Leading Jonin

"Did he awaken his Sharingan because his teammate died on a mission?"

Fugaku kept his eyes on Shimizu until he entered the passage beneath the wall, then finally looked away.

He himself had awakened his Sharingan after his teammate died.

If that was how Shimizu had awakened his, it made sense.

Awakening a One-Tomoe Sharingan at his age was an unmistakable sign of genius.

But Fugaku felt no particular emotion about it. On the contrary, he felt weighed down.

So what if Shimizu had awakened the One-Tomoe Sharingan so early?

Even if he was lucky enough to awaken the Mangekyo later, Fugaku was certain that the Mangekyo wouldn't be enough to defeat the man from the prophecy. The pressure those eyes exerted on him was simply too great.

Only by using cloning technology to create a large number of Sharingan and having clan members use Izanagi without fear of death could they forge a happy future!

"I need to find a chance to talk some sense into Shimizu."

Fugaku's eyesight had been affected after he used that ocular technique. It had deteriorated significantly.

If Shimizu didn't develop cloning soon, they would have no way to resist the future foretold by the ocular technique.

Besides, cloning could only be carried out by Uchiha. If outsiders gained this power too, Fugaku couldn't guarantee that the Uchiha name would still exist.

In the farthest corner of the stands, a short-haired girl gazed indifferently down at the arena. Purple markings adorned her cheeks.

This was Nohara Rin, who had graduated from the Ninja Academy. She knew her own limits and hadn't taken part in the Chunin Ninja Exams, planning instead to enter next year.

"Did he... do that kind of thing to Kurenai too?"

In the faint shadow cast by the sunlight, it was hard to make out Nohara Rin's expression.

Nohara Rin carefully studied Kurenai's subtle expressions and noticed, strangely, a faint flush on her face.

Hokage Building.

The Chunin Ninja Exams had ended. Hiruzen Sarutobi still needed to review and verify the Konoha candidates' records one last time. Once he finished, they would be entered into the archives.

"Minato, you saw Shimizu's performance today."

Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up his pipe and lit it.

"Yes, I saw. That boy really is remarkably talented."

Minato Namikaze nodded.

"What do you think about having Shimizu serve under you?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi asked.

Missions were usually carried out by teams, which followed one of two formats.

Three-person teams: the Genin squad format, usually directed by a Chunin or Jonin, with four people forming a basic unit.

Basic squads: Ninjas were organized into basic squads of four. More than four members would compromise their agility and restrict their movements.

This reform had been introduced by the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju to improve mission success rates, and the team system had continued to this day.

Although the Jonin leading a team was called their teacher, their relationship was that of superior and subordinates.

"I... have no objections."

Minato Namikaze hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

As a civilian, he could better see how the relationship between the Uchiha and the village was changing.

He had originally planned to bring about a gradual change in the Uchiha Clan by leading Obito.

He felt that he might get along better with Obito. Shimizu seemed gentle, but in truth, he carried a faint sense of distance from everyone.

Now that Hiruzen Sarutobi was assigning Uchiha Shimizu to him, all he could do was accept it quietly.

"Minato, I'm sorry for the trouble."

Hiruzen Sarutobi drew on the pipe he hadn't touched all day because he'd been so busy, easing his craving for tobacco.

The nicotine also seemed to clear his mind, and he said, "Fugaku discussed it with me. He said he wanted Shimizu to work at Konoha Hospital as a doctor. That seems like a waste now. A ninja with both medical and combat abilities should be sent on special missions.

"Remember to talk to Shimizu about this."

"Understood."

Minato Namikaze agreed. The Lord Third's reasoning made sense.

Most members of the Uchiha Clan joined the Konoha Military Police Force after becoming Chunin. Very few took jobs elsewhere.

Pakura was also one of the foremost geniuses in Sunagakure. Shimizu's victory over her proved his combat ability, and he hadn't even activated his Sharingan during that fight.

It was only during his battle with Kurenai Yuhi that Shimizu had first activated his Sharingan.

It would be a waste to make him a purely medical ninja.

Minato Namikaze and Hiruzen Sarutobi then discussed a few more details. Before Minato left, Hiruzen Sarutobi patted him on the shoulder.

"Minato, I'm old. You're someone I believe in. The future belongs to you young people."

"You flatter me, Lord Third."

Minato Namikaze smiled.

His greatest dream was to become Hokage.

The Lord Third's confidence in him made him very happy.

"But... you need to handle the matter with Kushina Uzumaki properly."

Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to be hinting at something.

"Yes, Lord Third."

Minato Namikaze knew that Kushina Uzumaki had recently been unhappy about the village restricting her movements, and that her spirits were low.

As one of Kushina Uzumaki's close friends, he ought to help cheer her up and prevent the Nine-Tails from going on a rampage.

It had also been a while since he'd seen Kushina Uzumaki, and he missed her. He could go see her after he'd taken care of the matter with Uchiha Shimizu.

Night.

Uchiha Settlement.

Shimizu studied the scroll in his hands, his brow furrowed.

It was an item he had just obtained through the Simulator: "Sage Art: White Rage Technique."

It was very powerful, Shimizu judged.

But its appearance at this point was somewhat useless.

He didn't know Sage Mode from Ryūchi Cave, so naturally he couldn't use Sage Art.

Even if he had a Senjutsu scroll and knew the chakra pathways it described, he couldn't perform the technique without Natural Energy to power it.

Sage Art: White Rage Technique could make the air in a surrounding area vibrate continuously, causing those struck by it to feel as if all their bones were grinding against each other. It also emitted a blinding light that obscured the senses.

More importantly, though, the technique was especially effective against Susanoo.

In the original story, when Sage Kabuto used this technique, Sasuke's Susanoo had nearly collapsed and was on the verge of falling apart.

Without Izanami, it would have been hard to say who would have won that battle in Ryūchi Cave.

"Is there any way to learn Senjutsu?"

Shimizu rolled up the scroll and stored it in the Sealing Scroll.

There were only three places in the world where one could learn Senjutsu.

Mount Myoboku, Shikkotsu Forest, and Ryūchi Cave.

It was a mystery whether these places existed in the real world or in separate dimensions.

None of them was easy for an ordinary person to reach.

The first, Mount Myoboku, could only be entered by those who were fated to find it.

Naruto and Jiraiya had both traveled to Mount Myoboku by summoning, never by walking.

The toads of Mount Myoboku had never shown that they could reach the outside world by walking, either.

The second, Shikkotsu Forest, was shrouded in mystery.

The original story had never revealed what Shikkotsu Forest looked like or where it was.

Even Tsunade had only summoned Katsuyu; she had never used Sage Mode.