Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha is not motivated.

Time flies, and three days later,
During this time, Rasa, free from his senior's supervision, lived a very comfortable life. To thank Nonou for helping him buy the precious Shukaku doll, he spent a lot of money to extend the mission for three more days.

Over the next three days, Nono and the others took him around to spend money, which truly broadened the horizons of Rasa, this country bumpkin.

Both sides were very satisfied with this.

Luo Sha broadened her horizons, while Nonou received a substantial reward for the mission and also pocketed a hefty kickback, transforming herself from a struggling fast-food worker into a wealthy young woman with financial freedom.
On the day the mission was due, Rasa stood at the entrance of the delegation's rest area, reluctantly handing the remaining payment to Nonou.
"Thank you for your company these past few days. If you ever come to Sunagakure again, just let me know, and I will definitely treat you well."

In just three days, his relationship with the three men his own age had evolved from simple employment to that of close friends with whom he could share anything.
P.S.: Luo Sha's feelings are one-sided; Nono only sees him as a worthless bastard.

"Next time for sure, next time for sure~"

Nonou nodded perfunctorily as she accepted the bag of gold dust, then pulled out a pre-prepared weight scale from behind her back and began meticulously inspecting the goods.

Luo Sha's expression froze upon seeing this, and the emotion that had just risen in his heart instantly cooled down.

"Forehead"

"Luo Sha-kun, don't take it to heart. Nonou has always kept public and private matters separate, and he is very clear about what is right and wrong."

Seeing that Rasa was somewhat embarrassed, the worldly-wise Sarutobi Toru quickly stepped forward to defend Nonou.
"That's right, she's a cold-blooded, greedy woman; all she sees is money, she has no emotions whatsoever."

"That's right, that's right! Shin-chan is right my ass! Shin-chan, don't add fuel to the fire!"

Sarutobi Toru covered his face, scolding Nohara Shinnosuke for spouting nonsense with a look of utter helplessness. But judging from the other's indifferent expression, he probably wouldn't listen to him anyway.
"Pfft~ Hahaha!"

Seeing the genuine emotions displayed by the trio, Luo Sha, whose expression had been tense, suddenly burst out laughing.
"Huh?"*3
The sudden laughter caught the attention of the three. Nonou, looking up in confusion, even abandoned the task of weighing the gold.
"You guys are really interesting. I should have brought Garuda with me."

Thinking of her childhood friend who was waiting for her younger brother's birth, Rasa wiped away the tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes with a touch of regret. Asano and the others nodded, turned around, and stepped into the resting area where the delegation was staying.

Sayonara, my friend.

"Uh, shouldn't we say 'Ghana' at this point?"

Upon hearing this, Shinnosuke tilted his head. The casual "Kana" among friends was more fitting for the current context than the formal "Sayonara."

"After all, Rasa-kun is from Sunagakure. Now that we've parted, I don't know when we'll meet again."

It's best not to see each other again.

After inspecting the goods, Nono shook her head. What if Rasa, that sucker, realized what was going on? Wouldn't all the gold dust she'd worked so hard to obtain end up back at its rightful owner?

Using a special tool, he separated two small handfuls of gold dust from a large bag and packaged them as payment to Sarutobi and Toru.

"Here, it's yours."

"what?"

Shinnosuke picked up a tiny pinch of gold dust, barely visible to the naked eye, with two fingers, squinted at it for a long time, and then looked at Nonou, who was in charge of distributing the rewards, with a resentful expression.

"Why so little?"

If you didn't tell him it was payment, he would have thought it was filled with air!

"Nonou, isn't this really unfair?"

Even Sarutobi Toru, who usually dislikes competition, frowned slightly, showing some displeasure.
"Distribution is based on work. You two are useless people who can't help at all. Giving you this much is already because I'm considering that you've at least put in some effort, even if you haven't worked hard."

With a blank expression, Nono stuffed the large bag of gold dust into her waist pouch. She glanced at the two who were about to demand their unpaid wages, her delicate eyebrows slightly raised.
"However, if you're willing to participate in the surreal house-playing game I'm organizing in a few days, the compensation can be adjusted."

"Well, actually it's not unacceptable~"

Shinnosuke Nohara shivered, and with a forced smile, stuffed the gold dust into his pocket.
"So much gold, enough to make a whole set of gold jewelry for Mother! Don't you think so, Xiao Che?"

"That's right!"

Driven by a strong will to survive, Sarutobi Toru immediately nodded frantically. The two exchanged a glance, and before Nono could finalize their participation in the terrifying, surreal house-playing game, they disappeared down the street without looking back.

"Hmph~ Ungrateful. Oh well, at least we still have Rope Tree and the others."

Watching her two teammates flee in disarray, Nono curled her lip in disdain. Fine, if they don't want to play, they don't want to play. It's not like nobody wants to play with her.

Konoha Training Grounds
"hiss"

While practicing Mud Release, Rope Tree suddenly felt a chill down his spine and shivered. At the same time, the brown strawberry tower that had just solidified in front of him collapsed with a crash.

"Idiot, what are you doing?"

