Uchiha Shōkan

Kageka Maple was able to awaken 'Shadow Stealth' naturally because of Yuzuru's doing. He had gifted her a small portion of the Youying origin power residing within him last night...

So, when Kageka Maple awakened 'Shadow Stealth,' Yuzuru, possessing the same origin, knew immediately and was happy about it. This is why Yuzuru smiled in front of Akihime...

Hokage Office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's desk held three file folders, labeled with the names Hyuga Yuzuru, Uchiha Akihime, and Kageka Maple, and stamped with 'SEALED.'

"Seal these three files with high priority. Anyone who wants to view them must request my permission!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi said to the Anbu in front of his desk.

"Yes, Hokage-sama!"

The Anbu, upon hearing this, picked up the three file folders from the desk and left the Hokage's office.

"Konoha's new sprouts are even more vigorous than I imagined..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled. Since taking over the Hokage position from his teacher, Tobirama, he had been dedicated to the village, exhausting his efforts to restore it to the glory of the First Hokage's era. However, the era of the 'God of Shinobi' had become history and could not be replicated!

Fortunately, Konoha's new generation of geniuses continued to emerge one after another. First, there were Yuzuru of the Hyuga clan and Akihime of the Uchiha, and now Kageka Maple, who awakened Shadow Stealth...

Of course, Yuzuru and the others weren't the only geniuses in the Ninja Academy. The Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi, Aburame, and Inuzuka clans, among others, also had promising new generations.

This is why Konoha has always been strong. As long as these 'sprouts' of Konoha grow smoothly, even without the 'God of Shinobi,' it will still be the 'leader' of the Five Great Shinobi Villages!

Where the leaves dance, the fire still burns…

After school, the Ninja Academy students returned to their homes one by one, including Kageka Maple, who had fainted in Ootani Yuuto's office.

Kageka Maple lay alone on a large bed, two meters wide and three meters long. Soft moonlight streamed in through the open window, landing on Kageka Maple like swallows returning to their nest.

Kageka Maple's face was bathed in the soft moonlight, and she seemed to feel the coolness of the moonlight on her face, like soaking in a flowing mountain stream in the hot summer...

"Is this the power Lord Yuzuru bestowed upon me?"

A jet-black shadow appeared at Kageka Maple's will, slowly solidifying into a human shape by the bed. Although it was a hollow face without features, Kageka Maple knew 'it' was watching her.

"From today on, I will teach you how to use this power..."

Suddenly, the 'shadow person' conveyed this meaning to Kageka Maple, who seemed unsurprised, as if she had been prepared for it.

"Okay, Lady Youying..."

Kageka Maple sat up from the bed, giving the 'shadow person' a sweet smile, her cute little tiger teeth and charming dimples exposed in the soft, cool moonlight...

Evening.

Uchiha compound, training ground.

A small figure was frantically unleashing taijutsu, leaving severe damage on the wooden training dummies in front of her...

"Akihime, it's time to rest!"

An old man wearing Uchiha clan attire spoke from the edge of the training ground.

"Grandpa, I can keep going!"

Akihime said as she continued to strike the wooden dummy in front of her with fierce taijutsu, as if she were hitting Yuzuru, that hateful Hyuga!

"Sometimes, relaxing appropriately can help you train faster. Your body hasn't fully developed yet, and extreme training isn't good for you."

The old man admonished her with the voice of experience, which finally made Akihime stop and obediently walk to the old man's side.

"Have some water."

The old man watched Akihime approach and skillfully handed her a bottle of water.

"Thank you, Grandpa."

Akihime revealed a well-behaved and cute smile. Only in front of the old man would she show her true self, without having to maintain the Uchiha's pride in the eyes of others...

"I heard there's a boy in your class named Yuzuru from the Hyuga clan. Can you tell me about him?"

The old man asked gently.

"Grandpa, why are you asking about him? That old-fashioned guy makes my teeth itch just thinking about him!"

Akihime said angrily. Just thinking about Yuzuru's appearance made her mood irritable.

"I heard he's called the 'Strongest Hyuga Genius.' I wonder who's stronger, him or my granddaughter..."

The old man asked curiously, seemingly completely unaware of Akihime and Yuzuru's battle last night.

"I…"

Akihime stammered. Faced with the inquiry of her closest relative, she didn't want to disappoint her grandfather, especially since he was a 'relic of the old era' who always talked about the Uchiha's glory...

Uchiha Shōkan was her grandfather's name, an old man from the end of the Warring States period who witnessed the founding of Konoha. He harbored great resentment towards the Senju Clan, believing that the Uchiha Clan should have a place in the Hokage position!

And Uchiha Shōkan, who didn't even care about the Senju Clan, naturally wouldn't take the Hyuga Clan to heart. If Akihime told her grandfather that she had been completely defeated by Yuzuru...

"That Hyuga boy seems to have awakened an evolved form of the Byakugan, something called 'Tenseigan.' Its Dōjutsu Power is far superior to our Uchiha Clan's tomoe Sharingan..."

Uchiha Shōkan stroked Akihime's head, his pair of scarlet eyes shining brightly in the dim environment. A playful smile appeared on his wrinkled face, as if he were very interested in the 'Tenseigan' in Yuzuru's eye sockets.

"Tenseigan?"

Akihime tilted her head, full of confusion. She knew nothing about the Tenseigan, and she had never seen anything different about Yuzuru's eyes compared to other members of the Hyuga clan. Weren't they all Byakugan?

"Well, it's like our Sharingan can gradually evolve from one tomoe to three. Yuzuru Hyuga possesses the evolved Byakugan; those eyes must be the Hyuga Clan's most precious treasure..."

Uchiha Shōkan explained gently to Akihime, making her understand why Yuzuru Hyuga was called the 'strongest Hyuga genius.' It was all thanks to the 'Tenseigan,' which was different from the Byakugan.

"Doesn't that mean his Dōjutsu Power is now comparable to the three-tomoe Sharingan? Or even stronger?"

Akihime suddenly understood, a look of anger and unwillingness on her face.

"No wonder I've never been his opponent. So that's why!"

Akihime naturally deeply believed her grandfather's words.

The number of tomoe in the Sharingan represents the gap in Dōjutsu Power and indirectly represents the division of strength. Generally, Uchiha clansmen with the three-tomoe Sharingan in the Uchiha Clan normally have Jōnin-level strength. But Uchiha Shōkan said that Yuzuru's 'Tenseigan' Dōjutsu Power was far higher than the Uchiha Clan's tomoe Sharingan. Wouldn't that mean Yuzuru already has Jōnin strength at this time? And even if he's not as good as a Jōnin, he'll at least have Chūnin strength