Do you still want to let me have three moves?

The morning sun had just begun to spill into the Uchiha compound.

Shin-getsu was roused from his sickbed.

The person who arrived was none other than Uchiha Tekka.

"Stop lying there."

Tekka stood in the doorway with his arms crossed, his tone laced with a hint of impatience that could not quite mask his excitement.

"The Clan Head has agreed. You're to head to the training grounds today."

Shin-getsu gripped the edge of the bed to pull himself upright; the bandages had yet to be removed, and every movement sent a sharp sting through his wounds.

"Now?"

"Right now."

Tekka grinned.

"Word has already spread through the clan. Many want to see if the brat who dared to risk his life with explosive tags last night is the real deal, or if it was all just talk."

Shin-getsu's eyes flickered.

He knew this wasn't just a simple "look."

It was a formal verification of his standing within the Uchiha.

Last night, he had been nothing more than a "victim who almost got snatched away."

Today, he had to prove to his clansmen that he was qualified to be a member of the Uchiha.

Perhaps even someone capable of standing on the front lines in the future.

Shin-getsu didn't waste words; he threw off the quilt and slowly stood up.

Tekka glanced him over.

"You going to be alright?"

"I won't die."

Shin-getsu replied calmly.

Tekka let out a hearty laugh.

"Tough enough."

"That's how an Uchiha should be."

With that, he tossed a clean clan uniform over.

"Put it on."

"Don't go embarrassing us wearing those hospital rags."

Shin-getsu caught the uniform, understanding that while Tekka's mouth was rough, he had already begun to treat him as one of his own.

That was good.

What the Uchiha lacked most were people who could catch a comrade's blade, not those who only knew how to spout empty words behind their backs.

A short while later, Shin-getsu was dressed and following Tekka toward the training grounds.

Along the way, many Uchiha clansmen turned to look at him.

There was surprise, curiosity, and scrutiny.

The events of last night had fermented thoroughly within the clan.

A nine-year-old child had killed two suspected Root ninjas in a counter-attack.

He had awakened the Sharingan.

And he had forced the Clan Head to relent with a single sentence at the clan meeting.

In the past, no one would have believed such a thing.

Yet, it had happened.

And so, the current Shin-getsu was no longer an orphaned outsider, but a newcomer whose true colors everyone wanted to see.

"Is that Shin-getsu?"

"I heard he killed two adult ninjas by himself last night."

"Is that for real? He's only nine, right?"

"What does age matter? The Uchiha have always been the type to get stronger the crazier they get."

"I wonder what the Clan Head is thinking, letting him go straight to the training grounds."

"Isn't that normal? If he's truly a genius, of course you want to see it for yourself as soon as possible."

The murmurs drifted toward him incessantly.

Shin-getsu, however, acted as if he heard nothing, his expression calm.

He knew very well that this gossip was only the beginning.

As long as he continued to grow stronger, suspicion would turn into awe, awe would turn into support, and eventually, there would be people who would take the initiative to speak up for him.

And the Uchiha were the most susceptible to this.

Strength was the most direct form of authority.

Soon, they arrived at the training ground.

The training ground within the Uchiha clan was more enclosed than the public training grounds of Konoha, isolated by high walls with a floor paved in smooth gravel.

At a glance, quite a few young Uchiha were already training inside.

Shuriken flew, kunai clashed, and the sounds of Fire Release explosions rang out from time to time.

As soon as Shin-getsu entered, the noise on the field paused noticeably for a moment.

Many people turned their heads to look at him.

Uchiha Tekka scanned the area and spoke directly.

"What are you all looking at?"

"Are you done training for the day?"

Several young clansmen awkwardly withdrew their gazes and continued their training.

But their eyes still drifted toward Shin-getsu from time to time.

Tekka led Shin-getsu to the side of the field and whispered, "Don't be in a rush to go up there yet."

"There are plenty of brats in the clan who aren't convinced by words alone."

"If someone challenges you later, don't be a coward, but don't push yourself too hard either."

Shin-getsu looked up at him.

"What if someone is looking for trouble on purpose?"

Tekka sneered.

"Then let him know that the Uchiha don't just talk."

"If you can win, I'll speak up for you later."

Shin-getsu nodded.

"Understood."

Just as Tekka was about to say something else, a rather impolite voice suddenly came from the side.

"Senior Tekka."

"Is this the brat from last night?"

Shin-getsu turned to look.

The speaker was a young man in his early twenties with sharp features and a shallow scar on his left cheek, spinning a kunai in his hand.

His name was Uchiha Washiyama, quite famous among the younger generation of the Police Force, known for his impulsive personality and hot temper.

In the original timeline, he was the type most easily ignited by the conflicts between Danzo and the higher-ups.

Tekka frowned.

"What do you want to say?"

Washiyama glanced at Shin-getsu, the corner of his mouth curling upward.

"Nothing."

