Kaguya's Praise

The morning dew had yet to dry in the secluded valley, and the embers of the cave's campfire gave off their last trace of warmth.

Yuya's long eyelashes fluttered a few times before his eyes snapped open.

The tearing pain of last night's awakening had long since faded, replaced by a clarity he had never experienced before-the world seemed to have been wiped clean of dust. Light, layers of color, every speck floating in the air-all stood out with extraordinary precision. He could even "see" the paths of droplets slowly sliding off the leaves outside the cave.

Turning his awareness inward, he instantly "saw" the transformation in his eyes: deep within each black pupil, a tiny tomoe, solid as crimson jade, slowly revolved, radiating a mysterious, chilling aura.

The Sharingan! It really was the Sharingan! Awakened at three?!

A storm surged through Yuya's heart. In the original story, Uchiha Itachi, hailed as a genius, had shaken the shinobi world by awakening his eyes at seven. Yuya had beaten him by four whole years! Indescribable joy and a sense of surpassing others flooded his body, and he couldn't keep the corners of his mouth from rising.

"Awake?" A voice cool and clear as jade came from behind him.

Yuya turned to see that Princess Kaguya was already ready to leave, her robes whiter than snow, her silver hair flowing like frost. Her Byakugan rested on him, as though she had long since understood his condition. Yet those cool eyes now held a rare, almost imperceptible trace of... anticipation?

"Big sister! Look!" Eager to show off his treasure, Yuya focused his thoughts and summoned the ever-growing "energy" within him-the embryonic form of chakra-which he still struggled to control precisely. He drove it toward his eyes with all his might!

Hum!

His black eyes abruptly changed. Blood-red color spread through them, and a scarlet tomoe spun wildly in each pupil, giving off an uncanny, piercing gleam that seemed capable of seeing straight into the heart! Even the air seemed to tighten.

Princess Kaguya narrowed her Byakugan slightly, studying that otherworldly scarlet.

"The Sharingan... a kekkei genkai kindled by pure will and intense emotion, blossoming in the depths of desperation..." she murmured, voicing the information she sensed in Yuya's bloodline. Her tone remained calm, but the trace of heat deep within her eyes intensified. "Very good. Its potential awaits your discovery. It's time to go."

There was no further praise, yet Yuya felt tremendous approval in that calm response-a visual power that earned a "very good" from the progenitor of chakra had potential that spoke for itself.

Two years slipped by amid travel and training as they searched for a place to plant the God Tree.

Princess Kaguya's guidance tempered him like fine steel. Combined with his continued allocation of system points-mainly into physique and spirit-Yuya's physical abilities had long since exceeded ordinary understanding.

At five, he was nearly as tall as an ordinary eight-year-old. His body was solid as rock, his strength could shatter stone slabs, his speed surpassed a galloping horse, and his reflexes were extraordinarily keen.

His One-Tomoe Sharingan not only granted exceptional perception and dynamic vision, but also greatly enhanced his sensitivity to the slightest movements of chakra-his "energy."

Though he had yet to study complex ninjutsu systematically, Princess Kaguya's occasional pointers-mostly driven by instinct-and his use of his affinity for the clear pool's water element had allowed him to begin exploring transformations in the shapes of water and fire.

The mountains gradually leveled out, and signs of human habitation appeared.

The view suddenly opened up before them. They had reached the heart of the Land of Ancestors' rule-the outskirts of Ancestor City.

Imposing walls of earth and timber stood in the distance, surrounded by crisscrossing paths through farmland.

Princess Kaguya's objective was clear: energy pulsed abundantly through this land, making it the most fertile ground for planting the God Tree.

But the peace was soon broken.

A squad of fierce-looking ashigaru guards in crude leather armor, carrying bamboo spears or rusted swords, blocked the earthen bridge on the main route to the fields. Their leader was a burly-faced captain with an iron sword hanging at his waist.

"Halt!" The captain thrust out his belly. His greedy gaze swept over Princess Kaguya's peerless beauty and obviously expensive white robes before finally settling on Yuya, revealing undisguised contempt and malice.

"What village hag are you? How dare you trespass on tribute fields specially designated by the Daimyo! Every inch of soil here is precious land meant to produce sacred offerings for our lords! Take that little brat of yours and get lost, or else..." With a metallic rasp, he drew his iron sword halfway from its sheath, its edge flashing coldly. The dozen or so guards around him raised their bamboo spears and grinned viciously, clearly intent on extortion-or worse.

Every samurai and ashigaru fixed his gaze on Princess Kaguya, whose mysterious bearing and oppressive presence made her seem the sole, enormous threat. As for the five-year-old child? He was probably scared witless, hiding behind his "mother" without daring to make a sound. Utterly useless.

Princess Kaguya remained expressionless. She didn't even lift her eyelids, as though they were merely a swarm of noisy ants.

Her silence only made the captain more brazen.

Just as the captain gave a vicious grin and prepared to threaten them again-

"A village hag? Open those damn eyes of yours! She's clearly a goddess! You call her a village hag?!"

A young voice, cold to the bone, shattered the oppressive silence. It came from none other than the child they had dismissed as useless!

Yuya was utterly furious.

They dared call Princess Kaguya that.

After several years together, he had already formed a deep bond with her.

"Little Yuya..." Princess Kaguya froze. She hadn't said anything yet, but Yuya had already flown into a rage. Then the corners of her lips couldn't help lifting slightly.

In the next instant, the guards saw only a white blur flash before their eyes!

It was as swift as lightning!

Yuya moved! The earth cracked beneath the push of his toes, sending fragments of stone flying! The terrifying burst of power from his body alone instantly drove him beyond the limits of what human eyes could track!

"Sharingan, activate!"

Scarlet tomoe spun rapidly in his pupils!

