That evening, at the edge of the Uchiha Clan Compound, in the forest.
The sun sank below the horizon, and its golden rays filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows across the ground. This forest was a popular training ground for the Uchiha, but today it seemed unusually quiet.
Six-year-old Xingye ventured alone into the depths of the forest. He planned to test his Byakugan.
Although he already possessed the Byakugan, he had never truly used it before. The Byakugan granted by the Otsutsuki Bloodline was even more powerful than that of an ordinary member of the Hyuga Clan. They said it could see farther and peer deeper into the flow of chakra.
Xingye stood beneath a large tree, took a deep breath, and slowly activated his Byakugan.
In an instant, his field of vision underwent a dramatic transformation.
He could see in every direction, with no blind spots. Everything within several kilometers appeared clearly before him—trees, rocks, small animals, even the flow of chakra underground.
"So this is the power of the Byakugan..." Xingye marveled. "It really is the pinnacle of sensory Kekkei Genkai."
Just as he was immersing himself in his newly acquired power, the Byakugan suddenly picked up three unusual chakra signatures.
Three people were concealed behind tree trunks in the nearby woods, suppressing their chakra to the bare minimum. An ordinary ninja would never have detected them. But the Byakugan could clearly reveal their outlines—and the unsettling aura around them.
"Root..." Xingye sneered inwardly.
They wore special outfits and masks, and their chakra carried a clear killing intent. They weren't ordinary ninjas, but members of Root, Danzo's personal force—the elite unit directly under the Hokage, and the sharpest blade in Danzo's hand.
Xingye didn't expose them right away. Instead, he pretended not to know they were there and continued "testing" his Byakugan.
He deliberately left himself open in a few ways, pretending not to see in one direction or letting his movements grow sluggish. These were all bait to lure Root into attacking.
Sure enough, the Root operatives took the bait.
Seeing Xingye apparently "unguarded," they thought they had a perfect opportunity. The three attacked at once.
"Go!" the lead Root operative barked. Three figures rushed out from behind the tree trunks, Kunai glinting in their hands.
The corners of Xingye's mouth lifted slightly as he activated his Sharingan.
His Three-Tomoe Sharingan tracked the movements of all three attackers, while the Byakugan's 360-degree vision ensured there were no blind spots. Xingye moved like a phantom, effortlessly evading every attack.
"What?!" the Root operatives cried in shock.
Their attacks missed, and Xingye had already appeared behind them.
"You're trying to kill me?" Xingye asked softly, but his voice carried a chilling killing intent. "Why?"
The lead Root operative steadied himself. He knew the child before him was no ordinary opponent.
"We were conducting a routine patrol and spotted someone suspicious, so we came to investigate," the Root operative said. "How can you be this strong?"
"Someone suspicious?" Xingye scoffed. "I'm training near the Uchiha Clan Compound. What's suspicious about that? You're the one wearing Root's uniform and carrying weapons. You're obviously here to harm me."
The Root operative fell silent. He couldn't deny it, because it was true.
"Since we've been found out, there's no other choice," the Root operative said coldly. "You have to die here today."
With that, all three attacked at once.
This time, they held nothing back.
Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and concealed weapons came at him from every direction like a storm. Any ordinary Chunin would have been doomed against such an assault.
But Xingye wasn't an ordinary Chunin.
The formidable physique granted by the Otsutsuki Bloodline, combined with the insight of his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, made it seem as though Xingye was toying with three children. He effortlessly dodged every attack, then counterattacked.
Lightning Release chakra cloaked his hand like a blade, crackling with electricity.
"Lightning Style: Chidori Sharp Spear!"
Xingye's hand pierced straight through one Root operative's chest. The powerful current locked him in place.
"Ah!" the Root operative screamed, then collapsed and lay still.
The other two Root operatives were horrified. They hadn't expected a six-year-old child to be so terrifyingly powerful.
"Retreat!" the lead Root operative ordered without hesitation.
But how could Xingye let them get away so easily?
"Trying to run?" Xingye sneered. "Since you came all this way, you can at least leave something behind."
He unleashed Lightning Release again, his speed surging as he instantly caught up with the two fleeing Root operatives.
"Lightning Style: Chidori Current!"
Electricity spread like a net, enveloping both Root operatives. The shocks left them unable to move, and they fell to the ground, twitching.
The battle was over in less than a minute.
Three Root jonin had been easily defeated by a six-year-old child.
