Some legends are forged in battle. Othes are forged while sprinting for your life from an entire species.
"Have you heard…?"
"The Uchiha clan head's two kids have been getting chased all over the village by dogs?"
"Hahahahaha, I'm dying laughing!"
"So much for the genius clan of Konoha — and they produced these two?"
"They've completely disgraced the entire Uchiha name."
"Yeah! And they're the clan head's sons too. Compared to Uchiha Itachi, they're miles apart."
Recently, rumors had been spreading nonstop through Konoha.
Stories about Uchiha Fugaku's twin sons being chased by dogs every single day had quickly turned into the village's favorite running joke.
"Taptaptap— taptaptap—"
At this very moment, two small figures streaked across Konoha's streets at speeds barely visible to the naked eye.
They vaulted across rooftops, rebounded off walls and utility poles, weaving and shifting in rapid succession.
Even in their battered state, they still carried the razor-edged composure unique to the Uchiha.
If not for the massive ninja dogs thundering after them, no one would have guessed these two figures were the Uchiha clan's current laughingstocks.
Only one man reacted differently.
Might Guy, who happened to be training nearby, saw the scene and immediately bit his lip, tears and snot streaming down his face.
"This is youth!!"
"Young men! I never thought that even the Uchiha could burn with such hot-blooded passion!"
"Oh yeah! Today I'm running a hundred laps around the village!!"
His bizarre outburst instantly made everyone around him uncomfortable. People hurriedly distanced themselves from the strange green-clad man, afraid their children's futures might be ruined by proximity.
Meanwhile, the two being chased ignored both the crowd and the green-clad oddball, sprinting straight ahead.
Sasuke pumped his arms wildly, his legs almost blurring into afterimages.
Suddenly, two massive ninja dogs lunged from a rooftop beside him, closing in from both sides.
Sasuke slammed a foot down to brake, twisted his waist, and sprang upward. Both legs snapped out midair, landing clean kicks on the dogs' faces and sending them flying.
The dodge and counter flowed almost entirely on instinct.
At the same time, he roared furiously toward Kaito not far away.
"Uchiha Kaito!!"
"I hate you!!"
Kaito panted heavily, one hand brushing the ground as his body rebounded like a coiled spring, narrowly slipping past the lunges of four ninja dogs.
Twisting midair, he flicked four stones in rapid succession. They tore through the air with sharp whistles, each one striking directly into a dog's open mouth.
"Just tell me this — haven't your taijutsu improved?!"
Thee was no denying it.
Under this kind of life-and-death pressure, the gains in physical combat ability were terrifying — especially with the +200% cultivation boost stacked on top.
Right now, Kaito could run twenty full laps around the village and still only feel mildly winded.
And Sasuke, dragged along into this brutal intensity, was improving at an astonishing rate as well.
Kaito roughly estimated that the benefits from these three days of extreme survival training were equivalent to at least half a year of Sasuke's normal practice.
Throughout the process, they weren't just being chased — they were forced to dodge every attack while already exhausted.
From being battered and bruised on the first day to now moving with ease, the growth was undeniable.
Of course…
If circumstances hadn't forced his hand, Kaito absolutely wouldn't have chosen such a ridiculous training method.
He had wanted to apply that 200% bonus toward ninjutsu and chakra training instead.
But the moment he equipped the title Enemy of the Sky-Rending Demonic Hounds, every dog in the village behaved as if it had been hit with a permanent taunt effect, charging him with bloodshot eyes.
It was unbelievably miserable.
Sasuke fell silent at Kaito's words.
He wanted to vent everything bottled up inside — but the truth was, the improvement was far faster than his usual solo training.
Still…
This was absolutely not the way he wanted to get stronger.
"Y-You… I…"
"When is this ever going to end?! If we keep running, we'll be home soon!!"
Being stuck with a brotherrrrrr who trained by provoking dogs was slowly driving him insane.
"Hang in there a little longer!"
Kaito shouted back, his hands never stopping.
He darted straight into the pack, seized a ninja dog by the collar, and flipped it over his shoulder in a clean throw.
He leaned back to evade several snapping jaws, then drove a flying knee into anotherrrrrr dog, sending it tumbling away.
"Awooo… awooo…"
In just a few swift exchanges, the dogs around Kaito yelped and retreated.
The remaining ninja dogs hesitated when they saw how fierce he was, baring their teeth but no longer daring to advance.
[Congratulations, Host. New achievement unlocked!]
[Enemy of the Sky-Rending Demonic Hounds → Terror of the Sky-Rending Demonic Hounds]
[Terror of the Sky-Rending Demonic Hounds: You have beaten all nearby Sky-Rending Demonic Hounds into submission. You are now the most unforgettable nightmare in their hearts.]
[Equipping this title allows you to swap positions with any Sky-Rending Demonic Hound within a 500-meter radius by shouting: "What are you barking about?"]
Kaito stared at the effect description.
His temple throbbed. He rubbed his brow hard, sucking in several deep breaths just to suppress the urge to curse.
Oh, fantastic.
So the system being absurd wasn't enough — now even the achievement titles had joined the circus.
Looking at the "swap positions with a dog" effect, Kaito couldn't help thinking of the Fourth Hokage's Flying Thunder God Technique.
Which raised a serious question…
What exactly was he supposed to name this ability in the future?
Canine Thunder God?
Flying Thunder Dog?
And before activating it, he'd have to shout at his opponent—
"What are you barking about?!"
Wouldn't that just stack Rage Buff, Berserk Buff, and Pain Immunity Buff on the enemy instead of helping him?!
For a brief moment, Kaito honestly felt that the previous cultivation bonus had been far more practical than this so-called evolution.
…Forget it.
He'd make do with it for now. Setting aside the requirement that a dog even had to exist within five hundred meters, it was still a legitimate life-saving ability.
After the title evolved, the ninja dogs finally stopped chasing them and scattered in retreat.
Kaito and Sasuke tidied themselves up slightly outside their home before quietly pushing the door open and sneaking inside.
After being around dogs for days, they were basically marinated in dog smell. They'd need a thorough cleanup before anyone noticed.
They tiptoed through the house like professional thieves.
Unfortunately, before they could slip into their rooms, they spotted Uchiha Fugaku seated in the living room.
Their father sat cross-legged at the tea table, arms folded, his face dark enough to kill. Even the lines on his brow seemed to radiate murderous intent.
It was obvious he had been waiting for a long time.
That oppressive expression made it painfully clear they were about to be in serious trouble.
Sasuke instantly wilted.
The moment he saw Fugaku, he shrank into a trembling quail, head buried against his chest, hands nervously rubbing togethe.
The tension in the room was suffocating.
"F-Fathe…"
Fugaku nodded slightly but said nothing.
He glanced at the two boys, frowned, lifted his teacup, and took a slow sip.
He didn't do anything overt — yet the atmosphee felt as though it had frozen solid.
Kaito stood calmly at his side, chin slightly raised, carrying the relaxed composure of someone who had weathered far worse storms.
Not a trace of panic showed on his face.
Fugaku set the teacup down and drew in a deep breath.
"A few days ago," he said slowly,
"didn't I tell you…"
"Not to provoke those ninja dogs anymore?"
Sasuke's face drained of color in an instant.
Under his father's gaze, he didn't even dare lift his head. His body unconsciously edged closer to Kaito.
Sasuke's reaction disappointed Fugaku deeply.
He slammed his palm onto the table with a thunderous bang and barked sharply at both of them:
"Tell me — why did you do this?!"
...
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