I'm Weak Now; There's No Point Being Polite

The Uchiha Clan Grounds' Training Ground.

The news that Shingetsu had awakened the Two-Tomoe Sharingan spread like wildfire.

He had awakened the One-Tomoe Sharingan last night, then evolved it straight to Two-Tomoe on the training ground today.

It was outrageous.

So outrageous that even the usually proud Uchiha couldn't help but be shaken.

The Uchiha Clan was not short on geniuses.

Shisui was a genius.

Itachi was a genius.

Obito Uchiha and Kagami Uchiha had also once been members of the clan who were held in high hopes.

But Shingetsu's situation was still rare.

Nine years old.

Still recovering from serious injuries.

He had just been through a fight to the death.

The next day, he evolved to Two-Tomoe on the training ground.

If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, many people wouldn't have believed it.

And the Uchiha who had witnessed it firsthand felt their attitudes shift in subtle ways.

If last night Shingetsu had been just an orphan of the clan who was "bold enough to kill and ruthless enough to do it,"

then today, he had become "a genius worth cultivating."

The difference between the two seemed like a single step.

In reality, it was enormous.

The Uchiha valued their clan members.

But they valued geniuses even more.

Especially in a time like this, when the Konoha High Command was suppressing them and the clan's mood was bleak. Every genius who could grow quickly was like a new banner.

By the edge of the training ground,

Uchiha Tekka was looking at Shingetsu in a completely different light.

He had admired Shingetsu from the start.

He thought the boy was clearheaded and gutsy.

But now, he realized he had still underestimated him.

This kid wasn't just ruthless.

He really had talent.

Talent that might even put him on par with Shisui and Itachi.

"How are you feeling?"

Tekka stepped forward and asked in a low voice.

Shingetsu rubbed the corner of his eye.

"A little sore."

He wasn't pretending.

Although the system had forcibly pushed his Sharingan to evolve without making his mind collapse, a burning pain still lingered deep in his eyeballs.

He could also feel that the Two-Tomoe put a much greater strain on his body than the One-Tomoe had.

He didn't have enough chakra right now, and his body hadn't recovered yet. He couldn't keep it activated for long.

Tekka frowned.

"Turn it off for now."

"You're still hurt. Don't push yourself."

Shingetsu nodded and slowly deactivated his Sharingan.

The scarlet faded, and his black eyes returned.

His vision plunged from crystal-clear back to normal in an instant.

The difference was striking.

It was like having just looked down on the whole battlefield from above, only to be pulled back to the ground.

No wonder it was hard for shinobi to avoid relying on the Sharingan once they got used to it.

The advantages it offered were immense.

Tracking movement, observing chakra, enhancing genjutsu, copying ninjutsu.

Every single one of those abilities could change the course of a battle.

"That's enough training for today."

Tekka said it outright.

"Go home and rest."

Shingetsu looked at him.

"I can still train."

Tekka glared at him.

"Train for what?"

"You just awakened the Two-Tomoe, and you're covered in injuries. Do you think you're made of iron?"

Uchiha Washiyama came over as well.

He still felt a little embarrassed about losing to Shingetsu just now, but the contempt in his eyes had faded.

"Tekka's right."

"Don't push yourself, kid."

"Uchiha may be willing to risk their lives, but that doesn't mean you should train yourself into the ground."

Shingetsu glanced at him.

"Thanks for the pointers just now."

Washiyama's mouth twitched.

"Are you thanking me or mocking me?"

"Both," Shingetsu replied calmly.

Washiyama froze, then couldn't help laughing as he cursed.

"You've got a sharp tongue for a brat."

A few of the young Uchiha nearby laughed too.

The mood on the training ground had clearly lightened.

That was one of the harsh realities within the Uchiha.

If you had no strength, people looked down on you.

If you were strong, people would call you spirited even if you spoke a little sharply.

Shingetsu wasn't about to let this opportunity pass.

He looked at Washiyama and suddenly asked, "What are you good at, Washiyama?"

Washiyama raised an eyebrow.

"What? Want to learn?"

"Yes."

Shingetsu answered without hesitation.

Washiyama was caught off guard.

He had expected Shingetsu to be a little polite about it, but the boy was so direct.

Tekka chuckled beside them. "Washiyama specializes in shuriken traps and close-quarters counters."

"Your wire tricks were still a little rough against him."

Washiyama snorted.

"You won, but that was because I let my guard down."

"If it had been a real fight to the death, you wouldn't have caught me so easily with those few wires."

Shingetsu nodded.

"That's why I want to learn."

Washiyama stared at him for a few seconds.

"You really don't hold back."

"I'm weak now. There's no point being polite," Shingetsu said.

Washiyama fell silent.

A moment later, he dropped his joking expression.

"Fine."

"When you're healed, I'll teach you."

"But I'll be tough on you. If you can't handle it, don't cry."

Shingetsu replied calmly, "I cried last night."

Washiyama froze.

Tekka did too.

Shingetsu continued, "Crying doesn't help."

Silence fell over the edge of the training ground again.

Looking at Shingetsu, Washiyama suddenly felt a lump in his throat.

When a nine-year-old said those words, there was neither sorrow nor anger on his face.

Only a calmness that weighed heavily on the heart.

If Shingetsu hadn't been ruthless enough last night, he would have been taken away by now.

And every Uchiha knew what would happen after he was taken.

Washiyama took a deep breath.

"Fine."

"When you're better, I'll teach you everything I know."

Tekka patted Shingetsu on the shoulder.

"Come on. I'll walk you home."

Shingetsu nodded.

Just as he turned to leave the training ground, his gaze swept, almost imperceptibly, over a rooftop in the distance.

It was empty now.

The figure who had been hiding there earlier was gone.

But Shingetsu knew the person hadn't left the Uchiha Clan Grounds.

They had gone to pass on the news.

The Two-Tomoe couldn't be kept secret.

There was no need to hide it, either.

Sometimes, revealing a little of your strength could earn you a higher level of protection.

He was already on Fugaku's and the Uchiha Police Force's radar.

It wouldn't be so easy for the Konoha High Command to take him away unnoticed, the way they had last night.

Of course, that only meant it wouldn't be so easy.

A man like Danzo would eventually make another move if he decided Shingetsu was a threat.

As he walked, Shingetsu opened the system panel in his mind.

[Host: Uchiha Shingetsu]

[Age: Nine]

[Bloodline: Two-Tomoe Sharingan]

[Current Traits: Basic Taijutsu Enhancement, Mental Resistance, Chakra Control, Short Blade Mastery, Combat Intuition, Causality Perception]

[New Ability: Causality Retrospection]

[Current Causality Points: 0]

[Main Causality: Uchiha Clan Downfall Night]

[Current Deviation: 3%]

His Causality Points were gone.

But the Two-Tomoe were well worth it.

And the newly added [Causality Retrospection] was crucial.

Shingetsu hadn't tested it yet.

But from the system's description, it could show the key movements made by a target in the past ten minutes.

What did that mean?

It meant tracking, counter-surveillance, investigations, and spotting traps would all become far more effective.

Especially now, when Root would surely keep testing him.

If he used it well, he might even be able to catch Root in the act.

At the thought, Shingetsu's gaze shifted slightly.

Perhaps an opportunity would come soon.