Xingye dispelled his Lightning Release and walked over to the fallen Root operatives, looking down at them.
"Go tell Danzo," Xingye said coldly. "If he dares to send people to spy on or attack the Uchiha Clan again, I won't be so forgiving next time."
With that, he turned to leave.
But the system's prompt sounded again.
[Defeated Root operatives. Traits available for plunder.]
Xingye's thoughts stirred, and the system interface immediately displayed the talents of the three Root operatives:
Root operative A: [Earth Release (Green)] [Stealth (Green)] [Assassination (Green)] Root operative B: [Water Release (Green)] [Medical Ninjutsu (White)] [Intelligence Analysis (Blue)] Root operative C: [Wind Release (Green)] [Taijutsu (Blue)] [Anbu Tactics (Blue)]
Xingye selected [Earth Release (Green)], [Stealth (Green)], [Anbu Tactics (Blue)], [Taijutsu (Blue)], and [Intelligence Analysis (Blue)].
[Plunder successful] [Acquired talents: Earth Release (Green), Stealth (Green), Anbu Tactics (Blue), Taijutsu (Blue), Intelligence Analysis (Blue)] [System prompt: Some traits have increased in rank] [Earth Release (Green) → Earth Release (Blue)] [Stealth (Green) → Stealth (Blue)]
Xingye felt the new power within him and nodded in satisfaction.
"My collection of traits keeps growing," he mused. "Earth Release, Stealth, Anbu Tactics... These are all very useful talents."
He didn't kill the two surviving Root operatives. Instead, he let them go back and deliver his message. Killing them would only infuriate Danzo and lead to even worse consequences. Better to let them live and carry their fear back to him.
Xingye left the forest and returned to the Uchiha Clan Compound.
He went straight to his father's room and reported everything that had happened that day.
Fugaku's face darkened as he listened.
"Danzo! That old bastard actually dares to attack my son so openly!" Fugaku slammed his hand on the table in fury. "We have to strike back!"
"Father, calm down," Xingye said, analyzing the situation coolly. "We can't confront Danzo directly yet. He's powerful, and Root is not to be underestimated. If we act now, we'll only plunge Konoha into civil war, which would harm the Uchiha Clan."
Fugaku took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
"Then tell me, what should we do?" Fugaku looked at his son, a complex feeling rising in his heart. He had never imagined that his six-year-old son could have such mature ideas.
"Be patient for now and build up our strength in secret," Xingye said. "At the same time, we can approach Danzo and exploit his ambition. What does Danzo want? Power. Control over Konoha. If we can make him believe that the Uchiha Clan could become his ally, perhaps he'll stop treating us as enemies."
"An ally?" Fugaku scoffed. "A man like Danzo only believes in benefits, not allies."
"Then we give him enough benefits." A cold glint flashed in Xingye's eyes. "Some false intelligence, perhaps... or something we deliberately let him obtain."
Fugaku froze. Looking at his son, he felt as though he were seeing him properly for the first time.
"Xingye, your idea..." Fugaku drew a deep breath. "It's good. But it's risky. If Danzo realizes we're using him, the consequences will be serious."
"That's why we have to be even more careful," Xingye said with a nod. "Father, trust me. I know what I'm doing."
Fugaku was silent for a moment, then nodded firmly.
"All right, I'll listen to you. But remember, if things go wrong, stop immediately. I won't let you risk your life."
"Yes, Father." Xingye bowed respectfully.
After leaving his father's room, Xingye returned to his own.
He stood by the window, gazing at the distant Hokage Building, his eyes glimmering with complicated thoughts.
"Danzo, Third Hokage—you're fighting each other in the open while I make my plans in secret," Xingye murmured. "It's still too soon to say who'll win this game."
Meanwhile, in his office at the Hokage Building, Danzo received the Root operatives' report.
"Xingye... He's only six, yet already this powerful..." A murderous glint flashed in Danzo's eyes. "I have to deal with him as soon as possible. Otherwise, he'll become a threat to me."
"But he isn't strong enough yet. I can watch him for a while longer," Danzo said, regaining his composure. "Once he's grown enough, I'll eliminate him in one stroke."
"And besides..." A greedy glint flashed in Danzo's eyes. "If the power within him really is as great as the legends say, I can try to use him."
What Danzo didn't know was that Xingye was planning to use him, too.
Their secret game had only just begun.
Before you continue