I, Uchiha, will not be whitewashed!

Night fell over the leaf-covered trees.

Uchiha Sakugo walked through the streets of the clan compound, the houses on both sides lit by dim yellow lights. Occasionally, clansmen would pass by, nodding slightly when they saw him—the title of Uchiha clan genius was equally useful within the clan.

He walked to his own front door.

Then he stopped walking.

A figure was leaning against the door frame of the neighboring courtyard, seemingly having been waiting for a long time.

"Shuoge, come here for a second."

The man raised his head, revealing a strikingly handsome face.

Uchiha Kagami.

The current head of the Uchiha clan, a disciple of the Second Hokage, and a staunch supporter of the "Will of Fire".

He was also his uncle.

"Okay, Uncle."

Shuoge turned around and followed Jing into the neighboring courtyard.

The two houses were next to each other, and he couldn't remember how many times he had traveled back and forth between the two courtyards since he was a child.

-

inside the house.

Jing placed two glasses of water on the table and sat down opposite Shuoge.

The candlelight flickered, reflecting the weariness on his face. But when he looked at Shuoge, his eyes remained gentle.

"You entered the Ninja Academy with the highest score. You did very well, and I'm very happy for you."

Jing opened his mouth, his voice low and gentle.

"I believe your father would be just as proud of you."

Shuoge did not speak.

His father—Uchiha Kagami's younger brother—died in a border conflict a few years ago. His mother followed shortly after, dying from an old ailment triggered by excessive grief.

From then on, Jing took care of him.

"I know you've always worked very hard," Jing continued. "Others get a perfect score because that's all they can get. But your perfect score—"

He paused, then smiled.

"That's because the test's maximum score is only one hundred."

Shuoge lowered his eyes.

If it were a real six-year-old child, they would probably be laughing happily right now.

—Approval from elders.

But he is not.

He was thinking about something else entirely.

—Uchiha Kagami will die.

This gentle clan leader, this Uchiha who truly supported Konoha, would die in the Third Shinobi World War.

Then Fugaku Uchiha succeeded as clan leader.

Then came the gradual march towards that bloody night.

"Tell me, what reward do you want?"

The mirror's voice pulled him back to reality.

"As long as Uncle can do it..."

reward.

Shuoge raised his head.

He does have something he wants.

"Shadow Clone Technique".

Jing paused for a moment.

"Shadow Clone Technique?" He raised an eyebrow slightly. "I thought you would choose some ninjutsu more suitable for offense... Shadow Clone Technique is not bad either."

"Um."

Shuoge's answer was concise.

Jing looked at him, her gaze carrying a mixture of scrutiny and understanding.

After a moment, he nodded.

"You have already fully mastered the Three Body Technique, so you are certainly qualified to learn Shadow Clone Technique."

He picked up his water glass and took a sip.

"But why shadow clones?"

Shuoge was silent for a moment.

Why?

Because the ninja academy is about to start.

He didn't want to waste a single day playing house with a group of five- or six-year-old children.

Because war is coming.

Because he needs time—he uses every spare moment he can to become stronger.

But he didn't say these words aloud.

"I want to try it," he said. "Shadow clones have a wide range of applications, and it can't hurt to learn them."

Jing stared at him for a while.

Then he laughed.

"Okay." He put down his cup. "I'll compile some insights into shadow clone training and practical experience later. I'll come find you once the scroll is ready."

-

After chatting for a few more minutes, Shuoge got up to take his leave.

As I reached the door, Jing's voice came from behind me.

"Shuoge".

He turned around.

Jing stood by the candlelight, her face half-hidden in the shadows.

"Don't push yourself too hard," he said. "You're only six."

Shuoge did not answer.

He simply nodded, then pushed open the door and walked out.

-

Back in his room, Shuoge stood by the window for a long time.

As night deepened, the lights at the Uchiha compound gradually went out.

Six years old.

Yes, this body is only six years old.

But he can't really think of himself as a six-year-old.

Because he knew what would happen next.

Third World War.

The Nine-Tailed Fox's Rebellion.

The Uchiha clan was wiped out.

The Konoha Crush Plan.

Payne carries rice.

Four wars.

Those who deserve only the phrase "no trace of their remains" on intelligence scrolls, those dead whose names will not even be recorded in history—

He will not be one of them.

Absolutely not.

He turned around and looked at the long sword hanging on the wall.

Those were his father's keepsakes.

