The next morning.
The Uchiha Sacred Land, the giant training ground in the center of the Amaterasu Academy, capable of holding tens of thousands of people.
The place was bustling with noise and banners were waving.
Today is not only the graduation ceremony for the first Children of Amaterasu, but also a report showcasing the achievements of the Uchiha education reforms over the past five years. All clan members, elders, and even the Iwagakure supervisor in charge of mining on the border are allowed to attend the ceremony.
In the main stands, Uchiha Gen'yō, dressed in a long black robe with gold trim, sat upright in the large chair that represented absolute power. Beside him was Akahoshi, to his lower left sat Fugaku, and to his lower right sat Obito and Shisui.
"The assessment officially begins!"
With a powerful shout from Obito, the barrier surrounding the training ground slowly rose.
The first group to perform consisted of two seven-year-old children Branch Family.
If it weren't for the reforms five years ago, they might still be at home helping adults with farm work, or secretly practicing the Three Basic Techniques, which they couldn't even fully form the hand seals for.
But now.
" Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
" Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
The two children entered the arena without a word, their Hand Seals so fast they left afterimages! A fire and a wind collided violently in mid-air, the shockwave from the explosion carving a deep trench into the specially made stone slab ground.
Without pausing, the two drew their standard short swords forged in the Forge of the Lord of War, and like two nimble cheetahs, engaged in a deadly close-quarters Taijutsu.
Sparks flew as blades clashed; each attack aimed straight for vital points. There was no childlike timidity in their eyes, only the ferocity of a wolf.
"Good! Well done!"
The people in the stands erupted in thunderous cheers.
The elders who had vehemently opposed abolishing the system of the Branch Family the clan into separate households were now completely dumbfounded, their mouths agape enough to fit a goose egg.
"This... this is really a seven-year-old child? Such combat skills, such killing intent..." A white-bearded elder pointed tremblingly at the crowd below.
"In Konoha, a twelve-year-old Genin who has just graduated would probably have his throat slit in less than ten seconds if he encountered these two kids," Fugaku couldn't help but sigh. Looking at this group of vibrant new generation, his awe of Gen'yō deepened.
Then, a series of assessments followed, leaving people overwhelmed.
Whether it was the precision of their Chakra control or their understanding of Ninjutsu, these children displayed an overwhelming advantage. Several of them even activated their One-Tomoe Sharingan in dire situations, eliciting gasps from the audience.
Gen'yō watched quietly, his fingers rhythmically tapping on the armrest of the seat.
All of this was within his expectations. With the cultivation techniques provided by the system and the resources he poured in regardless of cost, if he couldn't even achieve this much, then all his efforts over the past five years would have been in vain.
"My lord, it's time for the grand finale to go on stage." Shisui leaned down slightly and whispered in Gen'yō's ear.
The words had barely left his mouth.
In the very center of the training ground, a boy with short black hair and deep eyes who looked nothing like a seven-year-old slowly walked up.
Uchiha Itachi.
Fugaku's eldest son.
The moment he stepped onto the field, the previously noisy stands miraculously fell silent. Everyone felt an unusual sense of pressure emanating from that small figure.
"Who is the opponent?" Gen'yō raised an eyebrow slightly.
"They're the reserves for ten Shadow Guard." Obito grinned, a slightly wicked smile on his face. "I arranged it. Most people wouldn't be able to gauge this kid's capabilities."
Ten fully armed adult Uchiha ninjas, all at the peak of Chunin level, jumped down from the stands and surrounded Itachi.
"Start."
With the referee's whistle...
The ten Chunin did not hold back at all; ten katanas gleaming with cold light blocked all of Itachi's escape routes from all directions.
However, the weasel didn't dodge at all.
His hands didn't even rise to Hand Seals. Instead, his dark eyes suddenly snapped open.
Two crimson Sharingan, each adorned with three black Tomoe, suddenly blazed with a captivating light.
" Mitsudomoe?! Mitsudomoe at seven years old?!"
