“I am Ryuichi Matsumoto, and starting today, I will be the Jonin leader of Team 7.” Ryuichi Matsumoto’s voice was calm and measured.
“In my team, I don’t care what Kekkei Genkai you possess or what kind of background you come from.
I only care about three things: discipline, fundamentals, and execution.”
He paused, his gaze deliberately lingering on Ryuha’s face for a second.
“Especially those who think they’re something special just because they have a little talent—you had better leave that attitude at the door.
Shinobi go to the battlefield; they aren’t performers in a circus.”
Kazuya Haruno and Itsuki Fujiwara subconsciously straightened their backs.
“Yes, Teacher!”
Ryuha pushed up his glasses and remained silent.
A flicker of displeasure crossed Ryuichi Matsumoto’s eyes, but he did not burst out.
He merely said coldly, “Now, introductions.
Your name, your likes, your dislikes, and your dream.
Starting with you.” He pointed at Kazuya Haruno.
“Yes!
My name is Kazuya Haruno.
I like reading books and studying Ninjutsu theory.
I hate bugs, and my dream is to become an elite Jonin who fights with intelligence, just like Lord Shikaku Nara!”
“I’m Itsuki Fujiwara!
I like eating Onigiri and training in Taijutsu.
I hate naggy people, and my dream is to become a Taijutsu master and protect those precious to me!”
Both spoke with great earnestness, filled with the vibrant energy unique to youth.
Ryuichi Matsumoto’s expression softened slightly as he nodded.
Then he turned to Ryuha, his eyes filled with scrutiny.
“Your turn, Ryuha Uchiha.”
Ryuha raised his eyes, meeting Ryuichi Matsumoto’s gaze calmly.
A silence fell for two seconds.
Just as Ryuichi Matsumoto was losing his patience and about to urge him on, Ryuha spoke.
His voice was soft, yet it carried clearly into everyone’s ears.
“Ryuha Uchiha.”
“No particular likes.”
“Dislikes…
boredom, I suppose.”
He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly behind his lenses as he looked toward the distant sky.
His tone was as casual as if he were stating what he had for lunch:
“My dream…
is probably to stand in the heavens.”
The training ground fell dead silent.
Kazuya Haruno and Itsuki Fujiwara stood with their mouths agape, completely bewildered.
Stand…
in the heavens?
What did that mean?
Ryuichi Matsumoto’s face darkened completely.
Stand in the heavens?
What arrogance!
What kind of absurd dream was that?
Conceited!
Arrogant!
Ignorant of the vastness of the world!
As expected, all Uchiha were cut from the same cloth!
Walking around with their eyes in the sky, thinking a bit of talent gave them the right to look down on all creation?
Ryuichi Matsumoto’s chest heaved as he forced down the urge to berate him, though his gaze had already turned cold as ice.
“Very well.” He squeezed the words through his gritted teeth.
“Ryuha Uchiha, I will remember your ‘dream’.”
He looked away from Ryuha and turned back to Kazuya Haruno and Itsuki Fujiwara, his tone softening slightly.
“Starting tomorrow, we execute missions.
Based on your performance, I will decide whether you are worthy to remain my students.”
“Dismissed.”
With that, Ryuichi Matsumoto vanished instantly with a Body Flicker, not wanting to stay for even a second longer.
Kazuya Haruno and Itsuki Fujiwara looked at each other in confusion before cautiously glancing at Ryuha.
Ryuha had already pulled out his scroll again, reading as if no one else were around, completely unfazed—as though he hadn’t just uttered those earth-shattering words.
“Um…
Ryuha,” Kazuya Haruno hesitated before asking in a low voice, “what did you mean by ‘standing in the heavens’?”
Ryuha lifted his eyes from the scroll, glanced at him, and suddenly gave a faint smile.
“I meant it literally.”
He closed the scroll, turned, and walked away, leaving his two teammates even more utterly baffled.
*Today’s performance should reassure the Third Hokage,* Ryuha thought to himself.
