Chapter 15: A Shift in the Pecking Order
He had allowed Danzo to manage Root, and the result was a power bloc that often operated as a shadow government. If he were to follow Danzo's draconian policies regarding the Uchiha, the consequences for village stability would be severe and unpredictable.
"Hmph! You will regret this indulgence, Hiruzen!" Danzo snarled, slamming the Hokage's office door on his way out. In his mind, Sarutobi Hiruzen had forgotten the stern warnings of the Second Hokage. This softness towards the Uchiha would be the village's undoing.
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed, the sound heavy in the smoke-filled room. He turned to look out the large window, his gaze settling on the distant, stern visage of his own stone face carved on the Hokage Rock. A moment later, he summoned an ANBU operative with a sharp gesture. "Bring me the latest surveillance report on the Uchiha boy, Takumi," he commanded.
The Next Day - Ninja Academy Training Grounds
"The next match will be Kakashi versus Might Guy!" Instructor Mizuki's voice rang out across the field.
The white-haired prodigy and the green-clad beacon of youth stepped forward from the crowd of students. They faced each other, formed the traditional Seal of Confrontation, and immediately launched into a flurry of motion. Their match was a blur of precise strikes and powerful, unorthodox kicks.
Uchiha Obito watched from the sidelines, nervously rubbing his hands together. He had been training relentlessly for days, all for the upcoming match that would define his standing.
"Hey, Obito. Don't go losing to the new Uchiha transfer," Shiranui Genma teased, the senbon needle in his mouth wiggling as he spoke.
"Hmph! Today is the day I shed the title of 'dead-last'!" Obito declared, puffing out his chest and pointing a thumb at himself, his face a mask of overconfident bravado.
"Oh? Really?" Genma raised an eyebrow, already about 80% convinced Obito was heading for a fall. While both were Uchiha, Takumi was a complete newcomer. The difference in formal training time and resources was significant. Even as the class clown, Obito should still be able to handle him.
"Just try not to embarrass the clan," another student muttered.
"Just you watch!" Obito retorted, his eyes darting across the crowd to find Nohara Rin. He was fighting for her attention more than for victory.
"Next match, Takumi versus Obito! Hey, Obito! Are you paying attention?" Mizuki's voice cut through his thoughts, louder this time.
"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Obito finally heard his name being called and quickly shoved his way through his classmates into the designated sparring circle.
"Don't say I'm bullying you just because you're new," Obito said, forming the Seal of Confrontation with a flourish.
"This is a standard sparring match. There is no bullying involved," Takumi replied calmly, mirroring the seal to signal his readiness.
Seeing the signal, Obito lunged forward immediately.
A straightforward, telegraphed punch.
Takumi shifted his weight slightly, letting the fist whistle past his cheek.
Obito followed through, spinning into a clumsy but forceful whip kick.
Takumi dropped his center of gravity, using his left forearm to block the kick while his right hand shot out to grab Obito's leg, attempting a basic judo throw.
Caught off-balance in mid-air, Obito fumbled for a training kunai from his pouch.
Clang!
Two kunai met in a spark of simulated steel, the impact jarring both their arms. They disengaged, and the fight devolved into a messy exchange of basic taijutsu strikes and blocks.
This was Takumi's first real spar, and his movements were undeniably raw. Yet, he felt no real pressure facing Obito. It was clear why the boy held his infamous ranking. According to the tactical manuals, Obito's comprehensive scores were abysmally low, on par with a certain pink-haired kunoichi in her early days. While stats weren't everything, they painted a clear picture: Obito was profoundly weak until the crucible of war and the awakening of his Sharingan forged him into something else.
"Who do you think will win?" a student whispered.
"Obito, I guess. He's still an Uchiha, right?"
"Yeah, that makes sense."
Murmurs spread through the watching students. The intra-clan matchup was a spectacle.
"Kakashi, who do you think will win?" Nohara Rin asked, her eyes fixed on the scuffle.
"It's difficult to say definitively," Kakashi replied, adjusting his disheveled scarf and shirt from his own match with Guy. "But the odds favor Takumi."
"Eh? Really?" Rin was surprised. She, like most of the class, had assumed Obito's greater experience would secure him a win. The gap between long-term training and a few weeks seemed insurmountable.
"Most people at this stage can't even perform the Academy Three Jutsu to a graduation standard," Kakashi explained, his visible eye analytically tracking the fight. "So combat defaults to basic taijutsu and shurikenjutsu."
"I see," Rin said, understanding dawning. She turned her attention back to Takumi, studying him more closely. "He seems... stronger than he was last week?" she ventured, uncertainty in her voice. Where he had been thin before, he now carried a lean, wiry solidity.
"Correct. He possesses a strong natural talent for physical arts. That inherent advantage is compensating for his lack of technical experience," Kakashi confirmed with a nod.
As if on cue, the stalemate on the field broke.
Obito, panting heavily, created some distance and hurled three shuriken in a loose spread.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Takumi deflected them with swift, economical movements of his own kunai. Even without actively activating his Sharingan, the passive benefits of the awakened bloodline were seeping into his physique. His vision was sharper, his reflexes quicker. Obito's poorly thrown shuriken seemed to move through molasses in his perception.
"Is that all you have, Obito?" Takumi asked, his voice even and devoid of mockery.
"Hah! I was just going easy on you!" Obito retorted, wiping sweat from his brow with a stubborn grimace. He was baffled. Why wasn't this guy getting tired? A glance at Takumi showed barely a sheen of sweat. Is this because he's from the Land of Lightning? Obito thought, a grudging respect for Kumo's infamous stamina bubbling up.
Before he could recover his breath, Takumi closed the distance, kunai leading.
Obito brought his own weapon up in a desperate parry, blocking the strike. But in the same motion, Takumi planted his left foot and pivoted, his right leg snapping out in a powerful side kick.
Thwump!
The kick connected solidly with Obito's side. A grunt of pain was forced from his lips as he was thrown off his feet, landing hard on the packed earth, clutching his ribs.
"It's over," Takumi stated, the tip of his training kunai resting gently against Obito's throat.
"The winner... is Uchiha Takumi!" Instructor Mizuki announced after a moment of stunned silence. He hadn't expected this outcome. Was the transfer student this capable? That single kick had enough force behind it to leave Obito writhing.
"Thank you for the match," Takumi said politely. He retrieved his kunai, stowed it in his pouch, and walked calmly back to the group of students.
The effect of his [Distance Runner] entry, boosting his leg strength by 5%, combined with his latent Yotsuki physicality, had made his kick decisively powerful.
As Mizuki's announcement echoed, the previously chatty crowd fell into a hushed silence. The result was too abrupt, too decisive. A single, unanswerable question formed in many of their minds as they watched the calm, retreating figure of Uchiha Takumi.
Is the new Uchiha... a genius?
(End of Chapter)