That night, beneath the heavy clouds, Konoha felt oppressed in a way that was hard to describe.
Inside a building in the Uchiha Clan Compound, a boy splashed water over his face. He stared blankly at the reflection in the mirror—a handsome face touched by a hint of gloom.
After completing his chakra training for the day, the handsome boy was named Uchiha Kai.
For the past ten years, he had been an utterly ordinary member of the Uchiha Clan: above average in talent and looks, but otherwise nothing special.
If he had to name a difference, perhaps he wasn't quite like the other Uchiha? At any rate, that's what his peers in the clan all said. Who could say for sure?
As an aside, he was an orphan. In the Shinobi World, where the orphan rate was absurdly high, orphans were the dregs left behind after the monstrous beast called war had devoured and digested everything. Under the circumstances, ordinary people with both parents alive were actually rarer.
Unless something unexpected happened, Uchiha Kai would continue growing up in this environment, living out his life in the unpredictable Shinobi World, no different from anyone else.
Until—three days ago, when Uchiha Kai, who should have gotten up at seven as usual to do his morning exercises, uncharacteristically stayed in bed.
Of course, only he knew it wasn't as simple as sleeping in.
He'd had a dream, a very, very long dream.
The world in his dream seemed like an unbelievable paradise—to someone from the Shinobi World.
Iron horses and silver dragons raced everywhere; towers stretched straight to the sky; life was peaceful; all kinds of entertainment were within reach, and countless other wonderful things engulfed Uchiha Kai.
Was it a dream? It must have been...
How could such a beautiful era possibly exist?—the boy wondered.
More and more memories surged through his heart. Countless familiar yet unfamiliar events filled his mind, and something buried for a long time—began to stir.
A clear morning in Year 48 of Konoha.
The boy jolted awake from his long dream. A needle-sharp pain stabbed through his mind, blood red crept across his pupils, and then a single, round, black Tomoe appeared.
On that day, Sujie/Uchiha Kai stepped fully into the Shinobi World...
Back in the Uchiha Clan Compound, the boy shook his head, suppressing his jumbled emotions. He checked his clothes, the ninja tool pouch strapped to his right thigh, and the plain short sword slung across his back.
"Phew. It's time. Most of the clan should be asleep by now. I should get going."
Why was the boy heading out in the middle of the night?
Simple. He had a "quest" to complete. When he recovered the memories of his past life three days ago, a strange object had appeared along with them.
It was a simple panel.
[Host: Uchiha Kai] [Body: 4.2 (The normal value for an adult man in the Shinobi World is 5)] [Mind: 6 (The normal value for an adult man in the Shinobi World is 5)] [Energy (Chakra): 100 (An ordinary Genin usually has 50, enough to fully release 2–3 small-scale ninjutsu)] [Energy Control: Fire (Proficient) Wind (Beginner) Lightning (Locked) Water (Locked) Earth (Locked) Yin (Locked) Yang (Locked)] [Special Talent: Sharingan (Single Tomoe)] [Skills: Great Fireball Technique, Three Basic Ninjutsu Techniques, Genjutsu—Sharingan, Shurikenjutsu, Konoha Style Taijutsu] [Overall Assessment: A shattered porcelain vessel barely repaired, with a little power at its disposal—a mayfly in a chaotic age]
The Body category represented more than simple stamina or physique. It was an overall assessment that covered most physical attributes, such as strength, durability, reflexes, and endurance.
The Mind category worked the same way, representing Uchiha Kai's mental fortitude, willpower, soul, and other similarly intangible attributes.
As a member of the Uchiha Clan, born with powerful chakra, Uchiha Kai had awakened a Single Tomoe Sharingan. Naturally, his Mind far exceeded his Body, and his chakra was likewise well above average.
Energy Control represented his proficiency at manipulating and applying the changes in each nature of energy. From lowest to highest, the levels were Beginner, Proficient, Somewhat Accomplished, Divinely Guided, and Masterful.
Only after reaching Beginner could someone barely manage to release a complete ninjutsu, and even then, its speed and quality were poor. If the user was interrupted, the technique might even fail.
