Chapter 31 – She's so cute… if I bully her, she might cry for hours.

As Toki Chi left, the students instantly shed their lifeless expressions and snapped back to full energy.

In the blink of an eye, they all swarmed around Uchiha Hikaru.

Over the past few days, the name Uchiha Hikaru had spread like wildfire throughout Konoha.

Whether it was being adopted by Mito Uzumaki or driving off spies from other villages, his reputation as a prodigy had already taken root.

Especially among the children, his name was enough to make them grind their teeth in frustration.

Because he had become that child—the one all the Konoha parents praised as a role model.

But in this harsh world, even kids instinctively followed the strong.

Even though Uchiha Hikaru had hidden most of his strength, what he had revealed was already enough to dominate the Ninja Academy.

So any student from a family with a bit of insight had rushed to his side, eager to befriend him.

Unfortunately for them, before Hikaru could even enjoy the attention, Tsunade had already stepped in and forced most of them back with a murderous glare.

To Tsunade, Uchiha Hikaru was her playmate.

And sometimes, a child's possessiveness could be terrifying.

As the granddaughter of the First and Second Hokage, Tsunade's status in Konoha was as high as it got.

So once she began shielding Hikaru, most of the others naturally backed off.

But not everyone was intimidated by Tsunade—Uchiha Chiri was one of the few who stood her ground.

She sat beside Hikaru, just one turn of the head away from speaking to him.

She purposely wore a proud expression, though her face was gradually turning red.

"Uchiha Hikaru… You might be strong now, but I'll definitely surpass you someday."

Hikaru looked at the poorly acting girl in front of him, silently roasting her in his head.

'Wait, the person you said you'd surpass just now was me?!'

'And hold up—you're not even that kind of character! Why are you blushing? I haven't even done anything!'

Just as he was wondering how to respond, someone else arrived to break the awkwardness.

A young Orochimaru was quite the handsome child, and his outstanding looks had made him a bit reserved.

But the words his parents had told him before leaving for the battlefield still echoed in his ears.

"My child, your talent is exceptional, but the battlefield is a place where reason doesn't apply."

"The enemy won't spare you just because you're young. Talent that can't be realized means nothing."

"Remember what we said. Uchiha Hikaru is the teammate who can keep you alive. Build a bond with him—try to be placed in the same team after graduation."

Orochimaru's parents weren't as gifted as he was. They were just Chūnin in Konoha.

Every time they went to the frontlines, it was like sticking their necks under the Grim Reaper's scythe—it was a gamble with death.

They didn't want Orochimaru to live the same kind of life, so they urged him repeatedly, hoping he'd have a better future.

Which brought us to the current scene: Orochimaru walking up to Hikaru, starting what could only be called awkward small talk.

"You were kind of spacing out earlier, Hikaru-kun, so you might not know me. I'm Orochimaru. Let's get along from now on."

'Even Orochimaru's come knocking, huh?'

Hikaru, unaware of Orochimaru's parents' words, saw the genius initiate conversation and felt even more resolved to test the waters.

But honestly, he was overthinking it.

As the old saying goes, when fortune arrives, even Heaven and Earth will lend a hand.

What Hikaru hadn't realized was that his very existence had already stirred a storm in Konoha.

He had seriously underestimated his own influence.

Just six years old and already having driven off enemy spies—there were even rumors that he had awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

Even if he wasn't the most gifted person in all of history, he was certainly among the top.

At the very least, Konoha hadn't seen anyone like him in decades.

And to avoid history repeating itself, to make him the next Hashirama Senju rather than another Madara Uchiha, the people of Konoha had already begun changing their thinking—starting to embrace the Uchiha.

That change made things exceptionally smooth for the Uchiha clan during this period.

The whispered gossip in the streets had vanished. Even shopping now came with discounts.

Such positive developments had quietly raised Hikaru's prestige within the clan.

The fact that Mito Uzumaki had adopted him also helped the villagers drop their guard, hoping he would become the second Hashirama.

If that happened, Konoha could enjoy another era of peace.

Even though Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't shifted his political stance yet, the village was no longer functioning the way he imagined it should.

The longing for peace was deeply etched into the hearts of those wounded by war.

That kind of momentum couldn't be changed by someone like Hiruzen Sarutobi alone.

When people glimpse real hope, they'll cling to it no matter what.

And right now, Hikaru was that hope.

If he were just a bit older, and if the rumors about the Mangekyō Sharingan were true, even Hiruzen's seat might be in jeopardy.

Which is exactly why even someone like Orochimaru, influenced by the changing tides, wanted to approach him.

Though Hikaru didn't know the full story and felt a little uneasy, how could he possibly turn away someone like Orochimaru who came knocking?

A scientific genius like him was a valuable ally in any setting.

Orochimaru's awkward introduction gave Hikaru a graceful exit from the earlier situation, and he naturally took it.

"My name is Uchiha Hikaru. It's my honor to be friends with both of you. Let's take care of each other going forward."

Uchiha Chiri also realized how awkward her earlier words had been.

Who says that kind of thing the moment you meet someone? It almost sounded like a challenge.

Blushing even harder, she stammered:

"R-r-right, s-s-sorry! What I said earlier… I didn't mean it that way."

Hikaru smiled genuinely as he saw her true personality peek through.

'She's really cute when she's flustered. I bet if I teased her a little, she'd cry for hours.'

Tsunade, standing to the side, watched the interaction. The moment she saw Hikaru's smile, she shivered involuntarily.

She began silently praying for Uchiha Chiri.

Over the past few days, she'd more or less figured him out.

Uchiha Hikaru was a menace with a nasty streak—he loved teasing her.

And every time he schemed against her, he wore that exact same smile.

Chiri caught Tsunade's sympathetic look and felt a little confused.

Hikaru, of course, noticed it too. He shot a glance at Tsunade, which startled her into ducking her head like an ostrich, ending her silent warning.

Tsunade had no intention of letting their "bet" turn into a lifelong contract.

Better her than me—she understood that perfectly.

Seeing that she knew her place, Hikaru decided to let her off the hook.

After all, he already had a fresh new target right in front of him. Why look further?

"It's fine. But Chiri-san, didn't you just say you wanted to surpass me?"

Uchiha Chiri blinked and nodded somewhat blankly.

Confirming it, Hikaru gave her a warm smile and continued:

"Then how about this—if you go up on stage right now and sing me a song, I'll tell you the secret to why I'm so strong."