Chapter 0031: Ominous Foreboding
Early morning light filtered into the grand Uchiha residence as Danzan slowly opened his eyes.
"You're awake," a familiar voice spoke softly in his ear.
"Father… sir?" he turned his head to see his father, Uchiha Hiruma, the elder of the Uchiha clan, gazing down at him with a stern expression.
"Feeling better?" Uchiha Hiruma asked calmly.
"Father, why do you ask?" he responded, his voice tinged with confusion. "Is something wrong with me?"
"Seems you don't remember," Uchiha Hiruma sighed. "Think carefully about where you went last night."
Last night?
Uchiha Tamayama furrowed his brows, trying to recall, but his memory of the previous night was a blank. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't piece together any fragments of what had happened.
Seeing his son's bewilderment, Uchiha Hiruma understood that Danzan wouldn't remember the details on his own.
Hiruma wasn't surprised. Such deeply humiliating memories were often subconsciously erased as a protective mechanism.
He wished he could shield his son from the pain of such memories, but the matter had already spread throughout the Uchiha clan. The best approach was to face it head-on rather than prolong the suffering.
With that in mind, Uchiha Hiruma stated without hesitation, "Do you remember someone named Yūhi Hiroto?"
Yūhi Hiroto… Yūhi Hiroto?!
In an instant, the forgotten memories surged into Danzan's mind like a flood.
The battle with him, the humiliation of being overpowered, the sealing and subsequent burning… and waking up to find himself hanging upside down on Hokage Rock, dressed in an embarrassing magical girl costume. The blue floral patterns on the skirt were particularly vivid in his mind.
His face changed color dramatically, from dark red to ashen to a purplish black, like a theatrical mask, displaying a range of emotions.
"Looks like you remember now," Hiruma said expressionlessly. "Don't worry too much. The clan members won't dare speak ill of you."
"What?!" Danzan's eyes widened in disbelief. "The clan knows about this?"
Uchiha Hiruma briefly explained, "Someone informed the Konoha Guard Force, and the clan members brought you back."
What a profound disgrace!
How was he supposed to face people again or maintain his dignified image as the young master?!
Uchiha Danzan's eyes burned with fury, his chest filled with intense anger. "Damn it! That damned kid… Yūhi Hiroto, I'll make him pay!"
"Let it go," Uchiha Hiruma shook his head, speaking softly.
"What?!"
Uchiha Danzan was stunned, his eyes glazed as he looked at his father. How could his father tell him to endure such an unimaginable humiliation? Was he really his biological father?
"That boy is not as simple as he appears," Uchiha Hiruma said calmly. "He's a disciple of that woman from the Senju clan."
Hiss.
Danzan gasped in realization. The "woman" his father referred to must be Tsunade, one of the legendary Three Ninjas known as the "Princess of the Senju Clan."
Despite considering himself the Uchiha clan's young master, Danzan knew he was no match for someone of Tsunade's stature. The gap in strength, reputation, and influence was too vast.
With the renowned golden-haired princess backing Yūhi Hiroto, seeking revenge would be akin to courting death. Even his father couldn't save him if things went awry.
The only feasible option was to challenge him directly.
But given Hiroto's terrifying physical prowess and monstrous combat talent, Danzan quickly dismissed this idea. One humiliation was enough; he wasn't foolish enough to provoke him again.
Thus, the only path was to endure for now.
Of course, this so-called "endurance" was merely Danzan's superficial consolation. In Hiroto's terms, it was just a lack of backbone.
…
…
Unaware that my would-be vengeful "enemy" had chosen to cower, I stood under a tree, casually gazing ahead, lost in thought.
To my sides stood Yūhi Kurenai and Katō Shizune, forming the new Team 8. They were gathered here to wait for their supervising jōnin.
"It's a bit late; weren't we supposed to meet at nine? It's almost eleven now," Kurenai complained quietly. The scorching summer sun made her, as a young girl, uncomfortable and irritable.
"They should be here soon," Shizune responded, glancing at Tsukuyomi. "By the way, Hiroto-kun… when you meet the teacher, please try not to do anything strange. I'm saying this for your own good."
"Huh?"
I blinked in surprise, my expression one of bewilderment. "For my own good? Why do I suddenly have a bad feeling about this?"
Author's Note:
So, a good news. Shoutout to St. Trina for completing the goal of 10 paid members in p@treon. As promised, there will be 5 chapters mass release on the coming Monday, 14th October.
And, for the second goal, of 350 powerstones by the end of this week, we have reached 93/350. I think you guys might make it possible to reach 350 soon... so Ig, I'll keep another 5 extra chapters lol - anyway, thanks to the support, I will not drop the book until, at least, it has reached 100 chapters.
Anyway, the next goal for p@treon people is 15 paid readers [10/15 done]. Reward: +10 chapters mass release.
So, for +30 advanced chapters, check out p@treon: https://www.patreon.com/NarutoWriter