a positive direction.
However, outside Konoha Village, it was not as peaceful as within the Village.
The Third Kazekage of Hidden Sand Village went missing, leading many high-ranking officials of Sunagakure to suspect Konoha and Iwagakure. With Kumogakure fanning the flames from the side, numerous conflicts had continuously erupted along the borders of the major countries.
This caused a headache for the Konoha leadership. Konoha was no longer what it used to be; after two major wars, its overall strength had significantly diminished. The demand for Ninja was now far outstripping supply, with even some less capable Genin being sent to the front lines, indicating the severity of the war.
As part of the Village, the Uchiha Clan was naturally no exception, and some of their Chunin and Jonin were successively dispatched to the border.
In the courtyard of the Clan Head's residence in the Uchiha Clan compound, Uchiha Fugaku was carefully parting the lush flower and plant branches with a watering can, then pouring water onto the exposed soil, repeating the process.
Behind him stood a straight, black-haired youth. The youth was not old but already about 1.5 meters tall. Most striking were his deep, dark eyes, like a boundless starry sea.
This was Chishimo, who had been studying under Fugaku for three years.
Chishimo had received a message from Fugaku early in the morning, saying there was an important matter to discuss. He had rushed over without even eating breakfast, only for his cheap teacher to make him watch him water flowers for ten minutes.
Though Chishimo felt helpless, he didn't dwell on it. After all, for three years, Fugaku had poured all his efforts into training Chishimo, and Chishimo had seen it all, feeling nothing but gratitude and respect for Fugaku in his heart.
"You must have heard about the conflicts breaking out on the Konoha border, right? What are your thoughts?" Fugaku didn't turn around, still tending to the flowers and plants in his hands.
"Regardless of whether the Third Kazekage truly disappeared or not, even if this incident hadn't occurred, war would come sooner or later. This was already destined when the First Hokage allocated the most fertile land to Konoha!"
Chishimo, who was privy to the inside story, naturally wouldn't say anything foolish about wronging good people. With unequal resources, it was inevitable for other Hidden Villages in harsh environments to covet Konoha's land. The Third Kazekage's disappearance was merely a pure excuse.
Fugaku briefly glanced at Chishimo, then quickly looked away, clearly no longer surprised by Chishimo's precocious thinking.
"I didn't expect you to see through it so clearly! Since you know Konoha has always been coveted by other Villages, you should also understand that the front lines probably need more Ninja to participate."
"Does Teacher mean…?" Chishimo already had a faint ominous feeling.
"Two days ago, Hokage-sama subtly suggested that you and Shisui graduate early. I have already agreed."
Chishimo thought, "As expected." It seemed his wonderful school life was about to end.
Fugaku turned around, his steady gaze filled with a hint of satisfaction as he looked at Chishimo, his tone becoming a bit gentler.
"Over these three years, I have taught you most of what I know. My original expectation was for you to reach this level in at least five years, but you did it in only three. You've truly done an excellent job; you are indeed my disciple!"
Upon hearing this, Chishimo was immediately flattered. After all, even when he exceeded the goals Fugaku set for him, he usually only received a simple "Well done."
He had never even dreamed of hearing such proud words.
Chishimo's small face flushed slightly. Who wouldn't want to be the pride of their teacher? Chishimo was no exception.
"But while you have learned much, you may not be able to apply it as instinctively as you wish. So, what you need now is experience, actual combat, do you understand?" Fugaku's tone shifted slightly.
"I understand, so Teacher wants me to gain experience on the battlefield?" Chishimo also understood what he lacked.
Although Chishimo often sparred with others, it wasn't a fight to the death. There would be differences in both psychological state and techniques compared to true combat.
"Exactly. But you don't need to worry too much about safety. You will only receive lower-level missions, and I will also announce that I have taken you as my disciple. Those old guys who want to cause you trouble will have to reconsider then."
Chishimo naturally knew who Fugaku was referring to as "old guys." Among Konoha's high-ranking officials, Danzo had the biggest issues with the Uchiha.
If he were targeted by him, Shisui at least had the connection with Uchiha Kagami, but Chishimo truly had nothing. Now, with the Clan Head as his backer, Danzo wouldn't dare to set any traps.
As for colluding with other countries, that was indeed something to be cautious about, but Chishimo was also confident in his current strength. No matter who he encountered, even if he couldn't win, he was confident he could retreat safely.
Leaving the courtyard and walking along the corridor, Chishimo was deep in thought about his future direction when his thoughts were interrupted by a childish voice.
"Big Brother Chishimo!"
Chishimo looked up to see a pale-skinned little boy blinking his big eyes at him.
"Oh, it's Itachi. What are you doing here? Where's Mother?"
"Mom went out to buy things. I was just going to find Father; I wanted him to teach me some Ninjutsu! How about it, Big Brother Chishimo, will you teach me some Ninjutsu?" Uchiha Itachi blinked his big eyes, eager to learn.
"Uh…" Chishimo put on a thoughtful expression, feeling a bit troubled. Although he had subtly guided and corrected some of Uchiha Itachi's thinking during this time, no one could be sure if he would still be led astray by the Third Hokage or Shisui in the future.
If he really went astray again, wouldn't his efforts be considered aiding the enemy?
But after thinking about it, he shook his head. They were just simple Ninjutsu; even if he didn't teach them, Itachi would learn them sooner or later. Perhaps he was just being too sensitive.
Shaking his head to clear away those unrealistic fantasies, he reached out and patted Uchiha Itachi's little head. "Of course, no problem, but we still need to get your father's permission first."
"Okay!" Uchiha Itachi nodded obediently.