The days passed one by one.
Not only Team Minato, but all the genin participating in Konoha's Chunin Exam began rigorous training.
This Chunin Exam wasn't simple.
During wartime, with the major ninja villages testing each other, how could it be simple?
At a time like this, the depth of the families behind the examinees became incredibly important...
That evening,
After finishing the day's training, Yuto Souta and Uchiha Obito bid farewell to Kakashi Hatake and headed toward the Uchiha clan's territory together.
This was an invitation they'd received a day earlier.
As the record holders for the shortest time to graduate from the ninja academy among the Uchiha clan, and now about to participate in the Chunin Exam at such a young age...
The Uchiha clan had finally summoned these two geniuses back.
Calling it an invitation was a stretch—it was more like an order...
Because the Uchiha who delivered the message hadn't mentioned a word about their exam.
It was purely because they'd beaten up that other Uchiha...
"Souta... what do we do when we get there?"
Uchiha Obito was a little panicked.
Though he always had the Uchiha's pride on his lips,
In reality, living on the outskirts of the clan's territory, he'd barely met a handful of Uchihas...
The Uchiha—a clan of pride, a clan that craved power.
Such a clan naturally had its hierarchy of status and worth...
Uchiha Obito and his grandmother had clearly been at the bottom of that hierarchy before this.
Including Yuto Souta.
"We'll do what we gotta do."
"It's not like we started it... worst case, we just fight!"
Yuto Souta said, pumping him up.
This method of encouragement was a bit unconventional. The two were essentially being summoned back to the clan for screwing up, yet he was suggesting violence as a solution...
It didn't make sense, nor did it align with his usual habits.
But it was the best way to complete the mission...
Earn the title of the Uchiha clan's number one genius?
The key to that mission was showing strength within the clan.
And to conquer a proud clan like the Uchiha, what else would work besides fists—reciting the multiplication table?
"Yeah, you're right..."
Uchiha Obito nodded as if he'd had a revelation, his single-tomoe Sharingan quietly flaring to life.
Yuto Souta raised an eyebrow.
This guy wasn't dumb—he knew how to play the game...
Sure, they say going dark triples your strength or you're a flop for life, but with that baseline, how dumb could a future mastermind who'd toy with the entire ninja world really be?
Just those tomoe in his eyes were enough to make the Uchiha acknowledge their strength!
After all, that young Uchiha they'd beaten up the other day was a loser who hadn't even awakened his Sharingan!
The two moved quickly.
Before long, they reached their destination.
A vast training ground stretched before them. Half of an artificial lake glowed golden under the setting sun, while the other half was an open space with nothing but shuriken practice targets.
Beyond the training ground lay the true heart of the Uchiha clan's territory.
Ancient, elegant buildings stood in stark contrast to Konoha's style. This clan, preserved since the Warring States period, carried its own legacy.
A large group of Uchiha clansmen, dressed in their clan robes, gathered together. They seemed casual, but their discipline was strict—no one spoke loudly, no one moved carelessly.
A middle-aged man stood high on a platform, gazing distantly at the two approaching boys.
As his eyes landed on them, the rest of the clansmen turned around.
In an instant, the two boys became the center of attention.
"What do we do, Souta? I'm kinda freaking out."
Uchiha Obito's voice was low, his face deliberately stern.
The pressure of being watched by so many people was overwhelming...
"I'm freaking out too... How about we let off a Grand Fireball to vent?"
Yuto Souta replied with an odd expression.
"Huh?" Uchiha Obito blinked, dumbfounded. "You sure?"
"Sure, my ass! We're already here, so what's there to freak out about? Should we just turn around and run?"
Seriously... what a wimp!
Dragging this guy along, Yuto Souta couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.
Didn't he know those red-eyed freaks across from them had ridiculously good eyesight?!
They could probably read what you're saying just from your lip movements!
Uchiha Obito pouted, looking somewhat aggrieved...
Finally, the two reached the group of Uchihas.
Including the middle-aged Uchiha on the platform, the entire crowd stared at the boys as they approached, silent but with faintly hostile gazes.
This wordless act carried even more pressure, and even Yuto Souta couldn't help but frown.
Though he bore the Uchiha name, this was honestly his first real step into the clan's territory.
Before this... an orphan like him had no right.
He'd considered plenty of possibilities beforehand.
Like provocation from the clan, or maybe that guy they beat up had some backing and wanted to stir trouble...
He admitted he was prepared to solve things with violence.
Violence wasn't what he longed for, but it was indeed the most convenient way to settle matters.
Especially with the Uchiha...
But now that he was here, the reaction of all the Uchihas gave him a sense of having nowhere to start.
A bunch of red-eyed freaks staring silently—what was that supposed to mean...?
This eerie scene lasted a full five minutes.
During that time, Yuto Souta memorized every Uchiha's face, especially the one on the platform—possibly the clan leader—whose face he memorized five times over.
He even checked his chakra several times to make sure he wasn't caught in a genjutsu!
But that was the reality.
All the Uchihas just stood there, watching the two of them—no movement, no words, nothing.
Yuto Souta's expression finally darkened...
Looks like he'd have to take the lead himself.
Grabbing Uchiha Obito and pulling him back a few steps, Yuto Souta activated his Sharingan, chakra flowing. After a few simple hand signs, he let out a low shout.
"Earth Release! Earth Core Shift!"
The ground trembled as massive stone pillars erupted from the earth.
Under the gradually shifting gazes of the Uchihas, Yuto Souta and Uchiha Obito were lifted into the air by the pillars.
Their height surpassed even that of the middle-aged Uchiha on the platform!
At that moment, Yuto Souta looked down at the crowd of clansmen, his face full of impatience.
"I'm in a hurry."
"One-on-one or a group fight—let's get to it!"
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