Chapter 27 - A Small Challenge

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Mi Blade's compliment landed like a shuriken aimed straight at Naka’s heart—swift, sharp, and completely unexpected.

Now, let’s not misunderstand Mi Blade’s intentions. In Konoha, it wasn’t unusual for childhood friends to eventually fall in love.

Just look at the Fourth Hokage and his wife, Kushina, or the obvious sparks between Asuma and Kurenai Yuhi—Konoha’s unofficial power couple, rivaled only by the cuteness of two playful puppies.

But Mi Blade wasn’t pondering anything as serious as romance; he simply couldn’t help but notice how Naka, in her fiery outburst, looked as charming as a cherry blossom caught in a sudden spring breeze.

If anyone had asked Mi Blade about Naka’s future, especially regarding marriage, he probably would have answered without hesitation:

“Absolutely!”

It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought through the gravity of such an idea. Dating in the ninja world was like walking a tightrope over a bed of kunai—risky and prone to sudden disaster.

Look no further than Kakashi and his peers—still single, still stumbling through the unpredictable chaos of life. The path of romance for a shinobi was anything but smooth.

As Mi Blade watched Naka fume, he couldn’t help but wonder if she would grow up to be one of the few who navigated the treacherous waters of the ninja dating world successfully.

Not that Mi Blade wanted to assemble a harem—that would go against his principles, like a ninja betraying the code of honor. But the thought of having more girlfriends?

Well, that was like an intriguing side quest—a diversion with the potential for excitement and maybe even a few laughs, without the usual life-or-death stakes.

Just the night before, during a casual dinner with Uchiha Yu, she had teasingly suggested pairing him with Naka, flashing a knowing smile as if she were plotting a secret matchmaking mission.

Mi Blade hadn’t protested. If anything, he might’ve jokingly brushed off her suggestion, but not without a glimmer of curiosity behind his grin.

After all, the future of the Hatake clan weighed heavily on his mind. If the clan were to disappear, it would be a blow not just to his lineage but to Konoha’s legacy.

The pressure of continuing the Hatake bloodline was something he couldn’t ignore, especially with Kakashi having seemingly resigned himself to a solitary life. Kakashi’s decision to avoid romance, treating it like a distant dream, left the task of carrying on the family name to Mi Blade.

His plan? To gather the rarest bloodlines in the ninja world, much like collecting prized treasures, each one adding to the strength and prestige of his clan. It wasn’t about love—not yet.

He knew he had to grow up first, to become a ninja worthy of carrying on such an important legacy. But as he glanced at Naka, he couldn’t help but see the potential for something more.

Still, the Uchiha were a tricky bunch. One minute, they were playful and endearing, the next, they’d be brooding in the shadows, wrestling with inner turmoil.

Winning their hearts was like trying to unlock a door only to have it slammed shut in your face without warning.

As Mi Blade came to a sudden halt, lost in his thoughts, Naka’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“Hey!”

He scratched his head, looking genuinely puzzled, like a dog hearing a strange sound for the first time.

“What is it?”

Naka, never one to miss an opportunity, squared her shoulders and threw down the gauntlet.

“I’m here to challenge you today! This isn’t some petty family squabble—it’s a test of strength between a first-year student and her seasoned predecessor. Are you brave enough to accept my challenge?”

A smirk tugged at Mi Blade’s lips. He loved a good challenge, especially one as unexpected as this.

“Of course! Bring it on!”

Naka’s face lit up with determination, her fierce gaze locking onto Mi Blade like a hawk eyeing its prey. She turned to Asuma and the others, her posture commanding as if rallying troops for an epic battle.

“Bear witness! I, Uchiha Naka, challenge Hatake Mi Blade!”

Asuma’s face split into a grin, excitement buzzing in the air around him.

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“Oh man! I live for this kind of drama! Especially when it comes with a side of romantic tension. Go, Naka! You’ve got this!”

He turned to Kurenai Yuhi, practically bouncing with enthusiasm.

“Come on, Red! Root for her! She’s totally going to knock him down a peg!”

Kurenai Yuhi, still harboring a grudge from when Mi Blade had accidentally bested her during a previous training session, smiled wickedly.

“Yes, Naka. We’re with you! Show him what you’ve got!”

But Naka, focused entirely on Mi Blade, barely acknowledged their cheers. She stood firm, her voice resolute.