*An arrogant, conceited Uchiha genius is far easier to digest than a scheming, insidious one.*
*Though, of course, those were indeed my true thoughts.*
…
At dusk, in the Hokage’s Office.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, puffed on his pipe as he watched the scene on the training ground displayed inside his crystal ball—specifically the moment Ryuha uttered “stand in the heavens.”
“Heh, youth really is a wonderful thing,” the Third chuckled softly, blowing a ring of smoke.
“Arrogant and lacking basic understanding of what it means to be a shinobi,” Homura Mitokado pushed up his glasses, commenting coldly.
“Hiruzen, is it truly wise to entrust such a dangerous individual to Matsumoto?
Matsumoto is reliable, but his strength is limited.
If something happens…”
“Precisely because his strength is limited, he is the right fit,” Koharu Utatane cut in, her voice rigid.
“Ryuha Uchiha’s abilities are too bizarre; he requires observation.
Matsumoto values fundamentals and can grind down his temper.
As for any danger…
the Anbu will be watching.”
The Third Hokage remained noncommittal, simply watching Ryuha’s departing back inside the crystal ball.
*Stand in the heavens, is it…*
*What an interesting dream.*
*Having ambition is good for a young man, but one must learn to keep his feet on the ground.*
“By the way,” the Third suddenly remembered something, “how is Sakumo Hatake doing recently?
Is he in a better state of mind?”
Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane exchanged a glance.
The latter shook her head.
“Still the same.
He locks himself inside his house, refusing to see anyone.
The fallout from the failed mission continues to fester, and the rumors in the village…
are getting quite unpleasant.”
The Third sighed deeply, his expression obscured behind a haze of smoke.
“Have the Anbu keep a closer eye on him.
Sakumo is a hero of this village.
We cannot allow him to…
do something foolish.”
“Understood.”
…
In the Uchiha Clan compound, at the mountain training ground behind the estate.
Ryuha Uchiha finished his daily cultivation and sat down on a rock to rest.
In his mind, the system interface automatically unfolded:
[Host: Ryuha Uchiha] [Current Energy: Spiritual Pressure (Automatically converted from Chakra)] [Zanpakuto: Kyoka Suigetsu (Shikai) Compatibility: 15%] [Mastered Skills: Shunpo (Entry Level), Shakaho (Basic Mastery)] [Prestige Points: 600 (Minor fame in Konoha)] [Causality Points: 300] [Current Side Quest: The White Fang’s Final Cadence (Remaining Time: Three months)]
“Executing missions starting tomorrow…” Ryuha murmured to himself.
Ryuichi Matsumoto’s attitude was glaringly obvious: he wanted to use missions to “grind him down.”
Ideally, he wanted Ryuha to make a fool of himself and face “reality.”
And the first mission, following standard protocol, would undoubtedly be D-rank—finding lost cats or dogs, weeding gardens, babysitting, or similar chores.
Boring, and a complete waste of time.
However…
Ryuha Uchiha pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting the amber glow of the setting sun.
*Perhaps this is an opportunity.*
*A legitimate excuse to move freely through the village without drawing suspicion.*
*There is still plenty of time.
I must find a moment where I can slip past the eyes of Root and the Anbu.*
*As for Ryuichi Matsumoto’s contempt?*
Ryuha let out a faint chuckle—a quiet, indifferent laugh tinged with disdain.
*Does a giant care about the gaze of an ant?*
*Though, of course, current Ryuha Uchiha isn’t quite a giant just yet.*
He stood up, dusted off his clothes, and stretched.
Time to head back and prepare.
Tomorrow promised to be quite interesting.
Meanwhile, in the shadows of the training ground where Team 7 had assembled earlier.
A masked figure quietly emerged, watching the direction Ryuha had left in before writing on a recording scroll:
“Target possesses a calm demeanor and a composure beyond his years.
Displays an indifferent attitude toward his team leader, showing no obvious rebellious tendencies.
Interacts minimally with teammates.”
“Preliminary assessment: Danger Level B.
Requires continuous surveillance.”
With that written, the figure dissolved back into the shadows and vanished.
It was an Anbu operative of Konoha.