At the Root Organization's base.
A ninja wearing an eagle mask pushed the door open and entered.
"Lord Danzo, Ryo is missing."
Ryo was the codename of the Root ninja Uchiha Yu had killed earlier.
"Ryo? Wasn't he sent to the Uchiha Clan's compound? The Uchiha Clan has been acting up lately."
Danzo snorted. Something must have happened to Ryo.
"Ryo wasn't particularly strong, but he was very good at reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance. The only people in the Uchiha Clan who could have stopped him might be Shisui and Itachi!"
The eagle-masked ninja spoke in a low voice.
"Shisui is on a mission and out of the village. Itachi is a member of the Anbu and under the control of Sarutobi Hiruzen and me. Neither of them had a chance to act."
Danzo took a deep breath. "Perhaps the Uchiha Clan has another talented powerhouse we don't know about!"
"Are we still going after Shisui's eyes?"
"Yes!" Danzo's gaze turned fierce.
"If they dared to kill one of our men, that means they've already rebelled! It's only a matter of time before they stage a coup! Uchiha Shisui must die! And his eyes must be mine!" Danzo held out one hand and clenched it into a fist.
The Ninja Academy.
Today, Iruka was reviewing the Three Body Technique with the class.
For Uchiha Yu, a basic ninjutsu like this was easy.
It was just too boring.
He simply flopped down and went straight to sleep.
Hinata, sitting beside him, swallowed and gently nudged Uchiha Yu.
"Yu, you shouldn't sleep in class."
Uchiha Yu sat up groggily and rubbed his eyes.
He formed Hand Seals.
In an instant, he transformed into Hyuga Hinata.
"This technique's easy. Wake me when Iruka teaches an A-rank technique."
With that, he didn't even release the Transformation Technique. He lay back down on his desk and went to sleep again.
Hyuga Hinata: "..."
Seeing how convincing Uchiha Yu's transformation was—he looked almost exactly like her—Hyuga Hinata's eyes widened.
Had Uchiha Yu already gotten this strong?
"Um... Yu, could you practice taijutsu with me sometime?"
Hyuga Hinata's face flushed slightly as she spoke.
She wanted to become stronger, too, and earn her father's approval.
But her talent for taijutsu wasn't particularly bad; it was just average.
Yu looked up at Hyuga Hinata.
He nodded.
A smile appeared on Hyuga Hinata's face.
Really?
"The tuition's five thousand ryō a month. No credit." Uchiha Yu yawned.
Five thousand ryō was only a month's worth of pocket money for Hyuga Hinata.
After all, the Hyuga were a major clan.
And Hyuga Hinata didn't spend much in her day-to-day life, using less than a thousand ryō each month.
Five thousand ryō was well within her means.
Hyuga Hinata froze, apparently not expecting Uchiha Yu to make such a demand.
Still, she took out her wallet, counted out five banknotes, and handed them to Uchiha Yu.
Uchiha Yu's eyes lit up. He snatched the money.
"Wake me when class is over!"
Then he lowered his head and fell asleep again.
A faint snore escaped him.
"Yu..." Hyuga Hinata wasn't sure what to say.
That evening, Hyuga Hinata led Uchiha Yu toward the Hyuga Clan's compound.
Along the way, Uchiha Yu focused on counting the banknotes in his hand. He had no idea how many times he'd counted the five dry, crumpled pieces of paper.
He only gave Hyuga Hinata's words half-hearted replies.
"Yu, why don't you have dinner with us tonight?"
"I don't mind."
"Yu, what would you like to eat tonight? I'll ask Father to have someone make it for you."
"Anything's fine."
"Yu, I'll introduce you to my family later, like my big brother Neji and my little sister Hanabi."
"Sure, whatever."
"..."
It was the first time Hyuga Hinata had felt so awkward and speechless.
The Hyuga Clan's compound.
Uchiha Yu followed behind Hyuga Hinata, still counting the banknotes in his hand.
