One minute... two minutes...
Just as three minutes passed, the world before Uchiha Xin's eyes suddenly blurred.
A sore, swollen ache spread through his eyes, and that experience of extraordinary vision vanished in an instant.
He panted heavily, his forehead covered in beads of sweat.
His whole body slumped limply in the chair, as though completely drained.
The chakra in his body had been utterly depleted.
Just then, that mechanical voice sounded again.
[Ding! Host detected using Limit Sharingan. Proficiency +1.]
"It worked!"
Disregarding his physical exhaustion, Uchiha Xin's eyes lit up.
Three minutes! Maintaining the level 0 Sharingan for just three minutes earned him 1 proficiency point!
Reaching level 1 required only 10 proficiency points. In other words, as long as he kept his Sharingan activated for a total of thirty minutes.
He could truly awaken the One-Tomoe Sharingan!
Awakening the Sharingan at the age of six-not just Sasuke, but even Uchiha Itachi, that so-called genius.
Would be no match for him!
"Sasuke? That ball-spinner? And that damned little-brother-obsessed Itachi..."
Uchiha Xin looked at Sasuke, who sat a short distance away still striking a cool pose, and grinned.
"You cheaters from the original story are no match for my Limit Sharingan! One year... that's enough!"
The bell finally rang to end the school day.
The classroom instantly erupted as the little kids cheered and packed their bags to go home.
"Hey! Xin!"
An energetic voice rang out beside him.
Uchiha Xin turned to see Naruto Uzumaki grinning broadly, his hands clasped behind his head as he beamed at him.
"Iruka-sensei didn't keep us after class today. Let's go eat at Ichiraku Ramen!"
"My treat... uh, though I only have enough for one bowl. We can share!"
Looking at this Child of Prophecy who would one day save the Shinobi World, Uchiha Xin had mixed feelings.
Among everyone in the class, because his usual performance was mediocre.
And because of the Uchiha Clan's inherent air of aloofness (though he had none himself), few people were willing to bother with him.
Instead, it was this thickheaded Naruto who occasionally came over to talk to him.
"Not today, Naruto." Uchiha Xin shook his head and shouldered his schoolbag.
"I have something very important to do today. Maybe next time."
With that, he rushed straight out of the classroom without waiting for Naruto's reply.
He disappeared around the end of the hallway like a gust of wind.
Grinding proficiency was all he could think about now. How could he have time for ramen?
Uchiha Xin's home stood on the outskirts of the Uchiha Clan Compound.
He was an orphan. Near the end of the Third Shinobi World War, his parents, while covering their comrades.
Had died on an extremely dangerous S-rank mission.
As the orphaned child of fallen heroes, he had received substantial compensation from both the village and the clan.
Together with the inheritance his parents had left behind, it was enough for him to live comfortably until adulthood.
The clan elders had once proposed moving him near the Main Family, where someone would be assigned to care for him.
But Uchiha Xin had firmly refused, and now that choice suited him perfectly.
He knew full well how serious the factional infighting within the Uchiha Clan was.
He had even less desire to expose himself to Itachi and Obito's scrutiny before the night of the massacre arrived.
Living alone in this secluded little courtyard was actually the best way for him to hide his secrets.
"Bang!"
Slamming the courtyard gate shut, Uchiha Xin sat cross-legged on the tatami.
"Time to keep grinding proficiency!"
He took a deep breath and once again channeled the little chakra he had just recovered into his eyes.
Activate, deplete, exhaust himself, rest...
For an entire afternoon and half the night, Uchiha Xin repeated this tedious, painful process.
After trying it out, however, he could only give a helpless, bitter smile.
The ideal was rosy; reality was harsh.
His earlier calculations had been correct. Maintaining the level 0 Sharingan for three minutes did indeed earn him 1 proficiency point.
But the problem was that his current chakra reserves were simply too small!
Every three-minute activation drained his chakra completely dry.
And with his current physical condition, fully recovering his chakra from a depleted state took at least five whole hours!
That meant even if he went without sleep or rest for all twenty-four hours of the day, he could grind out no more than 4 proficiency points!
"Too slow... still too slow."
Uchiha Xin rubbed his aching temples, his brows tightly knitted.
At 4 points a day, reaching level 1 would take three days. What about level 2? Level 3?
The proficiency required was certain to grow exponentially with each subsequent level.
If he could not solve his chakra shortage, there was no way he could gain enough strength to protect himself before the night of the massacre.
"Whatever. I'll get to level 1 first!"
Over the next three days, aside from attending school, Uchiha Xin spent almost all his time holed up at home, doggedly grinding proficiency.
Even in class, whenever his chakra recovered, he would secretly activate his Sharingan.
Finally, on the evening of the third day.
When he depleted his chakra one last time and lay sprawled on the tatami like a dead dog.
The long-awaited system notification rang out like heavenly music.
[Ding! Congratulations, host! Limit Sharingan proficiency is full (10/10)!] [Limit Sharingan successfully advanced to level 1! Acquired: One-Tomoe Sharingan!]
Buzzz-!
Uchiha Xin felt a roar reverberate through his mind.
Immediately afterward, an extraordinarily cool, soothing sensation spread through his eyes.
It was like parched earth welcoming spring rain.
His eyeballs, aching terribly from overuse, instantly regained their vitality.
He sprang up from the floor, rushed into the bathroom, and stared intently at himself in the mirror.
In the mirror, his eyes, once distinctly black and white, had now turned scarlet.
And at the edge of those scarlet pupils, a single black tomoe floated silently, exuding an eerie, mysterious air!
One-Tomoe Sharingan, activate!
"So this is... the real Sharingan."
Uchiha Xin looked at himself in the mirror.
He felt the chakra in his body, previously depleted, as his Sharingan evolved.
Actually surge as well, directly reaching the level of an entry-level genin.
[Ding! Host's Sharingan upgrade detected. Unlocked 1 skill slot.] [System evaluation: Although you've awakened your eyes, your combat strength is still pathetic. A chunin would still kill you instantly.]
"A skill slot?"
Uchiha Xin completely ignored the system's scathing assessment, his eyes lighting up.
"System, where do these skills come from? Can I choose them myself?"
[Skills are drawn randomly by the system, but are guaranteed to suit the host's most pressing current needs and physical condition.] [Draw and equip immediately?]
"Draw immediately!" Uchiha Xin did not hesitate.
[Ding! Drawing...] [Draw successful! Congratulations, host! Acquired passive skill: Enhanced Eight Gates Released Formation (level 0)!]
"What? Eight Gates Released Formation?!"