Chapter 141: A Gift Full of Thought
"Today's training is over. It's already late—everyone should head back," Mugetsu said gently.
It was past seven in the evening, and darkness had already settled in.
"Mm, goodbye, Mugetsu-sensei," Obito said cheerfully.
"Goodbye, Mugetsu-sensei," Shisui echoed.
"Shisui, I won't be going back with you today. Rin and I have something to do, so you can head home on your own," Obito told him.
Since they were planning a surprise for him, of course they couldn't walk back together.
"Mm, then I'll go back alone," Shisui replied, his expression unchanged.
After saying goodbye to everyone, he set off for home by himself.
The October 19th moon was full and bright. Under its glow, Shisui's shadow stretched long across the ground, running parallel with the nearby trees. Somehow, it made him seem a little less alone.
Just like any other day… he thought, recalling the events so far. Nothing had been different from the norm.
Was a birthday really so special? For a ninja, wasn't the day you mastered a powerful new jutsu far more worthy of celebration?
Leaving the South Border Forest, Shisui entered the Main District. The crowds thickened with every street. Despite the ongoing war, the fighting forces hadn't yet clashed at full strength, and Konoha remained mostly untouched. The Main District was still lively—even at night, the streets bustled with people and shops shone with bright lights.
"Be good, don't cry. Mommy will buy you a toy when it's your birthday."
A crying child brightened instantly at their mother's words.
"Daddy, I want to eat that!"
"No, you just finished dinner."
"But I really want it."
"Fine—just one."
The smell of fried food drifted through the air, luring children to plead with their parents. Some parents gave in, while others found creative ways to refuse.
"This is too expensive—we can't afford it."
"If you eat that, Uchiha Madara will come for you tonight."
Hearing this, Shisui couldn't help but feel conflicted. Had his ancestor's name really become something to frighten children?
Curious about the food, he bought a fried meat patty. One bite told him it was nothing special—far from the tempura Mugetsu made. Still, not one to waste food, he finished it.
As he drew closer to the Uchiha district, the lively chatter faded into quiet. Nearing home, Shisui felt a sense of relief that the day was almost over.
He knew Mugetsu couldn't possibly celebrate his birthday—he hadn't even told him when it was. Yet, deep down, a small part of him still hoped. Hoped that somehow, his mysterious, powerful teacher would just know.
He didn't like having those thoughts. If it were Obito, he would have happily gone up to Mugetsu and said, "My birthday's coming soon!" But he had chosen to say nothing—so why expect the impossible?
Shisui, you must learn from your grandfather, Uchiha Kagami, and become a strong and brave ninja who inherits the Will of Fire. His uncle's words came back to him.
Right now, his thoughts didn't feel strong at all—not for someone who was supposed to be a future protector of Konoha. But then again, he was only six, and without parents.
Don't think too much. Strength first. Breathing Technique for another two hours when I get home.
In the ninja world, strength spoke louder than anything else. Without power, all thoughts and feelings were meaningless.
His home was dark from the outside, as expected. No one else lived there—lights on would have been strange.
Still, the moment he stepped in, even before flipping a switch, Shisui felt something was off. Subtle changes in the room. Something added.
Quietly, he drew a kunai, adjusted his breathing, and narrowed his eyes, scanning every shadow.
Suddenly, the lights blazed on, filling the room with dazzling white.
"Happy Birthday, Shisui!"
Shisui froze, kunai still in hand. Mugetsu, Obito, Rin, and Guy stood before him, the room decorated in bright, festive colors. The kunai slipped from his fingers and clattered to the floor.
"Happy Birthday, Shisui," Mugetsu said warmly.
"Sorry—I wanted to give you a surprise. Looks like there was more shock than surprise," he added with a wry smile.
"Hehe, so you can make that face," Obito teased, grinning at Shisui's wide-eyed, stunned expression. "If only I had a camera…"
"Happy Birthday, Shisui! Your youth is ever burning forward!" Guy announced with a big thumbs-up.
Shisui's gaze swept the decorations. The joy that bloomed in his chest was impossible to hide. The quiet disappointment from earlier was gone—replaced by warmth and gratitude.
"Mugetsu-sensei… how did you know it was my birthday?" he asked, smiling despite himself.
"I don't know. Mugetsu-sensei just told us," Obito answered.
"This is the wisdom of adults," Mugetsu said mysteriously.
In truth, as Shisui's homeroom teacher, all he had to do was check the file.
Shisui's mind was swirling. He hadn't expected the small, hidden wish in his heart to come true. If not for seeing that child earlier in the street, he might not have even realized he'd been wishing for it. Yet here it was—Mugetsu, somehow knowing, and bringing the others to make his birthday special.
"I…" His thoughts tangled.
"Thank you. Thank you, Mugetsu-sensei—and everyone," he finally managed.
Even without the decorations, even without the surprise, just hearing Happy Birthday from them would have been enough to make him happy. This… was far beyond what he had imagined.
"Look at the cake! We all picked it together," Obito said, opening the lid. "It's not as big as the one we got for Mugetsu-sensei, but it's still good!"
