…
At Akimichi Barbecue.
At this moment, Mrs. Akimichi was smiling warmly. Ever since she met this kid six months ago, aside from the one free meal per month, Hikaru Kinoshita had become the most honored customer in the restaurant.
Not only that, Hikaru would even help bring in other customers. If it weren't for his enormous appetite, Mrs. Akimichi would have probably promised him free meals for life.
The straw hat had created a bond, forming the beginnings of friendship among everyone, and the table was filled with laughter and chatter.
But right now, the focus was on Hikaru Kinoshita and Hinata.
The two locked eyes, the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a knife.
Then Hikaru suddenly asked, "Do you want to join in?"
"Join in how?"
Hikaru smiled slyly, like a little fox, thinking, let me defeat Hinata first.
Without question, Hinata suffered a crushing defeat.
"I'll challenge all of you. If you lose, you'll train with me from now on. Deal?" Hikaru said.
He didn't make a big deal about becoming everyone's boss; that would leave a bad impression. He knew that by spending time with them and showing genuine intent, gaining them as allies would come naturally. Plus, having too many members could be chaotic.
"Just a warning, my training is pretty intense," Hikaru teased, poking at the group.
Everyone exchanged glances, feeling slightly offended.
In the end, only Minato Namikaze, Senju Nawaki, Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Daisuke, Yamanaka Hii, Uchiha Shigeru, and Uchiha Mikoto stepped up.
Some were stubborn, some wanted to befriend Hikaru, and some were simply headstrong.
The rest just smiled and watched.
Hikaru understood that this was enough. Despite lacking a sense of security, he used a bit of strategy but was sincere and would not exploit them.
He wanted to find like-minded companions to grow stronger and explore the ninja world together.
Ninja squads were usually made of three, but Hikaru preferred a team of seven like the Seven of the Water Country coordinated, precise, and complementary in skills.
"Let's begin!"
At his signal, everyone quickly started eating the meat.
Their mouths were full to the brim, including Uchiha Mikoto.
"Such a hassle," muttered Nara Shikaku.
Murakazu Kinoshita quietly smiled, pulling out a camera to capture the scene.
…
In his room, Hikaru lay on the tatami, training his chakra and rapidly extracting energy from his body.
Since advancing to intermediate-level Chakra Extraction, his extraction speed had increased tenfold, and the roundness of his belly gradually diminished.
Once his body could move freely, he began push-ups, sit-ups, and squats without pause.
Thinking about Hinata's brothers' bewildered expressions made him chuckle.
He had already intimidated the two of them; no matter how much they ate, they couldn't keep up with even a tenth of his pace.
In the end, only Akimichi Daisuke was a worthy opponent.
Perhaps due to his Rubber Fruit powers, Hikaru had an endless supply of energy. After two more hours of training, he finally felt some fatigue.
At that moment, Murakazu Kinoshita sensed his brother had fallen asleep and stepped outside, speaking sternly, "Root is getting a little out of line."
"Root is just following Lord Danzo's orders to protect Hikaru Kinoshita," replied another.
"I'll say this once: anyone who dares touch my brother will die," Murakazu growled.
Mitsui Yu, a Root jonin, scoffed, "Mind your own business. Root has its orders; you're not a special jonin who can interfere."
"Mind your business? I'd call it looking for death," Murakazu snapped. His brother was his sacred duty; anyone daring to touch him had to die.
He swung his blade in a lightning-fast strike. The silver steel glimmered under the moonlight, leaving fleeting afterimages. The strike was so fast, Mitsui Yu couldn't react.
With a bang, his head rolled to the ground, his face still filled with disdain. He was gone.
No one expected a special jonin to instantly kill a Root jonin.
Murakazu ignored the body and returned home to sleep.
After he left, another Root operative arrived to retrieve the body. There was no emotion in his eyes; he didn't confront Murakazu, realizing he was outmatched. His mission was only to monitor Hikaru, not fight.
All of this happened silently. Had Hikaru known, he would have clung to his brother for protection. He always thought that although his brother was a special jonin, against Danzo, it was like an egg against a rock, a certain death so he never told him.
The next day.
Behind Konoha, nine people gathered.
"Minato and I are still young. We'll mainly train our body and stamina. We'll start with three months of training. If anyone feels it's useless or their family forbids, they can quit anytime," Hikaru announced.
"I'll definitely be first!" Senju Nawaki declared.
Led by Hikaru, the group ran laps around Konoha. This time, everyone carried weights and were forbidden from using chakra.
They dashed at full speed, testing their limits without holding back.
Injuries weren't a concern; each of them came from wealthy families with access to secret remedies. Even Minato Namikaze had Murakazu's support.
Only Hikaru had no resources, proving the old saying: the rich rely on technology, the poor rely on mutation.
He gradually increased his speed and intensity.
Akimichi Daisuke regretted joining but had been forced by his father. The previous evening, his father asked if he had befriended Hikaru. After hearing yes, he relaxed, but learning of the joint training, he insisted his son participate.
The same happened with the Nara and Yamanaka families.
For secret-technique families, obtaining their own bloodline marks was crucial, making Hikaru, a first-generation mark without family ties, highly sought after. This was why Hikaru displayed his bloodline immediately; otherwise, even befriending someone would be forbidden.
Three joined reluctantly: Uchiha Shigeru for stubbornness, Senju Nawaki because he was convinced, and Uchiha Mikoto out of admiration. Hinata participated to honor her promise.
Thus, a nine-member squad was formed.
"Push yourself beyond today's limits, and tomorrow you will be stronger."
Hikaru encouraged everyone along the way, despite a burning throat, and increased his pace.
No one could succeed easily; sharing hardship was the path to mutual respect.
Though it was just running, Hikaru took it seriously.
"When you feel your body is at its limit, you can either grit your teeth and endure or collapse in agony. Now tell me your choice… endure?"
"Endure!"
Everyone shouted with all their strength. Minato refused to fail, Nawaki aimed to protect Konoha for his grandfather, Shigeru wanted to surpass Hikaru, and Hinata sought to defend the honor of the Hyuga.
Each held their own conviction, and in exhaustion and despair, that belief unleashed boundless strength.
Konoha that day was filled with a rare liveliness. In a simple run, the children recognized each other.
All thanks to Hikaru Kinoshita.
Uchiha Mikoto looked at the small figure glowing with energy. Sensitive and thoughtful, she felt warmth for the first time when meeting Hikaru and Minato.
Covered in bruises, she couldn't help but move closer to the sunlight, to the warmth.
Though physically exhausted, a voice in her heart urged, don't give up, don't miss your chance to belong in Konoha.
Meanwhile, the legendary Tsunade, accompanied by Orochimaru and Hiruzen Sarutobi, watched.
"Old man, do you really think this will dissolve the barriers?" Tsunade asked.
Hiruzen, experienced and strong, wanted the Uchiha to integrate, not build walls in the village center.
"Of course. They are comrades. Nothing can't be resolved. That incident was over twenty years ago. It's time to move on," Hiruzen said with a smile.
Orochimaru licked his lips, "I have faith in that kid. He's different."
Every seemingly coincidental event had meaning. Hiruzen wanted to see if Uchiha could step forward and whether she wanted to.