The Birth of a Volcano in the Ninja World

Uchiha Fugaku rose to his feet and said to the Uchiha elders beside him. His voice was not loud, but it was clear enough for everyone in the front rows to hear. "The flames of the Uchiha have never been extinguished."

Those words carried an especially powerful impact over the scorched earth of the training ground.

This was not a simple compliment, but a political declaration. To a certain extent, Uchiha En's performance in the graduation exam had become the Uchiha clan's silent proclamation to Konoha's upper ranks, and even to the entire ninja world: our clan has not declined.

We still possess the power to turn an entire training ground into scorched earth—and even more than that. The hawkish elders within the clan exchanged flickering looks, as if new thoughts had begun to take root in their hearts.

And under Fugaku's gaze, the gray goateed elder finally chose to remain silent.

Danzo. His expression had not changed throughout, his lone eye half-closed like a sleeping statue.

Yet when Uchiha En's molten fist struck the ground and magma erupted, the Sharingan beneath the bandages on Danzo's right arm all twitched at once—not under his conscious control, but as an instinctive resonance from those transplanted eyes when they sensed the ultimate power unleashed by blood of their own clan.

It was a reaction rooted deep within Uchiha blood, beyond reason.

Leaning on his cane, he rose and became the first to leave the VIP seats.

That old bastard was clearly anxious. He needed to reassess and rearrange his plans—how to claim this "spark" for himself, or extinguish it completely.

Jiraiya was the last to leave. As he passed the Third Hokage, he paused for a moment and lowered his voice so only the two of them could hear. "Old man, that kid's power—are you sure the ANBU can keep him under control?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not answer. He merely took a deep drag from his pipe, and smoke spread before his eyes, obscuring his expression.

There was both carefree irreverence and the foresight of an inevitable future in Jiraiya's laughter. With a light tap of his toes, his figure blurred, and he leaped onto a rooftop before drifting away like a falling leaf.

He said nothing more, because he had already seen it—the underlying nature deep within those flames, entirely unlike Minato's, belonging to Uchiha En alone.

[Ding—]

[Achievement unlocked: Ninja Academy Overlord!]

[Reward: Magma-Magma Fruit evolution progress +5%]

[Current evolution progress: 43%]

[Observation Haki: Lv. 2 (Perception radius: 500 meters!)]

[Breakthrough effect: After Observation Haki reaches Lv. 2, perception is no longer limited to "aura tracking." New function unlocked: "emotion detection"—allows detection of the basic emotional states of all living beings within 500 meters (fear, anger, killing intent, goodwill, etc.).]

Uchiha En looked at the words "Lv. 2" and "emotion detection" flashing on the system panel and took a deep breath.

The significance of this breakthrough went far beyond the numbers themselves. From now on, he would not only know where his enemies were, but also what they were thinking.

Those "blank" Root ninjas under Danzo, whose emotions had been erased, could train their auras however they wanted, but they could never completely eliminate the physiological fluctuations of emotion. Observation Haki Lv. 2 was like an invisible lie detector, enough to see through the human heart.

It was an extremely covert yet exceptionally powerful ability, one that would give him the initiative in many future conspiracies.

The graduation ceremony was brief and formal. Every student who had passed the exam was called up to the stage in turn and given a forehead protector bearing Konoha's symbol. The metal plate reflected a blinding gleam beneath the sunlight. It represented honor, but also responsibility.

When Uchiha En accepted his forehead protector, his fingers lingered on the cold metal plate for a second. In his previous life, he had seen that symbol countless times on a computer screen. It had been the totem of the world he longed for. In this life, he was touching the real thing for the first time.

It felt cold, yet carried a heavy weight. From this day onward, this forehead protector would be his identity.

Minato came over, a silver forehead protector already wrapped around his brow. It reflected the sunlight and set off his golden hair, making him especially eye-catching.

"En! Come on, fist bump!" He raised his fist, his face wearing the pure smile of a victor. Uchiha En did not refuse. He raised his hand and lightly bumped Minato's fist.

The image of the two fists meeting beneath the sunlight was captured in a sketch by an unknown ninja in the distance.

The ninja had drawn it casually, but many years later, the sketch was preserved in the Konoha Museum, titled—"The Beginning of Twin Stars."

Only then did people realize that on that day, they had witnessed two geniuses destined to change the landscape of the ninja world reveal their brilliance for the first time in Konoha.

After the ceremony ended, the crowd gradually dispersed.

The setting sun dyed Konoha's rooftops orange-red, like an overturned palette of paint—brilliant and fleeting.

Minato and En walked side by side along the road home.

Minato had a lot to say. Excitedly, he talked about the training plan Jiraiya had laid out for him, the official squad he would soon join, and even boldly imagined his future path to becoming Hokage.

His voice was full of longing and passion for the future.

Uchiha En listened quietly, occasionally giving a soft response, a faint curve remaining at the corner of his lips.

That curve was so slight that others would have found it hard to notice, yet it contained a depth of meaning they could not understand. He knew every future Minato spoke of, and he knew the price behind each one.

At the fork in the road, Minato headed toward the civilian district. That was where his home was, where Kushina waited.

Uchiha En, meanwhile, walked toward the Uchiha clan compound. It was both his starting point and the starting point of his secret operations. After taking a few steps, Minato turned back and called out. His voice was stretched by the evening breeze, carrying the clarity and sincerity unique to a young boy. "En!"

"Yeah." Uchiha En did not turn around.

"No matter what path we take in the future—we'll always be best friends!" There was an unquestionable purity in Minato's words, like a ray of light illuminating the still waters of Uchiha En's heart.

Uchiha En did not look back. But he raised his right hand and held up a fist in Minato's direction. The gesture was simple and firm, a silent promise between them. After walking fifty meters, he slipped his right hand into his pocket.

His fingertips touched the special authorization order from the Third Hokage.

The paper was cold, yet it spoke of his future more clearly than any words could. Starting tomorrow—he would put on a mask and enter the ANBU. Light and shadow would officially go their separate ways from then on.

But going separate ways did not mean parting. This was the beginning of a long game between him and Minato, with Konoha as the board and fate as the wager.