Chapter 5 Sucked At Making Friends

Upon noticing Kadoya's rapid improvement and his self-made Water Style: Bubble Creation Jutsu, Natsumi finally gave in, deciding to start his formal training earlier than she had originally planned.

His growth was far ahead of where she had been at his age, and while his self-made jutsu only seemed to produce harmless bubbles for now, Natsumi couldn't shake the worry that if left unguided, he might accidentally create something dangerous.

"Alright, first we need to determine your Chakra Nature," Natsumi said, handing Kadoya a piece of Chakra Paper.

She held up her own as an example. "For instance, I have Fire and Wind Nature Chakra." Channeling her chakra into the slip of paper, it split cleanly down the middle before one half ignited and burned to ash.

"Now, it's your turn. Just add a little chakra to the paper," she instructed, her gaze locked on the slip in Kadoya's hands.

Kadoya did as he was told, sending a small flow of chakra into the paper. Instantly, it burned to ash and became damp.

Natsumi's eyes widened slightly. "Fire and Water Chakra Nature..."

It was expected for an Uchiha to have Fire Release—it was practically a requirement in the clan. Usually, their second affinity would be something that complemented Fire, like Wind or Lightning. But Water? 

A frown crept onto her face as she realized the potential consequences. If the clan found out that Kadoya Uchiha, son of Kagami Uchiha, had a Water Nature, they would take it as an insult—a direct challenge to their lineage.

It was well known that Tobirama Senju, one of the Uchiha Clan's greatest enemies, was the most famous Water Release user in history.

The son of the Uchiha who followed Tobirama Senju has an affinity for Water Release.

By then some of the radical members of the clan might have used this as an excuse to target her brother.

"Kadoya, listen to me carefully," Natsumi said, her tone laced with quiet urgency. "If anyone ever asks what your Chakra Nature is, you say Fire. Only Fire. Understand?"

Kadoya met her gaze, recognizing the concern in her voice. He simply nodded. "I know, Sis."

Although saying that, he had already made up his mind.

He would focus on mastering Water Release.

And if any arrogant Uchiha dared to look down on him for it...

He'd make them experience firsthand what it was like to face "Tobirama Uchiha."

Congratulations! Quest Complete: "I will become Tobirama Uchiha"

Reward: + White Hair Dye + 2 Water Attribute Level 

'Heh!? I was joking! System, do you really want me to become Tobirama Uchiha!?'

Kadoya screamed in his heart although he was happy seeing his Water Attribute had reached Level 4, if this kept up, his Water Attribute might reach Level 6 even before his Fire Attribute could reach Level 2.

By then people might mistaken him for Kadoya Senju.

This is really troublesome.

"Alright, here." Natsumi said, handing Kadoya a scroll. "This contains all the Ninjutsu our family has gathered, including some from our parents and a few of my own. Use it however you see fit."

Kadoya took the scroll with a grin. "Thanks, Sis." Without hesitation, he hugged her thigh, a rare display of affection.

Natsumi smiled, ruffling his hair as she always did. But as she pulled her hand back, she noticed something amusing—his ahoge stood straight up.

Curious, she ruffled his hair again. The same result.

Amused, she reached for his ahoge once more, but Kadoya quickly stepped back, eyes wary. "Alright, Sis, please stop."

She smirked playfully. "What? I just want to see if I can pull it out."

Kadoya shuddered at the thought. The last thing he needed was to fall into a semi-berserker state and accidentally attack his sister.

"Alright, alright," Natsumi chuckled, finally relenting. Turning away, she adjusted her gear. "I'll be off on a mission now. Take care of yourself."

"Wait, Sis!" Kadoya called out.

She turned back just as he pulled out a small gift box and held it out to her. "I wanted to give you something before you left."

Surprised, Natsumi blinked before breaking into a soft smile. She accepted the box without hesitation. "Thanks, Kadoya. I'll open it when I get back."

With that, she departed, leaving Kadoya alone with the scroll. Taking a deep breath, he sat down and unrolled it, his eyes scanning the pages filled with the accumulated Ninjutsu of his lineage.

