The reason Homura had thought to pat Shikamori's head was, on one hand, to distract him.
Once Homura made that move, for whatever reason, as long as Shikamori's attention was diverted, Homura could seize the opportunity to change the subject.
On the other hand, he was curious what the reward for patting Nara Shikamori's head would be.
Homura wasn't curious about the Nara clan's secret techniques. Just like the Hatake Sword Style, even if he learned them, he wouldn't be able to use them openly for a very long time.
Homura had a clear goal for his development. It was like playing a roguelike game-a character with all golden traits wasn't necessarily strong, but a character whose various traits complemented one another could dominate the game.
Homura knew that the Nara clan's secret techniques were a sophisticated application of Yin Release chakra. And Yin Release chakra, which was spiritual energy, was also the primary power source for the Uchiha clan's Sharingan.
Thus, Homura decided to take a gamble on Shikamori. And sure enough, the gamble paid off.
"But Nara Shikamori really can't be underestimated," Homura thought. To think he'd be rated as a C-rank ninja by the system at such a young age. "And that's without even having learned any of the Nara's secret techniques."
On paper, at least, he was on par with the current Kakashi. But in a real fight, it would be a different story.
*DING!* System reward has been distributed.
As the cold, mechanical voice sounded, Homura felt no pain at all. Instead, a cool sensation flooded his mind, as if he'd applied a soothing balm.
But the feeling that followed was like gulping down cold water right after eating a mint.
Slowly, Homura felt his senses being infinitely magnified. Countless streams of information stabbed at his brain, even causing him to lose focus for a moment.
When Homura gradually came to, he instantly felt that everything around him had become much clearer.
Unlike the physical enhancement, this one focused on his senses-or to be more specific, on his eyes.
The Uchiha clan was famous for its powerful Sharingan, so much so that a tactical maxim in the Hidden Sand Village stated, "When facing a Sharingan user, if it's one-on-one, you must flee."
But Homura was well aware of his own state. He hadn't awakened his Sharingan. The benefit of the Yin Release chakra amplification was a direct enhancement of his spiritual energy.
This would mainly manifest in being able to exert greater power and use stronger ocular jutsu after awakening his Sharingan. Before awakening it, his immunity to genjutsu was significantly increased.
If he were to face Kakashi now, Kakashi's unpredictable footwork would become crystal clear in his eyes! He might even be able to spot Kakashi's weaknesses!
Having regained his senses, Homura looked at Guy, who was picking his teeth with a bamboo skewer, and the bored-looking Kakashi. He shouted, "Let's go! Time to train!"
"Youth! Let's go!"
"I've been waiting for this."
The three of them then went to a Konoha training ground and began their daily routine. Since Kakashi was new, Homura explained their usual training method.
It was a method of pushing their bodies past their limits. With that said, he invited Kakashi to join them.
Perhaps because the Hatake Sword Style also required a strong physique, Kakashi didn't refuse Homura's invitation and started training with them.
But during the training, Kakashi discovered that both Homura and Guy were wearing considerable weights. This discovery shocked him.
"So this is the state he was in when he fought me!"
And judging by their movements, they had long since adapted to the weights, even seeming to handle them with ease. This was especially true for the thick-eyebrowed one. His taijutsu was truly powerful!
Seeing such skilled peers, Kakashi couldn't help but feel his fighting spirit ignite, and he began to train diligently.
As the sun set, the trio's training came to an end.
Guy panted, "Homura… how did your stamina get so strong?"
"It feels like every aspect of your body has been enhanced several times over."
Hearing this, Homura just laughed it off. "Maybe I'm just exceptionally talented," he said, and didn't elaborate further, instead beginning to think about increasing his weights.
After training, the three kids went their separate ways. Homura gave Guy some money; with Uncle Duy away, Homura was afraid Guy would skimp on his meals.
Sakumo was surprised when Kakashi returned home. Although Kakashi trained hard every day, it was mostly technical training. Today's training had been far more intense.
"Kakashi, did you train with that kid in the green jumpsuit?"
