Behind the tightly shut door of the Hokage Office, Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen sat upright at the desk that symbolized the highest authority.
He wore his habitual genial smile, appearing like a benevolent elder ready to handle every matter in the Village with tolerance and kindness.
A file concerning Uchiha Kaede was gently placed on the Third Hokage's desk.
He merely glanced at it casually, his eyes holding no intention of deep investigation, simply skimming the document superficially.
In his heart, the Uchiha Clan was already an entity he constantly monitored; this brat named Uchiha Kaede was nothing more than one member of the Uchiha group, and a slight reprimand would suffice.
He viewed this incident as mere dissatisfaction among ordinary members of the Uchiha Clan, especially since the Uchiha had become increasingly restless after Shisui's death.
Although Uchiha Itachi was still in the Anbu, his reputation within the clan was currently not very good.
Thus, almost the instant he looked at the file, the Third Hokage made the decision to punish Uchiha Kaede without hesitation.
He didn't even bother to learn Uchiha Kaede's specific performance during the mission before setting the punishment, then immediately returned to handling other matters, as if the issue he had just dealt with was completely trivial.
Uchiha Kaede was currently sitting in the courtyard of the Uchiha Clan Compound, gazing at the clouds drifting across the sky, his eyes calm and profound.
He had long anticipated that his two teammates might hold a grudge against him from the last mission, potentially causing trouble.
However, he hadn't expected the Chunin who had executed the mission alongside him to take the matter directly to the Third Hokage, completely disregarding the fact that they had successfully completed the objective.
In an environment like Konoha Village, it was already difficult for him, as a member of the Uchiha Clan, to receive fair treatment. Now that he faced this situation, he could only find a way to deal with it.
Just as Uchiha Kaede was contemplating how to tackle his current predicament, news arrived from the clan that they were preparing a Ninjutsu competition to select promising young clan members for focused training; anyone under the age of 15 could participate.
Uchiha Kaede thought, the opportunity to increase my strength has arrived. Since I've already attracted the attention of the Third Hokage, I might as well make the most of this mistake.
Otherwise, like now, he had no voice in the clan and couldn't even access higher-level Ninjutsu.
The few types I absorbed from Shisui are still too few. Will the selected young clan members truly have a chance to be trained? That great filial son will soon be squatting on the utility pole, right?
On the day of the internal clan Ninjutsu competition, the training grounds of the Uchiha Clan Compound were packed with clan members.
On the field, the young Uchiha members were all eager to show off their skills and stand out in the event.
Uchiha Kaede, dressed in the Uchiha Clan's characteristic attire, stood sternly on one side of the venue, his deep black eyes reflecting calmness and determination.
When it was Uchiha Kaede's turn, he calmly walked to the center of the field, first bowing slightly to the surrounding clan members and the high-ranking clan officials seated on the platform.
The high-ranking clan officials seated on the platform were currently scrutinizing the performance of every young clan member with sharp eyes.
Among them was Uchiha Fugaku, the Patriarch of the Uchiha Clan, a middle-aged man with a stern face and deep eyes, who exuded an aura of authority without needing to display anger.
Next to him was Uchiha Setsuna, the Great Elder of the clan, a white-haired but vigorous old man who was proficient in various Ninjutsu. Highly respected within the clan, his opinions often influenced many of the clan's decisions, and he was a typical hardliner.
Uchiha Kaede slightly raised his hands and began forming hand signs quickly. He then muttered, "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Instantly, a massive, scorching fireball erupted from his mouth and flew toward the open area ahead.
The fireball traced a dazzling arc in the air, carrying intense heat waves, and the air everywhere it passed seemed to ignite.
After traveling a certain distance, the Great Fireball accurately struck the designated target far away, instantly shattering it, and scorching the surrounding ground black.
All the clan members present were astonished by Uchiha Kaede's powerful Fire Release Ninjutsu and exclaimed in admiration.
