Memories surged back.
It was an autumn day when three-year-old Uchiha Amane went to Konoha's public library.
There he ran into Kurenai, who was researching genjutsu.
It was hard to imagine a three-year-old poring over illusion manuals with such relish.
He had no choice.
Back then his system was not yet active, and he was racking his brain for ways to survive the coming night of slaughter.
First on the list was solving Itachi's Tsukuyomi.
He could not just be laid out by a single glare before he did anything.
Yet reality disappointed.
Ordinary illusions could be countered, but to resist a Sharingan user you needed stronger eye arts or simply never meet the other's gaze.
That was hard.
Still, that encounter made Kurenai take note of Amane.
By their next meeting he was six, and now he squared up to a gorilla-like, roaring Asuma.
Yes.
The roster showed Uchiha Amane was first to take the taijutsu exam.
"Come on. I will only use basic forms to judge your level. Relax, I will pull my punches."
Jōnin strength gave Asuma easy confidence.
With his goddess watching from the side, a man desperate to earn his jewel's favor beckoned Amane with shining eyes.
The boy adjusted his glasses, utterly calm.
As Asuma's words fell, he sprang.
What followed was nothing like the academy's basics or Konoha-ryu. The airy glide, the elegant midair side kick, made every teacher and student widen their eyes.
Fast.
THUD!
A dull shock ran up Asuma's forearm.
The impact changed his expression.
Not just speed. The power was nothing to scoff at.
He admitted he had underestimated this polite, bespectacled boy.
The bout was on. Turning it around without chakra blades or ninjutsu would not be easy.
This was a student test.
As examiner, Asuma could only use simple taijutsu despite being a jōnin. It put plenty of limits on him.
Amane was different. His power manifested as taijutsu.
From the opening sequence, he flowed straight into his rhythm.
His form blurred, slipping past Asuma's punches. Ghosting low kicks and spinning axe-like stomps from above left Asuma scrambling.
"So strong..."
"Is that really Amane?"
"No way. He is going blow for blow with Asuma-senpai in pure taijutsu..."
"Blow for blow? It looks like Amane is holding him down."
Whispers swelled around the ring.
No one had expected a routine exam to become Uchiha Amane's personal taijutsu showcase.
"This is not hard to read."
Shikamaru, standing with Chōji, rubbed his chin and spoke.
"Whether Konoha's iron fist or the Hyuga's gentle fist, both are covered in class."
"But I am sure Amane is using neither."
"Neither has this kind of airy flow. He turned fists into art."
"It looks more like his own style."
"Uchiha-ryu taijutsu."
"When faced with a completely unfamiliar approach, your stock responses fail. Being on the back foot is natural."
Right on the mark, as always.
When new styles hit, people needed time to adapt. How long depended on talent.
Asuma wore that awkwardness plainly.
Still, a jōnin was a jōnin. After a brief suppression he began to read Amane's sequences and answer them.
He swore that after another dozen exchanges he would flip the pressure.
Too bad Amane did not give him the chance.
After showing a handful of techniques, he flickered away and stepped out, offering Asuma a gentle smile.
No one sane would reveal every card in a quiz.
Show a little, prove your value.
While he was at it, he could snuff Asuma's plan to hog the academy spotlight. That was enough.
Just as he had cut off Hiruzen's brainwashing, he would not let Asuma grandstand now.
With his current strength, beating a seasoned jōnin without unveiling Kusanagi Kyo's supers and finisher was impossible.
Reveal them, and the fear they stirred would bring probing eyes that would hinder the Uchiha's ongoing moves.
Truth be told, today's display at school had another purpose.
Shift the leadership's attention from the clan to himself. With eyes on him, Fugaku's evacuation could move more smoothly.
He was not some showboating hothead. When necessary, he would not play the pig to eat the tiger.
What strong man would choose to be a pig?
Foolish thinking.
If you are strong, be completely strong.
After today, Hiruzen would watch his performance closely and ease vigilance inside the Uchiha compound.
The task was done. Why keep trading with Asuma?
It was only a taijutsu quiz. Even showing off basic finishers like Oniyaki was unnecessary.
The massacre was close.
Time for him, for the Uchiha, was running out.
If memory served, Itachi's plan unfolded not long after Sasuke ranked first in the academy.
The timing fit.
"Asuma-san, what is my score?"
Hands together with modest politeness, Amane asked.
Bare-chested, Asuma's face looked sour.
It was hard to accept lagging behind a six-year-old in pure taijutsu.
Worse, just as he had adapted to the rhythm, the kid had stopped, denying him any cool finish.
He suspected the brat had done it on purpose.
Worse still, he could not vent.
"Uchiha Amane."
"Full marks."
Grinding out the result, Asuma decided he would talk to the old man tonight about this kid.
He did not know that was exactly what Amane wanted.
Everything lay in the palm of his hand.
...