Night draped the woods near the Uchiha compound in silence, broken only by the occasional chirp of insects.
Cold moonlight filtered through the dense canopy.
Eiya slowed his steps, sorting through the flood of techniques and knowledge suddenly lodged in his mind.
In just two days he had learned many new jutsu through the system.
Even if the knowledge had been stuffed straight into his head, book learning was shallow; only by trying them himself could he grasp their true power.
If he could bring every new move to heel, his strength would surely jump to a whole new tier.
As he mapped out his training plan, the trees ahead thinned and his view opened wide.
Here.
Start with the Flying Thunder God.
The Flying Thunder God Technique was an S-rank space–time ninjutsu.
It was created by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, and later perfected by the Fourth, Namikaze Minato.
Across Konoha's history only those two had truly mastered it—proof enough of its difficulty.
But once mastered, it was terrifying on both offense and defense.
You could use it to attack—cut distances, scramble the enemy's rhythm, execute sudden strikes that couldn't be guarded against, or reposition the battlefield.
And in a pinch, you could dodge instantly or even withdraw from a fight.
Eiya thought that on the path he walked now—indulgent, breaking old rules—one day he might really push things too far.
With Flying Thunder God in hand, he'd have a life-saving card when danger came, and that set his heart at ease.
He took out special kunai and began carving intricate formulas into them.
Flying Thunder God fixed its space coordinates with the formula engraved on those kunai.
In real combat, you'd usually toss a marked kunai near the enemy, then jump to it in an instant and strike—its most common use, nicknamed "Flying Thunder God, Second Step."
From there it branched into many variations.
Before long, the kunai were covered in formulae and ready.
Eiya stood and snapped his arm out.
Three kunai flashed away like black streaks, thudding into trunks to the east, west, and north.
In the next second his figure vanished without a trace.
He appeared in midair fifty meters to the east, snatching the kunai before he even touched down—
Then blinked out again.
In the span of a heartbeat he was on the grass a hundred meters to the west, his arrivals ghost-quick.
"Utterly broken," he murmured, then forced himself calm.
The only issue was adapting instantly to the change in surroundings upon arrival.
So the user had to keep every kunai's position perfectly mapped in his mind.
"With the Sharingan and Lightning Release: Armor sharpening my perception and reactions, that problem solves itself."
To test it, Eiya chained jumps several more times.
About half an hour later, he was sure.
For him, the technique had almost no drawbacks.
"Next—Lightning Release. Start with the Third Raikage's signature."
He rolled his shoulders, eyes bright.
Night deepened without his noticing.
A harsh sizzle burst out as Eiya turned into a lance of lightning, ripping through the forest at blinding speed and tearing the night.
Huge trunks as wide as two men's arms snapped at the waist and crashed down in his wake.
Two hours later.
Exhausted, Eiya lay on his back in the grass, gulping air at the star-sown sky.
The trials had gone well, and a rough shape for his future fighting style had taken form.
After who knew how long, once his chakra had mostly recovered, he pushed himself up and headed for a brook murmuring nearby.
He flexed aching limbs. "Finish with this."
His hands flew through seals. He drew a deep breath and roared, "Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
A storm of fire blasted from his mouth, surging forward like a tidal wave.
The night flared as bright as day.
The forest ahead became a sea of flames in an instant.
Heat rolled so intense that the stream hissed, water vaporizing into billows of white fog that boiled up, smoke mingling and spreading in a blink.
Eiya watched the inferno with a satisfied grin, then frowned slightly. "The range and damage are monstrous, but my chakra's still too low."
He nodded, pleased, and turned to leave the ravaged grove.
At that moment—
"A powerful Fire Release. Did Clan Head Fugaku teach you?" A cool young voice came from the dark.
Eiya narrowed his eyes toward the sound.
A figure stepped from the shadows.
Black hair. Cold eyes. A blank face.
Uchiha Itachi—the clan's acknowledged prodigy, and the future butcher who would slaughter it—stood there.
He stopped ten meters away.
Perfect throwing distance for a kunai.
"Something you need?" Eiya arched a brow, breaking the silence first.
Itachi stared straight at him, voice flat. "It wasn't only the ANBU today. My father also gathered the elders to discuss you."
"And?" Eiya shrugged, unimpressed.
At his nonchalance, a faint ripple entered Itachi's tone. "Why did you defy your captain's order to retreat? You could have abandoned the mission—why insist on killing those Cloud shinobi? Aren't you afraid of provoking war between Konoha and Kumo?"
Eiya laughed softly. "And if war does break out—so what?"
Itachi's brow knit. He held Eiya's gaze. "Do you know what war means? If you've awakened three tomoe, you've felt pain. War inflicts that pain on countless people."
"So what?" Eiya snorted, scorn thick in his voice. "Blame Cloud for never giving up its thieving heart and trespassing on the Land of Fire's border."
Itachi shook his head, weary as an old soul. "This world isn't as simple as black and white. They were in the wrong, yes—but if your actions start a war, then you're the butcher, the sinner of Konoha."
Eiya's look turned strange, as if he were staring at a naïve fool.
"Sorry," he said, spreading his hands theatrically. "But you've got me wrong. I'm a pacifist—just like you."
Itachi stayed quiet and waited.
"Last year, Kumogakure tried to kidnap Hyūga Hinata," Eiya went on when he didn't reply. "They failed, yet hid behind diplomacy and forced Hyūga Hizashi to die in payment, when Konoha was the victim."
A barely visible crease formed between Itachi's brows.
Eiya's disdain deepened. "You and that old man Sarutobi Hiruzen—two of a kind. You'd rather sacrifice your own and cede interests to keep a veneer of peace than face outside threats with a hard hand."
"As I see it—Cloud, Iwa, whoever—if they dare invade the Land of Fire, you hit them hard. Beat them until they yield, until they fear, until their legs shake at the sight of a Konoha forehead protector. Only then does Konoha find real peace."
Itachi listened in silence, a flicker of disappointment touching his eyes. "War isn't a children's game. Konoha cannot sweep a great nation the way you imagine. Even if one front wins for a time, the others will unite under pressure—like in the Third Great Ninja War. Uchiha Eiya, you're naïve. Konoha isn't as strong as you think."
"You underestimate the Uchiha—and Konoha's strength," Eiya said with folded arms and a cold snort.
"No," Itachi shook his head. "You underestimate the other nations. Don't forget—Kumogakure alone has two jinchūriki. Do you need me to explain what a jinchūriki is?"
Irritation clawed at Eiya.
The sanctimonious ten-year-old in front of him droned on and on, and his patience thinned.
He narrowed his eyes, his voice turning to ice. "Honestly, I'm starting to want you to shut up."
The air froze.
Same three tomoe, no Mangekyō. Eiya was confident he could handle the kid.
Without expression, a kunai slid soundlessly from Itachi's sleeve. "Uchiha Eiya, your thinking is dangerous. Your existence is a grave risk to the Uchiha—and to Konoha."