Upon seeing Uchiha Kaede's performance, Uchiha Fugaku slightly furrowed his brow, thinking to himself: Who is this boy again? I didn't expect him to possess such strength.
Uchiha Setsuna, however, nodded slightly, a flicker of appreciation in his eyes. He felt that Uchiha Kaede's Fire Release Ninjutsu was executed quite skillfully, and its power was considerable; he was a talent worth cultivating.
Just after Uchiha Kaede finished demonstrating the Fire Release Ninjutsu, he didn't stop, but immediately formed hand signs and unleashed Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique toward the sky.
Instantly, several brilliant sparks of fire erupted from his mouth, carrying scorching heat and blasting several small craters into the ground.
Following that, he released several more Ninjutsu, showcasing his precise control over them. Even Fugaku's face registered surprise.
In the subsequent sparring segment, Kaede was immediately matched against Uchiha Qi. Qi, over there, was very excited and generously told him to take his time recovering and that they would compete once he was fully rested.
"No need, let's start now," Kaede said calmly, then walked straight onto the field.
A trace of annoyance flashed across Uchiha Qi's face. After watching Kaede use Ninjutsu just now, he had wanted to curb his arrogance, but now even if he won, it wouldn't be a fair victory.
The two stood in the center of the field, and after taking their stances, the challenge officially began.
Qi launched the first attack. His body flashed as he quickly charged towards Uchiha Kaede, simultaneously throwing several shuriken in an attempt to distract Uchiha Kaede before closing the distance for a Taijutsu attack.
However, Uchiha Kaede remained unhurried, calmly observing his opponent's every move.
When he saw the shuriken flying toward him, he subtly shifted his body, easily dodging the attack. Then, moving with extreme speed, he circled behind his opponent and delivered a kick squarely to the opponent's back, causing him to stumble forward several steps.
After stabilizing himself, the opponent was enraged and turned around to launch a barrage of fierce attacks.
Uchiha Kaede, relying on his agile movement technique, weaved effortlessly through the gaps in the opponent's attacks while seizing opportunities to counter.
Every punch and kick he delivered contained just the right amount of force, capable of injuring his opponent while skillfully controlling his own stamina expenditure.
He then kicked him off the field, where he passed out.
But he did not leave the arena. He turned to Uchiha Fugaku and said, "Patriarch, I want to continue challenging."
"Oh?" The few people on the viewing platform were surprised that he still had the energy to challenge again.
Uchiha Setsuna, however, smiled and nodded in agreement. He also wanted to see where Kaede's limit lay.
Finally, under the Lightning Release: False Darkness unleashed once more by Uchiha Kaede, the ninth opponent was knocked to the ground, panting and unable to rise again.
Uchiha Kaede stood in the center of the field, his posture still straight as a pine tree.
At this moment, the entire training ground of the Uchiha Clan Compound fell silent, and all the clan members were captivated by Uchiha Kaede's brilliant performance.
As for the high-ranking clan officials seated on the platform, they were all wide-eyed.
Uchiha Setsuna was beaming, having not expected another genius to emerge in the Uchiha Clan. The opponents he had just defeated included not only Genin but also two Chunin.
Just as the Uchiha Clan was buzzing with discussion about Uchiha Kaede's performance, the news somehow reached the ears of the Konoha Village high command.
In the Hokage Office, Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned slightly upon hearing about Uchiha Kaede's outstanding performance within the clan, thinking to himself: Is this Uchiha Kaede the one who injured his teammates earlier?
Other high-ranking officials of Konoha Village also received the news.
Danzo Shimura, who always harbored suspicion toward the Uchiha Clan, snorted coldly upon hearing this: "Hmph, the wicked Uchiha brat!"
After completing his challenge, Uchiha Kaede looked around, his gaze calmly sweeping over the astonished clan members, finally resting on the high-ranking clan officials on the distant platform. There was no trace of pride or provocation in his eyes, only calm scrutiny.
He knew that his battle today had already attracted further attention from the Konoha Village high command.