Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

At this moment, no matter how Jiraiya looked at him, he felt that the brat in front of him was somewhat off.

He claimed he was just asking casually, but that thoughtful expression didn't look casual at all.

His intuition told him that there was more to this.

Jiraiya instantly became on guard.

The youth before him was an Uchiha who possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan.

He hadn't returned to the village a few days ago, but he had heard the old man recount the details of that battle.

Uchiha Obito was the true culprit behind the Nine-Tails incident, wielding Space-Time Ninjutsu and Wood Style. Yet, he was beaten so badly by this youth that he had to flee with a severed arm, his mask completely shattered.

The two were around the same age, and Uchiha Obito also possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan. He was the one who triggered the Nine-Tails incident and the mastermind behind the deaths of the Fourth Hokage and his wife.

If a powerhouse of that caliber could be suppressed to such an extent, then if the youth in front of him were to leave the village, get influenced by someone, and completely fall out with Konoha...

Jiraiya shuddered.

He didn't dare to imagine the consequences.

Therefore, it was best to keep a kid like this in the village. Even if he was difficult to deal with, it was still better than letting him run wild outside and keeping everyone on edge.

After all, Jiraiya had been through that age himself. He had been young once, so he naturally knew what went through the minds of boys this age.

They either dreamed of becoming Hokage or changing the world. But the brat in front of him was different; his thoughts were likely much deeper.

However, Jiraiya could tell that whatever this kid was plotting, it probably wasn't anything good for Konoha.

As he was lost in thought, a voice came from across the table.

"I get the feeling you're thinking about something very rude."

Uchiha Taiga narrowed his eyes at him, a faint, ambiguous smile playing on his handsome face.

Feeling a twinge of guilt, Jiraiya hurriedly laughed it off.

"How could I? Nothing of the sort. I just think you're a pretty interesting kid, and I was wondering how I could chat with you more."

"Really? I don't believe you."

Uchiha Taiga picked up his sake cup and took another sip, his eyes never leaving Jiraiya's face.

Jiraiya felt a bit creeped out under his gaze. His mind raced, and he quickly put on a sincere expression.

"Alright, alright, I admit it. I was thinking about how to build a good relationship with a genius like you. After all, you represent the village's next generation, and with so much potential, in the future..."

"It's very simple to get on my good side."

Uchiha Taiga interrupted him, his tone casual.

"Just pay for this barbecue."

Jiraiya's mouth twitched.

He looked at the mostly empty plates on the table, then at the bottle of sake worth a hundred thousand ryo, silently calculating the total cost of this meal in his head.

"Haha, is that so? Alright then, this meal is on me."

He agreed with a smile, but his hand resting under the table had already quietly gripped the wallet at his waist, his knuckles turning slightly white.

He made up his mind right then and there: after this meal, he would absolutely never interact with this kid again.

"Boss, another serving."

Uchiha Taiga raised his hand. His voice wasn't loud, but the restaurant owner had sharp ears and immediately responded.

Jiraiya's expression froze.

"..."

He opened his mouth, then closed it again.

What else could he say? The words had already been spoken.

For the rest of the meal, the food tasted like ash in Jiraiya's mouth.

He picked at a few pieces of meat and drank two cups of sake, spending most of the time watching Uchiha Taiga eat.

The brat ate with incredible relish, piece after piece, bite after bite, seemingly completely immersed in the delicious food.

Jiraiya felt bitter inside, but he didn't say a word.

When Uchiha Taiga finally put down his chopsticks, Jiraiya immediately stood up.

"Well, I have some business to attend to. I'll be taking my leave."

He pulled out his money and settled the bill, moving so fast it was as if he were fleeing a crime scene.

"Let's chat again when you're free."

Dropping those words, he lifted the fabric curtain and walked out without looking back.

Uchiha Taiga watched his back disappear beyond the curtain and gently shook his head.

'I was originally planning to squeeze some more benefits out of him.'

'Jiraiya is one of the Sannin, after all. He definitely knows a lot of ninjutsu, especially those hair-manipulation techniques, and the Rasengan.'

'Orochimaru offered his ninjutsu willingly, but Jiraiya actually ran away. How uncooperative.'

'Whatever, there's always next time.'

He stood up, patted some non-existent dust off his clothes, and also walked out of the barbecue restaurant.

Over the next few days, Uchiha Taiga's life remained very stable.

Every morning, he would wake up and go to the makeshift training ground at the edge of the Forest of Death to practice. Day after day, nothing changed.

He would return to the village for lunch at noon, continue practicing in the afternoon, and head home to rest in the evening.

It seemed quite dull, but Uchiha Taiga thoroughly enjoyed it.

He had experienced plenty of interesting things in his past life, so he didn't care much about them in this one. Instead, he had a massive interest in the versatile energy known as Chakra.

Everything was normal, yet it seemed some inexplicable changes were taking place.

