The sunlight of early afternoon filtered through the dense canopy above the Uchiha compound's forest, scattering a mosaic of light and shadow across the ground.
Uchiha Eiji lay flat on the grass, chest heaving, gasping for breath. His eyes stared blankly up at the treetops.
After a while, his breathing steadied. He shifted his gaze toward Uchiha Yuan, who stood a short distance away, calm and unruffled.
"I lost again… that makes eleven times now," Eiji said with a wry smile.
Yuan stood with his arms folded, watching him silently.
Eiji sighed helplessly. "Ever since I awakened my Sharingan, my chakra has grown rapidly. I've been training constantly to master its use. I can feel myself getting stronger—but in front of you, it's like none of it matters. No matter how much I grow, I can't close the gap."
Yuan smiled faintly. "Eiji, don't doubt yourself. You have grown stronger."
Since Eiji had awakened his Sharingan, Yuan had observed him carefully during each of their spars. Through his sensory ability, he had detected how the unique chakra of the Sharingan was gradually transforming Eiji's body—his physical condition strengthening day by day.
Eiji stood up, his expression complicated. "Yuan… why can't I beat you, even with my Sharingan? I can see every one of your moves clearly. My body reacts in time—yet I still can't block your attacks."
Yuan's expression grew serious. "Eiji, do you really think you've blocked my attacks?"
He continued, "It's true—you've learned to follow my movements. But every time you 'block' me, it leaves you reeling, doesn't it?"
Eiji fell silent for a moment, then nodded.
Yuan said, "Eiji, we may soon be heading to the battlefield. You need to understand something—the Sharingan is powerful because we are strong, not the other way around."
Eiji frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"
"In the shinobi world," Yuan said evenly, "there are many who possess special abilities. The Sharingan is indeed formidable—but against truly powerful opponents, its gifts may not mean much."
He looked him in the eye. "Take me, for example. You can read my movements through your Sharingan. But so what? The sheer force behind each of my strikes is beyond what your body can withstand."
Eiji was quiet for a moment, then nodded slowly. "I understand, Yuan. Thank you… for the lesson."
Then, he took a scroll from his pouch and tossed it toward Yuan.
Catching it deftly, Yuan unrolled the parchment—and a flicker of surprise crossed his face.
"A high-rank genjutsu?"
Eiji smiled faintly. "You've already mastered nearly all of the mid-level jutsu I know. As for the low-level ones… they're not worthy of being used as stakes in our matches."
Though he had never once defeated Yuan, Eiji knew that each bout revealed his weaknesses and forced him to improve.
Glancing around the clearing, Eiji asked, "By the way, where are Daishi and the others? I haven't seen them in a while."
Only Uchiha Chuan and a few other boys from ninja families stood nearby, having watched the match in silence.
Eiji knew who they were, but didn't think much of them. They were all average students at the Academy—unremarkable by Uchiha standards.
"Daishi and the rest don't have the talent to be shinobi," Yuan said calmly. "They're busy helping their families with work."
Eiji nodded. "Makes sense. Without chakra, even if they train their bodies all they want, they'd still be powerless before real ninja."
Konoha Ninja Academy
Uchiha Yuan sat in the classroom, surrounded by Hatake Seikō, Senju Gen, and Hyūga Mirror.
All the students sat quietly, faces tense but excited—it was graduation day.
Since the death of the Fourth Hokage during the Nine-Tails' attack, the war had reignited and been raging for over a year. The fighting had been fierce, with heavy casualties across every village.
Among the fallen, the majority were genin—disposable soldiers in the eyes of the war machine.
Now, with Konoha's front-line forces running thin, the Academy students were being mobilized to fill the ranks.
Yuan's class had been selected among them.
They sat waiting for the arrival of the jonin who would lead their assigned squads.
Sarutobi Retsu entered the classroom, holding a folder—the squad assignments for the graduates.
"Inuzuka Rin, Chōnan Eita, Getsumitsu Shō."
Three students rose and stepped to the front. A middle-aged ninja appeared at the classroom door, and the trio followed him out.
"Aburame Yūta, Kurosaki Kyū, Sakuragi Hanata."
"Nohara Shinsuke, Akagi Gō, Mito Shirō."
"…Uehara Isamu."
Hyūga Mirror and Hatake Seikō were placed in Team 8, along with a girl named Kobayashi Yuka.
Then came Senju Gen's name—he and Yuan were assigned together to Team 9.
Their third teammate was a civilian boy named Aida Suke.
A middle-aged man with a scarred face appeared in the doorway. Yuan frowned slightly the moment he saw him.
The man led the three of them to a nearby training field. Several other squads were gathered there as well—Yuan even spotted Hatake Seikō's Team 8 not far away.
The scarred man's cold, predatory gaze swept over the trio. "I am Yoshihara Yūto—Special Jōnin of the village. From today onward, I am your captain. Once we're on the battlefield, you will follow my orders without question."
He crossed his arms. "Now, introduce yourselves. Tell me your name, what you're good at, what you like, and what you dislike."
Under Yūto's sharp stare, Aida Suke shrank slightly. "M-my name is Aida Suke. I… don't really have anything I'm good at. I like grilled meat and hate garlic."
Next, Senju Gen spoke. "Senju Gen. I specialize in Water Release. I like sweets. There's nothing I particularly dislike."
Finally, it was Yuan's turn. He said evenly, "Uchiha Yuan. I specialize in taijutsu. I don't have anything I particularly like."
Then his tone dropped, his eyes turning cold as they fixed on Yūto. "As for what I dislike… that would be you, Special Jōnin Yoshihara Yūto."
The words hit like a thrown kunai. Yoshihara Yūto froze—and so did Senju Gen and Aida Suke.
"Yuan! Don't say that!" Xuan blurted out, alarmed. "Apologize to Jōnin Yoshihara right now!"
He had no idea why Yuan was provoking the man—but one thing was certain: this was their first meeting today.
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