As teenagers of the Uchiha clan, Ryo and his companions still carried the characteristic pride of their lineage.
They often looked down on civilians—even their children. Ever since the Senju Clan faded from prominence, the Uchiha had taken up the unofficial title of Konoha's First Clan.
But after the entrance exam, things didn't go as they expected.
Despite their efforts, Ryo and the others couldn't keep up. They tried to speed up midway through the run, but they had already exhausted too much stamina and were eventually overtaken by many others.
Their final rankings ended up disappointingly average.
It was a huge blow to their pride.
They considered themselves the three geniuses of the Uchiha, and had been boasting to kids from other clans. How were they supposed to maintain face in the Academy now?
And to add insult to injury, the one who took first place was Uchiha Tatsumi—the very kid they used to bully.
Tatsumi, though more mature now, had been powerless when he first started training at three or four years old. He couldn't beat them back then—not because of talent, but simply because there were too many of them.
And since he was an orphan, few adults in the Uchiha clan had stepped in to protect him.
So now, with bruised pride and rising frustration, the trio stomped over, intent on "teaching him a lesson."
What, walk away after stealing the spotlight?
No chance!
Ryo gestured with a glare. Uchiha Kenta and Toyotomi instantly picked up on the cue. Classic goon behavior.
Uchiha Toyotomi stepped forward and barked, "Oi, Uchiha Tatsumi! Get over here!"
"What's up?" Tatsumi asked lazily.
"You think you're hot stuff now? You were just showing off!"
Tatsumi smirked. "Wow. You lose one test and start crying about it? Instead of blaming me, maybe try looking at your own weaknesses."
"Oh? You seem real confident. Maybe you've been staring at your Sharingan dreams so long you filled your brain with hot air."
Tatsumi had a bad habit left over from his past life—he had a sharp tongue. And in his opinion, these three clowns weren't even worth taking seriously.
Just a few words were enough to set them off.
"Enough, you three!" Mikoto stepped forward with a scowl. She could tell they were clearly here just to pick a fight.
Before Tatsumi could respond, Mikoto spoke up for him. She was worried—Tatsumi hadn't been strong enough to fight them off in the past, and she didn't want to see him get hurt.
"Uchiha Tatsumi, if you're really a man, don't hide behind Mikoto!" Ryo barked, trying to paint him as a coward.
Typical orphan insult, Tatsumi thought.
Who talks like that? No emotional intelligence whatsoever. No wonder Uchiha guys had trouble finding girlfriends.
Tatsumi sighed. He was genuinely concerned about the Uchiha clan's future marriage prospects.
Thanks to Mikoto's presence, the three couldn't push things further in public. They still had some pride.
So they spat out a few parting threats and stormed off—though not before Ryo shot him a glare sharp enough to cut steel.
"I'll be waiting, coward!"
Tatsumi didn't rise to the bait. He just waved them off lazily. "Yeah, yeah. Save your breath."
He turned to Mikoto with a smile. "C'mon. Let's go home."
Mikoto glanced at him, still worried. "You sure you'll be okay?"
Tatsumi chuckled. "They're not my opponents anymore."
---
After walking Mikoto home, Tatsumi returned to his small courtyard.
His recent strength gains were promising, but there was no room for complacency.
He still needed to train—relentlessly.
No one was born strong. Even with his system, which let him assign points to boost his growth, talent alone wouldn't cut it.
He wanted to be more than a genius.
He wanted to be strong.
He quickly packed some food and headed toward the forest behind the Hokage Rock.
Though Konoha's system for supporting war orphans was decent—providing basic funds and necessities—access to things like training grounds was a different story.
Technically, the Uchiha had their own training field.
But Tatsumi was an outsider.
He'd gone there once as a kid and been harassed and mocked. Since then, he avoided it.
That's why the forest behind Hokage Rock had become his training sanctuary.
It wasn't fancy, but it worked.
Currently, the Uchiha compound was still in the heart of Konoha. They were still one of the two founding clans, not yet shunted to the village outskirts as they would be in years to come.
So, it didn't take long for him to reach the forest.
Oddly, his system stayed quiet—no point notifications.
He hadn't been pushing himself, so that made sense. Still, it stung a bit.
Even a few points would've been nice. Points are art!
But today, he had other priorities.
Tatsumi slowed to a stop. Behind him, he sensed movement.
Three shadows had been tailing him.
He turned, casually flipping his windbreaker. "You can come out now. You've been following me since I left the compound."
Three figures dropped from the trees behind him.
Ryo crossed his arms smugly. "Thought you could run, huh? This time, there's no Mikoto to protect you."
"Wow," Tatsumi muttered, "you guys really don't have hobbies, huh?"
"Shut it!" Ryo snapped. "We're here for a real ninja showdown! So? Are you ready?"
Tatsumi raised an eyebrow. "You want a fight?"
He patted the ninja pouch on his hip, eager to test his current strength. These punks had bullied him long enough—it was time to return the favor.
"Don't make it sound like some playground brawl!" Ryo shouted. "I've been working on a new jutsu. This isn't about physical strength. You think just because you topped the physical exam, you're something special?"
Ryo pointed a finger at Tatsumi. "If I win, you owe me a favor. Deal?"
Tatsumi smirked. "Only one of you? Not all three?"
He was itching to humble Ryo.
"If I win," Tatsumi asked, "what do I get?"
Toyotomi sneered. "As if you'll win. Did you forget how we used to beat you up?"
"Then come at me," Tatsumi said, rolling his shoulders. "Let's get this over with."
Ryo's lackeys cheered from the sidelines.
"Boss! Beat him up!"
"Crush him! Pulverize him!"
"Insult his ancestors!"
Wow, Tatsumi thought. So much for subtlety.
"Hmph." Ryo stepped forward confidently, cracking his knuckles.
"You don't know what real strength is, Tatsumi. I'm not the same as before."
Tatsumi simply grinned.
"Neither am I."