[V2] - Chapter 96. You Want To!
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Uchiha Sasuke had been feeling quite troubled lately.
As the current genius of the Uchiha clan, top of his class at the Konoha Ninja Academy, and someone who aspired to become a genius like his older brother, making both his father and mother proud—
Who could have imagined…
That he'd be eliminated in the very first round of the Chunin Exams?
And that was just an intelligence-gathering test.
Yet—
He, a so-called genius, got kicked out on the spot for cheating during the exam.
Just like that.
How was he supposed to follow in his Onii-chan's footsteps?!
Was he really going to end up like Naruto—that guy who stayed up all night gaming, a hopeless net-addicted teenager?
Come on.
He, Uchiha Sasuke, still had a bright future ahead of him~
Of course—
What was even more depressing… was that he thought he'd get punished by his father for cheating in the exam. But to his utter shock, his father didn't care at all. In fact… Sasuke felt like, in his father's eyes, not becoming a Chunin was almost expected of him.
Damn it!
Was he just imagining things?!
Or had he already disappointed his father?!
And that was exactly what troubled Uchiha Sasuke so much.
Leaning against the railing, staring at the small river flowing below, he irritably scratched his head. "What should I do now?"
Just as he said that—
A familiar voice came from beside him.
"Confused boy, you seem to be struggling a lot. Do you need my help?"
"?!"
Sasuke froze, immediately turning his head to see that familiar, warm smile. He sighed inwardly and lowered his head dejectedly. "Uncle Yuto~"
"What's the matter? You look this down even after seeing your dear uncle?" Yuto stood beside Sasuke, curiously asking, "Did your dad beat you?" At that, he immediately raised a fist in righteous indignation. "That Fugaku! I've told him before, raising kids isn't just about hitting them! You've got to give them love and recognition too!" Patting his chest, he looked at Sasuke. "Don't worry! I'll go have a word with him later!"
And then—
"…"
Sasuke gave Uncle Yuto a strange look.
He remembered… his Onii-chan had told him that Uncle Yuto once told their dad… that raising kids was all about hitting them—hit them hard! Only by giving them a full childhood through pain could they become successful!
However—
Thinking about Uncle Yuto… he had always treated him and his brother well. Especially since Mom had told him that even before he was born, when his brother was young, Uncle Yuto used to bring him snacks all the time. And when Sasuke was little, he also got gifts and treats from him.
He was a relative who truly loved both him and Onii-chan!
So, Uchiha Sasuke didn't dwell on it. He let out a sigh, leaned his head on his arms against the railing, and said, "Uncle Yuto, has Dad already given up on me?"
"???"
Yuto froze. Just as he was wondering why Sasuke would say that—
Sasuke continued, "I got eliminated in the first round of the Chunin Exams, but Dad didn't even hit me! Has he already given up on me?"
"…"
Second nephew.
I think I'm starting to understand your mindset now!
It's like a kid who fails a test but hopes his dad finds his paper just to get a good beating with the cane!
"Am I really just an idiot like Naruto?" Sasuke lowered his head, dejected. "Am I no longer worthy of recognition from Dad and Onii-chan?! Damn it! I was top of my class in the last term at the Academy, and now I'm worse than that bunch of losers… How humiliating!"
"…"
If you say stuff like that, your little friends won't be happy, you know!
But now Yuto understood what was going on—turns out, the always-called genius Uchiha Sasuke was now doubting himself after failing the Chunin Exams.
Yuto paused for a moment, then looked at Sasuke in front of him and said with emotion, "Alright! Let me tell you a story!"
"Uncle Yuto, I'm not a kid anymore!" Sasuke looked at Yuto in frustration. "I even sold that glowing collectible Thunder God Sword at home to Naruto as second-hand junk! And you still want to coax me up with a story?"
"…You must be so proud~" Yuto looked at Sasuke, who was totally different from his other self, with a face full of black lines and said grumpily, "Shut up and listen to my story!"
As the words fell—
Seeing that Sasuke didn't speak anymore, Yuto nodded in satisfaction, then lifted his head, his eyes filled with reminiscence as he looked ahead, as if recalling something. "A long, long time ago, there was a child… just like you, who had a happy family since young, loving parents and an Onii-chan. He thought he was the happiest child in the world. However, one day… his brother killed all of their clan…"
As Uncle Yuto slowly told the story—
The previously bored Sasuke gradually became serious, and when he heard about that night of the massacre, he even let out a roar, shouting, [How could there be such an Onii-chan?!] It was as if he had become the protagonist in the story, occasionally venting his dissatisfaction, and at other times being moved by the love the Onii-chan had.
Until the end.
Yuto, with a tone of melancholy, looked at Uchiha Sasuke and brought the story to a close. "In the end, in order to make his little brother stronger, the Onii-chan sacrificed himself!"
As the words fell—
Sasuke fell silent, wiping his slightly red eyes, then seemed to come back to his senses from the story and nodded seriously. "I understand what Uncle Yuto means!" He spoke with a firm tone. "Uncle Yuto is trying to tell me that I should learn from the spirit of the protagonist in the story. No matter how terrifying the things I encounter, I must never give up. I must train myself through hardships, become stronger, and face new trials! Only then can I truly grow stronger!" Saying this, he even angrily raised his fist. "Damn it! I actually became depressed just because I failed one Chunin Exam! I'm not even as good as that idiot!"
However—
Yuto looked at Sasuke with a strange expression and shook his head with a sigh. "That's not what I meant!"
"???" Hearing Uncle Yuto's words, Sasuke looked at him in confusion, then fell into deep thought. "Could it be… you're trying to tell me not to think that my family doesn't care about me? That actually, they just have a different way of expressing their concern, like the Onii-chan in the story?"
"No!"
"Could it be… to cherish the people around me, because even in the most desperate times, there will be friends by your side cheering you on!"
"Second nephew, looks like you've been doing well in reading comprehension, huh!"
"Not bad, I guess!"
Just as Sasuke was about to beam with pride, thinking he had guessed it right…
"But still wrong!" Yuto let out another sigh and looked at the confused Sasuke, saying in a drawn-out tone, "This story tells you—don't think that just because you've gained a little power, you can get cocky, thinking no one is your match. That'll get you beat up real fast."
As the words fell—
"…"
Sasuke looked at Uncle Yuto with a face full of black lines.
What does this story even have to do with me right now~
Now he seemed to somewhat understand what Onii-chan meant… better stay a bit further away from Uncle Yuto, because sometimes, he really seemed pretty unreliable!
Just as Sasuke, full of black lines, was about to turn and leave…
"Young Uchiha, do you want to become stronger?" Yuto blocked his way again, his tone full of temptation. "If you want, I happen to have the secret to getting stronger~"
However—
As the words fell—
"No!"
The caution he had developed over the years rose up again. Looking at this version of Uncle Yuto who seemed different from usual, Uchiha Sasuke refused without hesitation.
"I just remembered… Mom told me to come home early for dinner!"
But—
Yuto didn't let him go, directly blocking his path, and looked at Sasuke seriously. "No! You want to!"
"…"
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