To the captain, who was terrified beyond measure and had no time to react, the entire world seemed to slow.

He could clearly see the trails of dust shattered beneath Yuya's every step. That tiny figure charged toward him with a shriek of tearing air, and those uncanny, blood-red eyes held such cold, precise killing intent!

It was no illusion! The child's speed was leaving a string of blurred afterimages!

"No! That brat's a monster!" Scared out of his wits, the captain barely managed a cry before swinging his iron sword forward with every ounce of strength he had.

Too slow! Under the perception of the One-Tomoe Sharingan, his movements were riddled with openings!

Yuya's small body slipped sideways like an eel at an impossible angle, passing just beside the blade! At the same time, he clenched his little hand into a fist. Rather than meeting force with brute strength, he drew upon the surging "energy" within him!

"Water Release: Cutting Rain!"

His clear, youthful voice rang across the bridgehead!

As he chopped with his little hand like a blade, the abundant moisture in the air was instantly summoned and condensed!

No hand seals-only powerful control over chakra-his "energy"-and a natural affinity for water! A rapidly spinning, high-pressure blade of water, thin as a cicada's wing yet extraordinarily sharp, formed along the edge of his palm and sliced through the air with a hiss!

Slash!

A cold gleam flashed! Half an arm flew into the air, along with the iron sword still clenched in its hand! Blood gushed out like a fountain!

"Aah-!! My hand! My hand!" Clutching his severed arm, the captain screamed in agony and staggered backward, knocking over two guards.

Nothing remained in his gaze toward Yuya but boundless terror and despair-how was this a child? He was a savage demon wearing human skin!

The attack wasn't over! The instant Yuya landed, he stamped both feet against the ground, scattering dirt and stone! He drew a deep breath, his belly visibly swelling as though flames were brewing within his chest!

"Fire Release: Great Flame!"

Boom-!!!

A scorching, violent wave of orange-red fire suddenly erupted from his mouth! Though the fireball was a size smaller than one cast by an adult ninja, its power was astonishing! Blazing with an aura of utter destruction, it surged like a roaring fire beast toward the terrified guards clustered on the bridge!

"It burns! It burns!"

"A monster! A little fire-breathing monster!"

"Run! Hurry..."

Bamboo spears instantly ignited and crumbled to ash, while leather armor smoked and charred! Their frantic attempts to dodge only fueled the chaos. Several guards caught by the flames screamed as they became rolling balls of fire and plunged into the stream beside them, instantly raising great clouds of white mist.

Even those who escaped a direct hit stumbled under the terrifying heat and thick smoke, scared out of their minds.

Just one breath, one blast! The entrance to the stone bridge had become a blazing hell!

Smoke, dust, and steam mingled with the stench of burning. Wails filled the earthen bridge. The captain lay unconscious in a pool of blood, his arm severed, while even the uninjured guards had lost all courage. They scrambled backward on hands and knees, fleeing madly. Their eyes fixed on the white-robed, silver-haired child standing amid the scorched earth as though he were a murderous demon that had crawled out of the abyss!

"A... monster! He really is a monster!"

"Those eyes... they're blood-red! Man-eating eyes!"

"Run! Report to the Daimyo! A demon child is invading!"

Hoarse cries and terrified screams rose together.

Extortion? Oppression? In the face of absolute power and death, they had become the greatest of jokes!

Princess Kaguya slowly walked to Yuya's side, her long white gauze dress untouched by dust.

She looked down at the child who barely reached her thigh. On her exquisite face, the corners of her lips, seemingly frozen for millennia, lifted into an exceedingly faint curve-a truly rare sight.

"Controlling water to form a blade, gathering fire into flame, breaking obstacles with strength, discerning the finest details with your eyes..." Her cool voice rang out, its calm carrying unprecedented satisfaction. "Yuya, you can already stand alongside second-tier members of the Ōtsutsuki Clan."

In Princess Kaguya's classification, the strength of the Ōtsutsuki Clan ranged from the first to the ninth tier.

And now, it seemed he had finally reached the second tier.

That was still nowhere near enough.

At least, that was Yuya's own assessment.

He estimated that his current strength should have reached the level of a Jonin.

Yuya closed his eyes, forcibly deactivating the Sharingan, which had been consuming his mental energy and chakra at a furious rate.

He took several ragged breaths, and the flames in his chest slowly subsided. Feeling the power still surging through his body, recalling the effortless flow of the battle and his control over it, he compared it all with his memories of the original story:

A five-year-old Jonin! That had to be one of a kind in the entire shinobi world!

Kakashi Hatake, who became a Chunin at six and developed the S-Rank Ninjutsu Lightning Blade at twelve? Could six-year-old Kakashi instantly take down a dozen elite armed samurai with Taijutsu? Could he use two elemental releases? Could he pinpoint every tiny opening in an opponent during battle?

Uchiha Itachi, who awakened his eyes at seven and became a Chunin at ten? Comparing their awakening ages alone, Yuya's awakening at three had already put him four years ahead! At five, Itachi was probably still practicing with shuriken in his clan, wasn't he? Meanwhile, Yuya was already slaughtering enemies on a battlefield of life and death!

With the progenitor of chakra as my teacher, and the Uchiha bloodline awakened right at the starting line... those so-called greatest geniuses from the original story, compared to a five-year-old Jonin like me... Yuya tightened his young face, trying hard to remain serious, but the surging pride and sense of surpassing others nearly burst from his chest. They probably can't even see my back anymore!

He raised his head toward Ancestor City, bathed in the morning light and soon to welcome the arrival of a true deity, his gaze sharp as a blade.

He had planted his first deep footprint among the thorns on the path to becoming the strongest. And this was only the beginning.

Good. I'll plant the God Tree here.

That was what Kaguya Otsutsuki thought.