“Thank you, but I don’t need any help!”

Asuma, momentarily deflated, stood off to the side, feeling as useful as a dull kunai. But the tension in the air was palpable, thick as the mist before a storm.

Mi Blade knew this would be no ordinary sparring match. Naka’s challenge was personal, and he was ready to meet it head-on, ice cream cone or not.

The stage was set. All eyes were on them as the two prepared to clash—not just as ninjas, but as two individuals bound by the complex web of friendship, rivalry, and maybe, just maybe, something more.

There were no bets placed on this match—this wasn’t some spectacle where money exchanged hands like a chaotic ramen shop at closing time. No, Naka’s challenge was pure, driven by her need to prove herself. She wasn’t interested in the distractions of coin or acclaim; her determination was sharper than any kunai.

Asuma and Kurenai Yuhi, sensing the gravity of the moment, stepped back dramatically as though performing a well-rehearsed evacuation drill. In their minds, imaginary alarm bells rang, signaling that things were about to get serious.

“This girl here, Uchiha Naka, a genius from Class B, first year!” Kurenai Yuhi proclaimed, her voice filled with pride as if she were announcing a ninja prodigy stepping onto a grand stage.

Asuma, always quick to romanticize situations, lit up like a boy caught in a whirlwind of daydreams. “Red, did you say genius? I like smart girls! Wait—could this be love?”

Naka, clutching her kunai with the intensity of someone guarding the last piece of cake at a party, fixed her gaze on Mi Blade. Her eyes narrowed, measuring him like he was a stubborn enemy she was determined to defeat.

In response, Mi Blade grinned, his usual playful demeanor softening for just a moment.

“Alright, time to get serious,” he thought, recognizing the resolve in Naka’s stance. This wasn’t just a casual skirmish; this was her moment.

Without warning, Naka launched two shuriken at him with the speed and precision of someone who’d practiced endlessly, hoping to surprise her opponent. But Mi Blade moved with effortless grace, sidestepping the projectiles like they were mere annoyances, his movements fluid and precise.

Then, with a flicker, Naka split into two, her clone charging at Mi Blade with all the ferocity of a ninja who had everything to prove.

“Two of them now? Is this a duel or a clearance sale at the Uchiha store?” Mi Blade thought, amused but focused.

One of the Nakas hurled a punch, her fist cutting through the air with dramatic force, as though the world slowed down to amplify the impact. But Mi Blade, with a practiced sidestep, easily dodged her attack, giving her a light tap on the back of the head as if playfully reprimanding her.

“Cute, but you’ll have to do better than that.”

The other Naka, more daring, leapt into a flying kick straight out of a ninja movie. Mi Blade casually caught her ankle mid-air, effortlessly halting her attack. With a gentle tug, Naka found herself flipped upside down, her balance completely lost. She was dangling helplessly, her face inches from the ground.

“Oops,” Mi Blade teased with a chuckle, “Gravity, huh? It gets us all.”

Despite her determination, Naka’s chakra reserves were limited, and her movements lacked the sharpness and speed that Mi Blade had honed over years of relentless training.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t talented—she was—but she was facing someone who had been training since before she could even dream of holding a kunai.

Even with her sister’s rigorous post-mission training sessions, Naka wasn’t quite the opponent Mi Blade had expected. But she was certainly spirited, and Mi Blade couldn’t help but admire that fire within her.

Before she knew it, Naka was airborne, her momentum lost as she spun out of control. Panic flashed through her mind, her body bracing for the inevitable crash. She closed her eyes, preparing for the worst, when suddenly, she felt a familiar, steady grip.

Her eyes snapped open, and there was Mi Blade, holding her securely, his posture confident and unshaken, as if rescuing her mid-fall was the most natural thing in the world.

“You still need more training,” he remarked, a smug grin tugging at his lips. “At this level, you’re not going to land a hit on me.”

He loosened his hold, gently setting her back on her feet with the poise of a seasoned warrior who had just completed a flawless maneuver.

For Naka, the humiliation was immediate. Being beaten was one thing, but being saved by the very person who defeated her?

That was another level of embarrassment altogether. Her cheeks flushed with a mixture of frustration and indignation as she spun around and stormed off, refusing to offer even a word of thanks.

