Ninja

Leaves scattered across the courtyard as two figures moved swiftly, exchanging blows with fists and feet for quite some time.

Slap

Mingye caught Kaede's incoming hand, his right palm forming into a blade as it swept down toward Kaede's head with a sharp whistle.

Thump

The hand blade struck Kaede's head, but the original Kaede had become a half-length log—he had long since used the [Substitution Technique] to evade Mingye's attack.

A smile tugged at Mingye's lips as he flipped up and quickly left the ground.

"[Lightning Release: Ground Run]"

Kaede unleashed the Lightning Release, but Mingye had dodged the attack in advance.

It looked as if Kaede had deliberately failed to hit Mingye, but in truth, Mingye had already seen through Kaede's intentions and retreated well outside his attack range early on.

Kaede was indeed gifted with extraordinary talent, but even a genius needed time to grow.

"Father, don't dodge—just let me hit you once, okay?"

He stopped attacking. His speed simply couldn't keep up with his father Mingye. Even with tons of chakra, if he couldn't land a hit, everything was useless.

"What makes you think I'd stop and let you hit me with your ninjutsu for no reason?"

A dark figure appeared instantly behind Kaede. Mingye, still smiling, curled his finger and flicked Kaede on the forehead.

"I'm done, I'm done. Fighting a jonin like you is no fun at all."

"[Lightning Release: Ground Run]"

A string of lightning bolts shot out from the ground in an instant. Kaede, taking advantage of turning his back to his father, quickly formed hand seals and released the Lightning Release.

Thump

The Mingye behind him dissipated into white smoke—it was a Shadow Clone. The real Mingye leaped down from a treetop in the courtyard, and the two stood facing each other, forming the reconciliation seal, officially ending the spar.

"Kaede, your growth amazes me and makes me proud. I look forward to your development, yet I also worry about your future."

Could Konoha truly accommodate an Uchiha as monstrous as his son?

Every time he saw Kaede display his ninja talent, this doubt rose in Mingye's heart.

"Father, you should trust that I can handle all of this."

Facing his father, Kaede—only six years old—showed a maturity like that of an adult. In the world of shinobi, such precociousness was common and wouldn't arouse suspicion.

And he, Uchiha Kaede, was no ordinary child.

Over the past year or so, Kaede had not only learned the Three Basic Techniques but also, under his father Mingye's guidance, studied basic taijutsu, shurikenjutsu, and chakra control skills.

He showed great interest in ninjutsu and chakra control, studying them to the point of forgetting to eat and sleep. Coupled with his unique physique, staying up late had little effect on him.

Thus, it was often his father Mingye who interrupted his training and forced him to rest.

But when it came to taijutsu and shurikenjutsu, his performance was so-so. He treated taijutsu with a serious attitude, but for the Uchiha's hallmark—precise shurikenjutsu—he had zero interest.

So far, he was only at the beginner stage, able to hit a stationary target accurately within thirty meters.

As the great ninja scientist Orochimaru once said, a shinobi's time is limited; Kaede couldn't excel at everything. Since he possessed unparalleled talent in Lightning Release, he would gallop down the path of the Lightning Emperor.

At most, he would learn some taijutsu for self-defense.

"Kaede, you're a child with your own opinions. Your current strength has long met the graduation requirements of the Ninja Academy, but I still hope you'll attend the Academy.

Beyond being a shinobi, you're still a child. You should go there to make friends and choose your own bonds. A lone shinobi still needs the warmth of comrades."

Kaede knew his father had already enrolled him in the Ninja Academy. September was when the Academy would start, and Kaede would become a student there.

He didn't refuse his father's arrangement. In fact, as a member of Konoha's prestigious Uchiha clan, he had the right to skip the Ninja Academy and still become a shinobi.

"Finally, I can go see those familiar faces!"

That was the real reason he didn't refuse—even though his current strength already surpassed theirs.

"Father, I'll attend the opening ceremony on time."

"Don't worry, I'll call you when the time comes."

Mingye clicked his tongue, unimpressed by his son Kaede's guarantee. Once Kaede got immersed in learning ninjutsu, he completely lost track of time.

If not for Kaede's special physique, Mingye feared his son might starve to death in the basement one day.

Tap... Tap

Whoosh

A string of flames lit up the dark basement. Kaede stepped down, walking toward a large door covered in sealing formulas that could block all chakra-sensing techniques from prying in.

It was his father Mingye's protection—a deep, loving safeguard against all external intrusion.

He formed hand seals—Ram, Snake, Boar—and channeled chakra into the door.

The sealing formulas on the door faded, and it swung open. Kaede walked inside. This was where he let his dreams take flight, where he studied himself and researched ninjutsu.

Over the past year, aside from following his father's training plan and learning the Three Basic Techniques and taijutsu, he had not learned any other ninjutsu. Instead, he focused his energy on chakra control and researching the runes within his body.

The three runes that had already lit up inside him were constantly active, but their abilities seemed restricted—or perhaps still in their infancy.

Just like the Divine Body Rune and Divine Soul Rune, which acted upon his body and soul, they granted him immense potential for chakra reserves while also endowing his body with the ability to regenerate.

Minor wounds healed in an instant. Small abrasions recovered within tens of minutes, and deeper puncture wounds could mend in a few days.

Organ injuries were more troublesome, requiring months to heal.

These were all tests he had conducted after discovering his body's abnormalities, keeping them secret from his parents.

The only thing he hadn't yet tried was a fatal wound—to be honest, he chickened out.

No one in their right mind would stab themselves in the heart for no reason.

And this was merely the benefit brought by the initial power of the runes.

Now, he had two remaining tasks: first, to explore the hidden secrets of the Sharingan Bloodline within his own body; second, to uncover the inevitable connection between Hand Seals and Ninjutsu.

Searching for the secrets of his own Sharingan was to find a path of evolution different from the Uchiha clan's. He couldn't—and wouldn't—dig out the eyes of his own blood relatives to awaken the Eternal Mangekyo.

Deep in his heart, Kaede valued his parents' affection greatly. If their sacrifice was required to perfect himself, he... couldn't do it.

Thinking of his honorable parents and then of the conditions for awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan, his emotions inevitably stirred. A single crimson tomoe appeared in his eyes, slowly rotating.

After he had stabbed several holes in his own body, though he knew he wouldn't die, the immense pain and the deep-seated fear of death still forced him to awaken the One-Tomoe Sharingan.

"I will definitely find another way. If not, even if I have to give up the dream of piloting a giant, with the power of the runes, I will still be the strongest ninja without the Sharingan."

Reining in his agitated thoughts, he deactivated the Sharingan.

Kaede silently sank his consciousness into the Inner World, observing the runes in his mind, feeling their power and allure. His intuition told him he could find the answers within.