They're only eight years old!

At the Iwagakure training ground, the morning sun spilled across the rocky terrain.

Ōnoki stood at the edge of the training ground, his gaze lingering on Jingxin.

Kurotsuchi stood beside her grandfather, curiously eyeing the two in the arena, while Kitsuchi watched the match as well.

Akatsuchi stood in the center of the training ground; he was tall and sturdy, wearing a gentle smile on his face.

Opposite him was Jingxin.

Ōnoki's voice drifted over: "Kintsuchi, you have defeated Deidara in succession, which has made me quite curious about your true strength."

"Today, I will have Akatsuchi spar with you to test your level."

Jingxin nodded: "Understood, Lord Tsuchikage."

The atmosphere in the training ground grew heavy.

Akatsuchi was an Iwagakure jōnin and a disciple of Ōnoki, possessing immense brute strength; his prowess was beyond doubt.

For Jingxin, this match was a true test.

Kurotsuchi furrowed her small brows and said to Ōnoki: "Grandfather, Senior Brother Akatsuchi is a jōnin, and Kintsuchi is only..."

Ōnoki raised a hand to stop Kurotsuchi, his eyes deep and filled with profound curiosity.

From the very beginning, Ōnoki had known that Jingxin was a genius.

But the two challenges against Deidara had made Ōnoki realize that Jingxin's strength might be slightly different from his initial assessment.

The battle began.

Jingxin moved first, leaning forward and charging toward Akatsuchi with great speed.

Akatsuchi raised his right hand.

A wall of earth rose from the ground, blocking Jingxin's path.

Jingxin sidestepped to bypass it, simultaneously throwing three shuriken.

The shuriken flew with precision toward three of Akatsuchi's vital points.

Having witnessed the exquisite nature of Jingxin's shurikenjutsu before, Akatsuchi was well-prepared; he formed hand seals, and the earth wall split into three sections, blocking the projectiles.

Jingxin had already closed the distance, his taijutsu movements fluid, his strikes and kicks tightly coordinated.

Akatsuchi parried a few moves, forming an assessment in his mind.

This boy's taijutsu was actually approaching the level of a chūnin.

More importantly, wasn't his physical strength a bit off?

After blocking for a while, Akatsuchi, who hadn't even used chakra, actually felt a dull ache.

Moreover, Akatsuchi could clearly see that Jingxin had training weights strapped to his calves and arms.

If those weights were removed, the boy's speed and the power of his taijutsu would increase once again.

Are you telling me this is an eight-year-old?!?

Akatsuchi began to counterattack, his fist encased in rock as he threw a punch.

Jingxin barely dodged, the heavy wind of the punch grazing his cheek and leaving a stinging sensation.

He retreated quickly, his hands skillfully forming seals, and he spat a stream of fire from his mouth, forming a fireball two meters in diameter in front of him.

Akatsuchi pressed his hands to the ground, and an earth wall rose to block the fireball.

The flames exploded against the wall, filling the area with smoke.

Amidst the dust, a flash of scarlet was vaguely revealed.

Akatsuchi immediately averted his gaze.

As a jōnin, he knew the danger of the Sharingan.

He could not look into the opponent's eyes, or he might fall into a genjutsu.

But his vigilance brought about a new problem.

Without looking at the face, he could not predict the trajectory of Jingxin's shuriken.

Seizing the opportunity, Jingxin threw shuriken in rapid succession; each one followed a different flight path, but their ultimate targets were aimed precisely at Akatsuchi's vitals and his potential escape routes.

Akatsuchi drew a kunai, forced to rely on his hearing and intuition to dodge, and the pressure on him increased instantly.

One shuriken grazed his arm, tearing through his clothing.

Akatsuchi frowned; this couldn't go on.

"Earth Style: Core Excavation!"

The ground shook violently, and a large pit appeared in the center of the training ground.

Jingxin lost his footing and tumbled toward the pit.

Ōnoki prepared to speak and call a halt.