"Just curious, why does the kid who was rumored to be so amazing last night look so weak today?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding young Uchiha all wore expressions of anticipation for a show.

Shin-getsu's face was pale and he was still wearing bandages; he certainly didn't look like someone capable of fighting.

But Shin-getsu was not angry.

He knew the other party wasn't just provoking him, but testing him.

If he couldn't even handle this bit of pressure, the impression he had built up last night would immediately shrink.

Tekka's expression darkened.

"Washiyama, don't look for trouble."

Washiyama shrugged.

"I'm not looking for trouble."

"I just want to see if the genius who suddenly popped up in the clan is really worth everyone's expectations."

As he spoke, he walked straight to the center of the field and pointed at Shin-getsu.

"Shin-getsu, do you dare to come up and spar?"

The atmosphere on the sidelines changed instantly.

The eyes of many young clansmen lit up.

The Uchiha were inherently combative.

In the training grounds, the best way to prove a point wasn't with words, but with fists.

Tekka frowned, about to refuse, but Shin-getsu had already stepped forward.

"Fine."

Tekka was taken aback.

"Your injuries haven't healed yet."

Shin-getsu said calmly, "I know."

"But some people won't shut up unless you fight them."

Washiyama laughed.

"Direct enough."

"Come on, don't say I'm bullying a wounded man."

He tossed a training kunai toward Shin-getsu.

Shin-getsu caught it and slowly walked into the center of the arena.

The surrounding crowd automatically dispersed, leaving an open space for the two.

Tekka stood on the edge, his brows furrowed tightly.

He had intended to intervene, but after seeing the calm in Shin-getsu's eyes, he ultimately didn't speak.

Because he suddenly felt that this child might not need anyone to shield him at all.

Washiyama assumed his starting stance and smiled. "I'll let you have the first three moves."

Shin-getsu looked at him.

"Are you sure?"

Washiyama raised an eyebrow.

"What, afraid?"

Shin-getsu shook his head.

"I'm afraid you'll regret it."

The moment the words left his lips, he was already in motion.

No wasted movements.

No probing.

He charged straight ahead.

A flash of surprise crossed Washiyama's eyes.

What a fast start!

The kid was clearly injured, yet his explosive power was not weak in the slightest.

However, Washiyama was a formal ninja after all; his reactions were lightning-fast. He held his kunai horizontally, preparing to stabilize the rhythm of the fight.

But just as the two were about to make contact, Shin-getsu suddenly sidestepped.

He didn't clash head-on.

Instead, using the momentum of his sprint, he angled his kunai to slash directly at Washiyama's wrist.

Washiyama frowned and immediately pulled his hand back.

But that was exactly what Shin-getsu wanted.

The next second, Shin-getsu hooked his toe, kicking up a tiny pebble from the ground that struck Washiyama right in the back of the knee.

Washiyama's movements faltered for a split second.

That was the moment.

Shin-getsu dropped his body low, his training kunai grazing past the other man's ribs, creating a crisp whistling sound as it cut through the air.

Washiyama's expression finally changed.

"You little brat..."

Before he could finish, Shin-getsu had already retreated half a step, flicking his wrist to launch three shuriken in a straight line.

Washiyama raised his hand to block.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

Three soft sounds rang out.

But just as he deflected the second one, he realized a thin steel wire was hidden behind the third shuriken.

A tug on the steel wire coiled it directly around his wrist, pinning the hand holding the kunai.

Washiyama's heart skipped a beat.

"When did you set the wire?"

Shin-getsu did not answer.

Because the answer was simple.

Just before his dash, he had used the movement of his sleeves to hide the pre-prepared thin wire between his fingers.

This was something he had learned from last night's life-or-death battle.

When ninjas fought, what truly decided the outcome was often not a head-on clash, but who could draw the other into their own rhythm.

Washiyama wanted to test him.

So he took the opportunity to set a trap.

Washiyama wanted to make him look foolish.

So he would make the other man lose face first.

"Damn it!"

Washiyama let out a low growl, surging his chakra to snap the steel wire.

But Shin-getsu was faster.

He yanked the wire hard, using the leverage to flip forward, his knee driving straight toward Washiyama's chin.

Washiyama was forced to lean back.

Shin-getsu landed and didn't pause for a second, his right hand gripping the kunai in a reverse hold, pointing it straight at the other's throat.

The entire arena fell silent.

Everyone had witnessed this scene.

A nine-year-old kid, still recovering from serious injuries, had actually backed a full-fledged ninja in his twenties into a corner.

Washiyama's expression turned incredibly ugly.

He knew that if Shin-getsu had actually struck him just now, he would have lost all face today.

But he also understood that Shin-getsu hadn't gone for the kill.

Because the kunai had stopped half an inch from his throat.

This wasn't a lethal blow.

It was a warning.

Shin-getsu looked at him, his voice not loud, yet perfectly clear.

"Do you still want to give me three moves?"