Naruto: Sukuna's Jinchuriki, I am Uchiha

Chapter 116: Redefining Shinobi

In Konoha's Uchiha district, just before noon, a red-haired girl bounded through the streets carrying a bento.

"Heading out to deliver lunch to Sasuke again, Karin?"

"Yup! It's a love-filled bento!" Karin beamed with a bright, happy smile.

"Seeing your red hair always brightens the day, doesn't it?" The florist chuckled. "Here, take this flower. Its meaning suits you perfectly."

She handed Karin a pale green bloom.

"What's it called? What does it mean?" Karin asked curiously, tilting her head.

The florist bent down slightly and whispered, "This is a lisianthus. It symbolizes everlasting and pure love."

Poof! Karin's face turned beet red, a mix of excitement and bashfulness.

"Thank you, Kikuue-san! I'll give it to Sasuke-kun!" she said, dashing off toward the training grounds.

The florist covered her face and smiled fondly as she watched the girl hop away.

---

At the training grounds:

"That's it? That's all you've got, Sasuke?" a blond boy with wild, spiky hair taunted from across the field.

Opposite him, a shirtless, well-toned boy with black hair slowly pushed himself to his feet.

Sasuke's small frame bore numerous scars, a testament to his grueling training regimen.

He spat on the ground. "You're just relying on your Uzumaki body. Wait until we're sparring with weapons—I'll put a few holes in you!"

Naruto stood with his hands on his hips, laughing heartily. "Ha! Uchiha Sasuke, curse your unlucky fate for not being born an Uzumaki! No matter how hard you train, you'll never match me in taijutsu!"

Sasuke took advantage of Naruto's overconfidence, suddenly closing the gap in a blur and grabbing him by the neck, slamming him to the ground.

Thud. His other hand hovered just inches from Naruto's face.

"I win, Naruto."

…

"You cheated! How can you attack while I'm laughing?" Naruto protested, struggling.

Sasuke scoffed. "Attacking when the opponent lets their guard down—that's what our sensei taught us. You've learned nothing."

"Argh! It doesn't count! Let's go again!"

But Sasuke brushed him off, already spotting Karin's red hair as she approached.

He sighed internally. This girl could be so persistent. Still, ever since she started bringing him bentos, his mom had stopped making lunches for him.

He had no choice but to eat whatever Karin brought—he needed the energy.

One of the rules Kagami instilled was to never skip meals.

And when it came to eating, the entire training ground crew gathered around to share lunch during their designated break hour.

…

"Today's menu is pork cutlet on rice, tonkotsu ramen, and okonomiyaki!" Karin announced, placing the bento in front of Sasuke.

"And this is for you—a lisianthus! Its flower language means—"

Sasuke ignored the rest of her words, opening the multi-tiered bento and eating swiftly.

Flowers? What use were flowers? He couldn't eat them.

Naruto glared at Sasuke as he wolfed down the food, then glanced around until he spotted someone behind a tree.

"Hinata! Come on, help me out with my lunch!"

Naruto's mother often left the large bento with Hinata to deliver.

Hinata quietly walked over, holding a box nearly as tall as she was.

"Here, Naruto-kun. I—" her voice was barely a whisper.

Naruto leaned closer but still couldn't hear her. Hinata turned crimson and seemed ready to faint, so Naruto gave up trying to understand.

He grabbed the bento and marched over to sit across from Sasuke.

"Ha! Sasuke, your lunch is weak—only eight layers. Mine has fourteen! A full fourteen!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, ignoring him.

"Hey, what's wrong with my cooking, Naruto?" Karin demanded, shoving his shoulder.

Naruto's bluster deflated instantly. "Nothing! Nothing at all, Karin-nee-san…"

Karin, after all, could be just as intimidating as his mom when she was mad.

"Alright, everyone, eat up and get some rest. We've got afternoon training to look forward to," said a calm voice behind them.

A bespectacled boy with silver-gray hair tied back approached, accompanied by a sturdier-looking boy.

"Yamato-nii, Kabuto-nii," Sasuke said, still eating. "Didn't you say Shisui-nii was supposed to come back today? He's not here yet?"

Kabuto smiled. "Shisui had to report in at the Hokage's office first.

He'll probably come back with Lord Kagami."

"Our sensei is coming!" Naruto exclaimed, shuddering at the memory of their brutal training sessions.

"Sounds like he has an announcement to make."

As the group chatted, more kids gathered around.

Mealtimes were always livelier when shared. Everyone wanted to see what others were eating, and maybe swap a side dish or two.

Uchiha Izumi, Tetsuka, Inari, and several others naturally sat near Sasuke.

"Hinata, what are you doing over there? Come sit with us!" called Hyūga Neji, his arms marked with scars from rigorous training.

Neji knew his cousin's shy tendencies all too well and simply pulled her over to join the group.

Once gathered, the children laughed, traded food, and ate heartily.

Even Hinata, who had already eaten at home, quietly watched and occasionally smiled.

This group was the elite of Kagami's trainees—those with kekkei genkai, special bloodlines, or unique talents.

Still, among them, only Naruto, Sasuke, and Karin were official apprentices.

Five years ago, Namikaze Minato had taken Shisui as his only apprentice.

He then asked Kagami to take Naruto as his student.

Yes, Naruto's family name remained Uzumaki.

Though Karin and her mother Chisō were also Uzumaki, they no longer used the name.

Minato had decided Naruto should keep it, both to honor his lineage and to give Kushina comfort.

His plan was that his next child would carry the Namikaze name.

As for Karin…

Her talent was undeniable. In the original timeline, despite facing severe hardships and limited training opportunities, she still became quite powerful.

If she'd been born a bit earlier, even Madara might have considered her a suitable host for the Rinnegan.

Now, in this group of three, Karin was the strongest.

While Sasuke and Naruto focused on building their foundations, Karin was already practicing techniques like Adamantine Sealing Chains.

Even Konohamaru, still a year too young, would join this elite training program soon enough.

---

Hokage's Office

In the assembly room, all the senior Jōnin of Konoha had gathered.

Seated at the head of the table, Kagami leaned on his hand, his voice calm yet commanding.

…

"Announce this to the entire shinobi world.

The Land of Fire will no longer recognize any titles of Kage other than those held by Senju Hashirama, Namikaze Minato, and Hatake Sakumo.

I have decided to hold a grand martial tournament across the ninja world.

It's time to redefine the ranking of all shinobi."

---

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