As Shinho had anticipated, Hinata won her match, but it was a hard-fought victory. She could have won easily, but her timid nature made the battle much closer than it needed to be.
Hinata breathed a sigh of relief and instinctively glanced over at Shinho. His expression remained calm and unreadable, which only made her more anxious. For some reason, she cared deeply about what he thought of her.
With the end of the school day approaching, the sparring session finally concluded. Iruka was quite pleased with everyone's performance, especially Shinho and Sasuke. In his opinion, they were no less talented than upper-grade students like Neji Hyuga.
"I'll give a brief summary," Iruka said after clearing his throat. "Overall, everyone did well, but some of you need to keep working hard..."
Ten minutes later, he dismissed the class, and everyone began to pack up.
"Shinho-kun," Ino called out, tucking a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. "Do you want to join us for some barbecue?"
She pointed toward Choji Akimichi and Shikamaru Nara, who waved at him as well. Being part of the Ino–Shika–Cho trio, they naturally had a close relationship.
"I have something to do," Shinho replied, shaking his head. "Maybe on Sunday afternoon."
"Alright," Ino said, a hint of disappointment in her voice, but she didn't press the issue. She left the school with Choji and Shikamaru, along with Sakura Haruno.
As for Sasuke, he was the first to leave after class. He still couldn't figure out how he had lost, so he planned to go home and ask his brother, Itachi Uchiha.
"Hinata," Shinho called out to the somewhat dazed Hinata.
She looked up instinctively. "Yes?"
"I'll teach you a way to alleviate nervousness," Shinho said calmly. "Just imagine everyone as radishes."
"Eh?" Hinata looked puzzled.
"Are you afraid of radishes?" he asked as they walked.
"N-No," Hinata shook her head.
"Good," Shinho said, offering no further explanation.
"Radish... radish... radish..." Hinata followed behind him, muttering the word over and over, as if trying to convince—or perhaps brainwash—herself.
They returned to the small wooden house.
"Hinata, could you hand me the hoe by the wall?" Shinho said after glancing around.
Hinata instinctively looked at the hoe, momentarily thinking it resembled a large radish. She handed it to him, watching curiously.
Shinho walked to a small plot of land on the east side of the house. He dug two holes and took out the Wine Sack Flower Gu and Rice Sack Grass Gu. These Gu were natural Gu worms, essentially plants in this context.
After placing them into the holes, he extended his hand and infused them with his bronze-colored true essence. Instantly, they took root and sprouted, vines climbing up along the wooden house. Soon, small flowers bloomed on the vines.
"That's... amazing!" Hinata couldn't help but exclaim.
Nothing beats chakra when it comes to fertilizing plants, Shinho mused. Of course, in his case, it was actually true essence.
"You can go back inside," he said, glancing at her. "I'm going to pick some vegetables."
Feeling a bit useless, Hinata lowered her head and went inside.
Once she was gone, Shinho continued to channel his true essence. Soon, the aroma of rice and wine filled the air. He took a deep breath, his stomach growling. He wasn't sure how it would taste, but it had to be good.
He gathered the produce and entered the house, placing a bowl of rice in front of Hinata. "Try this," he said.
As for the flower wine, she was still a child, so he decided against offering it to her.
Hinata instinctively licked her lips. She had never smelled rice so fragrant before.
"It's delicious!" she exclaimed after taking a bite, looking up at him with shining eyes.
Shinho couldn't help but feel that she was almost glowing. Her youthful face was full of vitality. It must be really good, he thought. So good it could make someone burst with joy.
He glanced at the flower wine. I'll save this for Tsunade. She loves drinking—maybe it'll lead to some new breakthroughs.
"I'm going to stir-fry some vegetables," Shinho said, heading toward the refrigerator.
Meanwhile, at the Uchiha residence...
"Mom!" Sasuke called out as he entered the house. "When will Brother be back?"
"Itachi is on duty with the Anbu; I'm not sure when he'll return," Mikoto Uchiha replied, stepping out from the kitchen. She wore an apron and exuded a gentle aura.
"Do you need something?" she asked, feigning a slight pout. "You come home and immediately ask for your brother."
Sasuke always seemed to care more about his brother, leaving her feeling a bit sidelined.
"It's nothing. I'll go do my homework," Sasuke said, not wanting his mother to know about his defeat today. He grabbed his backpack and headed to his room.
"That child," Mikoto sighed, placing her hands on her hips and puffing out her cheeks.
About half an hour later, Itachi returned home, looking visibly tired. The Uchiha clan's growing unrest weighed heavily on him. He sensed that conflict with Konoha was imminent.
What should I do? Itachi pondered as he walked into the living room.
"Brother!" Sasuke peeked his head out from his room.
"Sasuke," Itachi greeted, walking over to pat his younger brother's head.
"I have something to ask you," Sasuke said eagerly. He proceeded to recount his battle with Shinho in detail.
Itachi raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. Sasuke had lost so decisively? He knew his brother's abilities well, having trained him personally. Among peers, Sasuke was exceptional; finding someone who could defeat him so thoroughly was unexpected.
"I remember you mentioned that he's now Tsunade-sama's disciple?" Itachi asked, considering a possibility.
"Yes," Sasuke nodded.
"It's the 'Strength of a Hundred' technique," Itachi concluded. "It's a unique taijutsu of Tsunade-sama that allows the user to unleash immense power instantly."
Sasuke's eyes widened in realization. So it wasn't entirely my fault.
"Judging by how he knocked you back, he's probably just beginning to learn it," Itachi said with a slight smile. "Defeating him isn't impossible. After all, you are an Uchiha."
"But... but I haven't awakened my Sharingan," Sasuke said, a bit dejected.
"Sasuke," Itachi said seriously, "The Uchiha clan isn't defined solely by the Sharingan. We also excel in Fire Release, kenjutsu, and shurikenjutsu."
Sasuke looked up, hope rekindling in his eyes.
"He may surpass you in taijutsu, so you need to avoid his strengths and play to yours," Itachi continued. "Focus on shurikenjutsu."
"Then, Brother, please teach me!" Sasuke exclaimed excitedly.
Itachi hesitated for a moment.
"Itachi," a stern voice interrupted. Their father, Fugaku Uchiha, entered the room. "Come to my study."
Itachi gave Sasuke an apologetic look, patting his head once more before following their father. His expression turned serious as he walked away.
After closing the door to the study, Fugaku got straight to the point. "What's the situation with the village leadership?"
"The same as usual," Itachi replied after a brief pause.
"Good," Fugaku nodded. "If anything changes, report to me immediately."
"Father," Itachi hesitated for a few seconds before continuing, "You should consider keeping our clansmen in check."
"I know what I'm doing; I don't need you to tell me how to manage our affairs," Fugaku said, a frown creasing his forehead. "And remember, you bear the Uchiha name."
Itachi fell silent, unable to argue further.
Father, why can you only see the Uchiha clan? he thought somberly.