"Yes, Father. His name is Might Guy. There's also another boy, Uchiha Homura. They're both very strong."
"Is that so? Did you make some friends? But their method of body conditioning isn't suitable for you."
"Tomorrow, I'll teach you a Hatake body conditioning method that complements the Hatake Sword Style."
"Thank you, Father."
…
Homura returned home, but he lacked his usual sense of ease and leisure. Instead, his expression was tense.
He hadn't forgotten Shikamori's words, nor the Third Hokage's two observations. He knew he had to patch up his story immediately.
He recalled how to use the Telescope Technique. Using a mirror in his house as a medium, he released his chakra in an imperceptible way around his home.
Thanks to his Kage-level chakra control, Homura could precisely manipulate the Telescope Technique to check if anyone was spying on him without alerting the Third Hokage.
After confirming he wasn't being watched, Homura found some blank scrolls his parents had left behind and quickly began to write.
"The only jutsu I've revealed so far are the Headhunter Jutsu and the Shadow Clone Jutsu."
"To justify where I learned them, I have to forge fake scrolls."
Homura quickly wrote out two scrolls and spread them on his desk, both to let the ink dry quickly and to create the illusion that he had been studying them day and night.
After doing this, Homura messed up the arrangement of the scrolls in his parents' room and wiped the dust off all of them, creating the false impression of a recent search.
By the time he had finished all his preparations, Homura was already sweating profusely.
Homura understood that he needed to display his strength appropriately. In this world, in this clan, they believed in the truth of "might makes right." Only a genius could obtain more resources and receive more protection.
He had to control the level of strength he revealed, enough to solidify his status as a genius, yet not so much as to arouse suspicion and jealousy.
Lost in thought, Homura soon fell into a deep sleep.
Elsewhere in the Uchiha clan compound, within a massive Japanese-style courtyard (similar to the clan head's estate where Sasuke lived), Takeru dragged his exhausted body home.
"Young Master Takeru, you've worked hard. We'll help you change and draw you a bath."
Hearing the butler's voice, a middle-aged Uchiha man sitting in the main hall couldn't stay seated any longer and hurried to Takeru's side.
"Takeru! Don't push yourself like this anymore. I was wrong. What does it matter, this talk of caliber? Don't ruin your health!"
"You misspoke during the last match, but you apologized. You don't need to train this hard."
Takeru knew his father was concerned for him, but he refused with a resolute expression.
"Thank you, Father, but I truly want to defeat Homura. He is my goal!"
With that, Takeru walked toward his bedroom, leaving Uchiha Niwa standing stunned in his place.
"If the boy wants to get stronger, don't stand in his way." A side door slid open, and Niwa's younger brother, Uchiha Dou, stepped out.
Niwa sighed. "Give the order. Hire a private tutor for the young master tomorrow. We will commit all our resources to his training!"
After saying this, Niwa looked at his younger brother. The kind expression on his face vanished, replaced by a cold, stern look.
"Uchiha Homura… who is he, exactly?"
"A junior. He's been making a name for himself at the Ninja Academy recently. Today, he fought Hatake Kakashi to a draw."
"The Dove Faction has been gaining power lately. That whelp Fugaku, though in his prime, has no edge. He'll never amount to much."
"Old man Setsuna is still locked up in prison. The Hawk Faction is already on the decline in our hands. We must cultivate a new generation of talent."
"Brother, your meaning is?"
"If Uchiha Homura truly has talent, we can allocate some resources to him. Lure him into joining the Hawk Faction."
"Wouldn't that be too hasty?"
"Then we shall win him over with 'courtesy' and move him with sentiment. If he's a true genius, what does it matter if we grant him some favors? In any case, we can't let the Doves get to him!"
That was right. Uchiha Takeru's father was none other than an elder with real power in the Uchiha clan's Hawk Faction. He and his younger brother, Uchiha Dou, were the current leaders of the Hawks.
"Tell the young master that I'd like to invite Homura for a meal in a few days. Have him help with the arrangements."
"A specific time?"
"Let the young master decide."