Focusing on Kiyoshi Uchiha

"The moment it began, I cast Lightning Release: Blazing Flash. In daylight, this technique is hard to detect. You tried to seize the initiative by casting a genjutsu on my eyes, but that only put you at a disadvantage."

The light at Kiyoshi's fingertips gradually grew more brilliant, like a magnifying glass focusing sunlight.

Watching the light flicker in Kiyoshi's hand, Asuma Sarutobi felt faintly dizzy.

He quickly shook his head and came back to his senses.

"Asuma Sarutobi, you're very strong. Unfortunately, I'm an Uchiha."

Kiyoshi stopped casting the genjutsu from his fingertips and spoke to Asuma Sarutobi.

"Asuma, how did you lose just like that?" Obito shouted from behind.

Asuma Sarutobi's already flushed face turned even redder as he stammered, "I... I call this losing? If we competed in something else, I definitely wouldn't have lost so easily."

Asuma Sarutobi regretted it immensely.

In a burst of hotheadedness, he had challenged an Uchiha at what they excelled at just to show off his manliness in front of Kurenai Yuhi.

If they had competed in Fire Release, he would not have been defeated the instant they met.

But now that they had compared genjutsu, his performance had been utterly miserable.

Kiyoshi was already this formidable without using the Sharingan. Once he used it, how terrifying would his genjutsu become?

"The Sarutobi Clan and the Uchiha Clan are both great clans, Asuma Sarutobi. It's just that the Uchiha are better at genjutsu."

Kiyoshi patted Asuma Sarutobi on the shoulder, giving him a way to save face.

"...R-right."

Asuma Sarutobi nodded.

It was not that he was weak. Even without the Sharingan, Kiyoshi Uchiha's genjutsu was undeniably powerful.

"Asuma, don't lose heart," Kurenai Yuhi comforted him gently.

She understood Asuma Sarutobi's feelings. Back then, she had also been defeated by Kiyoshi in a single exchange.

Fortunately, she had been clever enough to pay Kiyoshi for tutoring.

It had raised her genjutsu skills considerably.

"...Okay."

Faced with Kurenai's comfort, Asuma Sarutobi could only nod silently.

If he said anything else, wouldn't he just seem petty?

In the end, he had borne it all alone.

Asuma Sarutobi got to his feet as if nothing had happened, then returned to the crowd.

"Got any chips? Give me some."

There was a hint of sorrow in Asuma Sarutobi's voice.

Chōmaru Akimichi took out a bag from his pocket and handed it to Asuma Sarutobi.

"Kiyoshi Uchiha, huh? Interesting," Shiranui Genma said with a toothpick between his lips.

Ebisu nodded in agreement and pushed up his round black glasses. "I wonder whether Kiyoshi Uchiha will graduate early. His progress is nothing like that of commoners like us."

"Probably."

Shiranui Genma glanced at Obito.

A great shinobi clan like the Uchiha would never lack ninjutsu or early instruction.

Kiyoshi had likely received plenty of training within the Uchiha Clan in private.

"Alright, everyone, gather up."

Umino Iruka, the chūnin instructor, blew his whistle and called all the students together.

He had watched Kiyoshi and Asuma Sarutobi's battle from beginning to end.

Truly impressive.

After barely more than half a month of special training, Asuma Sarutobi's genjutsu had improved considerably.

Was that to be expected of the Third Hokage's son?

But the most surprising one is Kiyoshi Uchiha. He was able to suppress Asuma Sarutobi before even awakening the Sharingan.

That was what surprised Umino Iruka the most.

The Sharingan's fame was known throughout the Shinobi World.

If Kiyoshi had won through the Sharingan, everyone would have found it perfectly natural.

After all, the reputation of the Uchiha Clan as an elite clan had already taken root in people's hearts. Some mission requests even specifically demanded Uchiha shinobi.

But Kiyoshi had not relied on the Sharingan. He had relied on his own genjutsu ability.

That showed that Kiyoshi possessed extremely strong learning abilities.

Whether in taijutsu or genjutsu, he was a genius.

If he can master the Three-Body Technique in a short time as well, this child is practically an all-round genius.

Umino Iruka was secretly shocked.

Even Kakashi Hatake, the Son of the White Fang, who had only recently graduated—

He could not necessarily be considered well-rounded.

At the very least, his genjutsu could not possibly compare to Kiyoshi's as a member of the Uchiha Clan.

After all the students had gathered, Umino Iruka gave a brief speech before dismissing them on the spot and sending them back to the classroom for their other lessons.

He then took out a routine performance evaluation form that already had some marks on it and drew a "○" in the genjutsu section.

Kiyoshi Uchiha: Ninjutsu △, Taijutsu ○, Genjutsu ○, Class Attitude ○, Initiative △, Sociability △.

The "○" indicated excellence, "△" indicated average, and the worst rating was marked with an "×."

Umino Iruka did not know Kiyoshi's current level of ninjutsu, so based on his performance learning the Clone Technique last month, he gave him a "△."

He also wrote quite a few notes beneath Kiyoshi's entry, recording the details of the genjutsu test.

After rating Kiyoshi, Umino Iruka continued marking every student in the class.

The end of term was approaching, so this routine performance evaluation was necessary.

It was also meant to track the growth of shinobi. All the materials were confidential and would ultimately be sealed in the archives of the Hokage's Office Building.

Upon graduation, they would undergo another comprehensive evaluation. Their graduation exam results, along with the routine performance evaluation forms from their years at the Ninja Academy, would be sealed as their final shinobi graduation records.

These records were lifelong and could not be altered.

Hokage's Office Building.

After Hiruzen Sarutobi finished processing a batch of documents, he looked at the stack of files wrapped in yellow paper that an Anbu shinobi had delivered.

"Hokage-sama, please review them."

The Anbu shinobi spoke respectfully, then vanished from the Hokage's Office to guard Hiruzen Sarutobi from the shadows.

Hiruzen Sarutobi replaced the cigarette in his pipe, which had burned down completely, with a fine new one and took a puff before slowly opening the documents.

"Uchiha... Kiyoshi."

Hiruzen Sarutobi found Kiyoshi's routine performance evaluation form.

"Did he defeat Asuma?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped his pipe, shaking loose a little ash.

No wonder that boy had recently been pestering some of the clan's veteran shinobi to train in genjutsu.

Hiruzen Sarutobi pulled out the next routine performance evaluation form and continued reading.

He possessed the Ninja Art: Telescope Technique, which allowed him to monitor specific people from afar through the Crystal Ball.

However, it had many restrictions. He needed to know the target's Chakra characteristics.

That requirement was troublesome, and he could not possibly monitor all of Konoha by himself at all times.

Thus, Hiruzen Sarutobi rarely used this technique in his daily life.

"A storm is coming."

After a while, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed.

Kiyoshi Uchiha's background was clean. Tests had shown that he had never learned any ninjutsu.

Ever since Kiyoshi had been brought back, Hiruzen Sarutobi had continuously sent people to the Land of Lightning to investigate.

To this day, there had been no second case like Kiyoshi's.

And with the Land of Lightning's nature, they certainly would not do something as foolish as sending an Uchiha out as a spy.

What worried Hiruzen Sarutobi most was something else.

The Shinobi World was far from peaceful these days.