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"Are people from the Land of Lightning all born this talented?"
Kurenai Yūhi politely declined Asuma's offer of candy. She was careful about sweets, worried too much sugar would make her gain weight.
Asuma, her childhood friend, had known her since before either of them even started at the Academy.
"My family fought Cloud shinobi before. From what I've heard… yeah, they're supposed to be that way."
Asuma pictured in his head the typical Kumo ninja—dark-skinned, towering, built like boulders. None of that fit the lean, almost fragile-looking Seiji standing among them now.
"But Seiji's not exactly dark-skinned, is he?" Asuma muttered.
He remembered the old man once telling him that while most Cloud shinobi were dark-skinned, there were exceptions, lighter-skinned clans. But the one thing they all had in common was their sheer size and power. How they managed to train bodies like that, he couldn't say.
"Who knows," Kurenai replied with a small shake of her head.
Truthfully, she didn't care much about Seiji's physical ability. What she really wanted to know was how gifted he was with genjutsu.
Her father had always told her the Uchiha clan excelled in illusion techniques. Anyone who awakened the Sharingan could become a master of genjutsu.
Kurenai didn't buy it.
To her, her father's mastery was born of a lifetime of dedication and struggle. The idea that someone could just "open their eyes" and instantly surpass that… she refused to accept it.
And now, among their entire year, Seiji was the only one who had awakened the Sharingan. Tsunade-sama herself had even gone to see him because of it.
Seiji, feeling eyes on him, turned.
Kurenai was watching.
What's she staring at me for?
After a moment's thought, Seiji dismissed it, only half-listening to the chatter around him. His focus was on the glowing panel before his eyes.
•[Trait: Long-Distance Runner (White)]
•[Requirement Achieved: Run 5 kilometers]
•[Progress: Complete]
•[Effect: Your lower body strength has improved. You can endure long treks more easily, leg power +5%.]
•[Note: This trait can continue to evolve.]
"Not bad—an entire new trait after just one lesson," he mused, closing the panel. His legs felt like hot current was coursing through them, soaking into every muscle fiber until they tightened and grew stronger.
Kicks and other taijutsu should hit harder now.
"I wonder if rock climbing, or practicing shuriken throws, could unlock more traits…" Seiji thought.
"Seiji! Were you just pondering the true meaning of youth?"
Might Guy leaned toward him with a sparkling grin, his thumbs-up as blinding as ever.
Seiji said nothing.
Ten minutes later, once everyone had rested, their instructor Iruka Umino announced the results.
"Might Guy, first place. Kakashi, second…"
He listed the names until finally, Seiji's appeared in sixth.
Seiji's expression didn't change. He'd only recently started training his body. To climb that high already spoke volumes about his natural ability. The others had been training their whole lives, yet he'd overtaken most of them. No wonder Nonō Yakushi had said he had the makings of a taijutsu specialist.
"Alright, everyone," Iruka said, "don't forget to prepare for next week's sparring matches. Here's the list."
The class had always been evenly paired before, an even number of students. But with Seiji transferred in, someone was left out. After a moment's thought, Iruka spotted Obito hanging around Rin and made his decision.
"Obito. You'll spar with Seiji next week."
Obito froze for a second—then his face lit up.
This was perfect. In front of Rin, he'd crush Seiji and prove that last time was nothing but dumb luck.
"I got it, sensei!" Obito answered loudly.
Iruka nodded, satisfied. Obito's grades weren't great, but his attitude was. Pairing him with the transfer student, who still needed to adjust, made sense.
"Alright, dismissed."
Class was over for the day.
Later, after school, Seiji once again went to find Rin, asking her to teach him more about chakra control. This time, Kakashi and Obito both tagged along.
Just like the day before, Seiji threw himself into the training. Today's practice was still tree climbing, but with much taller trees, forcing them to maintain chakra control for longer periods.
By dusk, golden light spilling between the branches, Seiji excused himself first.
"Leaving so soon, Seiji?" Rin asked.
"I've been in Konoha for a month now. Thought I'd see what the village has to offer for dinner."
"I see," Rin nodded. She knew plenty of good little stalls and shops herself. She even remembered a girl named Anko who was practically addicted to red bean soup, always eating it with dumplings on the side.
…
Instead of going straight home, Seiji wandered the streets, blending in until he "just happened" to walk into a modest little sushi bar.
He hadn't even spoken when a waitress came straight up to him.
"You're here for our brand-new dish, the squid sushi, right?"
She had short blonde hair, her apron barely concealing the generous curves beneath, a gray shirt showing underneath.
Samui.
Seiji's eyes narrowed slightly.
He remembered her clearly—one of the very few women in the original story who could rival Tsunade in… stature.
He quickly pulled his gaze back up to her face, frowning slightly.
She looked at least a teenager already. That didn't line up with the timeline at all.
Did my crossing over cause some kind of butterfly effect?
"Yes," Seiji said smoothly. "Squid sushi."
If Samui was here, in Konoha, she wasn't here by chance. Someone in Cloud had sent her. And if she was the one approaching him, it probably meant she already knew who he was.
"You'll be our very first customer to try it," Samui said with a polite smile. "Please follow me."
She led him deeper inside. "The dish requires the freshest squid. Each guest personally chooses theirs."
Soon they arrived in a room lined with glass tanks filled with fish. Bubbles rose from the filters, water shimmering under the lights.
Samui didn't stop there. She pressed her palm against the wall, and black sealing marks spread out like ink. The wall groaned and slid open, revealing a hidden passage.
At the far end, a man with dreadlocks turned toward them.
"Seiji," he said. "It's good to finally meet you. I'm Samoto."
"That name doesn't belong to me anymore," Seiji answered coolly. "I'm an Uchiha now."
Dreadlocks were nothing unusual in Konoha. Back during the Academy's outdoor lessons, even the Hokage had once visited to speak about the Will of Fire, and among the kids then, there'd been one with the same hairstyle.
Completely ordinary here.
"....."