Uchiha Eiji's Test

The dull thuds of blows rang out in quick succession across the clearing.

The Uchiha boys gathered around the clearing wore complicated expressions: surprise, confusion, and doubt.

Hadn't Uchiha Eiji awakened his Sharingan? Why was he performing no differently today than he had yesterday?

Watching Uchiha Eiji launch one attack after another, Uchiha Daishi and the others felt as if yesterday's scene were playing out again.

Uchiha Yuan still stood where he was, not moving an inch as he effortlessly blocked every one of Uchiha Eiji's attacks.

Unlike the bewildered onlookers, Uchiha Hayabusa and Uchiha Kotaro, standing across the clearing, looked utterly incredulous.

The Sharingan was invincible. Why couldn't Eiji beat Uchiha Yuan even after awakening his Sharingan?

His opponent was just an outer family member who probably couldn't even awaken the Sharingan!

"Thud!"

A punch landed squarely on Uchiha Eiji's chest, sending him flying straight backward like a cannonball.

His whole body felt weak and limp. Uchiha Yuan's punch had directly disrupted the flow of Chakra inside him. At the same time, its force had been controlled so skillfully that it hadn't hurt him in the slightest.

After flying more than ten meters, Uchiha Eiji felt the force of the punch dissipate. He performed a backflip and landed steadily on his feet.

Clutching his chest with one hand, Uchiha Eiji took several deep, ragged breaths.

Then the single Tomoe in his eyes vanished. He deactivated his Sharingan and looked up at Uchiha Yuan.

"Why? Even after awakening my Sharingan, I still can't beat you. I can see all your movements clearly."

Uchiha Yuan smiled faintly. "Because you're too weak. Your Sharingan can see my movements, but I move faster than you, and your body can't keep up with your reactions."

Uchiha Eiji stared blankly for a moment. After thinking it over, he realized Uchiha Yuan had a point.

Take that punch that had just sent him flying. He had clearly seen the path of Uchiha Yuan's fist and tried to block it.

But just as he began to raise his guard, the fist had already struck his chest.

After a moment of silence, Uchiha Eiji asked, "What do you want to see this time?"

He had conceded again.

Uchiha Yuan thought for a moment. "If possible, I'd like a C-rank ninjutsu scroll."

His parents had both been ordinary Chunin. His father had died in battle, and his mother had long since left the shinobi profession. At home, he had only a few low-level scrolls with basic ninjutsu, which he had already studied thoroughly.

So he wanted to examine an intermediate-level ninjutsu scroll and analyze it.

"Sure."

After a pause, Uchiha Eiji suddenly smiled. "Uchiha Yuan, actually, I could get you a B-rank or even an A-rank ninjutsu scroll. Something like the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique or the Great Dragon Fire Technique. If you want to see them, I can bring them next time."

At that, Uchiha Daishi and the others nearby grew excited. Those were powerful high-level techniques, enormously tempting to boys who hadn't even trained in an E-rank technique.

Uchiha Yuan's expression didn't change. He refused outright. "No need. I only need to borrow a C-rank ninjutsu scroll."

After Uchiha Eiji left, Uchiha Daishi asked in confusion, "Big brother, why didn't you take the high-level scrolls Uchiha Eiji offered?"

"Yeah, big brother. I heard my dad say the Great Dragon Fire Technique is incredibly powerful.

"On the battlefield, he once saw the clan head wipe out a Chunin squad from Kirigakure in the Land of Water with a single Great Dragon Fire Technique," another member of the bodyguard squad said.

Uchiha Yuan glanced at Uchiha Daishi and the others. At once, all the boys fell silent.

"That was probably Uchiha Eiji testing me."

"Big brother, what was he testing?" Uchiha Daishi asked, puzzled.

Uchiha Yuan said nothing. He turned to look into the distance, his gaze passing over the walls of the clan compound to the unmistakable Kage Rock.

At that moment, Uchiha Eiji and the other two were walking home in silence.

Suddenly, Uchiha Eiji stopped. "Hayabusa, Kotaro, do you think I should train harder in Taijutsu?"

Uchiha Hayabusa curled his lip. "Eiji, only worthless shinobi train in Taijutsu. Chakra and ninjutsu are what matter most."

Uchiha Kotaro chimed in. "That's right, Eiji. You don't need to worry about losing just now. You only awakened your Sharingan yesterday, so you're still not used to using it. That's why you couldn't beat Uchiha Yuan."

Uchiha Eiji remained silent, replaying every exchange with Uchiha Yuan in his mind. The helplessness of seeing his opponent's attacks but still being unable to block them made his eyes redden slightly.

Just then, Uchiha Hayabusa remembered something and asked, "Eiji, what if Uchiha Yuan really wants the Great Dragon Fire Technique and the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique?

"Our family has never let us get near those high-level techniques."

Uchiha Kotaro chuckled. "Hayabusa, Eiji is obviously just messing with Uchiha Yuan."

Uchiha Eiji shook his head. "No, I'll give them to him."

Uchiha Hayabusa and Uchiha Kotaro blurted out at the same time, "Why?"

Uchiha Eiji asked, "What do you think of Uchiha Yuan's strength?"

Uchiha Hayabusa and Uchiha Kotaro exchanged a glance before answering, "His Taijutsu seems pretty strong."

"I don't know how talented he is as a shinobi," Uchiha Eiji said, "but his Taijutsu is definitely strong.

"So I think he's worth recruiting. He might become a formidable asset to me in the future. But unfortunately, it seems he turned me down."

Uchiha Hayabusa said, surprised, "Eiji, aren't you overestimating Uchiha Yuan?

"We're still young. Once our Chakra grows stronger and we learn more ninjutsu—especially as we develop and upgrade our Sharingan—his Taijutsu won't stand a chance against us."

"You're the ones underestimating him," Uchiha Eiji replied.

Uchiha Eiji sensed an air of mystery about Uchiha Yuan, as though a veil shrouded him and kept Eiji from discerning his true strength.

Fighting Uchiha Yuan felt like training with his older brother, Uchiha Taichi, who was already a Jonin. It was as if every move he made had been seen through.

Three days later, deep in the quiet heart of a forest,

Uchiha Yuan sat cross-legged on a rock. A bird with an insect in its beak suddenly flew over and landed on his head.

His consciousness sank into his body as he began to refine Chakra.

Boom!

His body was like firewood, and his will was the kindling that lit the flame.

It was as if a fire had suddenly ignited inside Uchiha Yuan's body, and Chakra began to emerge.

The Chakra training scroll Uchiha Eiji had brought him had answered many of his questions about refining Chakra.

He now found it noticeably easier to refine Chakra, and its flow was smoother and more natural.