> "Is that all you've got?"
**Haruki** looked at **Might Guy**, his tone tinged with curiosity—but beneath it was carefully staged disappointment.
He wanted Guy to believe he wasn't impressed.
Only then would the notoriously passionate shinobi teach him the truly dangerous techniques—like the **Eight Gates**.
> "Eh? I do have one more secret art," Guy admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "It's a skill that allows a ninja to reach elite level even without a kekkei genkai!"
He caught himself mid-sentence.
> "Uh—that's not to say *you* don't have one—I mean…"
Guy suddenly remembered that Haruki was the outlier of the Uchiha clan: born with bizarre double pupils unlike any ordinary Sharingan, and despite his lineage, still hadn't awakened the traditional Uchiha dojutsu.
> (If he truly had the Uchiha's gift… he wouldn't be training taijutsu this hard.)
> "It's fine," Haruki laughed lightly, shrugging off the comment. "I don't mind."
He didn't say more—no need to correct the assumption.
But in his heart, Haruki knew:
> (My eyes are something far beyond the ordinary Sharingan…)
Raising his chin with resolve, he continued.
> "I fully believe I'll stand at the very top of the shinobi world."
> "YES!" Might Guy's eyes burned. "Now that's the spirit of youth! I feel it—I feel my blood boiling!"
Haruki simply smiled.
> (That worked.)
He stared at Guy, eyes glowing as he added, "So… what's this special skill of yours? Will you teach me?"
> "It's the Eight Gates technique," Guy said with a hint of gravity in his voice. "By releasing limiters on your body's chakra gates, you can temporarily increase physical ability many times over."
He studied Haruki carefully.
> "But… not yet. Your body's too young. You wouldn't survive it."
Haruki blinked.
> "Then when?"
> "Join me every day for morning runs and taijutsu training. Prove yourself. When I believe you're ready… then, I'll begin teaching you."
With a wave and flash of his trademark smile, Guy gestured toward the village.
> "Alright—it's getting late, little one. Time to head home."
> "See you tomorrow, Big Brows."
Haruki waved back and trotted off.
—
That night, over a dinner that filled three trays, Haruki recapped everything to his parents.
Upon learning that his taijutsu instructor was none other than **Might Guy**, **Uchiha Daigo** nearly fell over with excitement.
> "You clever boy! You're learning from Konoha's taijutsu prodigy!"
—
The next day, Haruki resumed his run—this time with a small weighted backpack strapped on.
Afterward, he even treated Might Guy to breakfast at a roadside stall. Their bond grew warmer by the day.
—
Days turned to weeks.
In no time, a full **month** had passed.
Haruki had fallen into a stable routine: morning runs, taijutsu with Guy, then visits to the clan training grounds.
At the training field, **Uchiha Masaru** continued his daily instruction—teaching basic jutsus such as shuriken technique, clone jutsu, and for older students, *Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu* (Fireball Technique).
But Haruki was facing a problem.
Because of his ever-draining double pupils, any chakra that accumulated in his **dantian** was absorbed quickly. The only chakra he could rely on now was from the **Soul Condensation Technique**, stored in his **muscle cells**.
This chakra, while potent for taijutsu, was unstable for ninjutsu. As a result, Haruki still couldn't perform even a simple clone jutsu.
The ridicule followed quickly.
Especially from **Itachi** and **Sasuke**.
> "Tch… freaks can't even manage a simple jutsu."
> "He's just a waste of space."
> "Call him what you want—he's not a ninja."
Haruki grit his teeth.
He wanted to punch someone.
But he held back.
> (I'll show them soon enough…)
He knew what he had to do. For now, he had to perfect his chakra regulation—expand his use of the Soul Condensation Technique until every cell became a storage unit.
If he could bypass his dantian entirely and use his body as a chakra reservoir—he might eliminate the need for even Sage Mode in the future.
> (I need each cell to act like a micro-core. If I master that… I might eventually surpass even the Tailed Beasts in chakra volume.)
Just as he fell into deep thought, a soft voice reached him from the side—
> "Don't let them get to you, Haruki. You'll get there."
He looked up.
There she was—**Uchiha Izumi**.
Her gaze warm, her smile calm.
> "Ninjutsu will come. You're just taking a different path—that's all."
Haruki smiled back.
> "Thanks. I'm not worried."
Izumi had been the only one kind to him these past weeks.
Others either ignored him… or mocked him outright.
Only one other trainee, **Uchiha Naoto**, treated him politely—but never openly in front of the others.
Naoto's father, **Uchiha Omura**, had recently joined Daigo's Chamber of Commerce, which likely made him the target of subtle clan resentment. Izumi, on the other hand, simply didn't care what others thought.
And because of the Uchiha guards hired by the Chamber…
The family business had never been more secure.
Bandit attacks had stopped entirely. The reputation of Uchiha jōnin was, after all, unmatched.
Even better, the cost of hiring outsiders dropped—Uchiha guards boosted deterrence and lowered risk. It was a financial and strategic win on every front.
—
### Meanwhile, at the Hokage's Office...
**Sarutobi Hiruzen**, the elderly Third Hokage, sat quietly behind his desk, tobacco pipe resting untouched in his left hand.
He lightly tapped the table, gazing out the window… clearly deep in thought.
A young shinobi stood before him, hands behind his back.
Dressed in standard Uchiha black-and-blue gear, with a Konoha headband tied neatly around his forehead, the boy's posture was upright, expression calm.
Only twelve or thirteen years old—but his composure was beyond his years.
It was none other than **Uchiha Shisui**.
The Third Hokage finally glanced up.
> "Shisui. How is the Uchiha clan doing?"
His voice was warm—but there was a tone beneath it.
Neutral. Analytical. Calculating.
Shisui paused for only a moment.
> "Everything is peaceful for now, Lord Hokage. No change in behavior worth reporting."
Hiruzen nodded slowly, exhaling the quietest breath.
But his next words grew colder.
> "I've heard from other sources that some among the Uchiha are… growing restless. That there's growing dissatisfaction with how Konoha treats them."
The silence in the room grew heavier.
Was he asking for a report—or issuing a warning?
Shisui hesitated.
It was impossible to tell what the Third Hokage truly thought.
But he knew this much:
The Uchiha clan was under scrutiny—and they were drifting closer to the edge.
—
📝 **Author's Note:**
A storm is brewing within Konoha…
Who will shape the ninja world next?!
📕 **End of Chapter 12**