The blade still bears the nicks left from cutting ironwood today.

Tomorrow, the Ninja Academy will officially begin.

But he won't waste his time there.

Shadow Clone Technique —

Once you've learned it, send your shadow clone to class.

Ontology—

He continued swinging his knife.

It's not that Sakugo lacks ninjutsu talent or dislikes ninjutsu.

Rather, because he lacks the "Chatura" attribute, he is not suitable to train in ninjutsu at this time.

In contrast, physical skills, or rather, swordsmanship, are the most suitable.

-

Outside the window, the night wind blows.

In the distance, the faint sound of flowing water could be heard from the forest.

That's where he wields his knife every day.

He will go again tomorrow when the sun rises.

……

……

……

The noise of new students entering school had not yet subsided, and the classroom windows were already crowded with people.

Matt Kay failed the entrance exam but refused to leave.

Clutching a banner emblazoned with the words "Youth" and "Effort," the boy ran lap after lap on the track, his clothes soaked with sweat, his voice hoarse yet unwavering.

"Hahaha, you failed and you're still making a fool of yourself here? You can't even master chakra refining, and you dare to say you want to be a ninja?" A boy with a buzz cut crossed his arms, his tone full of disdain.

As a "top student" who passed the entrance exam for the Ninja Academy, he faces a good-for-nothing who couldn't even get into the Ninja Academy.

He naturally felt superior to others.

"That's right, ninjas rely on talent and bloodline. You can't even gather chakra, so running a hundred laps won't help!" Another girl pouted and echoed her sentiment.

—A silly watermelon head, a perverted bodysuit, and it's even green, it's truly disgusting and unbearable to look at.

"That's right, if you don't have the talent, don't force it, just go home!" someone chimed in, and the laughter instantly grew louder.

Harsh laughter and mockery rose and fell, buzzing like flies.

Uchiha Sakugo, who was sitting in his seat seemingly resting with his eyes closed, but was actually focusing intently on refining a small amount of chakra at his fingertips, suddenly frowned. The chakra at his fingertips dissipated instantly, and a sense of physical annoyance welled up in his heart—how annoying!

Do a bunch of nameless extras have the right to mock Kai, who almost kicked the finale out of the series?

On hard work, on willpower, on future potential...

They're nothing but a bunch of useless trash.

The next second, Uchiha Sakugo slowly stood up, the chair legs creaking softly against the floor. His voice was low, flat and emotionless, yet like ice thrown into boiling water, it instantly drowned out all the noise:

"It's so noisy."

"A bunch of small fry, do they even have the right to mock others?"

One sentence, and the entire room fell silent instantly.

Everyone was stunned, staring at the freshman with his cold eyes and imposing aura.

Even Kai, who was still running, subconsciously paused and looked over blankly.

Uchiha Sakugo didn't look at anyone else, nor did he pay any attention to Kai. He turned around and walked towards the classroom door.

He wanted to find a quiet place—the rooftop might be a good option.

-

"So handsome!~"

"So stylish!"

"Is this the aura of being number one?"

Behind them came the barely suppressed gasps of surprise from the girls.

Not only girls, but many boys also looked on with longing.

Uchiha Sakugo.

The name had already spread throughout the entire grade before the school even started.

A monster who surpasses Kakashi Hatake, a genius of the Uchiha clan, and the top scorer in the entrance exam—

All the glory is concentrated on this one person.

At that moment, his words silenced the entire room, and the way he turned and left was as if he had stepped out of a painting.

But not everyone is convinced.

-

A corner of the classroom.

A boy with a bandage on his forehead looked away, his fingers gripping his pen tightly, a cold smile playing on his lips. During the entrance exam, he had tried his best but only scored in the top 100, while Uchiha Sakugo's overall score was a full 80 points higher. The proctor's words at the time, "The difference is talent," pierced his heart like a needle.

"The Uchiha... what's so great about them?"

He muttered something under his breath, a sound only those around him could hear.

The chubby boy next to him quickly tugged at his sleeve: "Hey, Yamashiro, don't talk nonsense..."

"Did I say something wrong?" The bandaged boy—Yamashiro Daisuke—pursed his lips, his tone tinged with resentment. "So what if he comes from a better family? He's from the Uchiha clan, of course he'll be number one. If I were born into the Uchiha clan, I could do it too."

The chubby boy didn't respond.

He glanced at Daisuke Yamashiro, then at the direction of the door, and wisely kept his mouth shut.

