The sound of Potato chips was music to Chosuke's ears, with each bite it sent him to heaven and brought him back. That was the ultimate power of potato chips.
He emptied the packet, satisfied, before crunching the empty packet into a ball and kept it in his pocket.
Littering in the clan head's personal garden was something he never intended to do...even if the clan head was his uncle.
His uncle had the gentlest heart out of the entire Akimichi clan, and his fist hurt even harder when that heart was upset. His Clan were proud of their kindness, after all.
Chosuke turned to his right and saw his uncle, tending to a small plant, removing all the pest one by one, before watering it.
"Oh! Little Chosuke. Come here and tell me how have you been!" Uncle Chomaru said, gesturing him to come to him.
"I'm not little anymore..." Chosuke quietly said, there was a faint smile on his face.
Uncle Chomaru placed his hand on Chosuke's head, making him remember just how big the size difference was there between them.
Chosuke was a good amount taller and bulkier than Satoru and especially more than Kaito, but each time uncle Chomaru places his hand on his head, he gets a reality shock.
The man was about 200cm tall, with a physique that was a weird balance between dense bulging muscles and thick layers of fat.
"Your hand is heavy as ever. My head hurts." Chosuke said, trying to budge his arm off.
"If it hurts then it means that you are not eating properly. Your mother will be sad if you don't eat properly." Uncle Chomaru looked into the distance as if he remembered something.
"I eat all the food mom makes! Even dad thinks I'm strong for my age, it's just you, who is so humongous!" Chosuke gave into his fate of being pressed under his uncle's hand.
"I see humongous as a compliment, so thank you, and your father is a picky eater, with his tiny light arms. Your mother had so many better options, but out of all of them...she had to choose that picky eater."
'Uncle Chomaru is still a true hater of those who don't like vegetables. When will he get over his rivalry with my dad?' Chosuke thought.
"I think they are a perfect match for each other. Mom doesn't like vegetables either, she just makes me eat them because they're good." Chosuke said, making the grip on his head tighten.
"That bastard spoiled my sister rotten. I tried so hard to instill a healthy habit into her, only for that guy to get his slimy hands on her." He mumbled, before turning to face Chosuke,
"Bring your stuff and live with me. Those are a lost cause."
"If I say yes will you let go of my head?" Chosuke asked.
Chomaru lessened the grip on his head before laughing.
"So? What do you think? Want to live with me and your aunt?" Uncle Chomaru asked.
"You were serious about that? I thought you were joking." Chosuke watched him take a caterpillar and move it to different greener leaf.
"You and Choza are my two successors. Your elder sister Chomi has no interest in leading our clan, the next oldest are you and Choza."
His rough fingers were so gentle while petting the caterpillar that it almost felt uncanny. The caterpillar ate to its heart's content as Chomaru plucked a nearby leaf and placed it near the caterpillar.
"They are fascinating...aren't they?"
"Caterpillars?"
"Yes. Caterpillars...our principles are based on their life cycles." Chomaru said,
His eyes held deep admiration for these little creatures, one that chosuke struggled to comprehend.
"The Principles of Conduct are based on them? I didn't know they came from caterpillars." Chosuke said, scratching his hair.
"Did little Chomi not teach it to you yet? Everyone learns it when they become a genin." Chomaru turned to look at Chosuke.
"She tried, twice in fact. First time was after a training session and fell asleep, and the other time, when I was training for chunin exams when her boyfriend came and took her away." Chosuke said, making him frown.
"Chunin exams, huh? That's where you got that scar, right?" He pointed at Chosuke's forearm.
It was a burn scar caused by electricity.
"Satoru gave that to me. You should have seen what I did to him! He was almost bald for a while, he is with a buzz-cut right now." Chosuke said, but that frown didn't dissappear.
"You lost to him didn't you?" Chomaru asked, now completely turning to face Chosuke.
"...Yeah...I did." Chosuke said, quietly. The man talking to him didn't seem like his uncle anymore, he seemed like the leader of his clan.
"Not just the chunin exams...you lost to him even on the academy graduation exam." Chomaru said, raising his hand, alerting Chosuke.