"Shisui! This is my gift to you," Guy said, proudly holding out a green jumpsuit identical to his own. "Let's train together and become the strongest ninja!"
"Guy, thank you for your gift. I'm really happy," Shisui said with genuine gratitude.
He decided to keep the outfit as part of his collection; wearing it himself would feel too strange.
"This is the kunai I won for first place in the Youth Ninjutsu Competition last time. I was in a hurry and couldn't think of anything better to give, so… I'll give this to you."
Obito handed over his silver kunai, a hint of reluctance flashing in his eyes. It was the only valuable item he had on him, and parting with it wasn't easy.
"Obito, thank you for your gift, but since it's so meaningful, why not exchange it for a normal kunai and keep this one for yourself?" Shisui suggested gently.
The fact that Obito was willing to offer something he treasured so much was enough to move him.
"No way! How can a gift be taken back once it's given? Shisui, just take it. I'm not taking it back," Obito said firmly, pushing it into Shisui's hand.
Seeing Obito's determination, Shisui accepted the gift with a smile. He made a mental note: when the next Youth Ninjutsu Competition came around, he would win first place and give Obito a silver kunai for his birthday in return.
Rin's gift was a handmade item, a little rushed due to time constraints, but Shisui could see the thought and care behind it. He nodded in thanks.
"Thank you all so much," Shisui said, taking a deep breath. This surprise had truly been beyond anything he expected—he was overjoyed.
"Shisui, you haven't even seen my gift yet, so don't thank me just yet," Mugetsu said with a chuckle.
He handed over a rectangular gift box. "Go ahead and open it. I hope you like it."
Shisui, curious about what Mugetsu had prepared, opened it without hesitation.
Inside was a weapon that made him pause.
If it was a kunai, it was far longer than normal—about thirty centimeters instead of the usual eighteen to twenty. But if it was a sword, it was too short. Calling it a short blade seemed more accurate.
Its appearance was plain, not as eye-catching as Obito's silver kunai.
Then Shisui noticed something else—Mugetsu's hands.
The bandages he usually wore were gone, revealing fair but scarred skin. These weren't the marks of battle—they looked like the result of painstaking work.
In that moment, everything clicked.
Mugetsu hadn't been learning to forge ninja tools for some powerful client, nor for Obito's half-joking "ninja tool shop" idea. He had done it for this—for Shisui.
The unassuming short blade instantly became, in Shisui's eyes, the finest weapon in the entire ninja world—far surpassing the silver kunai by miles.
Even his own uncle had never gone to such lengths for a birthday gift. And Mugetsu was always busy—his teaching hours alone matched their training hours—yet he had still made time to learn forging just for this.
"Haha, don't let its plain appearance fool you. It's actually quite practical. I had the smith mix in a bit of chakra metal when forging it, so it conducts chakra better than most weapons," Mugetsu said with a warm smile.
While chakra metal wasn't the only material capable of conducting chakra, its conductivity was superior. A weapon forged entirely from it could even keep its sharpness longer.
Mugetsu would have liked to use more, but the sudden request meant the shop didn't have enough—and the cost was steep.
"Just the materials alone cost hundreds of thousands of ryo," Mugetsu added with a joking sigh. "So… your lunches and dinners might be a little simpler for a while."
"Hundreds of thousands?!" Guy's eyes widened as he looked at the blade. "That plain-looking thing costs that much?"
"No," Shisui said firmly, holding the short blade with both hands. "I think it's already beautiful. I like it—a lot."
His eyes caught the engravings: one side marked with the character for "End" (Shi), the other with "Water" (Shui).
A swell of emotion rose within him. He didn't feel worthy of such effort. He hadn't even known Mugetsu for a year, and he wasn't his only disciple—just the first. Yet without even knowing his birthday, Mugetsu had still prepared this.
Mugetsu had learned an entirely new craft, worked through injury, and spent a small fortune—all for him.
Whether it was the design or the materials, Shisui could feel how much Mugetsu valued him.
From Mugetsu, he felt something he had never truly experienced before:
Someone who actively dispelled his doubts when he struggled, thought about him without being asked, and gave him hope when he was feeling down.
A faint mist clouded his vision. Uchiha Shisui, strong and brave, destined to inherit the Will of Fire, rarely cried.
He carefully tucked the blade close to him, then looked at Mugetsu's injured hands.
"Sensei… you've worked so hard, done so much for me, I…" His voice faltered. What could he possibly give in return?
Mugetsu simply placed a hand on his head, smiling warmly.
"Shisui, I am your teacher. You are my disciple. That's enough."
Shisui could no longer hold back. He hugged Mugetsu tightly, tears of joy falling freely.
"Sensei, I will definitely live up to your expectations!"
The three watching disciples were also moved.
"What kind of birthday gift will Sensei give me then?" Obito muttered to himself.
"Sensei really is a good teacher," Rin thought.
"What a youthful scene," Guy declared, giving a thumbs-up.
[System Message: … ]
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