Proficient meant the user could release ninjutsu quickly and skillfully, with almost no chance of failure. The same pattern held at each successive level, with control over ninjutsu improving by leaps and bounds.
The panel contained almost all of Uchiha Kai's information. After quantifying it, it had even provided a rather mocking assessment.
Besides displaying personal stats, the panel had another powerful, if somewhat rudimentary, feature.
[Quest Accepted: Set Out] [Quest Objective: Go to the designated location within Konoha (coordinates provided) and defeat the wolf pack] [Reward: Body × 0.1 (Completing a quest for the first time grants an additional special reward)]
"This quest... why does it feel like one of those ancient browser games? First it's chickens, then wolves. Did all these designers share one brain?"
Looking at the quest panel, the boy couldn't help but complain. His hands, however, kept moving as he quickly checked his gear.
"This cheat is a little crude, but it's straightforward: it directly boosts my stats and strengthens my body. And there's that special reward, whose details I don't know yet..."
"With this, even in the chaotic and unfathomable Shinobi World, I have what it takes to reach the top."
The boy's gaze was deep, as though he were looking far into the future.
"I just need some time."
With that, Uchiha Kai stopped dawdling. He checked the coordinates on the panel once more, then set out.
On a raised platform in the Uchiha Clan Compound,
two figures in fitted robes stood side by side. They seemed to have been there for quite some time.
They watched a house in the compound suddenly go dark, followed by a shadow flashing past.
At last, one of them—a man with soft hair reaching his shoulders—couldn't hold back any longer. He turned to the unperturbed man beside him and asked, "Is this really okay, Yashiro? Sending that kid out with his ninja tools in the middle of the night?"
The short-haired man called Yashiro shook his head slightly and answered his question.
"It's fine, Tekka. Eight times out of ten, the kid's just come up with some new way to train."
"We've watched him grow up. Don't you know what he's like? He's so mild-mannered he hardly seems like an Uchiha."
Yashiro's answer clearly failed to satisfy Tekka.
"That's true, but if anything happens, good or bad, it'll just cause trouble. You know how things have been between the clan and the village these past few years..."
Tekka stopped halfway through. His hesitant tone made his worries clear.
"This kid is different. He knows what matters most. You've been so focused on the village's policies these past few years that you've forgotten to pay attention to the younger generation right beside you," Yashiro replied solemnly.
"But..." Tekka began, but Yashiro's raised voice cut him off.
"No buts! That child's parents were both the pride of the clan, yet they died on the battlefield far too young... Can't we at least afford him a little freedom to act on his own?" Uchiha Yashiro stated the one reason Tekka couldn't refuse.
"I... sigh..." Tekka could only let out a long sigh. He didn't argue further.
"Besides, you felt it too, didn't you?" Uchiha Yashiro turned his head, revealing a pair of scarlet eyes in his sockets, and met Tekka's gaze.
"That child has already awakened the power of these eyes... At his age, he has chakra far beyond his peers and a clear plan for his training. Kai, that child..." Yashiro's voice was full of pride.
"He's another rising hope for our clan..."
Hearing this, Uchiha Tekka could only look helpless.
"That's exactly why... I disagree with what you're doing..."
"All right, I've already made my decision, so stop repeating yourself. Keep an eye on him, and take care of any traces the kid fails to clean up." Yashiro stretched his back and gave Tekka his instructions.
"It's always me... Besides, the kid's meticulous. He even left a clone at home to fool us old-timers..." Tekka complained, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"Hahahaha! That's true. We never had that kind of talent back then—training while fooling the adults at the same time."
"Enough chatting. I'll go after him first." With that, Tekka vanished from the spot.
On the platform beneath the night sky, only Uchiha Yashiro remained. The Uchiha Clan's senior stood in the chilly night breeze, gazing down at the compound with his deep, uncanny Sharingan.
He stayed motionless for a long time, like a dead tree in the autumn wind.
Only the night grew deeper.
Before you continue