(I'm back stronger than ever ^-^ Thank you all for your patience)
At the Hidden Cloud Village.
Inside a training field.
A girl with braided pigtails was striking a wooden training post again and again, her lips tightly pressed together.
Even though her hands were already bleeding, she showed no sign of stopping.
Nearby, two other girls watched with worried expressions.
One had skin so pale it was almost luminous, with a short blade tucked at her waist; the other's skin was darker, and she held a book tightly against her chest.
After a while, the pale-skinned girl frowned and spoke. "Yugito, you need to calm down."
The darker-skinned girl nodded in agreement. "Yugito, if you're unhappy about something, I can ask my father to speak to the Third Raikage for you."
Hearing them, Yugito finally slowed to a stop.
She looked at her two companions and spoke in a low voice. "I can learn to control the Two-Tails' power on my own. There's no need for this 'special treatment.'"
"The Third Raikage is doing this because he doesn't believe in my ability."
Her tone carried both pride and a touch of hurt.
She had trained day and night, all so that she could be treated the same as any ordinary person.
Yet she had only just graduated from the Academy, and already the Third Raikage had rushed to arrange so-called 'special instruction'…
To someone as proud as Yugito, it felt like a dismissal of her worth.
Samui shrugged lightly, unsure what to say.
For most people, receiving special attention from the Third Raikage would be an honor beyond their dreams.
But for someone with Yugito's personality, such treatment only wounded her pride.
They all knew the reason.
As a jinchuriki since childhood, the thing Yugito longed for most was simply to be treated like everyone else.
Mabui saw Yugito's reddened eyes and spoke up again. "Yugito, I heard from my father that the Third Raikage specifically found you a super-strong instructor this time. Even my father admires that person."
"And using the power of a Tailed Beast isn't something shameful. Isn't Lord Killer B a hero admired by everyone in the village?"
Yugito's heart eased a little at Mabui's comfort, but she still said, "I don't reject using my Tailed Beast's power. I just don't want to be singled out."
"Compared to being taught by some 'super expert,' I prefer becoming stronger together with my companions."
"Is that so?" said a sudden voice, startling all three girls.
They turned to see a man with long black hair and a black, gold-trimmed robe slowly approaching.
The moment they saw his face—a face straight out of a manga protagonist—Yugito and Mabui gasped and covered their mouths.
Even Samui, who prided herself on being calm at all times, felt her chest start to heave.
"L-Lord Uchiha Yuzuru?!"
"What, you're not even going to greet me?" Yuzuru teased.
The three girls snapped out of their stupor and bowed at a perfect ninety degrees. "Greetings, Lord Yuzuru!"
Yuzuru waved a hand with a smile. "No need to be so tense. Stand up."
Seeing that he wasn't angry, the three girls quietly breathed out in relief.
Sweat dotted their foreheads.
After all, the man before them was the strongest in the entire ninja world—Uchiha Yuzuru.
He was the hero who lifted not only the Hidden Cloud Village but the entire Land of Lightning to its current heights.
Such a powerhouse—most people never even got the chance to see him from afar, let alone speak to him face-to-face like this.
Seeing the girls frozen in silence, Yuzuru spoke first. "You must be Mabui. Your father mentioned you to me. He said you're even wiser than he is."
Mabui, flustered, shook her head. "Please don't mind him, Lord Yuzuru. My father tends to ramble nonsense."
"Compared to him—handling everything so cleanly and perfectly—I'm still far behind."
Yuzuru glanced at the book in her arms and smiled. "That guy Mabuma wouldn't dare say nonsense in front of me. I trust his judgment. You'll definitely become a pillar of the village."
Hearing that, Mabui dropped to her knees in excitement. "Thank you for your praise, Lord Yuzuru! I will do my best!"
Over the years, Yuzuru's prestige in the Hidden Cloud had grown even higher than that of the Third Raikage—and with his unmatched looks…
He had become the idol of nearly every young boy and girl in the village.
Being praised by him made Mabui feel like she was about to faint from lack of oxygen.
Feeling encouraged, Samui mustered her courage. "Lord Yuzuru, why have you come here? Are you here to train?"
Yuzuru shook his head. "I came at the request of the Third Raikage, to give Yugito some specialized training."
"But from what I overheard, it seems you're not fond of this arrangement, Yugito."
He rubbed his chin with mild concern, then said, "Don't worry. I'll talk to the Third Raikage. Let's drop the matter. You can just follow your usual training from now on."
Yugito's expression shifted instantly. She fell to her knees before Yuzuru, her voice trembling. "Please don't be angry, Lord Yuzuru! I—I'm willing to train under you!"
"Yugito, you don't have to force yourself. And you don't need to worry that I'd be offended," Yuzuru said softly. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to grow stronger through your own efforts."
"No." Yugito lifted her head, tear-streaks on her face. "You're different, Lord Yuzuru. If it's you… then I can accept anything!"
Though Yugito was proud and longed to be treated like an ordinary person…
The man before her was Uchiha Yuzuru. She had to consider that this might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
If she passed it up, she would regret it forever.
After all, countless people would give anything for a chance like this.
Seeing Yugito's tearful determination, Yuzuru gently helped her up.
"I understand. Then I'll teach you how to use the power of the Tailed Beast inside you."
"Mm!"
When Yuzuru agreed, Yugito finally smiled again.
Samui and Mabui looked on with deep envy.
Being trained by Uchiha Yuzuru… was the dream of countless girls.
Yugito was truly fortunate.