Konoha: Preparing to Defect, the System Arrives

A thin mist covered the Hidden Leaf Village, making the fifty-year-old village look like it was forty-nine. It lacked energy.

"Ha~"

After washing up, Asuka stepped outside and looked at the foggy surroundings, muttering:

"A grilled fish covered in chili powder would be perfect right now, don't you think?"

Glancing back inside, he saw the fat orange cat still sleeping. Sighing, he snapped his fingers and summoned two honey mustard-flavored chicken buckets. Leaving one on the table, he took the other and walked out.

It was time for the monthly clan meeting. Since he had decided not to defect, he figured he'd attend and see what plans the clan was cooking up.

Crunch. Crunch.

The streets were quiet, and the sound of Asuka eating echoed far and wide. By the time he reached the shrine, it was already crowded with elders.

"Hmph!"

Hearing footsteps, Elder Mado turned and saw Asuka approaching. He snorted, turned his head away, and ignored him.

"Hey, Elder Mado, still upset about yesterday?"

"Shut up. I don't want to talk to you."

"Here, have some food. Old people need to eat meat in the morning to stay healthy."

"Take it away. I don't eat greasy food in the morning."

"Greasy?"

Staring at the chicken bucket in his hands, Asuka's face turned serious.

"Do you know who we are? We're the Uchiha Clan.

Other clans need to eat light because they have weak stomachs. Don't lump us in with them.

Besides, I heard Madara's grandfather ate five pounds of fried meat for breakfast every day and lived long enough to see the village founded."

Elder Mado's face twitched as Asuka raised five fingers.

Sure, some people are naturally healthy. They can smoke, drink, and eat fatty foods without a problem.

But not me.

Poof!

Asuka summoned a pile of fried food with a summoning jutsu and started handing it out to the elders.

Just when Mado thought everyone would reject the greasy food, he saw the old men calmly accepting it and eating large bites without hesitation.

These were the same people who had lectured him about eating vegetable porridge and pickles for health yesterday.

Damn it. None of you are going to live to see an Uchiha Hokage.

Gritting his teeth, Mado suddenly felt competitive. Staring at the greasy chicken wings, he growled:

"Give me two buckets."

When Fugaku arrived at the shrine, he was greeted by the overwhelming smell of fried chicken. Looking around, he saw clan members with oily mouths and couldn't help but comment:

"Everyone, this isn't wartime. You don't need to eat like this in the morning."

"Hmph!"

Elder Mado snorted. Although he felt a little sick, he forced himself to stay calm and said:

"The Uchiha Clan is the strongest in Konoha. Our stomachs are as strong as iron.

Madara's grandfather could eat twenty pounds of meat in one meal. What we're eating is just an appetizer."

Burp~

Hearing the loud burp from Mado, Fugaku twitched slightly and warned:

"Elder Mado, stop referring to Madara as 'Lord' in public."

"I know."

With that, Mado walked off to his seat, patting his full stomach.

Inside the shrine hall, tables were arranged in four rows instead of the usual two. The southernmost row had dozens of tables, while the northernmost row had just one.

Standing at the entrance, Asuka was dumbfounded.

Weren't there just two rows before? The oldest members sat in the front.

Why are there four rows now?

Meanwhile, the other clan members seemed to know the new arrangement. They quickly found their seats, leaving Asuka with the only empty spot at the edge.

Asuka sat down in his assigned seat, still confused. He noticed how close he was to Uchiha Fugaku and leaned toward the elder beside him, whispering:

"Why am I sitting here?"

"Oh!"

The elder wiped his oily mouth with his sleeve and casually replied:

"You missed it last time, kid. You should've seen me beating everyone down during the last argument.

After the internal fight ended, the Head Elder split the seating arrangements like this to make the factions clear.

That long row over there with the most people? That's the 'Hotheaded Fighters.'

The second row, with fewer people? They're the 'Competitive Achievers.'

Then there's my row, the smallest group. We're the 'Calm and Collected.'

As for you..."

The elder glanced at Asuka, dipped his finger into his teacup, and wrote on the table:

Divorce Advocates.

"..."

