The sounds of fists striking flesh echoed repeatedly across the training ground—dull, rhythmic, and sharp.
The group of young Uchiha boys watching from the sidelines wore complicated expressions: shock, confusion, disbelief.
Didn't Eiji awaken his Sharingan?
Then why was he performing no better than yesterday?
Uchiha Daishi and the others watched as Eiji continued to launch attack after attack, the scene unfolding almost exactly like the day before.
Uchiha Yuan still stood calmly in place, not moving a single step, effortlessly parrying every one of Eiji's blows.
While most of the spectators looked puzzled, Uchiha Hayato and Uchiha Kotarō—standing on the opposite side of the field—were utterly dumbfounded.
The Sharingan is supposed to be invincible! So why can't Eiji win, even after awakening it?
That guy's just an outsider! He probably doesn't even have the potential to awaken the Sharingan!
"Bang!"
A heavy thud rang out as Eiji took a solid punch to the chest. His body shot backward like a cannonball, flying straight through the air.
For a moment, his entire body went numb—Yuan's punch had completely scattered the chakra circulating inside him. Yet the force had been applied with such perfect control that it didn't cause the slightest injury.
After flying more than ten meters, Eiji managed to feel the lingering shock dissipate. He twisted midair, flipped backward, and landed steadily on his feet.
Clutching his chest, he took several deep breaths before the single tomoe in his eyes slowly faded away—his Sharingan deactivated.
He raised his head and looked at Yuan.
"Why? Even after awakening the Sharingan, I still can't defeat you. I saw everything—every movement, every strike, crystal clear!"
Yuan simply smiled faintly.
"Because you're too weak. Your Sharingan may see my movements—but my body moves faster than you can react. Your eyes keep up, but your body can't."
Eiji froze for a moment, then fell into thought. The words made painful sense.
That punch just now—he had seen it coming clearly. He had moved to block it…
Yet before his defense even formed, Yuan's fist had already struck his chest.
After a long silence, Eiji spoke again.
"What do you want to see this time?"
He admitted defeat once more.
Yuan thought for a moment before answering, "If possible, bring me a C-rank ninjutsu scroll."
Both his parents had only ever been ordinary chūnin. His father had died in the line of duty, and his mother had long since retired.
Their home held only a few basic low-rank scrolls, all of which he had already studied thoroughly.
Now, he wanted to analyze something more advanced.
"Alright."
Eiji paused, then suddenly smiled. "Actually, Uchiha Yuan, I could bring you something even higher—a B-rank, even an A-rank ninjutsu scroll. Techniques like the Phoenix Fire Jutsu or Great Fire Dragon Technique. If you'd like, I could show them to you next time."
At that, the nearby boys' eyes lit up with excitement.
Those were powerful, advanced jutsu—legendary to kids who hadn't even learned basic E-rank techniques.
But Yuan's expression remained perfectly calm.
"No need. A C-rank scroll is enough."
When Eiji and his companions left, Daishi turned to him, confused.
"Big Brother, why didn't you accept Eiji's offer for the advanced jutsu?"
"Yeah," another member of the guard unit added. "My dad once said the Great Fire Dragon Technique is incredible. He saw the clan head use it on the battlefield once—it wiped out an entire Mist Village chūnin squad in one go!"
Yuan's eyes shifted slightly toward them, and the group instantly fell silent.
"That was a test," Yuan said flatly. "Eiji was testing me."
"Testing?" Daishi frowned. "Testing what?"
Yuan didn't reply. His gaze drifted toward the distant walls of the Uchiha compound—beyond them, the towering faces of the Hokage Rock loomed over Konoha.
Meanwhile, on their way home, Eiji and his two companions walked in silence.
After a while, Eiji stopped abruptly.
"Hayato, Kotarō… do you think I should start focusing on taijutsu training?"
Hayato scoffed. "Eiji, only weaklings train taijutsu. Real shinobi rely on chakra and ninjutsu!"
Kotarō nodded quickly. "Exactly! You just awakened your Sharingan yesterday. You're still not used to using it, that's all. Once you master it, you'll crush Uchiha Yuan easily."
Eiji didn't answer. His mind replayed every moment of the fight—the feeling of seeing every attack yet being powerless to block them. The helplessness burned inside him, making his eyes faintly glow red again.
Then Hayato suddenly remembered something. "Oh, right—Eiji, what if Yuan had actually accepted your offer for those high-level jutsu? You know we're not allowed anywhere near that stuff."
Kotarō chuckled. "Heh, come on, you were just bluffing him, right?"
Eiji shook his head. "No. I would've given them to him."
Both boys froze.
"What? Why?!"
Eiji's tone was calm. "What do you think of his strength?"
The two exchanged a glance.
"His taijutsu… seems strong," they admitted.
Eiji nodded. "I don't know how talented he is as a shinobi, but his taijutsu is exceptional. I think he's worth recruiting. One day, he could become a valuable asset at my side. Unfortunately… it seems he's not interested."
Hayato looked surprised. "Eiji, aren't you overestimating him a bit? We're still kids. Once our chakra grows stronger and our Sharingan evolves, his taijutsu won't stand a chance."
Eiji only shook his head. "You're underestimating him."
He couldn't explain it, but there was something about Uchiha Yuan—a shroud of mystery, a depth that made it impossible to read his true strength.
Fighting him felt less like sparring with a peer and more like facing his older brother, Uchiha Taiichi, a full-fledged jōnin. Every move Eiji made had been effortlessly seen through.
Three days later, deep in a quiet forest.
Uchiha Yuan sat cross-legged on a boulder. A small bird, clutching a worm in its beak, fluttered down and landed lightly on his head.
His consciousness sank inward as he began refining chakra.
Boom—
It felt as though his body was dry kindling and his will the spark that lit it aflame.
Chakra burst forth, surging through every fiber of his being.
The chakra cultivation notes Eiji had given him had answered many of his lingering doubts.
Now, the process of refinement felt smoother, easier—his chakra flowing through his body like a calm, steady current.
To read advanced Chapters, head over to p@treon:
patreon.com/nani_kaito