-----
-----
Year 53 of Konoha.
Two years had passed.
This stretch of time in the ninja world was relatively peaceful. The Five Great Villages still had the occasional clash here and there, but nothing major—just a handful of casualties each time.
For villages of that scale, it barely made a dent.
Maybe that was part of the tragedy of being a ninja… and something no one could really avoid.
At the same time, something big had happened in Konoha.
The Uchiha clan's real estate project had exploded in success.
At first, clans like the Sarutobi, Shimura, and the Ino–Shika–Cho families watched with amusement, expecting it to flop. But once the installment payment system was introduced, the entire village was shaken.
Ninja lived unstable lives, always on the move. Who wouldn't want a warm, permanent home? A place to plant flowers, raise a pet, and finally relax?
So the moment Uchiha housing went on sale, it was snapped up instantly.
Phase one, two, three—sold out in no time.
The upfront investment had been massive, but after two years, the Uchiha had already made it past the hardest stage. Now, money flowed into their accounts every single day.
By the time other clans realized what was happening and tried to follow suit, all the prime land in the village had already been secured by the Uchiha.
They had even acquired large areas of land in the capital of the Land of Fire.
At this point, they practically held a monopoly over the real estate market across the country—and were even starting to expand toward other villages.
In simple terms, the Uchiha were rich. Very rich.
And money meant resources.
With better training materials and support, the number of their jonin and chunin steadily increased. Their overall strength rose significantly. Part of that was also thanks to the "Young Hawk Program."
As their wealth grew, so did their quality of life.
The Konoha Police Force no longer needed financial support from the village—they could sustain themselves just fine.
On top of that, Konoha had spent years suppressing and discriminating against the Uchiha. The result?
The police force started collectively slacking off on the job.
Oh, before you said we weren't dedicated enough and made us take the blame?
Fine.
Now we won't do it at all.
Enjoy your freedom.
Naturally, village order declined.
Even Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't ignore it anymore. During a high-level meeting, he directly called out Fugaku and demanded a statement.
Fugaku cleared his throat and began:
"Since the Hokage has asked me to say a few words, then I'll say a few words. Of course, these few words are just a few simple words. I believe these few words are better than those few words. So today I'll start with these few words. If everyone feels these few words aren't comprehensive enough, I can add a few more words later…"
This kind of verbal nonsense… he had learned it from Ken.
Sometimes Fugaku couldn't help but wonder where a kid that young got so many weird ideas.
The higher-ups sat through a long stretch of meaningless rambling. Just as Hiruzen was about to lose patience, Fugaku finally got to the point.
"The village's criticism is valid. I will go back and criticize the police force members. Then they will criticize each other, point out their shortcomings, and reflect on themselves."
Then he added, almost casually:
"The police force carries heavy responsibilities. The Uchiha may not be capable enough. Perhaps another clan should take over."
That one sentence stunned the entire room.
If they were being honest, the Uchiha police had always done their job well. Their reputation had only worsened because certain people deliberately smeared them.
After a moment of silence, Hiruzen admitted that Konoha couldn't do without the Uchiha in the police force.
And just like that, the matter was dropped.
Because once you have enough strength—and no longer rely on others—you earn the right to speak as an equal.
…
Konoha.
Ninja Academy.
Training ground.
Ken and Sarutobi Kei were sparring.
Kei had gotten even fatter over the past two years. The flesh on his face jiggled when he moved, yet his agility was surprisingly sharp—like a monkey. Chakra flowed through his body as he fought with a kunai in hand.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
Three shuriken shot straight at Ken.
For safety reasons, the kunai and shuriken used in training weren't sharpened. But getting hit still hurt—a lot.
The academy wasn't a safe haven. It was meant to prepare them for the harsh reality of the ninja world.
From a distance, their homeroom teacher, Daikoku Funeno, watched closely.
Ken remained calm as ever.
Every move he made suppressed Kei's attacks, leaving him struggling to keep up.
A genius.
A real genius.
After two years, the students had all learned chakra refinement, so ninjutsu was now allowed in sparring.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Kei formed hand seals and spat out a blazing fireball that roared toward Ken.
Like the Uchiha, the Sarutobi clan specialized in fire techniques.
"Body Flicker Technique."
With a light tap of his foot, Ken vanished into a blur and easily dodged the attack.
The next moment—
He appeared behind Kei.
A kunai pressed against his throat.
Even without a sharp edge, the cold touch made Kei's hair stand on end. His back was instantly drenched in sweat.
If this were a real battlefield, he'd already be dead.
When the kunai was withdrawn, the suffocating pressure disappeared. Kei collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he said:
"As expected of a man I acknowledge. Your strength is impressive. I admit it—Uchiha Ken, you're qualified to be my bond!"
"When I become Hokage one day, being my bond will be an honor for you!"
"…Heh." Ken complained silently.
Why does "bond" sound so weird coming from him?
"Ken, you're amazing!" Hitomi called out as she stepped out of the crowd.
Ken is so cool!
Hitomi hadn't changed much.
Oval face, fair skin, big bright eyes, shoulder-length hair. When she smiled, faint dimples appeared on her cheeks. The baby fat on her face had faded a little, giving her a more refined look.
As she grew older, she would definitely become one of Konoha's beauties.
"Just luck," Ken replied with a smile.
Daikoku Funeno closed his notebook and addressed the class.
"This match—Uchiha Ken wins!"
"His strength comes from hard work."
"He trains before dawn."
"During breaks, he practices either ninjutsu or weapon techniques."
"You should all learn from him and aim to pass the graduation exam in six months. Become genin and make your parents proud!"
He encouraged them earnestly.
After the Third Great Ninja War, Konoha had lost too many shinobi. The academy lowered the graduation age to nine.
Ken and the others were now eight and a half.
In half a year, they would take the genin exam.
After that, they'd be sent on missions—maybe even to the battlefield.
The ninja world was still as cruel as ever.
After all, this was a world built on agriculture. Aside from the Land of Fire, with its fertile land and gentle terrain, the other nations struggled with poor soil.
Food shortages often led to war.
But the deeper reason was simpler.
Where there are people, there is conflict.
There's no solving that.
All Ken could do was grow stronger—and protect himself.
"Open the status panel!"
"....."