Fugaku, splashed by the fallen strawberry tart, turned around with gritted teeth, looking at the dense splatter of poop on his newly changed clothes. He wished he could shove the Chidori he was holding into the mouth of the culprit, Nawaki.

The two rivals would coincidentally come to this area to train every day. On the surface, they didn't interfere with each other, but they were constantly competing in secret, promoting the kind of infighting that Uchiha Gin had always discouraged.

"I didn't mean it."

Nawaki curled his lip, his indifferent expression showing no remorse whatsoever, which only fueled Fugaku's rage.
"Let's have a duel! The loser has to wash the loser's underwear!"

"No."

Without a second thought, Nawaki directly rejected Fugaku's challenge, and under Fugaku's questioning gaze, confidently put his hands on his hips and replied,
"Because I don't have the habit of wearing underwear."

"Alas!"

Upon hearing this, Fugaku frowned, instinctively putting some distance between himself and Nawaki, who wasn't wearing underwear, his face full of disgust.

"Young Master Fugaku! Nawaki-kun!"

Just as the two were about to start their usual bickering, Mikoto, carrying a takeout bag, appeared at the perfect moment. The smiling girl waved her hand, and her youthful and sunny aura instantly dissolved the tense atmosphere between them.

"You've worked hard cultivating, so I brought you your favorite sweet drink."

"Thank you."

Fugaku nodded, feigning modesty, and adopted a very refined demeanor.
"Haha~"

Nawaki, on the other hand, was much more straightforward. He grinned sheepishly, took the takeout bag from Mikoto, and snatched away the taro boba drink that Fugaku loved before he could even choose.
"Damn it! Misaka bought that for me!"

"Did you write your name on it? Don't you know what 'first come, first served' means?"

Rope, who had already inserted the straw into the taro paste bubble, looked disdainfully at the incompetently barking Fugaku. Under the latter's predatory gaze, she defiantly took two big sips.

"Damn it! Let's duel!"

"I wasn't wearing underwear."

"If I lose, I'll wash your sister's underwear."

"Huh? You wish!"

There are plenty of people who want to wash themselves, who do you think you are?

"Further words are useless, Lightning Release: Chidori!"

"Hmph~ Take my kidneys and liver!" Crackling lightning collided with the azure chakra ball, the resulting shockwave sending Mikoto, who was watching the spectacle, swaying from side to side.
After finally regaining her balance, the girl's large, watery eyes were filled with envy.
With her hands outstretched, Mikoto began to fantasize about her magnificent pose with a bun on her left and a chibi on her right.
When will I be able to master such cool and powerful ninjutsu like Fugaku and Nawaki?
Thinking this, a faint crimson glint, unnoticed even by herself, appeared in the girl's clear black eyes as the battle between the two people not far away intensified.

Meanwhile, in a dark corner of the training ground, three elderly men squatted side by side, watching the commotion.
"That ninjutsu... was it taught to you by my older cousin?"

Izuna nodded with great satisfaction as he looked at the overflowing lightning essence in his youngest son's hands.
"At least he didn't disgrace the Uchiha clan, but why does that goofy kid over there look so much like Hasi Hot Mom?"

While Chidori was a stunning ninjutsu, it barely caught his eye. After offering a brief compliment, his attention was quickly drawn to Nawaki, who bore a striking resemblance to an old friend.

"Uh, it's normal that you don't recognize him, brother. That's Hashirama Senju's grandson, named Nawaki."

Since Nawaki hadn't returned to Konoha when Madara Uchiha left, he never met the Senju clan's heir.
"No wonder they look so alike, look at that chakra ball in his hand."

Although the Rasengan looked ordinary, Madara Uchiha immediately saw its secrets, and his brows furrowed slightly.
Too dangerous!

"This is not a skill that a child his age should be able to master."

"I guess it was taught by my older cousin."

Izuna nodded in agreement, looking completely bewildered.
He knew that Uchiha Gin was close to the Senju clan, but he didn't expect them to be so close that Gin would casually teach such a high-level ninjutsu to a mere boy.
"These two boys are quite talented, showing the same flair that Haxi Hot Mom and I had back in the day."

Fugaku and Nawaki fought fiercely, their every move demonstrating their exceptionally solid fundamentals. Madara Uchiha watched with increasing satisfaction.
With such a genius, how could Konoha not prosper?
"Uh"

Upon hearing this, Izuna rolled his eyes in a strange expression.

You're really trying to pat yourself on the back. Brother, at your age, besides being able to breathe fire a couple of times, you couldn't even throw shuriken properly. Otherwise, you wouldn't have lost to Hashirama Senju by skipping stones.

"Erzhuzi, who do you think has the stronger talent?"

Watching the two children's fierce competition with great interest, Madara Uchiha couldn't help but turn to Sasuke, who was squatting nearby, and ask him for his insights, since Sasuke had inherited Hashirama Senju's memories.

Black Zetsu, who had been silent the whole time, only lingered on Fugaku and Nawaki for a brief moment before being drawn to another child who was also watching from the sidelines.