Asuka's face darkened. He glanced at the Head Elder, who was lost in thought, and gritted his teeth.

"Does that old man have a grudge against me?"

"Ha! So you noticed? He's been annoyed with you ever since you insisted on learning medical ninjutsu. After you suggested that marriage alliance plan yesterday, he dislikes you even more.

So, how about nominating me as the new Head Elder?"

"Silence!"

Fugaku raised his hand to quiet the murmurs. He scanned the front rows, and his eyes landed on Asuka. Speaking in a low voice, he said:

"Uchiha Asuka, the Fourth Hokage has just issued an order.

You're temporarily assigned to oversee three new graduates. After a short period, you'll transfer to the Fourth Hokage's direct unit—the ANBU.

I hope you'll serve as a bridge between the clan and the village."

"I'm a teacher now?"

Asuka pointed to himself in disbelief, blinking at Fugaku.

An Uchiha as a teacher?

What was the Hokage thinking?

Fugaku nodded firmly, then announced two other clan members joining the ANBU before addressing the rest of the clan.

"The Fourth Hokage hopes to ease tensions with the Uchiha. As clan leader, I'll also show goodwill. Soon, I'll enroll Itachi in the ninja academy. After graduation, he'll apprentice under the Fourth Hokage."

"Hmm."

The clan members nodded approvingly. Minato's strength was well-known, and having Itachi as his student was clearly beneficial.

It also meant the clan had a shot at the Hokage position again.

Many elders grinned and glanced mockingly at Asuka.

Clan meetings were meant for open discussion, but some actions were impossible to forget—like pushing for the clan leader's divorce.

"Cough! Cough!"

Asuka cleared his throat and turned toward the Head Elder.

"Head Elder, let me introduce you to a match. She's my Hyuga friend's grandmother. For the clan's honor, I hope you won't refuse."

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Suddenly, the sound of kunai slicing through the air filled the hall. Countless black kunai, controlled by chakra, rained down toward Asuka, forming a massive funnel.

"You old man!"

Asuka looked up at the storm of kunai. He raised his right hand, his wide sleeve sliding back to reveal a well-defined, pale arm.

A red light began forming in his palm, glowing brighter and hotter by the second. In moments, it radiated a scorching heat, vaporizing the tea on the tables.

Asuka stood there like a god holding a miniature sun.

Fire Style: Scorching Sun!

This was Asuka's original technique. Inspired by the Rasengan, he fused fire chakra into it, creating an explosive jutsu—no hand signs needed.

Gulp.

Around him, Uchiha clan members swallowed nervously as the fiery orb burned away the incoming kunai, melting them into molten drops that rained down, leaving blackened holes in the floor.

"Enough."

Once the kunai stopped, Asuka dispersed the fireball. He flicked the molten metal off the table and pulled out a notebook, writing down:

"February 2nd, Year 51. After becoming a ninja, Uchiha Asuka faced repeated challenges from the Head Elder. After rigorous training and countless battles, Uchiha Asuka defeated the Head Elder for the 27th time.

Justice prevails once again."

Asuka held up the notebook and casually picked his nose, adding:

"Don't forget your own rule, Head Elder—one move each. Too many moves cause grudges and hurt unity."

Huff... Huff...

The Head Elder glared at Asuka, breathing heavily. It took several deep breaths for him to calm his urge to fight again.

His feelings toward Asuka were complicated—a mix of admiration and frustration.

In any clan, it might take decades to produce one true genius. But a single genius could shape history for years, even generations.

Moments of greatness often decide the fate of individuals and clans in mere minutes.

Asuka was such a genius.

But this genius refused to stick to tradition. Instead of focusing on pure combat, he wasted time learning medical ninjutsu, experimenting with science, and researching legendary techniques.

And now, he'd supposedly given up medical ninjutsu too.

What a waste.

The Head Elder slammed the table and looked away.

He hated geniuses.

And he especially hated geniuses who wasted their potential.

Worse yet, this one had tried to arrange a marriage for him.

A Hyuga widow? Really?

Hmph!

Never mind. Bring it on. I'll outlive this brat and prove my point.