Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
At the assessment grounds of the Uchiha Police Force, a large crowd of clan members had already gathered to spectate.
In the examiner's seats sat three Uchiha Jōnin.
Among them was Uchiha Tetsuka, seated prominently at the center. Beside him sat an elderly man with a stern face and eyes as sharp as an eagle's—Uchiha Yatsushiro, a hawkish elder with high standing in the clan, known for his strictness and uncompromising fairness.
The third was Uchiha Setsuna, a formidable Uchiha Jōnin.
"Silence!"
Uchiha Tetsuka spoke in a low voice, his gaze sweeping over the three applicants below.
"Today marks a special recruitment assessment for the Uchiha Police Force. There are three applicants, but we don't keep idle hands in the Force. Only true elites can remain!"
"There are three parts to the assessment: taijutsu, ninjutsu, and combat simulation. Each part will be scored. Only the one with the highest combined score—or someone who displays exceptional performance—will be selected."
"Understood?"
"Yes!" Uchiha Haru and the other two boys responded in unison.
The other two, Uchiha Keiichi and Uchiha Fū, were both around fifteen or sixteen years old. Within the clan, they were relatively well-known and held the strength of ordinary Chunin.
As for Uchiha Haru, both of them looked at him with unconcealed disdain.
After all, he was far too young—just graduated, merely twelve. Despite the rumors surrounding him, they couldn't believe a twelve-year-old brat could be that strong.
"First test: Taijutsu!"
A lean and muscular UchihaChunin stepped onto the field.
Uchiha Keiichi was the first to step forward.
After a round of blows, although his attacks were fierce, they lacked polish in front of the seasoned Chunin. Within a dozen exchanges, a gap in his defense was seized, and he was pinned to the ground.
"Uchiha Keiichi, score: average," Uchiha Tetsuka announced flatly.
Next was Uchiha Fū, who performed slightly better but still couldn't gain the upper hand. His score also ended up being average.
Finally, it was Uchiha Haru's turn.
"Kid, show us the real deal. Don't waste everyone's time." The Uchiha Chunin grinned with a hint of mockery.
Uchiha Haru didn't respond. He simply bowed slightly and assumed a textbook Uchiha-style Taijutsu opening stance.
"Begin!"
With Tetsuka's shout, the Chunin took the initiative. A powerful straight punch whistled through the air, aimed squarely at Haru's face!
He had used seventy percent of his strength—enough to overwhelm an average Chunin.
Yet to Uchiha Haru, the punch's trajectory was crystal clear.
He didn't even need to activate the Sharingan.
Tilting his body ever so slightly, he narrowly avoided the strike with an almost inhuman minimal movement.
At the same time, his right foot lashed out like a viper, striking directly at the back of the opponent's knee—fast, precise, ruthless!
"Huh?" The Chunin was shocked. He hadn't expected Haru's reaction to be so fast. Hastily, he pulled his punch back to defend and raised his knee to block.
Thud!
A dull thump rang out.
A tremendous force surged through his knee, forcing the Chunin to involuntarily take half a step back.
'What incredible power!' he thought, finally shedding his earlier arrogance.
Uchiha Haru didn't let up. Though his first strike didn't land, his offense surged forward like a relentless tide.
The Chunin grew more alarmed the longer they fought.
He realized that his cherished experience and strength meant nothing against Haru!
Uchiha Haru's movements weren't fast, yet he always dodged or blocked at the last possible moment with minimal effort—then countered from cunning angles.
It felt like Haru had seen through his every move!
Outside the ring, Uchiha Keiichi and Uchiha Fū were both slack-jawed.
They had assumed Haru was just a hype kid living off clan rumors—but his taijutsu was so solid, it was even pressing back a Police Force Chunin!
Back at the examiners' table—
In Uchiha Yatsushiro's murky old eyes flashed a subtle glint.
"This boy really didn't let me down," Uchiha Tetsuka said, smiling with satisfaction as he watched the fight.
