章 9: Chapter 9: I Only Covet Their Achievements
As evening settled in, Shinho Aburame leisurely made his way home.
His father, Shibi Aburame, had long since grown accustomed to his late returns.
Shinho had always behaved maturely beyond his years, so Shibi was never worried.
In this world, early maturity often meant genius.
Take Itachi Uchiha as an example.
At the tender age of four, he had fought in the Third Great Ninja War and had become legendary—albeit at the cost of his own sanity.
At Shinho's age, most children had no trouble sleeping.
Moreover, Shinho followed a strict personal rule of never carrying over fatigue or stress to the next day, so he went to bed early.
By morning, he was refreshed and full of energy.
When Shinho pushed open the door, he saw his brother, Shino Aburame, already hard at work.
Shino stood still, his face covered in Parasitic Destruction Insects as they crawled all over him.
"Already grinding so early in the morning?" Shinho Aburame chuckled slightly.
His brother's diligence was relentless.
But to Shinho, the sight was unsettling—it triggered his latent trypophobia.
In anime, such a scene might seem normal, but in real life, it was horrifying.
"Brother," Shino said, commanding the insects to retreat into his body.
The reason he trained so hard was because of Shinho's sharp tongue.
He genuinely feared his older brother would one day be beaten to death for it.
"Come eat," Shinho said, walking to the dining area.
Breakfast was typically simple—rice, miso soup, natto, and grilled fish.
However, Shinho never liked natto, so he always skipped it.
Instead, on his way to school, he bought two onsen tamago, rice balls, and some milk from a local shop.
Shino watched, puzzled.
It was the first time he had seen his brother behave this way.
Is he not full?
At school, Shino Aburame quickly noticed something unexpected.
The situation was completely different from what he had imagined.
He had thought Shino would be ostracized for his actions the previous day, but instead, his popularity had skyrocketed.
All along the way, people greeted him. It seemed like everyone liked him.
"Kids are simple; they just like good looks," Shinho said with a light smile.
Shino couldn't argue with that—it was a painfully truthful observation.
As they entered the classroom, Shino scanned the room.
They had arrived early, and less than a third of the seats were filled.
Ino Yamanaka, Sakura Haruno, and Naruto Uzumaki hadn't arrived yet, but Hinata Hyuga was already sitting at her desk.
"Shino, go ask Hinata to step outside for a moment."
Shino blinked, a bit taken aback by the request.
Does my brother like Hinata?
But yesterday, he seemed to get along well with Ino.
Two-timing?
Shino was now even more convinced that his brother was going to get himself killed one day.
Hinata had already noticed the Aburame brothers.
Or, more accurately, she had noticed Shinho.
She had barely slept the night before, her mind racing with excitement and unease.
The reason, of course, was Shinho's invitation from the previous day.
Sneaking out without telling her father had felt like crossing a forbidden line.
"Hinata," Shino called softly as he approached her. "My brother wants to see you."
Hinata blinked in surprise, glancing toward the doorway where Shinho stood.
He was leaning casually against the door, his sunglasses making it impossible to gauge his thoughts.
After a brief hesitation, she stood up and followed.
"Come with me," Shinho said, offering no explanation as they headed up the stairs to the rooftop.
The rooftop was quiet and peaceful, devoid of people.
Shinho handed her a small bag.
Hinata tilted her head, confused.
"Eat this before you go back to class," Shinho said, not lingering as he turned to leave.
Curiously, Hinata opened the bag and found it full of food.
Her cheeks flushed bright red, and her whole body seemed to steam with embarrassment.
Did Shinho-kun prepare this just for me?
Not only had he realized she hadn't eaten enough, but he had also taken her personality into account.
Her mind swirled with a mixture of emotions as she took a bite of the rice ball, its sweetness surprising her.
"No passive achievement," Shinho mused, sitting back in his seat, arms crossed, lost in thought.
Hinata had previously triggered a passive achievement related to her eating habits.
Based on his experience, there should be more to uncover.
After all, eating was one of Hinata's most distinctive traits.
"Shinho-kun!"
A familiar voice rang out.
Shinho looked up to see Ino Yamanaka waving cheerfully at him.
What passive achievements could she have?
"Last night's moon was beautiful," Ino said, sharing her thoughts. "It was so bright, like polished jade."
Shinho raised an eyebrow.
Moonlight?
Her golden bangs fell over her right eye, and for some reason, Shinho was reminded of a popular meme.
If you're not going to use your eyes, donate them to someone who needs them.
Speaking of blondes, Shinho couldn't help but think of Tsunade.
Would she accept him as her disciple?
It wasn't just about gaining her favor—being Tsunade's apprentice would provide Shinho with absolute protection in Konoha.
"The afternoon session will be a practical exercise," Iruka Umino announced after finishing the morning lessons. "Everyone, meet on the training grounds."
Though referred to as practical, it was essentially a taijutsu class with an emphasis on assessing their abilities.
At this age, most six- or seven-year-olds hadn't mastered any ninjutsu.
Iruka's goal was to gauge the students' physical foundations.
For the ninja clan children, this was usually more developed.
Iruka's main concern was for the civilian students.
Many of the students were buzzing with excitement.
While the ninja academy involved a lot of theoretical classes, it was the practical exercises that mattered most for their futures.
Of course, the children weren't thinking that far ahead.
They just saw it as a chance to have fun.
Well, most of them.
For someone like Sasuke Uchiha, this was an opportunity.
Practical exercises would reveal which students were worth considering as rivals.
He hoped to meet someone who could push him to his limits.
Then, his father and brother might finally praise him.
________________________________________
In the Land of Fire, at a certain casino:
"Tsunade-sama!"
Shizune, holding her pink pig Tonton, desperately tried to reason with her, "Please stop gambling!"
"Just one last round!" Tsunade was already deep in her betting frenzy. "Big! Big! Big!"
"Sorry," the seductive dealer smiled. "The result is… small."
"Damn it!"
Tsunade clenched her fist in frustration.
Then, her expression shifted, her gaze becoming sharp.
"Shizune, let's go."
Tsunade abruptly stood up and left the casino.
Shizune blinked in confusion.
What just happened?
"Come out!" Tsunade commanded, stopping in a secluded alleyway.
An ANBU ninja appeared, presenting a letter. "This is from Lord Hokage."
"That old man just won't leave me alone," Tsunade grumbled, clearly irritated, but she took the letter anyway.
As she read, a look of doubt crossed her face.
"Do you think that old geezer is just trying to trick me into coming back?" Tsunade asked, handing the letter to Shizune.
"Six years old and already knows the Chakra Scalpel?"
Shizune's eyes widened in disbelief.
Even with her own considerable talent as a medical ninja—under Tsunade's guidance—it wasn't until after she turned twelve that she had mastered the Chakra Scalpel.
Could this really be possible at six years old?
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