Kenichi Uchiha

The night was deep. Fugaku walked quietly through the streets of the Uchiha District. He needed subordinates whose loyalty was beyond doubt, people who would help clear away unnecessary obstacles to the clan's rise.

Names passed through his mind. Some belonged to clan prodigies, others to members who had never found their place. Some were humble and eager to learn; others were arrogant and looked down on everyone around them.

Their abilities varied widely. Some had yet to awaken the Sharingan, while others had already reached the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

With the Body Flicker Technique, Fugaku vanished and reappeared inside a clan member's home. Through a window, he saw a young man asleep on his bed.

This young man was his first target tonight: Kenichi Uchiha. Once a clan prodigy, Kenichi had awakened his Sharingan at eight. Now, at eighteen, he still had only One Tomoe.

He had gone from carrying the hopes of many clan members to being an unremarkable member of the Security Force.

Fugaku understood how crushing it was for a ninja once hailed as a genius to become ordinary, and how much pressure Kenichi carried inside.

He entered the room. Black Mist rippled slowly, revealing a pair of spinning Mangekyo Sharingan. Fugaku lifted Kenichi's eyelids, and their eyes met.

In the dream, Kenichi was assigned a mission in the Land of Rain. Many on his team were old friends. To Kenichi, fighting enemies and carrying out missions alongside them seemed like a good outcome.

Kenichi and three teammates were resting beside a sheltered outcrop of rock when, in the blink of an eye, twelve Sand Shinobi surrounded them.

The four sprang to their feet and stood back to back, watching the enemy with wary focus.

One Sand Shinobi gave a cold chuckle and eyed the four ninjas