"It’s fine. You’re quite straightforward, kid. Kyūen, what do you think?"
Seeing Uchiha Xuan’s smooth motion as he sheathed his sword, Uchiha Setsuna smiled and spoke to Uchiha Kyūen, who had stepped forward.
"Hold onto it well and defend the honor of our Uchiha clan."
Looking at Uchiha Xuan, Uchiha Kyūen smiled.
"I will."
Gently stroking the scabbard with his thumb, Uchiha Xuan nodded in response.
Displaying his strength, letting those in power define his value, and then securing investment—this was the most stable path Uchiha Xuan could think of at this stage. So far, the results seemed promising.
"Young Master Xuan’s talent is truly terrifying. That Fire Release just now seemed to attack faster than the Millisecond Dragon Fire Technique. Speaking of which, with your current strength, you could graduate early and take on missions, right?"
The Uchiha ninja who had served as Uchiha Xuan’s test opponent now approached and spoke softly to him.
"I’m not interested. Why would I choose to graduate early and take on thankless missions when I could have a few more years to train and grow stronger?"
Looking at the blood-stained Uchiha ninja, Uchiha Xuan replied with a smile.
"...That’s true. What Xuan needs most right now is time to grow. Xuan, this is Ganghuo. He’s the captain of the guard team I arranged for you. With his strength and that of the others, protecting your safety won’t be a problem."
After a moment of silence, Uchiha Setsuna nodded gently, then pointed to Uchiha Ganghuo—the Uchiha ninja who had tested Uchiha Xuan—and introduced him.
Although Uchiha Setsuna secretly wished for Uchiha Xuan to graduate early and thoroughly suppress that orphan of the Senju clan, he respected Uchiha Xuan’s own decision.
"Thank you, Elder Setsuna. Senior Ganghuo, I appreciate your efforts."
Uchiha Xuan did not refuse Uchiha Setsuna’s goodwill and gladly accepted his intention to provide protection.
It would be foolish not to take advantage of the conveniences offered by a ninja clan, especially since Konohagakure was not entirely safe behind the scenes.
Uchiha Xuan had no desire to gamble on whether others would refrain from targeting him.
"It’s getting late. You should head back and rest. I’ve already arranged for all your belongings from your previous residence to be moved here. If you need anything else, just let Ganghuo and the others handle it."
"Understood."
........
Mist Space.
Familiar cards of various colors danced in the sky.
He had yet to use the one D-grade Card Pool draw he had obtained after defeating Hyuga Hiashi during the day.
"I hope it’s not white."
Watching the colorful cards swirling above, Uchiha Xuan raised his hand.
Snap!
With the sound of a snap, all the cards instantly shattered, releasing countless shimmering streams of light.
Amidst the dazzling radiance, a hint of blue quietly emerged.
Seeing that shade of blue, a flicker of excitement flashed in Uchiha Xuan’s eyes.
A blue card!!
He had drawn a B-grade Card from the D-grade Card Pool!!
The 0.1% probability—he had actually managed to pull it off!!
......
Without hesitation, Uchiha Xuan reached out and took the Card, lifting his gaze to see a fiery orange figure imprinted on its surface.
The moment Uchiha Xuan grasped the Card, its information immediately became clear in his mind.
.....
Rare: Charmander
Source World: Anime – [Pokémon]
Card Type: Summon
Description: In the Pokémon world, the Fire-type starter Pokémon most suitable for novice trainers in the Kanto region. Pokémon are a unique species capable of wielding extraordinary powers, also known as Pocket Monsters.
.......
"Charmander? So... my childhood dream is now coming true in the ninja world?"
Holding the Card and gazing at the image of Charmander bathed in flames, Uchiha Xuan murmured softly.
"Come to think of it, most Pokémon moves can rival Rule-based abilities, and their growth cycles are extremely short. If this Charmander’s talent is sufficient..."
As he spoke, Uchiha Xuan clenched his hand, and the Card shattered instantly.
In the next moment, an adorable creature with a bright orange body and a flame burning at the tip of its tail appeared before Uchiha Xuan.
"Char!"
The moment Charmander appeared, it happily began running circles around Uchiha Xuan.
"Well then... let’s get along from now on."
Watching Charmander run around him, Uchiha Xuan reached out and gently patted its head, smiling as he spoke.
"Char!"
.......
Time passed.
On the training grounds of the Ninja Academy, Sarutobi Ichiro was leading a Combat Practice test.
A year had passed since enrollment, and during this time, Uchiha Xuan’s classmates had gradually contributed Card Draw Counts for the D-grade Card Pool.
Among them, Namikaze Minato had contributed one Card Draw Count for the C-grade Card Pool.
It was precisely because of this that Uchiha Xuan fully understood the mechanics of the Mist Space: when a ninja’s strength reached another level, they gained new opportunities to provide Card Draw Counts.
In other words, as long as a person’s strength continued to improve, Uchiha Xuan could obtain Card Draw Counts for all Card Pool grades from that individual.
Over the past year, Uchiha Xuan had also defeated many Uchiha ninjas within the clan, earning several C-grade Card Pool Card Draw Counts.
Unfortunately, it seemed all his luck had been used up on Charmander. In subsequent Card Draws, Uchiha Xuan hadn’t obtained many valuable items.
"Next group! Uchiha Xuan versus Namikaze Minato!"
Sarutobi Ichiro stood at the center of the training ground, holding a form and calling out sternly. The form recorded all the match results.
"Xuan, it’s us again for sparring. How should we fight this time?"
Hearing his name, Namikaze Minato turned to look at Uchiha Xuan, who had his eyes closed, and spoke softly.
"Same as last time. Pure taijutsu. I’ll dodge, and you try to catch me. If you touch me, you win."
Stopping his dedicated cultivation of qi to let the Qi in his body circulate naturally, Uchiha Xuan opened his eyes and replied softly.
"Alright."
Namikaze Minato nodded.
As the two stepped onto the platform, the classmates watching from below grew excited, continuously cheering for Namikaze Minato, hoping that this time he could win.
Although everyone knew the two had a good relationship and that Namikaze Minato was no match for Uchiha Xuan, what if? What if this time Namikaze Minato suddenly broke through?