blogombal Chapter 333 Growth and Unexpected Discoveries
Chapter 333 Growth and Unexpected Discoveries
Chapter 333 Growth and Unexpected Discoveries
October 1, Konoha 48.
A month has passed since the New Year, and Itachi, Yami, and Eta have been learning at home with Tai for a month.
The biggest change in the past month wasn't the significant improvement in the three boys' strength. After all, the basic physical techniques and meditation taught by Taiyi require gradual accumulation and are not something that can be rushed.
The biggest change, however, was in Itachi Uchiha's personality.
He's only 5 years old. Even if he's precocious, he's still a child.
For the past month, apart from going home in the evening to eat and sleep, I have spent almost all my time with Jiang Tai and Ya Mei, those two little devils.
If you expect him to stay the same, that would be truly unbelievable.
Just like now.
"Teacher, we've finished our physical training and meditation this morning. Can we go out and play today?"
Uchiha Itachi placed his hands together under his chin, blinking his eyes in a pleading manner.
Can you imagine that the person who made this move was actually Itachi Uchiha?
If Taiichi hadn't witnessed Itachi's transformation over the past month with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed it was real.
"What's wrong? Is there not enough room for the three of you to play at home? Now you all want to run away outside?"
Tai smiled as he looked at the three of them. It was rare for Itachi to take the lead today. In the past, whenever there was a request, Tai would be the one to charge ahead, while the other two would be the ones to cheer him on from behind.
It's no wonder the three of them acted this way; even the largest mansion can't withstand three troublemakers running wild inside for a month.
"Ah, not entirely. Itachi said he'd treat us to three-colored dumplings today, so Taichi-nii-san, please let us out!"
""
When it comes to acting cute, girls are the best at it. Don't underestimate Ya Mei just because she's young; she's incredibly skilled at it. Her sweet, cloying voice is enough to give you goosebumps.
"Alright, alright, stop talking now." Taiyi shook his body. "Going out to play is fine, but it's not the same as being at home. You can't be so crazy outside."
"Yay, Taiichi-nii is the best!"
The three of them cheered and jumped around, giving each other high fives in celebration.
"Go ahead, and remember to come back before lunch."
"Okay!"
As soon as Taiyi finished speaking, the three of them rushed out of Taiyi's mansion like a gust of wind through the porch.
He simply shook his head silently, activated his chakra perception, and kept a close watch on the three figures from a distance, preventing them from noticing him.
This can be considered a kind of experience.
"Let's go! We're going to have a blast today!"
Jiang Tai let out a cheer, like a freed colt, taking the lead.
Yamei followed closely behind, her ponytail bouncing merrily behind her head, her face flushed with excitement.
Itachi was slightly behind by half a step. Despite being the youngest, he was the strongest of the three due to his talent.
Now, his large, dark eyes no longer held the calm and focused gaze he had when facing Taiyi in the study, but were illuminated by a novel light he had never seen before.
This was the first time in their month-long training, and even in their entire careers, that they had been allowed to leave their homes without adult supervision and truly explore this bustling village.
The streets were lined with a dazzling array of shops, vendors hawking their wares, pedestrians hurrying by in all sorts of attire, and stalls adorned with colorful cloths—
All of this strongly impacted the three children's senses. They had never had such freedom before, being able to go wherever they wanted.
Especially for Itachi, these scenes were either fleeting glimpses he was given by his family members or distant observations from across the clan's territory. He had never been able to immerse himself in them and experience them freely like this.
"Wow! What's that for sale? It smells so good!"
Yamei's small nose twitched vigorously, her gaze immediately drawn to a steaming hot stall.
"It's takoyaki," Jiang Tai said with experience. "Tai-ichi-nii bought some for us before."
Seeing him nod from time to time, he was acting like a little adult.
But he couldn't maintain this posture for long before a sweet fragrance wafted into his nose.
Following the scent, he quickly found a more brightly colored stall in the distance.
"Itachi, Itachi, look over there! Over there are your favorite three-colored dumplings! You promised it was your treat today!"
"Okay! No problem!"
Itachi's voice also carried an undisguised joy, not because he was going to eat his favorite three-colored dumplings, but because he was happy to be able to share his favorite food with his good friend.
The three of them soon arrived at the conspicuous stall, where they saw several round meatballs skewered on bamboo sticks.
Each skewer is composed of three different colors: a delicate cherry blossom pink, a clean off-white, and a gentle tea green, all drizzled with a layer of crystal-clear, enticingly glossy sweet sauce.
