The sealed training hall of the Police Division thundered with ruptured air.
The space was vast and empty, broken only by flickers of lightning and the tearing sound of movement too fast for ordinary eyes to follow. Uchiha Yoru's figure vanished entirely, reappearing only as brief afterimages when he twisted or redirected his momentum. In raw speed alone, he had crossed into full jōnin territory.
A volley of kunai struck the walls, slicing through pre-set wires.
The instant the wires snapped, senbon launchers hidden on all sides fired at once.
The hall filled with shrill whines. Thousands of needles flooded the air like a metallic storm.
Yoru appeared at the center of it.
His two-tomoe Sharingan spun as he tracked every trajectory at once. The Kusanagi blade flashed in his hand, wrapped in crackling lightning. Steel rang sharply as he moved. Senbon shattered midair, deflected or snapped apart, raining broken fragments onto the stone floor.
The sound ended abruptly.
Yoru stood alone, chest heaving, sweat running down his back. Around him, the floor was littered with broken needles.
He frowned.
"Still not perfect."
One senbon had slipped through from behind. It had pierced his skin but failed to go deeper, stopped by sheer physical resilience. He knew that wouldn't always be enough.
Lightning crawled over his body as he exhaled, then faded.
He smiled faintly.
"Talent really does matter."
Since awakening the physique modeled after the Third Raikage, everything had changed. His chakra affinity, especially Lightning Release, had sharpened dramatically. More than that, his body felt inexhaustible. Strength came faster. Recovery came easier. Even taijutsu responded as if his muscles had learned how to fight on their own.
This wasn't just training. This was acceleration.
The key lay in two techniques he had recently mastered.
The first was Lightning Release Chakra Mode, often called the Raikage's Lightning Armor. On paper, it was only a B-rank technique. In reality, it demanded specialized medicinal support and long-term conditioning. Without the proper body, it was unusable. With it, the technique bordered on the forbidden.
The second was Chidori Flow.
Individually, each had limits. Together, they concealed each other perfectly. The lightning armor reinforced his body and speed. Chidori Flow masked the telltale chakra output, scattering lightning outward instead of letting it cling visibly to his frame.
A dangerous combination. And an expensive one.
Yoru clicked his tongue softly.
"Worth it, though."
He slid the Kusanagi back into its sheath. The lightning dispersed, and the Sharingan faded, leaving his eyes dark once more.
"Come out," he said casually.
The training hall door creaked open.
Mitarashi Anko stepped inside, arms crossed, eyes still carrying traces of shock she hadn't quite buried.
"Tch. You've gotten ridiculous lately, Uchiha Yoru," she said, forcing a smug tone that didn't quite stick. "Guess the rumors weren't exaggerated."
Inside, envy stirred despite herself. So this was the Uchiha advantage. Awaken the Sharingan, and the world bends faster around you.
Yoru blinked in surprise.
"Anko? I thought it was one of my squad."
She looked away, annoyed at being caught staring.
"There's a class reunion tonight," she said. "I came to ask if you're showing up."
Yoru paused, then smiled.
"A reunion? Of course I'll go."
Outwardly relaxed, inwardly alert.
Anko didn't come here on a whim. Whether this invitation was coincidence or someone else's idea remained to be seen.
But either way, he would attend.