I Am Fugaku Uchiha

Shuriken throw? Fugaku couldn't believe his ears when he heard that birthday wish from Itachi.

Was it normal for a two-year-old to be so focused and determined? Nevertheless, as he gazed into Itachi's innocent eyes, filled with hope, Fugaku found it hard to refuse his wish.

Curiosity got the better of him, and he questioned, "That… Tell me, why do you want to learn shuriken throw?"

Itachi looked puzzled and responded, "Huh? Isn’t shuriken and kunai throwing the basic skill of a ninja? You rarely come home, and you only taught me twice, so I want you to teach me more!"

Fugaku was momentarily speechless. How could a two-year-old grasp such a skill after just two lessons? Was his son unusually talented? He couldn't help but marvel, thinking, "When I was two years old, I was still drooling!"

Despite his surprise, Fugaku knew he couldn't quench his son's enthusiasm for learning. Taking a deep breath, he nodded and handed a shuriken from his ninja pouch to Itachi.

"Alright, follow my moves," Fugaku instructed. "Watch how I bend my arms and twist my wrists!"

Itachi followed the instructions diligently, and with each attempt, Fugaku encouraged him, "Good, good! Now, focus on your target, and throw with me, one, two, three!"

To everyone's amazement, Shuriken hit the bullseye mark.

"That’s incredible! Haha, you’re truly my son; well done! You’ve got the basic stance down. Once you get used to it, you can improvise. Come on, let’s try again! One, two, three!"

Laughter filled the garden as father and son practiced together. Mikoto, standing under the roof, observed their actions and expressions, feeling a surge of joy. She cherished the warm scene, grateful for the bond that was flourishing between father and son.

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After relishing a few days of tranquility, Fugaku's departure was imminent.

However, the Iwa camp had surprisingly halted their attacks or only engaged in minor skirmishes during this respite. Responding to the situation, the Third Hokage requested that Fugaku extend his stay.

The motive behind this extension was twofold. Firstly, the need to fortify the village with additional ninjas, and secondly, the upcoming Chunin exam in the village.

The ninjas are returning from various locations to the village, and in the case of the Iwa camp, it was Uchiha Fugaku and Akimichi Choza who hurriedly returned to the village.

Although Fugaku had never participated in the Chunin exam due to being a seasoned ninja before his transmigration, the most vivid memory he held about the exam was the large-scale one depicted in anime.

In that iteration, only the genius Shikamaru managed to pass and attain the rank of Chunin.

This time, however, the exam took a simpler form, featuring just a written test. Subsequently, participants were required to run to the tower situated in the middle of the Forest of the Dead and navigate through various challenges.

Unlike the previous exams, there was no need to engage in the risky act of stealing scrolls from one another.

The rationale behind this change was clear: with the shortage of ninja, losing any participant to the exam would be deemed wasteful, irrespective of their skill level. The Forest of Death served as a challenging yet non-lethal arena for the participants to showcase their abilities.

A few days later, at the entrance of Konoha Village, a gathering of countless ninjas, some newly minted chunin and others already holding the rank, created a vibrant scene.

Amidst the crowd, a chubby man with red hair and a white bandage adorning his head stood in front.

Addressing the three kids before him, he spoke slowly, "Well, depending on the situation of the Third Shinobi World War, your team formation might change in the future, but for now, I’m your captain, Chōza Akimichi. Since fate has brought us together as a team…”

However, before he could continue, a loud voice interrupted Chōza Akimichi. "Sorry, I made a mistake again!!"

The surprise on the faces of Genma, Ebisu, and Might Guy, who were present in front of Chōza Akimichi, was palpable. Genma, holding a senbon, and Ebisu, wearing sunglasses and a scarf, turned to the source of the voice in bewilderment.

Meanwhile, Might Guy continued to maintain his unusual foolhardy mood, aware that his father, Might Duy, had just apologized for a mission gone awry.

Duy had apparently messed up the mission for some reason, and the guilt weighed so heavily on him that he kneeled down in public, begging for forgiveness.

As Guy observed this, he couldn't help but feel a sense of shame, thinking that his father's actions were somewhat disgraceful. Despite now living in a spacious house, Duy's personality remained unchanged.

The ninja who received the apology was left speechless, responding with frustration, "You always say that, but you never change. I have no choice but to kick you out of the team!"

"Please, no!" Duy pleaded desperately.

“I don’t trust your words!” the ninja retorted, firm in their decision.

Duy, now in a state of panic, quickly bowed his head, pleading, “Please, give me one more chance. I beg you: whatever the mission, I will do my best to complete it. Please reconsider, please!”

As Duy's pleading voice echoed, Might Guy, who had recently achieved the rank of Chunin, couldn't shake the emptiness he felt inside. Was this, he wondered, the embodiment of the youth his father had always spoken about?

“What’s going on here?” A voice from afar interrupted the tense situation, prompting everyone to turn their heads.

Fugaku, who was approaching them, noticed Duy kneeling on the ground and couldn't help but wonder about the commotion.

“Lord Fugaku!!” The ninja who had been scolding Duy quickly changed his tone upon spotting Fugaku.

He held a deep respect for Fugaku's impressive feats against the Suna, and there was a fear that he might incur Fugaku's anger for mistreating someone rumored to be close to the Uchiha clan head.

After hearing the details of the situation, Fugaku was left speechless. How could Duy, known to be close to the Uchiha clan, be so incompetent as a ninja? Duy had violated basic rules, such as not asking for the client’s personal information and neglecting alertness on guard duty.

“It’s fine, you can join my clan one of the team!” Fugaku declared it unexpectedly.

The announcement left everyone shocked, including Might Guy, Chōza, and Genma. Why would the head of the Uchiha clan show such kindness to an eternal genin?

“Lord Fugaku, this…” The ninja, who had initially rejected Duy, was visibly embarrassed.

Fugaku seemed to understand his thoughts and dismissed him with a wave of his hand, saying, “Don’t worry; you go do your work!”

“Yes… Sir!” The ninja was relieved that he wasn’t angry, and he quickly left.

Relieved that he wasn’t facing Fugaku’s wrath, the ninja quickly left. Might Duy, who was still kneeling on the ground, stared at Fugaku in silence.

Fugaku sighed and reached out his hand to lift him up, advising, “We can talk later; let's not interrupt Chōza's lecture.”

“Yes, Lord Fugaku... I’m very grateful for your  kindness."Duy said with tears in his eyes as he bowed to Fugaku.

Fugaku couldn't help but feel a headache. His old friend was evidently desperate to earn money, acting like some of the parents he had encountered before.

StylishSlayer

T/n: I messed up the chapter posting a bit yesterday. That chapter was 174, not 173. But I've fixed it now. you can have read chapters 173 and 175.  Thanks!