"Have you heard? Shimizu returned to the village with the illegitimate child he had with a foreign woman."

"Huh, he's really tainted the Uchiha bloodline!"

"It seems to be just ahead."

The two men were talking and looking ahead as they walked forward.

In front of them, a black-haired man in civilian clothes was limping towards the Uchiha station. Next to him was a white-haired child.

The two men, about twenty or thirty meters behind the older and younger person, muttered in low voices: "Huh, an illegitimate child, he didn't even inherit the Uchiha's black hair."

At this moment, the white-haired child in front silently turned around.

The two men behind were startled.

"This child..."

"So sharp!"

This white-haired child had striking white hair along with white eyelashes and eyebrows above his eyes. He also had a pair of bright blue eyes as bright as stars.

The pair of big eyes stared at the two men, making it seem as if their thoughts were laid bare.

The child turned back and continued holding his father's hand until they reached the Uchiha Clan residence.

"Hmph! It was just a coincidence."

"How could a little child find the two of us."

Feeling humiliated, the two men defended themselves and left angrily.

"What's wrong? Shintaro."

Uchiha Shimizu lowered his head and saw his son's earlier actions, and asked.

The child named Uchiha Shintaro looked up, smiled, and shook his head: "It's nothing, Father."

Shimizu nodded slightly. He knew that his son had been precocious since he was young, so he didn't ask too much.

The two people, one big and one small, arrived at the clan leader's house under the strange gazes of many Uchiha Clan members. After waiting at the door for a while, the door opened and they both entered and went into the large house.

"Patriarch."

Shimizu held Shintaro's hand and bowed respectfully at ninety degrees.

The young man in front of him sighed and helped the two of them up.

"Just call me Fugaku. After all, you are my senior."

Uchiha Fugaku then invited the two to sit down and asked, "How have you been these past few years?"

Shimizu coughed, and Shintaro stood up and patted his father's back, trying to ease his pain.

"When I left the Uchiha Clan and Konoha, everyone was very unhappy. If my wife hadn't died of illness and I were not about to die myself, I wouldn't have come to beg you."

Fugaku glanced at the white-haired boy behind Shimizu and had already guessed in his mind.

"It's because of the child."

Shimizu pulled Shintaro to his side and said sincerely: "When my family expelled me from the house, I left Konoha in anger. Because of my family, I wasn't classified as a traitor by the village, so I still feel guilty towards my family."

"I don't expect my family to forgive me, I just want them to accept this child. The child is innocent."

Fugaku sighed: "Oh, why bother? If you had followed the family's instructions to marry the elder's daughter, you wouldn't be in this situation now."

Shimizu remained silent.

Fugaku had no choice but to compromise and speak again.

"Well then, what is this child's name?"

"Shintaro." answered the white-haired boy, his eyes very bright.

Fugaku nodded: "Shintaro, from today onwards, you are a member of the Uchiha Clan."

"How old is he?"

"Five years old." Replied Shintaro.

Fugaku looked at Shimizu: "I will let the child enter the ninja school, don't worry."

"Thank you, Patriarch." Shimizu bowed in gratitude.

"I still kept your house for you, but it hasn't been cleaned for a long time."

"Thank you, I bid you farewell."

Shimizu stood up with difficulty and left with his son's support. Fugaku looked at the two people walking away with a complicated expression.

Shimizu and his son came to a somewhat secluded house.

Although this place was secluded, it occupied a large area. Besides being a bit dilapidated, it was actually a good place to live.

Next to it was the sound of a stream, and occasional birdsong could be heard around the forest.

Shintaro helped his father onto the bed and let him rest for a while while he started cleaning the house alone.

At this moment, Shimizu suddenly started coughing violently, and then spat out a mouthful of blood.

Shintaro immediately put down the broom in his hand, stepped forward, and took out a handkerchief to wipe the corners of Shimizu's mouth. After a while, Shimizu spoke weakly, with a faint smell of blood.

"Shintaro, you must become stronger. Only by becoming stronger can you take the initiative in your life in this world."

"The room on the left is my study. The cabinet at the lower left of the desk contains the gifts I left for you, which can help you become stronger."

"I am a quiet person and not good at dealing with others. There are only two people in this village whom I can call friends."

"One is Uchiha Fugaku, and the other is Yuhi Shinku. If you encounter problems, go to them. For my sake, they will help you..."

Shimizu said this for a long time, his tone becoming weaker and weaker, until his breath became fainter and fainter.

That night, Uchiha Shimizu died at his home at the age of 25.

His funeral was organized by Fugaku, but there were few guests.

Besides Fugaku's wife, Uchiha Mikoto, there was only one other man.

Konoha Jonin Yuhi Shinku. He wore a green Konoha Jounin vest. He looked dusty and seemed to have just arrived from a mission.

After a few words with Fugaku and his wife, Shinku came to Shimizu's gravestone.

Shintaro knelt in front of the gravestone and paid silent respects, but did not cry or make a fuss, making him seem so mature and heart-wrenching.

"Boy."

Shinku patted Shintaro's shoulder.

Shintaro turned around and saluted: "Hello, Uncle Shinku."

Shinku was slightly surprised.

"How did you know I am Yuhi Shinku?"

Shintaro explained: "Father said that he only had two friends in Konoha, Uncle Fugaku and Uncle Shinku."

Shinku looked into Shintaro's blue eyes and said: "Don't worry, boy, I will treat you as my own."

Shintaro bowed again.

After the funeral, Shintaro returned home.

The house had been cleaned inside and out, and the large house seemed very empty with only him living there.

The smell of blood in the master bedroom had been washed away by water, and the last trace of his father's presence was gone.

Shintaro felt an unprecedented loneliness. He knew that he was not from this world.

A while later, he came to his father's study.

The bookshelf was filled with various kinds of books. He went straight to the desk his father mentioned, opened the cabinet, and took out a wooden box.

Opening the wooden box, there were several books and a piece of plain paper inside.

"Chakra Extraction Method", "Fire Ninjutsu Collection", "Water Ninjutsu Collection", "Genjutsu Collection and Experience", "Uchiha Clan Ninja Tool Control Techniques", and a chakra test paper. These were the gifts Shimizu left for his son.