But he knew it in his heart.

On the day of the entrance exam, Daisuke Yamashiro's score ranked outside the top 100.

And that person—

It's number one.

-

the other side.

A girl with her hair in a bun looked away, twirled the pen in her hand, and a hint of interest flashed in her eyes.

"interesting."

She murmured.

Someone nearby leaned in: "Xiaoye, what did you say?"

"It's nothing."

The girl smiled, but her gaze remained fixed on the doorway. She remembered that person's name—Uchiha Sakugo. During the entrance exam, she sat behind him and clearly saw the chakra fluctuations at his fingertips. He was so composed, unlike a six-year-old child. Throughout the three exams, he didn't look back even once, like a machine that only knew how to become stronger.

But now, he spoke. For that bottom-of-the-class student who failed the exam. Was he genuinely helping that green-skinned kid? Or was he simply annoyed by the noise? The girl lowered her eyes, her smile deepening. Either way, it was very interesting.

-

On the playground.

Kai stopped, panting heavily, sweat streaming down his face, dripping onto the banner and blurring the words "Youth".

He heard it—that voice, the one that made his legs go weak and his whole body go cold, that he accidentally witnessed the other person wielding a knife by the river yesterday, was coming from the classroom.

Then he saw the black-haired figure walk out of the classroom door and head towards the stairs without looking at him once.

But Kai knew that person had just spoken. Those words were addressed to those who had mocked him.

He didn't understand what "trash fish" meant, but he could sense that there was no sarcasm in that person's words, only disdain for those people—disdain for their mockery.

He gripped the banner tightly, his knuckles turning white, and his eyes suddenly felt a little hot.

It turns out that not everyone thought his efforts were useless.

Taking a deep breath, Kai raised the banner again and roared as he continued running, his steps more determined than before—he had to work harder and not let down the person who had spoken up for him.

-

Staircase entrance.

Uchiha Sakugo stepped onto the steps leading to the rooftop, then paused.

I heard light, timid footsteps behind me.

He didn't turn around.

"What's up?"

His tone was very indifferent.

The person behind him seemed startled by the sudden question and stammered:

"Um... I came to express my gratitude..."

Shuoge turned his head and caught a glimpse of a short figure out of the corner of his eye—not Kai, but a boy he had never seen before, wearing round-framed glasses, thin and small, with a bit of dust on his collar, obviously having been teased by those extras before.

"Why thank me?"

"It was...it was just now..." The bespectacled boy nervously pushed up his glasses, his fingertips gripping the hem of his clothes. "What you said...I...I was mocked by them before, but I didn't dare to say anything...Thank you for standing up for us."

Shuoge withdrew his gaze.

"I'm not helping you."

He continued walking uphill.

"It's not about helping that kappa."

Footsteps echoed in the stairwell.

"I just find them noisy."

As soon as he finished speaking, he pushed open the rooftop door and walked out.

The bespectacled boy was left standing alone on the stairs, staring blankly at the figure disappearing into the sunlight.

-

On the rooftop.

It's very windy.

Shuoge walked to the railing and looked down at the playground below.

The green-skinned figure was still running.

a circle.

Another lap.

Sweat glistened in the sunlight.

It's pretty silly, but not annoying.

Shuoge withdrew his gaze and sat down against the railing. He patted his pocket, remembering the Shadow Clone Scroll that Jing had mentioned, and thought to himself, "If I learn it as soon as possible, I can save more time for cultivation."

The core of the Shadow Clone Technique can be summed up in just three words—Chakra!

With sufficient chakra, more chakra can be evenly distributed after performing the Shadow Clone Technique, allowing the Shadow Clone Technique to be maintained for a longer period of time.

Close your eyes.

Continue refining chakra.

-

In the classroom.

Shimura Takuya stared at the doorway, his eyes gloomy.

"Uchiha Sakugo..."

He gritted his teeth and crushed those five words between them.

just wait.

So what if I'm number one?

So what if you're a genius?

There's always a way to make you look bad.

He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his flesh.

The follower beside him cautiously leaned closer: "Takuya-kun, why are you arguing with someone like that... No matter how strong the Uchiha are, can they compare to the Shimura clan?"

Taku didn't say anything.

But a cold smile crept onto his lips.

The Shimura family.

Council of Elders.

One day, those arrogant Uchiha will know—

In Konoha, who really calls the shots?