"Hahahaha! That’s right! I am the legendary white-haired child, Lord Jiraiya!"
Upon hearing this, Jiraiya burst into hearty laughter.
"Speaking of which, kid, your shuriken throwing is pretty good—almost as good as mine when I was young."
As soon as he finished speaking, Jiraiya’s gaze shifted to the wooden post nearby, where five shuriken were lined up in a row.
"You flatter me, Lord Jiraiya. It’s all thanks to Xuan’s guidance."
Namikaze Minato scratched his head sheepishly upon hearing this.
"Xuan? That tsundere kid from earlier, right? Interesting. It’s rare to see a boy getting along so well with someone from the Uchiha clan. You’re quite something, kid, hehe~ What about this last one?"
While talking, the grilled fish in Jiraiya’s hand had been reduced to just bones. He casually tossed the fish bones into the fire and then turned his attention to the last remaining grilled fish.
"Huh? Please go ahead, Lord Jiraiya. But Lord Jiraiya, does it matter that Xuan is an Uchiha? Isn’t he also a member of the village?"
Namikaze Minato was puzzled. He didn’t understand why so many people in the village held prejudices against the Uchiha clan.
Through his interactions with Uchiha Xuan, Namikaze Minato felt that Uchiha Xuan was actually quite nice, except... except that his punches hurt a bit.
"....Yes, the Uchiha are also part of the village. Well, kid, what’s your name?"
Jiraiya, who was eating the grilled fish, paused for a moment upon hearing this, then looked at Namikaze Minato with a complicated expression, especially at those incredibly clear, jade-green eyes.
’Are a bunch of adults really less perceptive than a child?’
For a moment, Jiraiya couldn’t help but think of many things.
"My name is Namikaze Minato! The one who just left is Uchiha Xuan. He... he is my friend."
Namikaze Minato spoke firmly.
Looking at Jiraiya, Namikaze Minato gained a deeper understanding of his dream. He wanted to become the Hokage, but before, it was just for the sake of becoming the Hokage. Now... he wanted to change people’s prejudices!
"Namikaze Minato, huh? Hahahaha, well then, would you be interested in learning from me? The kind where you become my disciple, you know? For some reason, I feel like the taste of this grilled fish tonight suits my palate perfectly. To keep eating such delicious grilled fish, well, Namikaze Minato, give me your answer."
After staring at Namikaze Minato for a moment, Jiraiya put down the grilled fish in his hand and spoke seriously to him.
Taking on a disciple who gets along so well with an Uchiha... the old man and Tsunade will probably scold me, won’t they?
"Huh?"
Jiraiya’s sudden proposal snapped Namikaze Minato out of his determined expression, and he immediately reverted to his usual dazed state.
"What? Don’t think much of the great Lord Jiraiya?"
Seeing Namikaze Minato stunned, Jiraiya laughed as he spoke.
"No, not at all! It’s just too surprising. Greetings, teacher."
As soon as Jiraiya said this, Namikaze Minato hurriedly bowed and spoke with determination.
"My spontaneous research trip today was definitely the right call. To think I’d pick up such an outstanding disciple, hahaha! Minato, there’s still fire left—you can keep grilling fish, right?"
"No problem, Master Jiraiya. I’ll go catch some more."
"I can’t just eat for free either. I’ll help too!"
Amid the sparks of the campfire, two figures—one large, one small—chased the traces of fish in the river under the dim light.
...
Uchiha Clan Grounds.
Under the moonlight, Uchiha Xuan stood in the training ground of his new home. Before him, an Uchiha Jonin stood quietly, while at the edge of the training ground, several elders, including Uchiha Setsuna, stood in silence.
"Xuan, he’s quite skilled. You can go all out and attack him without holding back. We need to accurately assess your current strength."
Watching Uchiha Xuan on the field, Uchiha Setsuna spoke in a deep voice.
As for what happened at the Ninja Academy today, Uchiha Setsuna couldn’t be more pleased.
Slapping the young clan head of the Hyuga clan to the ground so hard he couldn’t even get up—that’s what it means to be an Uchiha!
It was precisely because of this incident that he didn’t even need to persuade these old-timers; they eagerly followed him here.
As for testing Uchiha Xuan’s strength, it was only to make it easier to teach him later.
For the Uchiha, combat achievements are the best measure of strength, and Uchiha Xuan, who defeated Hyuga Hiashi in a single move, had clearly earned the recognition of all the Uchiha elders.
"Is that so? I need a sword."
Glancing at the elders at the edge of the training ground, Uchiha Xuan thought for a moment before speaking softly.
Although he didn’t recognize the man opposite him, his intuition told him that this man... was very strong!
"A sword? You’ve even practiced swordsmanship? Then... Kyūen, since you can’t use that sword anymore anyway, let Xuan use it. Believe me, he won’t disappoint you."
Hearing this, Uchiha Setsuna’s eyes lit up. In such a situation, if Uchiha Xuan asked for a sword, it meant that in his mind, having a sword would make him even stronger.
Having briefly interacted with Uchiha Xuan, Uchiha Setsuna had gained some understanding of him.
Uchiha Xuan was definitely not the type to add unnecessary embellishments.
"Hmph, you’re quite generous, Uchiha Setsuna, casually telling me to give away such a sword. Kid, don’t disappoint me."
Uchiha Kyūen shot a glance at Uchiha Setsuna, raised his hand to form a seal, and with a puff of white smoke, a slender, gleaming white straight sword appeared in his hand. Looking at the sword, a flicker of nostalgia passed through Uchiha Kyūen’s eyes. The next moment, he swiftly tossed the sword toward Uchiha Xuan.
Snap!
Uchiha Xuan raised his hand and caught the sword.
A cool sensation spread from where he gripped the hilt. Looking at the gleaming white sword in his hand, Uchiha Xuan’s eyes brightened.
A fine sword! Absolutely a fine sword!!
"The sword’s name is Narukami. It’s a ’Kusanagi’-grade renowned blade, forged entirely from Chakra metal and rare meteorite ore. Kid, if your performance is impressive enough... this sword will be yours."
Though reluctance lingered in his eyes, Uchiha Kyūen spoke in a firm tone.
A fine blade should not rot away with time alongside a decaying man like him. His time is running short.
’I hope that old bastard Setsuna has a good eye for people. If you’re as foolish as that Uchiha Fugaku kid, you don’t deserve to wield this blade.’
"Young Master Xuan, you may attack at any time."
As Narumitama fell into Uchiha Xuan’s hand, the Uchiha ninja on the field spoke up.