He hadn't exchanged the five thousand ryō for Pay-to-Win Points yet.
He planned to save up a little over a hundred thousand and exchange it for a hundred Pay-to-Win Points all at once.
Then he'd combine Earth Release and Water Release nature transformations to gain Wood Release.
With his Sage Body and Wood Release, Uchiha Yu would be a mini-Hashirama.
Then he'd use the Wood Human Technique to kick Danzo from the Land of Fire all the way into the sea in the Land of Water.
And feed him to Isobu!
Suddenly, a boy with an unfriendly expression appeared in front of them.
"Hinata, how can you bring strangers home whenever you feel like it?"
Neji asked sharply.
Neji was a year older than Hinata and was eight years old.
But Neji's talent far surpassed Hinata's.
If he hadn't been born into the branch family and forced to bear the Caged Bird Cursed Seal on his forehead—and if his father hadn't been killed in his place—
Neji might not have hated the branch family so much.
A few years later, during the Chunin Ninja Exams, Uzumaki Naruto would straighten him out with one friendship-powered face-punch.
Uchiha Yu couldn't be bothered to argue with Neji.
Could Neji give him money?
No!
Neji took a good look at Uchiha Yu and recognized him.
"You're Uchiha Yu?" Neji frowned. "The guy who beat Tenten with shuriken?"
Uchiha Yu nodded slightly, but kept staring at the money in his hand.
He was still figuring out how to save up a hundred thousand ryō in half a month.
Seeing Uchiha Yu's attitude, Neji grew a little angry.
"Hinata, is this the kind of rude person you bring home?"
Neji shoved Hinata to the ground and stood in front of Uchiha Yu.
Seeing Hinata stumble and fall, Uchiha Yu frowned.
"Is that how you treat my sugar mommy?"
Hyuga Hinata quickly got back to her feet. "Brother Neji, he's here to teach me taijutsu. He's my friend from the Ninja Academy."
"Taijutsu?" Neji snorted.
He directed the resentment he felt toward Hinata at Uchiha Yu, too.
"All I know is that he's pretty good with shuriken. I have no idea how he is at taijutsu!"
Neji punched at Uchiha Yu.
Seeing Neji attack without warning, Uchiha Yu said nothing. He clutched the money in one hand and slid the other along Neji's arm to his shoulder. Then he put his weight into it and shoved Neji away.
Neji staggered back several steps with a thud.
Uchiha Yu hadn't used his full strength, but Neji was still surprised to be beaten in a single move.
After a moment of thought, some of the resentment he felt toward Uchiha Yu faded.
"So you do have some skill." A smile tugged at Neji's lips, and the hostility in his eyes eased.
But he stepped forward again and attacked Uchiha Yu.
Clutching the money, Uchiha Yu repeatedly deflected Neji's attacks as they came like a sudden storm.
Suddenly, Neji placed his palm against Uchiha Yu's fist.
"Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!"
A wave of chakra shot out from Neji's palm!
That kind of attack was nothing more than a tickle to Uchiha Yu.
But then he remembered that this palm attack could pierce through things.
He hurriedly opened his hand.
The banknotes clenched in his palm had been shredded by the chakra wave.
Uchiha Yu's pupils contracted, and his body swayed slightly.
Damn it! My money!
I hadn't even had a chance to enjoy it yet!
Uchiha Yu could be ignored, belittled, or beaten.
But no one could take the money in his hands!
Under the surge of powerful emotion, an unusual chakra suddenly flowed from his brain into his eyes.
Uchiha Yu's eyes gradually turned blood-red.
One tomoe, two tomoe, three tomoe!
Uchiha Yu's Three-Tomoe Sharingan activated. He grabbed Neji by the collar and drove a fist into his chin.
"You little bastard! That was too much!"
Neji's mind went completely blank.
Damn, was awakening the Sharingan really that casual for the Uchiha Clan?
Before you continue