Three-Tomoe Sharingan?

"That felt amazing! So this is what it's like to stuff yourself with barbecue?! Teacher Shibi, I agree to let you be my teacher!"

After finishing the last plate of meat, Asuma Sarutobi held his bulging belly, reclined leisurely on the sofa, and announced this loudly.

"You agree? Well, what an honor for me. Have you two had enough? You can order more. Your teacher is fairly well-off."

Shibi Aburame paused briefly at those words. He shook his head gently, then turned to Uchiha Gen and Kurenai Yuhi to ask.

Asuma Sarutobi had eaten most of the barbecue, and he was worried the other two had not had enough.

"I'm full already. Thank you, Teacher."

Kurenai Yuhi nodded shyly and answered politely.

"I'm full."

Uchiha Gen nodded as well. He seemed to have eaten a little too much barbecue lately, though Konoha did not have much else worth eating anyway.

The lingering warmth of the charcoal slowly dispersed around the table. The distinctive charred aroma and fatty scent of grilled meat still hung in the room, warm and relaxing.

Looking at the three children before him, Shibi Aburame could not help a faint smile from lifting the corners of his mouth beneath his collar. Although spending all his time in the laboratory researching new varieties of insects was enjoyable too... being a teacher seemed rather nice.

This was his first time being a teacher, too.

"Then that concludes today's meal. Gather at the training ground on the back mountain at six tomorrow morning. Starting tomorrow, you will officially begin your lives as shinobi. Be ready."

After the meal ended.

Inside the Hokage's office.

"What did you think of these children?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the jonin before him and asked with a smile.

"A bunch of misfits. Not quite up to standard."

"They're all a little slow, and some are rather unbalanced in their skills, but their abilities are very good. Though... uh... hmm."

"Not bad. Relatively little trouble."

"How nice. Unfortunately, my subordinates don't seem quite so easy to manage."

"They're excellent."

The jonin offered their assessments one after another, but when it was Shibi Aburame's turn, those simple words-"They're excellent"-drew everyone's gaze at once.

"..."

Already somewhat socially anxious, Shibi Aburame could not help feeling awkward at this.

"Excellent, are they? Well, I really envy you, Shibi. Unfortunately, my subordinates are a bit difficult to handle."

"Excellent, are they? Hahahahaha! Good! Then the rest of you can go home, rest, and prepare their upcoming training assignments. Shibi, stay a moment. Next, it's time for me to be a father."

Hiruzen Sarutobi could not help smiling happily at that assessment. He was still very pleased to hear his own child described as excellent.

From what he knew of Shibi Aburame, he was not the sort to flatter him simply because he was the Hokage.

"Yes, sir!"

Once the jonin left, only Shibi Aburame and Hiruzen Sarutobi remained in the Hokage's office.

"Shibi, could you tell me about these three children in detail? Especially... that child, Gen."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Shibi Aburame before him and asked with a smile.

"As a member of the Sarutobi Clan, Asuma has an innate sensitivity to the Five Basic Nature Transformations flowing in his blood. He already has a mature understanding of how to use compound ninjutsu combining the five releases, and can apply it in a rudimentary way.

"However, his shortcomings are also obvious. He is somewhat impatient and lacks the endurance and composure for prolonged battles.

"As for Kurenai Yuhi, she can already skillfully use the Phantom Eye Kekkei Genkai inherited from Shinku. Kurenai herself is thoughtful, gentle, and calm, with exceptionally keen perception. She is an almost perfect match for the traits of the Phantom Eye Kekkei Genkai.

"However, because the Phantom Eye enhances genjutsu, this child has also gone down the path of specialization. In the future... barring anything unexpected, she won't surpass Shinku by much. Still, that is her own choice. This child loves genjutsu.

"As for Uchiha Gen..."

As Shibi Aburame spoke, he recalled his assessment of the three children. But when he reached Uchiha Gen, he stopped speaking.

He was not quite sure how to assess Uchiha Gen.

If Asuma was an all-round genius in compound ninjutsu and Kurenai Yuhi was the inheritor of a rare genjutsu Kekkei Genkai, then Uchiha Gen... was a monster who fell completely outside the Shinobi World's common understanding.

Things others sought but could never obtain seemed to be everywhere in him.

Not only did he possess what was widely acknowledged as the strongest ocular Kekkei Genkai, but he also possessed a special individual attribute found in only one in ten thousand. Moreover, that child's Susanoo Armorization technique seemed slightly different from that of ordinary Uchiha shinobi.

Uchiha Gen's Susanoo... seemed much tougher. No, not merely much tougher. It was more like... its hardness had doubled outright.

If he were to assess Uchiha Gen through the lens of his insect research... he was more like a mutant Uchiha. His Sharingan had very likely mutated to develop the ability to strengthen Susanoo.

"Is there something special about Uchiha Gen?"

Watching Shibi Aburame hesitate, Hiruzen Sarutobi could not help a glint from flashing through his eyes.

He had been curious about Uchiha Gen for a long time.

Both the Hatake father and son's close relationship with him and the special regard that brat Asuma Sarutobi held for him had made Hiruzen curious about this Uchiha boy.

Ever since that occasion when Yinuo asked Uchiha Gen to teach Asuma Sarutobi a lesson, Asuma Sarutobi had become even more diligent in practicing the Sarutobi Five Release Secret Technique.

Moreover, since then, Asuma had gained another goal and no longer spent all day doing nothing but opposing him as he had before.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was very glad to see such a change.

That was why Hiruzen Sarutobi had deliberately placed Uchiha Gen and Asuma Sarutobi on the same team.

Besides wanting Uchiha Gen to have more influence on Asuma Sarutobi, there was another reason: Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to see... whether Uchiha Gen could serve as an opportunity.

"That child... has the Three-Tomoe Sharingan."

In the end, Shibi Aburame uttered only those few words.

The instant his words fell.

The Hokage's office fell utterly silent.

The rustling papers abruptly stopped turning. Even the breeze passing through the window seemed to freeze in midair. The entire room was so quiet that a falling pin could have been heard.

The gentle, composed smile on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face visibly stiffened, inch by inch, then faded away.

His previously relaxed brow suddenly tightened. His clouded yet keen eyes abruptly widened, his pupils contracting sharply until nothing remained in his gaze but utter shock and disbelief.

"Shibi, is what you said... true?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's low voice trembled slightly. His usually unhurried tone shattered completely, and his fingers abruptly tightened around his pipe, his knuckles turning white.

A Three-Tomoe Sharingan at nine years old, or perhaps... even earlier...