Shisui was utterly stunned. At the same time, his earlier suspicion—that Renji might secretly be some kind of spy—was completely dispelled. After all, a shinobi born with three chakra affinities was almost unheard of.
Renji himself was equally shocked. He had always guessed that his chakra nature shouldn't be limited to just fire, but never in his wildest thoughts had he expected three.
"Shisui-nii, I think… I might really have three chakra natures," Renji whispered, keeping his voice low. Luckily, the spot they were in was fairly secluded. Otherwise, the Uchiha elders might have already noticed, and then he'd be in serious trouble.
"I never would've thought you had this kind of talent. But listen—this must stay a secret. No one can know about this, Renji. Not even your parents. Only me and Itachi," Shisui warned in a serious tone. He knew very well that if the clan elders caught wind of this, Renji would be taken away and forced into relentless, brutal training. That kind of fate might be far worse than it sounded.
"I understand, Shisui-nii. I won't tell a soul."Truthfully, Renji had no intention of telling anyone anyway. He knew all too well how extreme and paranoid the Uchiha clan could be. If Fugaku, the clan head, learned about his gift, it would only bring disaster.
"Ding! Side Quest issued: Learn Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu within three days. This is a sequential quest. Failure will lock all subsequent tasks."
The mechanical voice of the system echoed in Renji's mind again. His face twitched. Three days? Sure, it sounded like a decent chunk of time. But he was only four years old. At this age, learning a C-rank ninjutsu wasn't exactly child's play.
"Shisui-nii," Renji asked aloud, deliberately putting on a childish tone, "since the test is done, can't you teach me a jutsu now? Maybe something like an S-rank ninjutsu—the kind that can take down a bunch of people at once!"
He was, of course, exaggerating to play the role of a curious little kid. Acting too mature would only draw suspicion.
Shisui laughed. "You've got some nerve, kid. Even I don't know any S-rank ninjutsu. And besides, using a jutsu requires chakra. An S-rank one would drain you dry in an instant."
"Oh, I see… Well, then maybe at least teach me something really strong." Renji puffed his chubby cheeks and made a sulky face, which—whether he liked it or not—looked almost cute.
"Fine, fine. I'll teach you one of our clan's signature jutsu. Watch carefully."
Shisui formed hand seals, but deliberately slowed them down so Renji could follow. Each seal took him about two seconds: Serpent → Ram → Monkey → Boar → Horse → Tiger.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A massive sphere of flames roared into existence and shot forward, scorching the air.
"This," Shisui explained, "is the Great Fireball Jutsu—created by the Uchiha clan itself. Here—this scroll has the sequence of seals and the chakra control method written down. Study it well. I'll be on a mission for the next few days, and Itachi probably will be too. Use Training Ground Seven. It's just ours—no one else will disturb you. But in three days, I'll come back to check on you. If I find out you've been slacking off, you're in trouble."
"Don't worry, Shisui-nii. I'll work hard. I promise I'll get it right by then!" Renji's words rang with determination. He had no intention of slacking off. With the system breathing down his neck, who knew what kind of punishment failure would bring?
Clutching the scroll tightly, Renji didn't even stop to greet Itachi and Izumi still at the training grounds. He darted straight to Training Ground Seven. Finding a quiet spot by the lake, he unrolled the scroll and began studying it in detail.
Ninjutsu wasn't something you could just spit out by forming a few hand seals. Each jutsu had a unique chakra pathway—a distinct flow that had to be matched with the proper sequence of seals. Only when both came together could a technique be truly unleashed.
Renji focused, channeling chakra along the routes shown in the scroll while shaping the seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A "fireball" flickered into life before him—if it could even be called that. It was so tiny its diameter might not have been more than a centimeter. Forget burning an enemy; it might barely light a cigarette.
Still, a success was a success. He had activated the jutsu. Now it was just a matter of repetition. Again and again, Renji practiced the Great Fireball Jutsu. When his chakra ran dry, he sat cross-legged and meditated, restoring it before resuming practice.
Time passed unnoticed. Snowflakes drifted down from the sky, and soon the earth was cloaked in white. By the time Renji looked up, the day was already fading into evening. He didn't rush home. After four years in this world, he had never properly explored the Hidden Leaf Village. Most of his wandering had been confined to the Uchiha compound.
He set off toward the heart of the village.
While passing through a wooded path, he heard raised voices—taunting, jeering. Renji frowned and followed the sound. The sight that greeted him made his blood boil.
"Hey, if you're from the Hyūga clan, then hurry up and show us your Byakugan."
"If you won't, then stop staring at us with those creepy eyes."
"Just looking at them makes me sick."
"You're a freak, aren't you?"
"You monster with those white eyes!"
Three older boys were circling a little girl, hurling insults at her as she cried helplessly. They had no intention of stopping.
"Hey! Cut it out!" Renji barked, striding forward. "Three against one, and against a girl? That's pathetic!"
The bullies turned. "Who the hell are you?"
"Uchiha Renji," he said firmly. "And I suggest you quit now. Otherwise, I'll make sure the clan knows what you've been up to."
He knew full well that, at his current age and strength, he couldn't take on three older kids in a fight. But the Uchiha name had weight. Better to brandish it than risk a beating.
"Uchiha? So what? You can't boss us around. Or do you think you can take us all on?" They sneered and began walking toward him.
The girl lifted her tear-stained face to look at Renji—and his eyes widened.
Hyūga Hinata?!
Seeing her lit a spark in his chest. Hinata—the gentle, kind, quietly strong girl. More than ever, he felt the urge to protect her.
"You're right. I can't control you. But you just tried to bully a member of the Hyūga clan. You even mentioned the Byakugan. If I tell the elders that you were plotting to steal her dōjutsu, who do you think they'll believe? Me, or you? You'd be dragged to the Uchiha Police Force's interrogation room before you could blink. And you know what happens there, don't you?"
"You—!" The bullies stiffened. Even as kids, they knew the Uchiha Police weren't to be messed with. Anyone marked as a threat to the village rarely walked out of those cells unscathed.
"Then we'll just beat you down first," the leader snapped, lunging straight at Renji.