The morning sunlight had only just fallen over the Uchiha Clan Grounds.
Shin-getsu was roused from his hospital bed.
The visitor was none other than Uchiha Tekka.
"Quit lying around."
Tekka stood in the doorway with his arms crossed. His tone held a trace of impatience, though he couldn't hide his excitement.
"The clan head agreed. You're going to the Training Ground today."
Shin-getsu pushed himself upright against the edge of the bed. His bandages were still on, and even the slightest movement tugged painfully at his wounds.
"Now?"
"Right now."
Tekka grinned.
"Word's already spread through the clan. Plenty of people want to see whether that brat who dared to grab an Explosive Tag and fight for his life last night is the real deal or just all talk."
Shin-getsu's eyes shifted slightly.
He knew this wasn't simply about people wanting to "see."
It was the Uchiha's way of formally assessing him.
Last night, he had been nothing more than "the victim who'd almost been captured."
Today, he would have to prove before the clan that he deserved to be one of the Uchiha.
Perhaps even someone who could one day stand in the spotlight.
Shin-getsu said nothing. He threw back the covers and slowly stood up.
Tekka glanced him over.
"You going to be all right?"
"I won't die."
Shin-getsu replied coolly.
Tekka laughed.
"That's the spirit."
"That's how an Uchiha should be."
As he spoke, he tossed over a clean set of clan clothes.
"Put these on."
"Don't embarrass yourself by showing up in those hospital clothes."
Shin-getsu caught the clothes, understanding that despite Tekka's rough manner, he already saw him as one of their own.
That was good.
What the Uchiha needed most were people who would take a blade for their own, not people who only talked big behind their backs.
A little while later, Shin-getsu had changed and followed Tekka toward the Training Ground.
Along the way, plenty of Uchiha clan members turned to look at him.
Some were surprised, some curious, and others scrutinized him.
The events of last night had spread through the clan and stirred up a commotion.
A nine-year-old child had killed two suspected Root ninja.
Awakened the Sharingan.
And forced the clan head to relent with a single remark at the clan meeting.
No one would have believed it before.
But it had happened.
So Shin-getsu was no longer a forgotten orphan on the fringes. He was a newcomer whose abilities everyone wanted to size up.
"Is that Shin-getsu?"
"I heard he killed two adult ninja by himself last night."
"Really? He's only nine, isn't he?"
"So what if he's nine? Uchiha are strongest when they're crazy."
"Wonder what the clan head's thinking, sending him straight to the Training Ground."
"What's strange about that? If he really is a genius, of course we should find out sooner rather than later."
The whispers continued.
Shin-getsu acted as if he couldn't hear them, his expression calm.
He knew this was only the beginning.
As long as he kept getting stronger, suspicion would turn to awe, awe would turn to support, and eventually people would speak up for him of their own accord.
That was what the Uchiha responded to most.
Strength was the most direct form of influence.
Before long, they reached the Training Ground.
The Uchiha's training grounds were more enclosed than Konoha's public training field, with tall walls surrounding the area and a level surface covered in gravel.
Quite a few young Uchiha were already training there.
Shuriken flew through the air, Kunai clashed, and the rumble of Fire Style techniques rang out now and then.
When Shin-getsu entered, the sounds on the field stopped for an instant.
Many people turned to look at him.
Tekka surveyed the area and called out.
"What are you all staring at?"
"Taking the day off?"
A few young clan members awkwardly looked away and returned to their training.
But their eyes still kept drifting toward Shin-getsu.
Tekka led him to the edge of the field and said quietly, "Don't rush in just yet."
"Plenty of those little brats in the clan won't admit you're any good."
"If someone challenges you, don't back down, but don't push yourself too hard either."
Shin-getsu looked up at him.
"What if someone deliberately tries to cause trouble?"
Tekka gave a cold smile.
"Then show him the Uchiha are more than just talk."
"If you can beat him, I'll put in a good word for you afterward."
Shin-getsu nodded.
"Understood."
Tekka was about to say more when an impolite voice suddenly came from nearby.
"Tekka-senpai."
"So this is the brat from last night?"
Shin-getsu turned to look.
The speaker was a man in his early twenties, with sharp features and a faint scar on his left cheek. He spun a Kunai in one hand.
His name was Uchiha Washiyama. He was fairly well known among the younger generation in the Police Force, and he was as hotheaded as he was brash.
In the original timeline, he was the kind of person most easily provoked by Danzo and the conflicts among the higher-ups.
Tekka frowned.
"What are you getting at?"
Washiyama glanced at Shin-getsu and curled his lips.
"Nothing."
"I'm just curious. That kid everyone made such a fuss over last night looks pretty weak today."