"I deeply apologize, clan head! I won't lose to him ever again." Chosuke bowed down, bracing for a hit.
The Chomaru's hand pulled him into an embrace, shocking Chosuke.
"Losing to the same person twice...at very important stages of our live, is not an easy thing. It leaves behind years worth of self-doubt and insecurities." Chomaru said softly.
"I tried my best." Chosuke melted into the hug, "Now...I don't even know what to do anymore."
"Whatever you do...you cannot stop! You. Cannot. Stop." Chomaru said, breaking the hug and looking into his eyes.
He turned and looked around, as if to search something.
"Since you haven't learnt what the principles are...I'll teach you." Uncle Chomaru said, holding a tiny caterpillar in his palms. It was eating a leaf as if that is all its life was meant for.
"Do you know the life cycle of these little creatures? How they go on with their day?"
"Yeah. They eat leaves, become a cocoon, come out as butterfly, then die. That's about it."
He brought the caterpillar closer to to Chosuke, "See how it's eating the leaf. It knows that winter is approaching...and if it doesn't eat...it dies."
He placed another leaf next to it. "It's diligence."
"What?" Chosuke raised an eyebrow.
"It doesn't care about the rewards or awards, nor does it show any laziness. What it does...is work hard. Disclipline and diligence is the most important aspect of life for you youngsters."
Chomaru keenly observed Chosuke, eager to know how his nephew had interpreted this lesson.
'So I have to work hard without thinking about what I get for it?' Chosuke thought,
"Let's keep walking." He continued, "I can't seem to find any of them here."
They kept walking for a while, before they found what they needed—a cocoon.
"This is the second lesson." Chomaru softly as if talking too loudly would wake up the cocoon.
"The second lesson..." Chosuke muttered, of course there's more than one lesson.
"See how it doesn't rush through the process, waiting patiently for its time to come..." He gulped, "...and when it comes—it becomes all the more sweeter!"
"The cocoon becomes sweeter? Can I try?" Chosuke asked, looking at the cocoon while he drooled.
Chomaru facepalmed, "It's not the taste that becomes sweeter, and it taste bad—very bad."
"Okay, I'm not going to ask you why know what it tastes like, but, continue on with what you were talking about."
"Patience. An Akimichi must always be patient, in decision making during missions, in daily life and especially during eating. You must always chew properly before swallowing, or else—"
"You're trailing off, Uncle Chomaru."
"Yes, yes. It is crucial for you to never act impulsively or emotionally. Recklessness during missions kill more than enemy shinobis do."
Chosuke came closer to inspect the cocoon.
It was dead—ruptured from an angle that was difficult to see.
"Sometimes...people wait to long...remain too patient." He had a solemn expression, as if remembering someone, "They tend to miss their opportunity and they realize it too late."
Chosuke frowned, "Patience is death, impatience is death. How do I know if I have waited enough?"
Chomaru's hand reach to touch another cocoon before glowing green.
"Sometimes...while you are patient, you must create an opportunity instead of waiting for one!"
The cocoon tore open before a beautiful butterfly came out. It slowly spread its wings—a complex mixture of orange and brown. It slowly flew away.
Chosuke was left open-mouthed from the butterfly, making Chomaru smile.
"That's the third lesson!" He said,
"What?"
Just like a butterfly left your jaw hanging, you must perform on the battlefield to leave your opponents and your allies alike, just like you are. Mediocrity means failure because people will always rely on your competence."
Chosuke began following the butterfly and Chomaru trailed behind. They saw the butterfly involved with another butterfly in what looked like a dance, a beautiful dance.
"Look how gently they are dancing together. That is how an Akimichi must behave, with gentleness in the presence of immense strength." Chomaru waved the butterflies away.
"Why do have to be gentle? Satoru won because he did what was needed. I lost because I was gentle."
"We Akimichi, are protectors at heart. We are not assassins like that boy." He placed his hand on Chosuke's head again.
True strength lies in the fact that you can carry a wounded ally on your back and fight without worsening their wounds. Even if you lose everything...you must never your gentle nature."