Yuji calmly left the training ground with the same composed expression he always wore, while behind him the cheerful laughter of Yama, Satoshi, and Yui gradually faded into the gentle afternoon breeze until it eventually disappeared altogether, allowing silence to return as he continued walking without looking back, his thoughts already drifting away from the sparring match that had just ended.
After taking only a few dozen steps, a familiar mechanical voice suddenly echoed clearly inside his mind.
[Ding!]
[Mission Complete!]
[Defeat a Genin.]
[Status: Completed]
[Reward: Uchiha Bloodline Enhancement]
Yuji immediately stopped walking as the corners of his lips lifted ever so slightly.
"...Finally."
Almost the instant the reward was distributed, a warm sensation spread throughout his entire body as his chakra began flowing more smoothly than ever before, circulating through every chakra pathway with remarkable ease, yet instead of erupting outward with explosive power, the energy within him gradually became denser, purer, more refined, and noticeably more vibrant, giving him the strange feeling that every part of his body had become lighter and stronger at the same time, as though even the smallest movement now required less effort than it had only moments earlier.
The mysterious sensation soon gathered around his eyes, causing the two tomoe within his Sharingan to rotate slowly as his vision became even sharper than before, allowing him to perceive movement with greater precision while his ability to predict an opponent’s actions improved naturally, and perhaps most importantly, he could clearly feel that maintaining his Sharingan now consumed noticeably less chakra than it previously had.
Yuji quietly nodded to himself.
"...Not bad."
If the enhancement continued at this pace, then the day his Sharingan awakened its third tomoe would likely arrive much sooner than he had originally expected.
Without wasting any time, he opened the transparent system interface floating before him and calmly examined the remaining daily missions, discovering that only one objective had yet to be completed.
[Daily Missions (2/3 Completed)]
[Catch several fish from the river.]
[Give the fish to someone.]
[Reward: +0.5 Chakra]
Yuji studied the list for a brief moment before quietly muttering to himself.
"...One mission left."
Although half a point of chakra was hardly an impressive reward by itself, Yuji understood better than most that small improvements accumulated over time, just like slowly saving money or avoiding unnecessary expenses whenever possible, and considering that hospital bills were always significantly more expensive than a little extra effort, the choice was incredibly obvious.
Without another moment of hesitation, Yuji changed direction and headed toward the forest located on the outskirts of Konoha, where it did not take long before he arrived beside a crystal-clear river whose surface sparkled brilliantly beneath the warm afternoon sunlight, while several large fish lazily swam beneath the water, completely unaware that destiny had quietly updated their status from "alive" to "side quest."
Yuji crouched beside the riverbank before suddenly pausing.
"...I almost forgot."
He calmly formed a single hand seal as Lightning Release chakra quietly gathered around the tips of his fingers, producing tiny arcs of blue electricity that danced gently across his hand while emitting a soft crackling sound.
Bzzzzt...
Slowly, he lowered two fingers into the flowing water.
BZZZZZZT!!
Blue lightning instantly spread throughout the river with astonishing speed, racing beneath the surface in every direction before disappearing just as quickly as it had appeared.
A second later—
Plop!
Plop!
Plop!
Three unusually large fish floated helplessly to the surface with tiny circles spinning inside their eyes, and if fish had possessed the ability to file formal complaints, those three would almost certainly have demanded an immediate meeting with the manager.
Yuji calmly watched them drift toward the riverbank before quietly nodding.
"...Mission objective complete."
He picked up each fish one by one before suddenly freezing in place as a realization struck him.
"..."
"...I forgot to bring a bucket."
He slowly looked to his left.
Nothing.
Then he turned to his right.
Still nothing.
Only silence greeted him.
After standing quietly for several seconds while considering his options, Yuji finally opened his backpack with a resigned expression before looking inside as though making an important announcement.
"...Congratulations."
"You’ve officially been promoted."
Naturally, the backpack offered absolutely no opinion regarding its unexpected career change.
One fish was placed inside.
Then the second.
Finally, the third.
The backpack immediately became noticeably swollen, while one stubborn fish tail continued sticking out through the half-closed zipper, twitching every few seconds as though silently protesting its newly assigned living conditions.
Yuji stared at the exposed tail for a long moment before quietly sighing.
"...I just hope my notebook doesn’t end up smelling like fish."