"I don't know who's stronger, but I'm rooting for that kid."

Upon hearing Madara Uchiha's question, he expressionlessly raised his hand and pointed to the attentive audience members in the stands.

"she?"

Madara Uchiha and Izuna were taken aback upon hearing this. If Sasuke hadn't reminded them, they would have forgotten about the little girl's existence.
"Are you seeing things? She doesn't even have Sharingan... huh?"

Izuna pursed his lips, his casual gaze sweeping over Mikoto, who seemed to have nothing but cuteness. He was about to tease the nearsighted Sasuke when his disdainful expression suddenly froze.
When did you open your eyes?

With his excellent eyesight, he quickly locked onto the magatama that was rapidly spinning in the innocent girl's eyes. The expression on his old face gradually changed from astonishment to surprise.
"This eye power is the initial awakening of the Sharingan, but..."

Madara Uchiha frowned, and his Sharingan, which he had unconsciously activated, also showed a rare look of surprise.
The scene before them was simply too unbelievable; what was happening to the girl completely shattered their worldview as members of the Uchiha clan.

Why are they three-tomoe jade pendants?

"what?"

Mikoto, watching Fugaku fight Nawaki, was unaware that she had become the focus of attention for three old monsters.
She just found it strange that the battle scene, which had seemed somewhat blurry just moments before, had become increasingly clear.
Not only that, but they could even see every single movement of the two during the fight, down to the smallest details like Fugaku frowning or Nawaki secretly spitting.
Of course, aside from these useless little tricks, the girl also thoroughly understood how the two chakra circulated, as if she could unleash advanced ninjutsu that was both stylish and powerful just like them.

"That's strange."

The puzzled Mikoto tilted her head, and the red heart-shaped gem hanging on her chest swayed slightly, emitting a faint light invisible to the naked eye.

A soft halo of light slowly seeped into the girl's body, imperceptibly strengthening her young form.
"The Rope Tree!"

"Fugaku!"

Oblivious to the girl's unusual behavior outside the arena, the two unleashed their full power in a final attack. The Chidori, formed from condensed lightning plasma, collided once more with the azure ball, creating a shockwave and revealing a dazzling halo.

"So beautiful!"

At that moment, time seemed to stand still; the two people's movements and ferocious expressions froze in Mikoto's eyes.

"Om~"

"Chirp, chirp, chirp~"

"what?"

The girl, captivated by the dazzling special effects of the ninjutsu, lowered her head in confusion, only to discover an astonishing change in her outstretched hands.
In the center of her left, pink palm, a ball of azure chakra had somehow gathered.
Meanwhile, his right palm was enveloped in seemingly violent but actually incredibly docile lightning plasma.
Is this a dream?

The sudden change left the clueless Mikoto completely bewildered.
The same bewildered expression appeared on the faces of Madara Uchiha and his two companions, who were squatting in the distance watching the commotion.

"Gudong~"

Izuna swallowed hard, stiffly turned his head, and said to his older brother beside him,

"I think I'm under a spell, bro, hit me."

"let me help you!"

Black Zetsu volunteered, raising his fan-like hand, ready to take this opportunity to settle a personal score and teach this Uchiha who had always targeted him a lesson.
"roll!"

"Please give me a break!"

Madara Uchiha's shout silenced the two who were about to start a fight.
"I never thought I would misjudge someone. That child is the real genius of the Uchiha clan."

Looking at the girl wielding one A-rank ninjutsu in each hand, Madara Uchiha shook his head with a sigh.

Upon opening his eyes, he immediately saw three jade hooks; he mastered the rules of copying without a teacher.
She is an absolute genius who has never appeared in the family records. Compared with her, both Fugaku and Yuki seem too mediocre.

"boom!"

A violent explosion rang out, and Fugaku and Nawaki were thrown backward from the epicenter, crashing heavily onto the hard ground of the training field.

"Huhu."

With the outcome still undecided, the two exhausted individuals forced themselves to sit up, their eyes filled with resentment as they stared intently at each other, completely oblivious to Mikoto beside them, who was holding a Rasengan and Chidori, looking utterly panicked.
"You lost."

"Nonsense! I still have my deadly 'Poop Escape' technique to use!"

"Ha, so you do have some strength to spare, huh?"

"You talk as if you still have the energy?"

"Since you were the one who fell first, I, this young master, win!"

"You bastard, just you wait, Grandpa Rope Tree is about to stand up and have a chat with you!"

The two, exhausted and drained, resumed their post-battle verbal sparring, and their argument over who had won or lost even escalated to the point of heated exchange.
"Mikoto, you tell us!"

At this moment, the two remembered that there was a fair referee nearby, and they both turned around to ask him,

Startled, Mikoto quickly hid her hands behind her back. In her nervousness, the crimson glint in the girl's eyes vanished in an instant.
Under their intense gazes, she couldn't make up her mind. She stole a glance at the gradually disappearing Maruko and Chidori behind her, and suddenly she knew the answer.
"Well, I think it's a draw!"

Anyway, she knows how to do it now, so there's nothing wrong with treating everyone equally. (End of Chapter)