Among the jutsu recorded in the scroll were the standard Uchiha Fire Style techniques, as well as Shadow Clone Jutsu, Body Flicker, and a mix of Water, Wind, and Earth Style Ninjutsu.

Of course, there were no "broken" jutsu like Flying Raijin or Edo Tensei, but beggars can't be choosers.

What truly excited Kadoya was the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Unlike regular clones, Shadow Clones were tangible, could fight, and—most importantly—transferred all their experiences back to the original upon dispersal. The only downside was that a user's chakra would be evenly split among the clones.

For example, if Kadoya created one clone, both he and the clone would have half of his chakra. If he created two, they'd each have a third, and so on.

Still, the potential of this jutsu was too great to ignore.

Without hesitation, Kadoya immediately began learning and practicing the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Once he mastered it, he had the perfect plan—

He'd leave a clone at home to experiment with Water Style jutsu, while his main body went to school to hang out with friends and torment the other children.

As he smirked at his own brilliance, a thought crossed his mind.

"Unlike Itachi Uchiha, I actually know how to enjoy life."

Itachi, during his early years in the academy, had used Shadow Clones not to train, but to replace himself at school entirely. By doing so, he had never truly formed bonds with anyone—except his younger brother.

He said he loved Konoha, yet he never truly loved the Uchiha.

When the order came to annihilate his entire clan, Itachi didn't even try to plead with the Hokage to spare the innocent children, the elderly, the disabled—even Izumi, the girl who loved him.

No, Itachi didn't love the Uchiha.

Kadoya, despite being ostracized by the clan, had far more reason to turn his blade against them than Itachi ever did if put in his shoes. Yet, he would refuse to do so.

He understood something Itachi never did.

Konoha was founded by both the Senju and the Uchiha. The very name "Konoha" was chosen by Madara Uchiha himself. Yet, the Uchiha had never received the recognition they deserved. Even now, they had no say in the village's important decisions.

The village mistreated them.

The Hokage and elders suppressed them.

The Uchiha were being treated unfairly, yet the clan remained blind to the reality that they were slowly being erased. They just want to be acknowledged.

Kadoya didn't like the current Uchiha Clan, but that didn't mean he wanted to see every last one of them slaughtered by traitors like Obito and Itachi.

His fists clenched. His eyes darkened with determination.

"New goal—get strong enough to beat the living shit out of Obito and Itachi."

Neither of them had even been born yet, but Kadoya didn't care. He wouldn't allow the Uchiha to be wiped out in such a foolish, meaningless way.

Even if the clan rejected him and his sister, they were still Uchiha. Their descendant will still carry the Uchiha's blood.

And as long as he drew breath— He'd make damn sure their bloodline didn't end in tragedy.

Congratulations! Hidden Quest Complete: "My Clan Won't Fall: Act 1"

Reward: + 2 Yin Attribute Level + 1 System Point + Sharingan: Unlocked

Upon setting his goal to protect the future of his clan, Kadoya's eyes turn crimson with a single black tomoe in his crimson pupil.

His quest function isn't like those quest functions in games where you can see what you need to do and do those quests before gaining the reward. Kadoya's quest function depended on the situation, his actions, and the realization of the role he played in this world.

These quests aren't forceful, and he can decide to continue them by his own free will.

Normal Quests are just simple accomplishments that won't affect his life too much. He won't die if he doesn't finish them.

Hidden Quests are continuous quests with each Act marking how far he has gone with the mission, these quests usually decide his life, with each choice he makes will affect him deeply.

...

Standing outside the classroom door, Ms. Mayabi stares at Kadoya Uchiha with her arm folded. "Kadoya Uchiha, mind explaining why you're late?"

She asks, her annoyed gaze locked on to the Problem Child of her class.

"Sorry Ms. Mayabi, I was on my way to school before getting lost on the path of life and taking the wrong turn."

Ms. Mayabi: "..."

Everyone: "..."

What does that suppose to mean? Did he just say he got lost in the path of life and even got lost from that path too?

He said all of that so calmly while having a smug look on his face.

Ding! + 100 Evil Points!

Annoyed, she decided to not be harsh on him.