If that actually happened, his mother probably wouldn’t electrocute him.
She wouldn’t even need to.
Her disappointment alone would almost certainly inflict critical emotional damage.
Not far from the training ground, a blond-haired Jonin landed silently atop the sturdy branch of a large tree, his movement so light that it barely disturbed the surrounding leaves, while traces of dust still clung to parts of the green flak jacket he wore, serving as clear evidence that he had only recently returned from completing a C-rank mission together with his student, Hatake Kakashi, before the two of them eventually parted ways, with Kakashi heading home to rest while he himself continued toward the Hokage’s Office to submit their completed mission report.
His name was...
Minato Namikaze.
As Minato passed near the training ground, his attention was unexpectedly drawn toward what initially appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary sparring match, prompting him to cast a brief glance in its direction before continuing on his way, yet after only a single look, his footsteps gradually came to a halt as his calm blue eyes remained fixed upon the young figure standing within the training field.
"...That child..."
Standing before an older Genin was a young member of the Uchiha Clan who appeared to be no more than five years old, yet despite the obvious difference in age and experience, the boy displayed an astonishing level of composure that immediately caught Minato’s attention, as every movement he made was clean, deliberate, and remarkably precise, with each action serving a clear purpose while avoiding even the slightest unnecessary motion, showing neither panic nor reckless aggression despite facing an older opponent.
Rather than attempting to overwhelm his opponent through brute force, the child calmly observed every movement, carefully analyzed every opening, and patiently waited until the exact right moment before launching a decisive attack, demonstrating a level of battlefield judgment that should have been impossible for someone his age.
The longer Minato continued watching, the more impressed he became.
"This isn’t something a normal five-year-old should be capable of..."
Even after securing victory, the young Uchiha showed not the slightest trace of arrogance or pride, choosing instead to politely thank his opponent before unexpectedly handing him money, causing Minato to blink once before blinking a second time as he silently questioned whether he had truly witnessed what had just happened.
"..."
"...Did I just witness the winner paying the loser?"
He instinctively rubbed his forehead while letting out a quiet laugh.
"I’ve seen many strange things during missions..."
"But that’s definitely a first."
A faint smile slowly appeared across his face as genuine curiosity replaced his earlier surprise.
"What an interesting kid."
Inside the Hokage’s Office, Hiruzen Sarutobi calmly sipped a cup of tea while reviewing several mission reports stacked neatly across his desk, maintaining the relaxed demeanor expected of someone who had spent decades carrying the responsibilities of leading the Hidden Leaf Village, until the silence inside the office was interrupted by a gentle knock at the door.
Knock. Knock.
"Come in."
The office door opened as Minato stepped inside before respectfully approaching the Hokage’s desk.
"The mission has been completed successfully, Lord Hokage."
Hiruzen accepted the mission scroll with a small nod of approval before setting it neatly upon his desk.
"Good work, Minato."
"However..."
"There is one more thing I’d like to report."
Hiruzen slightly raised one eyebrow.
"Oh?"
"On my way back..."
"I witnessed an Uchiha child sparring."
"He appeared to be around five years old."
"But his combat instincts were exceptional."
Hiruzen slowly lowered his teacup onto the table as the relaxed atmosphere within the office subtly changed.
"...How exceptional?"
Minato answered immediately without the slightest hesitation.
"If he continues to grow at this pace..."
"He could become another genius..."
"...Comparable to Shisui Uchiha."
The room fell completely silent.
Hiruzen understood better than almost anyone what those words truly meant, because Shisui Uchiha had already begun attracting attention throughout the village due to his extraordinary natural talent despite his young age, and now, according to Minato’s personal assessment, another child possessing similar potential had quietly appeared within the Uchiha Clan.
"What is his name?"
"Yuji Uchiha."
Hiruzen slowly nodded while silently committing the name to memory before making his decision.
"I’ll have the ANBU observe him from a distance."
"Not to interfere."
"But to ensure that such talent is properly nurtured."
Minato smiled faintly before giving a respectful nod.
"I believe that’s the right decision."
For reasons he himself could not fully explain, Minato had a quiet feeling deep within his heart that several years from now the name Yuji Uchiha would gradually begin spreading throughout the Hidden Leaf Village, eventually becoming known not only within Konoha itself but perhaps even far beyond its borders.