Looking at the delicious dumplings, Itachi couldn't help but recall that he had casually mentioned the three-colored dumplings during a training break the day before yesterday, and Yami and Eta immediately exclaimed that they hadn't eaten them in a long time.
At that time, the precocious Itachi solemnly promised, "When we have the chance to come out, I will definitely treat you to dumplings."
Now is the time to fulfill our promise.
Looking at the three people's joyful smiles from afar, Taiyi couldn't help but smile sincerely as well.
It's often said that happiness is contagious, and it's certainly true.
"Grandpa, please give us eight skewers of tricolor meatballs."
Itachi tried to make his voice sound calm, but his slightly gleaming eyes betrayed his anticipation.
He pulled out an exquisite cat-shaped purse from his pocket—it contained the pocket money his mother, Mikoto, had specially prepared for him that day.
The old man selling dumplings looked at the three cute and lively children, and his eyes paused slightly when he saw Itachi's Uchiha clan uniform with the fan crest embroidered on it. Then he smiled kindly again.
"Alright! Fresh out of the pot, so sticky and sweet!"
He deftly took out eight skewers of tricolor meatballs coated in sauce, looking at the three little ones with a moment of hesitation.
"We each got two skewers, and you can pack the other two to go."
Itachi stepped forward, took two skewers and handed them to Yami, then took two more and handed them to Jiangtai, then took two more that were already packaged and carefully put them away, and finally took the two skewers and held them in his hand.
"I also brought back two skewers for Taiichi-sensei, so he can try these sweet dumplings too."
Taiyi, listening from afar, narrowed his eyes to slits. "Little guy, you really haven't let me down."
The three little ones smiled upon hearing this, and the sweet fragrance that wafted into their noses made them even more eager to get started.
The three of them each held a skewer and carefully took a small bite.
"Mmm, so sweet! So soft!"
Yami squinted her eyes contentedly, a little sauce still clinging to the corner of her mouth.
"It's so delicious!"
Jiang Tai first took a small bite, then a big bite, and ate the whole meatball. His cheeks were bulging out, and his voice was squeezed out from between his teeth.
Itachi savored the dumplings in small bites. The off-white ones had a faint aroma of rice, the pink ones carried the sweet fragrance of flowers from a secluded valley, and the green ones had a slightly bitter yet sweet tea flavor. The three flavors were mixed with the sweet sauce, and this was his favorite.
Seeing the happy faces of his two friends beside him, he felt a warm feeling well up in his heart, even happier than when he was eating.
So this is what it feels like to treat friends to food.
An intense joy stimulated his nerves, and for a moment his dark eyes even glowed with a warm red.
However, the red color disappeared in an instant, and even Itachi himself only felt a slight dryness in his eyes, thinking it was caused by the wind.
However, this change of his did not escape the notice of Taiichi, who was using sensory ninjutsu to cover the three of them.
The slight fluctuation of chakra and the fleeting flash of crimson surprised him.
Itachi is 5 years old this year and has not yet started refining chakra. The chakra fluctuation just now should be the chakra generated autonomously when the Sharingan awakens.
The awakening failed simply because the body ultimately lacked a foundation of chakra.
But why did Itachi awaken the Sharingan? Isn't it said that the Sharingan can only be awakened after being subjected to strong stimulation?
The Sharingan is usually only triggered by witnessing the death of close friends and family, which is why it is called the Cursed Eye.
But what's the reason now?
Taiyi's brain was working frantically when suddenly an idea popped into his head.
Stimulation is stimulation. Negative emotions like the death of a loved one are stimulation, but positive emotions like joy and happiness are also stimulation.
In the past, Uchiha clansmen awakened their Sharingan through negative emotions, but no one has ever said that positive emotions cannot awaken it.
At least today, Taiyi saw one example.
Feeling the chakra I just sensed from Itachi, that cold, sinister eye power completely different from other Uchiha, it was a warm and comforting feeling.
It seems necessary to go find Fugaku and explain this change in the Sharingan to him.
While Taichi was pondering the Sharingan, the three little ones were eating skewers of meatballs in one hand and wandering aimlessly along the street.
The sun was shining warmly, I was eating sweet dumplings, and my friends were chattering away, sharing their funny stories.
Itachi felt as if he had stepped into a completely new world, full of color and sound, far more expansive than the numerous rules and dull atmosphere of his home.
Unbeknownst to them, they wandered into a relatively secluded area near the edge of the village, where there were several public training grounds for ninjas to practice.
