Chapter 1
Konohagakure, Hidden Leaf Village.
Hatake Clan Residence.
A silver-haired boy was swinging a wooden training sword in the courtyard, fiercely slashing at a wooden dummy. Sweat poured down his body.
His strikes were sharp, ruthless, and incredibly clean. Even someone with zero knowledge of swordsmanship could tell at a glance that the boy possessed exceptional talent with the blade.
"Sakuki, you're training with the sword again?"
"Big Brother? Why are you back so suddenly!"
The boy turned around and saw a similarly silver-haired man standing behind him. Joy lit up his face.
"Weren't you on a mission at the front lines? I heard from the teacher that the war situation is getting really bad. How did you manage to come back?"
"Haha, I heard from someone that today is the Ninja Academy graduation day. How could your big brother miss such an important day for you?"
"What's there to celebrate… I only graduated at ten years old. If it weren't for this war, I probably still wouldn't have graduated…"
The silver-haired boy's mood suddenly dropped, and a trace of sadness appeared in his eyes.
The older silver-haired man walked over and gently ruffled the boy's fluffy hair, his voice softening.
"Sakuki… About what happened back then… I'm sorry."
The boy stayed silent for a moment, then shook off his earlier gloom and gave a bright, cheerful smile.
"Big Brother, what are you apologizing for? It has nothing to do with you. Besides, even if I can only use swordsmanship, I'll still become a fine shinobi who can stand on his own! After all, I'm the younger brother of Konoha's White Fang!"
The older man was none other than Hatake Sakumo, the elite jōnin who had risen to fame during the Second Shinobi World War and earned the title "Konoha's White Fang."
The boy was his half-brother — Hatake Sakuki.
Hatake Sakumo looked at his brother's radiant smile, but his heart ached with pity.
No matter how well Sakuki tried to hide it, that fleeting flash of resentment in the boy's eyes had not escaped him.
His mind drifted back to painful memories.
Three years ago, on that nightmarish evening…
"Sakuki, no matter what I say next, you have to stay calm… Father and Mother… they sacrificed themselves on this mission…"
"Sakuki! What's wrong with your eyes!"
"Ah? Sakuki, your eyes… It's the Sharingan!"
"Lord Hokage, this child must be executed! He is not a member of the Uchiha clan, yet he has awakened the Sharingan! We let it slide back then out of respect for you when his mother married into the Hatake clan. But now this concerns the purity of our Uchiha bloodline. We cannot overlook it!"
"What are you talking about?! My brother did nothing wrong! Why are you all pressuring him like this? Our parents just died, and you dare lay a hand on him?!"
"Calm down, Sakumo. I will not order the boy's death. Uchiha Clan Head, executing the child is out of the question since he has committed no crime. Do you have any other suggestions?"
"Hmph! Then we must use our clan's secret technique to permanently seal his eyes! How can an outsider possess the Sharingan?!"
"Then… Sakumo, what do you think? The Uchiha have already made a concession…"
"…Fine."
The memory faded, and Hatake Sakumo snapped back to the present.
Recalling those unpleasant events made his mood heavy. The joy of reuniting with his brother was dampened significantly.
Background (explained naturally):
Sakumo's father had lost his first wife during the First Shinobi World War. Later, during a mission, he met Sakuki's mother and fell deeply in love. However, she was a member of the Uchiha clan.
The Uchiha had always strictly forbidden marriage outside the clan to preserve their bloodline purity. By the time they discovered the relationship, Sakuki's mother was already pregnant.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, took pity on them and personally arranged their marriage. At that time, the Uchiha clan's power had weakened, so they reluctantly accepted it.
No one expected that after his parents' death, this boy of mixed blood would awaken the Sharingan — something that many "pure-blooded" Uchiha children could not achieve no matter how hard they tried.
It was a bitter irony.
In a fit of rage, the Uchiha Clan Head came demanding justice. Thanks to the Third Hokage's strong intervention once again, they could only use a secret sealing technique on Sakuki's eyes.
The seal was extremely overbearing. Not only did it prevent him from ever activating the Sharingan again, it also suppressed his normal chakra flow, making him unable to use any ninjutsu.
In an instant, Sakuki went from a promising genius to a failure who could barely graduate from the Academy.
Most of his former classmates had already graduated, received their headbands, and become full-fledged shinobi.
He was already ten years old. If not for the urgent need for manpower due to the war, he probably wouldn't have graduated even now.
"Big Brother, how many days can you stay this time?"
"I have to leave tonight," White Fang said, his brows furrowing. "The war is too brutal. Amegakure and Sunagakure are attacking fiercely, and our losses are heavy…"
"What about Sister-in-law? Is she at the front lines too?"
A gentle look flashed in Sakumo's eyes when he mentioned his wife. "Yes, she's there too. That's why I want to return as soon as possible. Sakuki, I heard that you graduates will also be heading out tomorrow for this war. You must be very careful, because…"
"I'll be fine," Sakuki smiled and cut him off. "Freshly graduated genin like us won't be sent to the front lines. At most, we'll just help transport supplies in the rear. There's no real danger."
Even after hearing this, Sakumo's worry did not lessen.
The war had only just entered its second year — it was still the early stage. Rookies like Sakuki naturally wouldn't be thrown into the meat grinder yet.
But in the later stages, when all the villages ran low on manpower, even genin would be forced onto the battlefield… often used as cannon fodder.
Sakumo couldn't bear to tell his brother the cruel truth.
He calmed himself and put on a smile.
"Sakuki, I'm leaving tonight and you're leaving tomorrow. Let's not think about unhappy things. Come on! Big Brother will treat you to a good meal!"
With that, Sakumo crouched down, signaling for his brother to hop on his back.
Grinning, Sakuki tossed aside his wooden sword and jumped onto his brother's back.
"Brother, let's eat barbecue! I want to eat a ton — don't you dare get stingy with your wallet!"
"I won't, I won't! You think you can eat me poor?"
"Hehe, you never know!"
...
The next day.
Hatake Sakuki rubbed his sleepy eyes and suddenly realized the glaring sunlight was already streaming through the window.
"Ah? Oh no, I overslept! Today is the day we get assigned to teams and depart!"
Realizing he was late, Sakuki jumped out of bed and quickly got dressed, grabbing his gear and sword.
Last night, the two brothers had stayed out late eating barbecue. After Sakumo dropped him home, he rushed back to the front lines, while Sakuki accidentally slept in.
After a quick wash, Sakuki slung his sword on his back and dashed out the door toward the Ninja Academy.
"Sakuki! Over here! Why are you late? That's not like you!"
A chubby boy called out while munching on snacks, his words slightly muffled.
As soon as Sakuki slipped into the classroom, he heard his friend and quickly sat down beside him.
The boy was Akimichi Genza, one of the few friends Sakuki had made at the Academy.
"Genza, has the teacher announced my team assignment yet?"
"Not yet! But most people have already been assigned. It should be your turn soon!"
Genza spoke while continuing to stuff snacks into his mouth.
"That's good!"
Sakuki breathed a sigh of relief. But just as he relaxed, he suddenly heard his name called.
"Hatake Sakuki, assigned to Chūnin Uchiha Nami's squad for this mission. Please head to Training Ground No. 3 for assembly."
Uchiha?
And I'm the only one in this squad?
Sakuki's eyes narrowed slightly, a faint sense of unease rising in his heart…