In the arena, the battle reached its climax.
Uchiha Haru spotted a moment when his opponent exhaled and swiftly closed the gap—his hand sliced through the air like a blade, aiming straight for the neck!
The Chunin was horrified and tried to dodge, but he was already too late!
Smack!
A crisp sound echoed.
He let out a muffled groan, his body going limp, nearly collapsing to the ground.
Uchiha Haru withdrew his hand and stepped back.
The outcome was clear.
"Uchiha Haru, Taijutsu assessment: high grade!" Uchiha Tetsuka declared loudly.
Woah!
A low murmur of surprise rippled through the crowd.
High grade!
That was an extremely high score!
Uchiha Keiichi and Uchiha Fū looked visibly grim.
They had just been thoroughly outclassed by Haru's performance.
"Second test: Ninjutsu!"
Uchiha Tetsuka continued: "Demonstrate your strongest Fire Style technique and strike the target in the distance. We will evaluate based on power, area of effect, and chakra control precision."
Uchiha Keiichi and Uchiha Fū both performed the Great Fireball Technique.
The power was decent. Both received slightly above-average scores.
Then came Uchiha Haru's turn.
He walked to the designated spot and took a deep breath.
His Chakra surged like never before.
Snake – Ram – Monkey – Boar – Horse – Tiger!
"Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Technique!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Dozens of fireballs, each the size of a fist, shot from Haru's mouth!
But unlike ordinary Phoenix Fire, which scattered randomly, his followed elegant arcs through the air—each fireball striking the small target a hundred meters away with pinpoint accuracy!
Boom! Boom! Boom—!
A flurry of explosions echoed across the field. The target was instantly obliterated into flying splinters!
Silence.
Utter silence.
Everyone had been stunned by his flawless Phoenix Fire Technique!
It wasn't known for raw power—but mastering it required incredible chakra control and the simultaneous handling of multiple projectiles.
And Uchiha Haru's display—be it the number of fireballs, their flight paths, or accuracy—was simply unbelievable!
This wasn't "mastery"—this was artistry.
"This… is Phoenix Fire?" Uchiha Keiichi muttered in disbelief.
He could use Phoenix Fire too, but compared to this—it was like night and day.
Uchiha Tetsuka leapt to his feet, eyes filled with awe and excitement.
"Monster! This kid's a damn monster!"
Even the perpetually stoic Uchiha Yatsushiro finally showed a trace of emotion.
He had seen many Uchiha geniuses in his long life—but to see a twelve-year-old wield a C-rank Fire Style jutsu with such perfection—Uchiha Haru was the first!
"Uchiha Haru, Ninjutsu assessment: special grade!"
Special grade!
Uchiha Haru listened calmly, his face void of pride.
To him, this was just a warm-up.
With his mastery of Fire Style Ninjutsu (Beginner Proficiency), his understanding and control of fire already surpassed most Jōnin.
"Final test: Combat Simulation!"
Uchiha Tetsuka took a deep breath, calming his excitement.
"Uchiha Haru, your opponent… is me!"
What?!
Gasps erupted throughout the crowd.
Uchiha Tetsuka, the Police Force Captain—a renowned Jōnin—was personally stepping in to fight a twelve-year-old?
This wasn't a test—it was a slaughter!
"Tetsuka, are you serious?" Uchiha Yatsushiro frowned.
"Vice Captain, I know what I'm doing," Tetsuka grinned, eyes burning with excitement. "This kid's a rare gem. I want to see for myself just how far he can go."
He looked at Haru, battle intent surging. "Kid, show me your full strength. Let me see just how much potential you have!"
Haru's gaze sharpened slightly.
A match against a Jōnin, huh?
Perfect—he had also been wanting to know: just how strong was he now?
"Please guide me."
An overwhelming aura erupted from Haru.
A blood-red light flickered in his eyes.
The one-tomoe Sharingan — activated!