This sparring match was merely a test of strength, not a fight to the death.

But just before he could speak, an anomaly occurred.

The Jingxin falling through the air suddenly turned into white mist and dissipated.

It was a Shadow Clone.

Akatsuchi immediately realized the problem, but Jingxin's true body appeared behind him.

Sensing danger, Akatsuchi turned around instinctively.

Their eyes met.

Akatsuchi's body stiffened, his gaze unfocused as he fell into a genjutsu.

Within the illusion, he saw the training ground collapsing, rocks burying him alive.

The sensation of suffocation was terrifyingly real.

Ōnoki's voice rang out: "The match is over."

Jingxin dispelled the genjutsu.

Akatsuchi regained his senses, looking at Jingxin with a complex expression.

The illusion just now had been incredibly realistic; if Ōnoki hadn't called a halt, he might have suffered a serious injury.

Ōnoki walked into the center of the field, his mouth curled into a grin as wide as a lotus flower.

He felt secretly fortunate.

This Uchiha genius now belonged to Iwagakure.

The advantage of the Sharingan in combat was so obvious, and combined with Jingxin's tactical mind, his potential was immense.

Ōnoki was certain that that old fox Hiruzen Sarutobi must have noticed Jingxin's talent long ago.

Yet, that man had actually hesitated to nurture or protect him simply because of the Uchiha surname.

Well, look at things now.

The boy had long since seen through the ugly face of Konoha and abandoned the darkness for the light.

Ōnoki felt as if he had won the lottery, and one that had fallen from the sky for free at that.

Hehehehehehehehe~~~

Akatsuchi rubbed his temples: "Kintsuchi, how much chakra do you have?"

"The battle lasted quite a while, and you were still able to use genjutsu to affect me."

Jingxin answered evasively: "That was only because Senior Akatsuchi didn't dare to truly strike at me, combined with the unique nature of the genjutsu, that I managed to succeed."

"If this were a real life-or-death battle, I would have lost long ago."

"You don't need to save face for me." Akatsuchi shook his head: "You didn't even remove your weights. When you factor in the genjutsu, your calm mindset, and your meticulous tactical thinking, you are fully capable of fighting a Jonin."

This was an exceptionally high evaluation.

Kurotsuchi ran onto the field, her eyes practically sparkling: "Kintsuchi, you're so amazing!"

Watching Kurotsuchi's reaction, Ōnoki felt a sense of contemplation.

His granddaughter's attitude toward Jingxin had shifted clearly from curiosity to admiration.

"Today's assessment ends here." After announcing this, Ōnoki smiled at Jingxin: "Even though I know your temperament is excellent, I must still remind you: do not become arrogant."

Jingxin responded respectfully: "I understand, Tsuchikage-sama."

After the training concluded, the four of them left the training ground.

Kurotsuchi followed by Jingxin's side, asking question after question.

About the Sharingan, tactics, and training methods.

Jingxin answered them all patiently.

Akatsuchi walked behind them and whispered to Ōnoki: "His tactical thinking is not like that of an eight-year-old boy; it is too mature."

"I know." Ōnoki's expression was serious: "Those who have weathered storms are often more mature, and he is our child now; he will become a pillar of the village in the future."

"The tragedy of the Uchiha must not repeat itself. We should not be suspicious, but rather give him a true home."

Hearing this, Kitsuchi, who had been silent the whole time, instinctively looked ahead at his daughter walking beside Jingxin.

The look of admiration in Kurotsuchi's eyes as she looked at that boy, her questions coming one after another.

The key was that this kid didn't have any so-called "expert" airs; he was as patient as a nanny.

For some reason, Kitsuchi's heart suddenly began to ache: "Isn't it a bit too early for this?"

Ōnoki saw this scene as well and glared at Kitsuchi: "What are you thinking?! They are only eight years old! That is just friendship between children; can you not be so cynical?"

"How are you even more impatient than this old man?"

Kitsuchi: "..."