"Fine, just get back seat. And make sure not to be late again." Ms. Mayabi said ruffling his hair and seeing his ahoge poking up again, she try ruffling his hair again and saw his ahoge stand up once more.

Kadoya quickly made his way back to his seat sitting there like nothing had happened.

...

Time flew by, and before they knew it, an entire year had passed. Kadoya and his classmates had officially become second-year students at the academy.

Minato glanced around, scanning the crowd anxiously. "Where was Kadoya?"

At the moment, their class was sitting through the entrance ceremony, listening to the Third Hokage give yet another speech about the Will of Fire—this time directed at the new first-year students.

Minato sighed. Same speech, different year. But his mind wasn't focused on that. Instead, his best friend was nowhere in sight.

Turning to Saiguu, he asked, "Hey, have you seen Kadoya anywhere?"

Saiguu huffed in annoyance. "That jerk said he'd come to school, but I'm not seeing him anywhere."

Minato frowned. "Did he say when and where?"

Saiguu: "..."

…She had completely forgotten to ask.

A twitch formed on her brow. That idiot. Now she had another reason to punch him.

"Forget it," she muttered. "I'm sure that jerk is somewhere around here."

The ceremony dragged on, but once the speech ended, the students and their homeroom teacher finally began heading back to class.

Then, Ms. Mayabi suddenly called out, "Has anyone seen Kadoya Uchiha?"

There was a hint of concern in her voice.

She already knew Kadoya was a problem child—a major headache—but rather than feeling irritated or angry, she felt worried.

After all, she had given up the life of a shinobi to become a teacher, and she cared for her students like they were her own children. That was the mindset she had drilled into herself ever since taking on this class.

And Kadoya, for all his trouble, was incredibly talented. He didn't need isolation or neglect—he just needed proper guidance. That was why she never gave up on him, no matter how many times he tested her patience (and nearly sent her blood pressure skyrocketing).

As they entered the classroom, the students froze.

There, at the very back of the room, a figure was sleeping soundly at a desk, completely covered by a cloak that mimicked the exact color and pattern of the table.

Kadoya had been in the academy this entire time.

But rather than sit through the Third's long-ass speech about the Will of Fire, he had decided to sneak into class early and take a nap—using Disguise Jutsu as a literal blanket.

Minato sweatdropped. "Of course."

Saiguu, however, didn't hesitate. She stormed toward him, raised a fist, and swung straight for his head.

KRAK!

Kadoya barely dodged, leaping up just in time as Saiguu's punch struck the desk instead.

"Couldn't you have just woken me up with a kiss or something?" he teased, smirking.

Saiguu shot him a flat look before cracking her knuckles. "Nah, I'd rather wake you up with these."

"Alright, that's enough," Ms. Mayabi intervened before things escalated. "Class is about to start."

She already knew Kadoya was at the top of the class—he was a genius in his own right. But he was... different from other prodigies.

Kadoya wasn't like the typical Uchiha.

Unlike other geniuses, he didn't have a cold, or distant attitude toward others. Instead, he was cheerful, laid-back, and easier to approach than most Uchiha his age.

His social skills, however, were terrible.

Despite that, his charisma was something else. Even though most of the class avoided him, they still secretly sought his acknowledgment.

Mayabi had noticed it. Everyone had.

The students watched how Minato and Saiguu's combat skills had improved significantly after spending time with Kadoya. Seeing that, the others wanted to befriend him too, hoping they could experience the same growth.

The problem?

Kadoya sucked at making friends.

Combined with his carefree nature, tendency to mess around, and refusal to take things seriously, it was nearly impossible for others to tolerate him.

While everyone else worked their hardest to become strong shinobi, Kadoya?

He took things slow.

He messed around.

He enjoyed life.

And yet, he still kept up with them effortlessly.

Even during written exams, while everyone else struggled to finish their tests, Kadoya would be the first to hand his in—then take a nap while the others sweated over theirs.

If that wasn't infuriating enough, he would have been ranked at the top of the class in every subject…

…if only he hadn't purposefully scored 50 points on every single written test.

One or two? Maybe a coincidence.

Five different subjects? Yeah, right.

Good luck convincing anyone that was an accident.