Naruto : Konoha Light

"I'm back!"

Hearing a lively folk song playing from the entrance, a figure buried in the sofa lazily lifted their head.

"Hey, Shizune, when's dinner?"

"Almost ready," Shizune responded with mild helplessness. Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around? Tsunade-sama had promised her uncle to take care of her, but somehow, their roles seemed reversed.

Not that she minded. This arrangement had a warmth that felt almost like family.

Tsunade, sprawled across the sofa like a lounging cat, suddenly perked up, excitement flashing in her eyes.

"Wait, Shizune, did you get into a fight at school?"

To Tsunade, Shizune was a good kid—too good. Too soft. The kind of person who'd get pushed around. When Tsunade had been in ninja school, fights were common. Wouldn't it be shameful if her own disciple never learned to throw a proper punch?

Shizune patted the dust off her sleeves, nodding eagerly. "Mhm!"

To this little girl, today's brawl had been an eye-opening experience.

"I told you, punching people feels great, right?" Tsunade grinned, full of enthusiasm for passing on her old delinquent wisdom. "Of course, you shouldn't go around hitting people for no reason. But it's best if you find one or two classmates who aren't afraid to throw hands when needed."

Shizune puffed out her cheeks, a bit displeased. "Hey! We weren't just fighting for fun! We were resisting evil oppression! A just cause!"

Tsunade blinked. Where did this dramatic phrasing come from?

Seeing her confusion, Shizune took it upon herself to explain. "A bunch of those shameless third-years were bullying a classmate of ours. But then Shimizu led us to take revenge!"

"Our whole class jumped in, and those third-years didn't even dare to speak up! And after we beat them up, Shimizu had me help him heal them, then we beat them up again!" Shizune was practically glowing with excitement, cheeks flushed.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. That kid really had guts. When Shizune mentioned treating their injuries, she thought Shimizu was aiming to make peace. But no—he just wanted them conscious for another round of beatings.

"...Well, I have to admit, that does sound satisfying." Tsunade nodded approvingly.

Then, she caught something odd. "Wait—did you say everyone joined in?"

Shizune tilted her head. "Yeah? What's the problem?"

Tsunade was curious. "Weren't you guys afraid? I mean, collective fights like this—weren't you worried? And from what you described, you guys weren't exactly playing the good guys. Weren't you afraid of retaliation?"

Shizune nodded at first, then suddenly brightened as if she had realized something. "Oh! But we listened to Shimizu! He said not to think about it!"

Then, with even more confidence, she added, "Besides, we helped that classmate today. If we get bullied next time, other classmates will definitely help us! And those third-years are terrified of the class leader now. With Shimizu around, they wouldn't dare mess with us!"

Tsunade sighed, resting her chin on her palm. To make people follow him so easily… That kind of charisma is enviable.

She let out a small sigh of regret. "If only I wasn't afraid of blood… I'd love to take in a disciple like him."

Meanwhile, at the Uchiha Clan Residence, a mansion built in the traditional Warring States style

A middle-aged ninja, seated in the courtyard, opened his eyes suddenly. His tone was indifferent.

"Where do you think you're going?"

The young Uchiha froze mid-step. His shoulders stiffened as he lowered his head and turned around. "Father."

"Do you plan on explaining your injuries?"

The boy—Uchiha Zhihui—clicked his tongue. "So, someone already told you."

The man's voice was sharp. "I want to hear it from you."

Sighing in defeat, Zhihui knelt down. The moment he did, a sharp pain shot through him, and he let out a strangled yelp.

"!—"

"What's wrong?"

"My ass hurts too much to sit."

Seeing his son squirming uncomfortably, trying to find a way to kneel without putting pressure on his bruised backside, the middle-aged Uchiha almost fainted from sheer embarrassment.

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down. "Now speak."

Still shifting around awkwardly, Zhihui finally answered. "Simply put… I got beaten up for the glory of the Uchiha Clan!"

His father's cold voice carried a hint of amusement. "Should I be praising you, then?"

"I wouldn't mind," Zhihui muttered under his breath.

"Fool!" His father slammed the table. "I leave you alone for a little while, and you start hanging out with trash? Do you even realize they're using the Uchiha name for their own gain? They don't respect you in the slightest!"

"I know."

"You—! You know?"

"I'm not an idiot," Zhihui scoffed. "I can tell who's sincere and who isn't."

The middle-aged Uchiha forced his anger down. "Then why did you still associate with them?"

Instead of answering directly, Zhihui brought up another matter. "From the time I was a child, no one outside our clan has ever wanted to be my friend."

His father frowned. "I've never heard of this."

"Of course, you haven't," Zhihui sneered. "You spend all day dealing with clan matters. You never had time for me."

A heavy silence filled the courtyard.

"I tried, you know? I really did. I tried to make friends, to fit in. But I failed." His voice was laced with frustration. "I could've accepted that. But what I couldn't accept was them slandering the Uchiha name behind my back! Slandering you!"

"So I made a choice. If they wouldn't like us, then I'd make them fear us instead!"

His father's eyes flickered with something unreadable. But then, he schooled his face into a cold mask once again.

"Fool. No one can exist without the support of others. Even the ancestors of the Uchiha couldn't accomplish that alone. Do you think you're greater than them?"

Zhihui's eyes darkened. "Then what's your way? Groveling and hoping things change? That's not Uchiha pride."

"Enough! Get out of my sight!"

"Hmph! I was leaving anyway!" Zhihui stood, clutching his aching backside as he limped away.

As the sound of his footsteps faded, the courtyard fell silent once more.

In that silence, the middle-aged Uchiha murmured under his breath, "…Were we truly wrong? We restrained our clan, extended goodwill to Konoha, and yet nothing has changed."

His expression darkened. "Are we truly cursed? Or… is someone pulling the strings from the shadows?"