Mi Blade, left standing in her wake, kicked a small stone with frustration.

“What a missed chance!” he thought, sulking a bit.

“I was going for the classic ‘princess carry!’ You know, sweep her off her feet, instant romance! How could she not appreciate that?”

In his mind, Mi Blade had envisioned a heroic moment—he would swoop in, catch her just in time, and she would look up at him with admiration. It was foolproof!

Yet, what he’d managed to pull off was a far cry from his grand vision. Instead of a dashing, romantic rescue, he had caught her mid-fall like an awkward partner in a clumsy dance routine.

To top it all off, as they stood there for a brief moment, Mi Blade realized something utterly deflating: Naka was actually two centimeters taller than him.

“Are you kidding me?” he thought, incredulous. “This isn’t fair! How do girls always end up outgrowing us?”

With a heavy sigh, Mi Blade accepted the harsh reality that no amount of ninja training could prepare him for the most daunting challenge of all: the cruel, inescapable battle of height differences.

Mi Blade wasn’t exactly known for his dedication—neither in his past life as an ordinary kid nor in this shinobi-filled world, where the pursuit of glory seemed to be a constant. No, his approach was much more laid-back.

He adhered to a philosophy he proudly called "the art of strategic laziness"—train hard when necessary, but rest even harder when the opportunity presented itself.

Why put yourself through grueling, sweat-filled training sessions when you could spend your afternoons reclining under a shady tree, immersed in a great book?

Sure, there were chances to learn advanced jutsu, even from the legendary Orochimaru himself—the snake-summoning, world-domination-seeking genius of a ninja.

But Mi Blade knew better than to get tangled up in Orochimaru’s endless philosophical musings. The man seemed more interested in ruminating on the nature of existence than actually teaching practical skills.

“Time and life…” Orochimaru would often sigh, his gaze distant as if contemplating the mysteries of the universe.

"Pig production…"

Wait, what? Mi Blade had heard enough. Somehow the conversation had veered wildly off-course, and it wasn’t long before he was mentally checked out, lost in the quiet comfort of his own thoughts.

While Asuma and the rest of his squad devoted themselves to rigorous training—throwing punches, memorizing scrolls, and making their dojo look more like a battlefield of flying fists—Mi Blade could usually be found lounging nearby, tucked away with his nose in a novel.

Books were his true companions, taking him on thrilling adventures far removed from the pressures of ninja life. He could escape into tales of epic battles, grand love stories, and, if he was lucky, even squeeze in a nap or two.

But this tranquil routine didn’t last. His reading hours took a serious hit thanks to Uchiha Naka, a persistent and fiery young kunoichi who seemed to think that every Saturday was the perfect opportunity to challenge him to a duel.

"Challenge accepted!" Naka would declare with fierce determination, her small fists clenched as if the fate of the world rested on her victory.

Mi Blade, meanwhile, found himself in a constant dilemma. How could he bring himself to completely defeat Naka, a determined but tiny Uchiha?

It felt like overkill, like using a war hammer to swat a fly. So, each Saturday duel turned into an odd, unspoken dance: she would charge at him with all her might, and he would half-heartedly dodge, avoiding the full extent of his strength while still keeping up appearances.

Week after week, Naka’s efforts were met with playful evasion, and though she gave it her all, Mi Blade always let her down easy.

He couldn’t crush her spirit—there was something too endearing about her relentless energy, her fierce battle cries, and the way her eyes burned with the fire of determination.

Mi Blade would joke his way through these encounters.

"Nice try, Naka! But I’m sticking to my ‘strategic laziness’ plan," he’d quip, effortlessly sidestepping her latest attack.

Naka, of course, never appreciated the humor. Her cheeks would flush with frustration, her determination growing fiercer with each passing minute, while Mi Blade continued his half-hearted dodges, looking more like a slightly off-balance penguin than a ninja in a life-or-death battle.

By the end of each Saturday, Naka’s efforts to best him would inevitably fall short. But Mi Blade? He felt like the true victor. He got to keep his pride intact without crushing hers, all while making sure he didn’t break a sweat.

It was the perfect balance—one deft dodge, a playful remark, and the promise of returning to his beloved books when the dust settled. In Mi Blade’s eyes, this was the ultimate win-win: Naka got her training, and he got to maintain his carefully cultivated lifestyle of relaxed, strategic effort.