Fugaku, standing in the stands, suddenly stood up and roared in disbelief. He, as a father, had no idea that his son had developed the Sharingan to such an extent.
The moment the Sharingan was activated, the movements of the ten Chunin appeared to Itachi like a movie in slow motion.
He moved like a ghost through the flashing swords, without even drawing his sword, merely tapping each Chunin points with his finger bones.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In less than three seconds, the ten Chunin seemed to have all their strength drained away, collapsing to the ground one after another.
The entire room was deathly silent.
Obito couldn't help but swear. "Damn... this kid's combination of Genjutsu and Taijutsu is already seven-tenths as good as Shisui's!"
But that's not all.
After defeating his opponent, Itachi did not stop. He raised his head, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan staring directly at Gen'yō in the main stands.
He knew that there was only one real examiner for this assessment.
Itachi took a deep breath, and his hands transformed into a blurry, ethereal shape.
Si, Wei, Shen, Hai, Wu, Yin.
The standard hand seals for the Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique.
"Is he going to demonstrate his Chakra reserves?" Fugaku clenched his fists, his palms sweating with nervousness.
call.
Itachi opened his mouth, and a massive amount of highly compressed Chakra mixed with Fire Style energy burst forth.
However, what appeared was not a fireball at all.
Instead, it was a terrifying flame with an eerie incandescent color and a temperature so high that it caused the surrounding barrier to melt.
The flame did not spread in mid-air, but instead, under Itachi's abnormal Chakra control, it rapidly elongated and deformed.
Finally, accompanied by a clear cry, a fire phoenix with a wingspan of over ten meters, composed entirely of incandescent flames, soared above the training ground. The terrifying heat caused the spectators in the front rows to cover their faces and back away.
Shape Transformation is a micro-management technique that combines Nature Transformation and Shape Transformation to the extreme, reaching the level of a sealless Ninjutsu.
The breath of tens of thousands of people in the audience stopped.
Is this some basic Ninjutsu released by a seven-year-old child?
"This kid... he's turned the Great Fireball into an S-rank Ninjutsu." Akahoshi gasped.
The flames subsided. Itachi stood in the center of the arena, slightly panting from the exhaustion of Chakra. But he did not collapse; instead, his back remained straight, and his gaze remained steadfast as he looked at the man at the highest point.
No one dared to speak. All eyes were fixed on Uchiha Gen'yō.
Gen'yō stood up.
He ignored Fugaku, who was so excited he was about to faint, and also paid no attention to the ghost-like expressions on the faces of the elders around him.
He walked directly down from the high stands, step by step to the center of the field, and stopped in front of Itachi.
Two generations of Uchiha, one large and one small, stared at each other on this scorched ground.
"Your name is Itachi." Gen'yō's voice wasn't loud, but it resonated like a great bell in the silent arena.
"Yes, Lord Gen'yō," Itachi replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, his eyes revealing deep admiration.
Looking at the uncarved yet already dazzlingly beautiful jade, Gen'yō finally smiled with extreme satisfaction. He turned around and faced the tens of thousands of his clansmen who were speechless with shock.
That domineering and unquestionable voice instantly resounded throughout the entire Uchiha Sacred Land.
"This child."
Gen'yō placed his hand on Itachi's head.
"From today onwards, I will personally teach you."
The entire venue erupted in cheers.
However, just as everyone was immersed in the joy of the birth of this genius, the system's notification sounded strangely in Gen'yō's mind again.
Ding! Detected that the host has taken on the chosen one of destiny Uchiha Itachi.
Triggering a hidden main storyline – The Strangler of Fate.
Warning: An unknown Chakra, surpassing the level of Tailed Beast, has been detected awakening in the far north of the Shinobi World. Target locked: Uchiha Sacred Land.
Gen'yō's smile faded slightly. He looked up at the seemingly clear sky to the north, a purple glint flashing in his eyes.
"Beyond the level of Tailed Beast? Looks like someone else is tired of living."