At that, several young Uchiha nearby wore amused expressions.
Shin-getsu was pale, and the bandages wrapped around him certainly didn't make him look like much of a fighter.
But Shin-getsu wasn't angry.
He knew the other man wasn't just provoking him. He was testing him.
If Shin-getsu couldn't withstand even this much pressure, the impression he had made last night would immediately lose some of its shine.
Tekka's expression darkened.
"Washiyama, don't start trouble."
Washiyama shrugged.
"I'm not starting anything."
"I just want to see whether this so-called genius who suddenly appeared in the clan is really worth everyone's hopes."
As he spoke, he walked straight to the center of the field and pointed at Shin-getsu.
"Shin-getsu, got the guts to spar?"
The atmosphere around the field changed in an instant.
Many of the young clan members' eyes lit up.
The Uchiha were naturally combative.
On a training field, fists—not words—were what proved a point.
Tekka frowned and was about to refuse, but Shin-getsu had already stepped forward.
"Sure."
Tekka froze.
"You're still injured."
Shin-getsu replied calmly, "I know."
"But some people won't shut up until you fight them."
Washiyama grinned.
"Straight to the point."
"Come on. Don't say I'm picking on an injured guy."
He casually tossed a training Kunai to Shin-getsu.
Shin-getsu caught it and slowly walked into the center of the field.
The onlookers moved aside, leaving the two of them a clear space.
Tekka stood at the edge, brows tightly furrowed.
He had wanted to stop them, but when he saw Shin-getsu's calm eyes, he ultimately held his tongue.
He suddenly had the feeling that this kid might not need anyone else to shield him.
Washiyama took a fighting stance and grinned. "I'll give you three moves."
Shin-getsu looked at him.
"You sure?"
Washiyama raised an eyebrow.
"What, scared?"
Shin-getsu shook his head.
"I'm worried you'll regret it."
The moment he finished speaking, he was already in motion.
No wasted movements.
No testing his opponent.
He charged straight in.
A flicker of surprise crossed Washiyama's eyes.
What a fast start!
The kid was injured, but his burst of speed was no joke.
Washiyama was still a trained ninja, though, and reacted quickly. He raised his Kunai to block, intending to steady the pace first.
But just as they were about to clash, Shin-getsu suddenly shifted to the side.
He didn't meet him head-on.
Using the momentum of his charge, he angled his Kunai upward, slashing directly at Washiyama's wrist.
Washiyama frowned and immediately pulled back his hand.
But that was exactly what Shin-getsu wanted.
The next moment, Shin-getsu hooked his toe under a small stone and kicked it up, striking Washiyama in the back of the knee.
Washiyama's movement faltered.
That was all Shin-getsu needed.
He suddenly lowered his body, sweeping his training Kunai past Washiyama's ribs with a sharp whistle.
Washiyama's expression finally changed.
"You little brat..."
Before he could finish, Shin-getsu had already retreated half a step and flicked his wrist, sending three Shuriken flying in a straight line.
Washiyama raised his hand to deflect them.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Three crisp impacts rang out.
But just as he deflected the second one, he failed to notice that a thread of ultrafine steel wire was trailing behind the third.
The steel wire snapped taut, wrapping around the wrist of the hand holding the kunai.
Washiyama's heart jolted.
"When did you set the wire?"
Shin-getsu didn't answer.
The answer was simple.
Before charging in, he had used the movement of his sleeve to conceal the fine wire he'd prepared in advance between his fingers.
It was something he had learned from last night's fight to the death.
When ninjas fought, what truly decided the victor was often not a head-on clash of strength, but who could draw the other into their own rhythm.
Washiyama wanted to test him.
So he seized the chance to set a trap.
Washiyama wanted to humiliate him.
Then he'd make his opponent lose face first.
"Damn it!"
Washiyama growled, sending a surge of chakra through his body in an attempt to snap the wire.
But Shin-getsu was faster.
He yanked the wire hard and used the pull to flip forward, driving his knee straight into Washiyama's chin.
Washiyama was forced to lean back.
Shin-getsu landed and didn't pause for an instant. With the kunai reversed in his right hand, he pointed it straight at his opponent's throat.
The entire arena fell silent.
Everyone had seen what happened.
A nine-year-old kid, still recovering from serious injuries, had forced a fully fledged ninja in his twenties into a corner.
Washiyama's face was ashen.
He knew that if Shin-getsu's strike actually landed, he'd be thoroughly disgraced today.
But he also understood that Shin-getsu hadn't gone for the kill.
The kunai had stopped half an inch from his throat.
This wasn't a killing move.
It was a warning.
Shin-getsu looked at him. His voice was quiet, but clear.
"Do you still want me to give you three moves?"
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