In one of the small areas, three boys who looked to be around ten years old were practicing basic physical skills.
The three, who were still immersed in the sweetness of the dumplings and the joy of their casual conversation, did not pay much attention to the people in the room.
However, one of the boys, who was resting and wiping his sweat, inadvertently glanced at the street and happened to see Itachi wearing the Uchiha clan uniform. His expression changed instantly.
"Hey, look!"
He nudged his companion with his elbow, his voice clearly hostile.
"Over there, the Uchiha clan."
Upon hearing this, the other two boys immediately stopped what they were doing and looked over in unison.
The three boys' eyes were like needles piercing Itachi, filled with undisguised disgust and—a hint of barely perceptible cowardice.
Due to their talent and family resources, children from the Uchiha clan are often among the best in their classes at the ninja academy.
Despite being called "the worst student" by Kakashi every day, Obito was actually only bad at academics; his taijutsu and ninjutsu were among the best in the class.
This puts immense pressure on many children from ordinary backgrounds, and can even cause them to feel jealous.
In addition, the Uchiha clan's inherent arrogance and disdain for interacting with ordinary children meant that, apart from a few exceptions, the interpersonal relationships of most Uchiha students at school were predictably poor.
The three boys in front of me had clearly been suppressed by their Uchiha classmates at school, and had accumulated a lot of resentment in their hearts.
Now, seeing a lone Uchiha brat who was clearly much younger than them, their pent-up resentment erupted like a flood bursting its banks, becoming uncontrollable.
"Hey, you Uchiha brat, what are you doing showing off here instead of staying in your clan's territory?"
The tallest boy in the group, arms crossed, walked over with an unfriendly expression and blocked Itachi and the others' path.
Two other companions immediately followed behind him, and the three of them spread out to form an encirclement.
The smile on Itachi's face slowly disappeared, and the hand holding the dumpling paused slightly.
He could clearly feel the malice emanating from the other party and subconsciously took a small step back.
This pure, unprovoked hostility was something he had never experienced before in his life.
"Hey! What are you doing?"
Jiang Tai was the first to jump out, like a mother hen protecting her chicks, fearlessly standing in front of the weasel, puffing out her little chest, and questioning it loudly.
"The road is so wide, what's it to you?"
Yami immediately stood on the other side of Itachi, her small mouth firing like a machine gun.
"Exactly! We're eating meatballs and strolling around, what's it to you? If you like, go buy them yourself!"
Jiang Tai and Ya Mei are not Weasels; they grew up surrounded by children, so dealing with this kind of situation is a piece of cake for them.
The three older boys were stunned by the barrage of words from the two younger children.
Their original intention was to cause trouble for the Uchiha, but they didn't expect the two brats beside them to be so sharp-tongued.
The key point is that they weren't afraid of them at all, even when facing people who were so much bigger than them, and even dared to talk back.
This scene was naturally witnessed by Taiyi from afar. He didn't step forward to stop them; more accurately, he wanted to see how these little guys would handle this situation.
So far, he is still quite satisfied.
"What does a little brat like you know!"
The eldest child, his face flushed red with embarrassment and anger, roared, "What's so great about the Uchiha clan? Just because you have a family background doesn't mean you can look down on people! I'm annoyed just looking at you!"
"Oh! So it's because you guys were too stupid and got scolded by your older Uchiha brothers and sisters at school, so you came here to bully Itachi, who's several years younger than you?"
That's true, but Yamei's hands on her hips and her "I understand" contemptuous expression still hit the other person's sore spot.
"What a spineless coward! You can't beat the stronger ones, so you come to take it out on the weak. Aren't you ashamed?!"
As she spoke, she traced her finger across the little girl's face, making a shy gesture.
"You—you're talking nonsense!"
The three boys were even more embarrassed when a little girl exposed their thoughts in public, and the leader was furious.
"You little brats are no match for us. Now get out of my way! We're looking for that Uchiha."
As he spoke, he reached out and forcefully tried to push aside Eta and Yami, who were blocking Itachi's way.
"You dare to lay a hand on me?"
When Jiang Tai saw that the other party was about to push him, his blood boiled. He was the "king of the kids" in the orphanage, invincible among his peers, and the most loyal!
Seeing my friend about to suffer a loss, how could I possibly stand it!
He suddenly ducked, like a slippery little fish, and instead of being pushed away, he crashed headfirst into the other person's stomach!
"Ouch!"