One day, while walking down the street, he ran into a few Uchiha clansmen coming from the opposite direction.

The men were wearing Police Force uniforms and recognized him at a glance.

One of them opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to initiate a greeting, but then closed it again. He paused his steps, ultimately saying nothing as he lowered his head and walked past him.

Uchiha Taiga glanced back at them, baffled.

'What was that about?'

'Wanting to say hello but backing out, acting as if I'm some kind of terrifying monster.'

He didn't dwell on it and continued walking forward.

A few days later, Uchiha Itachi arrived.

That morning, Uchiha Taiga was just about to head out to the training ground. As soon as he opened the door, he saw the young boy standing outside the gates of the old compound.

Uchiha Itachi was dressed in dark clothing, standing perfectly straight.

"Taiga-sensei."

Uchiha Itachi bowed his head slightly, his attitude highly respectful.

"Father said I could come find you now."

Uchiha Taiga gave him a look and nodded.

"Follow me."

He led Uchiha Itachi through the streets of the old compound, out of the village, and all the way to the makeshift training ground at the edge of the Forest of Death.

"This is where you will be training from now on."

Uchiha Itachi looked around, his gaze lingering for a moment on the boundary lines carved by sword strikes, before nodding earnestly.

"Yes."

Uchiha Taiga wasn't in a rush to teach him anything. Instead, he asked, "What do you know how to do right now?"

Uchiha Itachi thought for a moment before answering.

"I have already mastered the Three Basic Jutsu. The Transformation Technique, Substitution Technique, and Clone Technique can all be used in actual combat."

Uchiha Taiga raised an eyebrow.

"Who taught you?"

"I taught myself."

Uchiha Itachi's voice was calm. "I read the clan's scrolls and then practiced on my own."

Uchiha Taiga fell silent for two seconds.

Mastering the Three Basic Jutsu through self-study at four or five years old—the word 'genius' wasn't enough to describe this.

"What about Fire Style?"

"I know a little bit of the basics, but I'm not very proficient."

"Show me one."

Uchiha Itachi nodded, walked to the center of the clearing, and began weaving hand signs.

Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger.

His movements were standard and his rhythm was steady. It didn't look like the hand speed of a four or five-year-old child at all.

His chest puffed up, and then he exhaled forcefully.

Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!

A fireball about half a meter in diameter spewed from his mouth, flying forward for seven or eight meters before exploding on the ground, leaving behind a scorched patch.

Uchiha Itachi's breathing was a bit ragged, but it quickly leveled out.

Uchiha Taiga looked at the scorched earth, then at Uchiha Itachi, with only one thought in his mind.

'This kid is a damn genius.'

'What, I'm even more of a genius?'

'Never mind then.'

The Great Fireball Technique was a jutsu that many Uchiha clansmen couldn't master even after a month of practice.

For Uchiha Itachi to reach this level through self-study, with such stable Chakra shape transformation and precise Chakra control, was astounding.

"Not bad."

Uchiha Taiga gave his evaluation.

"But there are a few areas that can be improved."

He walked over to Uchiha Itachi and began to explain.

"There's no issue with your hand signs, but the timing of your exhalation could be a bit earlier. By the time you form the Tiger sign, your Chakra should already be gathered in your throat, rather than waiting until you finish the signs to start. Also, your Chakra output isn't stable enough. It's too fierce at the beginning and too weak at the end, which is why the front half of the fireball is large and the back half is small."

Uchiha Itachi listened earnestly, not blinking an eye.

"Come on, try it again."

Uchiha Itachi formed the hand signs again. This time, his rhythm was slightly faster than before.

Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!

The fireball was nearly twice as large as the previous one, and it flew a greater distance.

When it exploded on the ground, it let out a deep, muffled boom.

Uchiha Taiga nodded in satisfaction.

"Have you memorized it?"

"I have."

Uchiha Itachi's reply was brief, but his tone was certain.

Uchiha Taiga looked at him. Teaching a student like this was indeed effortless. The three million ryo Uchiha Fugaku had given him was truly easy money.

After that, the days completely settled into tranquility.

Uchiha Taiga trained, ate, and slept every day, occasionally teaching Uchiha Itachi. His life was as regular as if it had been measured with a ruler.

However, the atmosphere in the village subtly underwent some changes.

At noon one day, while heading to the Akimichi barbecue restaurant for lunch, he passed by a commercial street and heard a few villagers talking in low voices by the roadside.

"Did you hear? Things don't seem peaceful over in Kumogakure."

"What happened?"

"I don't know. It seems there's some movement near the border. I heard two passing ninja lords talking about it yesterday."

"We're not going to war again, are we?"

"Who knows? Stop worrying over nothing, a war won't break out."

Uchiha Taiga didn't stop his steps, walking right past them.

'Kumogakure?'

He didn't really care.