"Lady, will this elder brother become your student like me?"
After exiting the room where Isamu was injured and recovering, Chikage spoke to her mentor and adoptive mother, Mikumo.
Mikumo walked with her usual indifferent air, showing no emotion.
"No, he won't be like you. He may have his own role, but it won't be the same as yours," Mikumo replied, her voice devoid of feeling as she continued to walk down the long corridor with a steady gaze.
Chikage fell silent after hearing the answer, walking alongside her teacher and contemplating the response. Even though she was young, she understood that her relationship with Mikumo wasn't a typical one between mother and daughter or teacher and student.
She had been raised under Mikumo's strict guidance since she was a child, receiving an education far more intense than her age demanded.
She had no peers, no childhood friends, and no ordinary life like other children. She was extraordinary from the start.
Still, Chikage was beginning to grasp the deeper meaning behind her relationship with her mentor and her future role. Her question had merely been a reflection of deep-seated curiosity, sparked by a simple observation.
She saw in Isamu an interesting new presence, another child who might draw her mentor's attention.
Though Chikage rarely felt the need to approach others, something about Mikumo's attitude toward Isamu awakened an old feeling she had never experienced before—the desire to share.
She had always believed she was the only one who received Mikumo's care and attention, that her uniqueness was what made her closest to her mentor.
But when she noticed Mikumo giving attention to Isamu, even if that attention was different, Chikage felt a twinge of curiosity, and perhaps a trace of childish worry.
It was a natural feeling, one she couldn't resist—the instinctive reaction of a child who sees in others a reflection of themselves and yearns to form connections.
Although she hadn't made friends with children her age, Chikage knew from the looks and words of others that she was special. That constant observation made her feel isolated, driving her to seek a deeper understanding of her place.
And now, with Isamu's presence, for the first time, she felt a hint of uncertainty.
What would his role be? And would it affect her relationship with Mikumo?
These questions started to take root in her mind, opening up new horizons in her young, disciplined thoughts, which had always been more organized than her age would suggest.
.........
Meanwhile, inside the room Mikumo and Chikage had just left, Isamu lay back on the bed, grimacing as he tried to manage the pain he had suppressed during the recent encounter.
He sighed deeply and thought to himself:
"Damn it, I didn't feel this much pain even when I was kneeling. I guess the adrenaline numbed part of it, and now it's all coming back."
He tried to calm himself down, thinking, "No problem now. I've passed the test. As long as I don't make any disastrous mistakes or put myself in similar situations, my life won't be in danger in the short term."
Isamu felt a sense of relative relief after successfully passing the test. The pressure had been immense, but the rewards were great as well.
Not only did he gain a safe period to grow and develop his skills, but he also secured strong support early in his journey through this world.
Coming from a previous life, Isamu understood the importance of background and external support in achieving success. Success in any field didn't depend solely on individual effort, but also on favorable circumstances and the right connections.
Reflecting on his past, he drew practical lessons:
"If you want to succeed in any industry, the most important things are not money, creativity, or hard work, but connections and a strong background."
He remembered:
"If you don't have money, you can always borrow it. If you're not bound by rules, there are always ways to bend them."
"Creativity? You can always borrow it. It doesn't matter whether it's legal or not—the key is to find it and use it."
Ultimately, Isamu realized that the people who had the right connections and background were the ones who made money, not always because of hard work or intelligence, but because they knew how to leverage their resources.
These weren't just theories for him; they were truths he had learned in his previous life. And he knew that the key to success in this new world lay in seizing opportunities and securing support.
As the pain gradually subsided, Isamu's thoughts continued to run deep, drawing on his past experiences. He thought aloud:
"If you don't have the right connections or support, you might still advance through hard work and creativity. But if you start your own venture without backing, failure is almost certain. You'll become easy prey for bigger players. Even if you succeed, others will target you, and you'll just become a pawn in their game."
Isamu paused for a moment, weighing his current situation. "In the world of Naruto, my background and support come from the Uchiha clan, the strongest fighting clan in the shinobi world. And here, I have Mikumo Kushinada. You could say she's like a female version of Madara, which gives me a huge advantage."
He took a deep breath as he continued to reflect on losses versus gains:
"As for the losses compared to what I've gained... besides the need to lower my head to an old lady the age of my grandmother to thank her for saving my life, and making a vague promise for future compensation, there don't seem to be any significant losses."
Isamu thought carefully about his situation and didn't feel like he had sacrificed much for what he had received.
For him, the most important thing was staying alive until the time limit was up so he could make the most of his first crossing. As for his promise, as long as Mikumo Kushinada didn't overstep, he didn't mind fulfilling it.
And as for revenge, should their interests clash in the future, he wasn't worried. "After a few years, who knows who will fear whom? Even if Mikumo has the power and connections to bring an armed force to surround me, I wouldn't hesitate to use ninja techniques to escape until the time limit expires. Ninjas always have ways to escape."
Regarding pride, which he seemed to have temporarily abandoned when he knelt before Mikumo, Isamu didn't consider it a real loss.
"Did I give up my pride for that? Maybe, but does it really matter? To me, letting go of pride is not a big deal. In fact, there may not have been any loss at all. After all, does anyone really expect to ask a former employee in his forties, working from nine to nine, six days a week, single and living in a rented apartment, about pride?"
Isamu smirked sarcastically as he recalled his previous life. "In my past life, I gave up on pride within the first five years after graduating, when life hit me with something called 'reality.' I was a young man full of ambition, but life wasn't cooperative.
The repeated slaps were enough to make me realize that pride is just a luxury, one I couldn't afford."
In this new world, Isamu was more realistic.
"Life isn't fair, whether in my previous world or here. Pride is a luxury for those who have the power to protect it. As for me, success and survival are the absolute priorities. I've made many decisions that reflect this understanding. If I have to give up pride—something intangible—to gain power and influence, I won't hesitate for a second."
He remembered the moment he knelt before Mikumo and the thought that flashed through his mind: "My kneeling wasn't humiliation, it was survival. My pride won't save me if I'm dead. That gesture, simple as it was, was just a small tactic to ensure my advantage. In my previous life, I saw people do far more humiliating things for success. So why should I deceive myself into thinking I'm special? In the end, my previous life ended as a corpse, maybe burned or buried. Did pride help me then? Of course not."
He continued to reflect deeply, knowing that priorities shift depending on circumstances. "Survival comes first, then power. Only after that, maybe, can I reclaim my pride."