Power, once revealed, can no longer be hidden.
Kai followed Fugaku as they left.
He glanced back at Itachi, still standing in the training ground, visibly shaken. His emotions were complicated.
A prodigy.
The pride of the clan.
Defeated just like that.
Anyone would struggle to accept it.
Kai shifted his gaze to Fugaku. As if sensing his thoughts, Fugaku spoke without turning around.
"Itachi is mature. He can regulate his emotions. Today's defeat hit him hard—let him process it."
Fugaku paused briefly, then shook his head slightly, his eyes firm once more.
He believed Itachi would overcome this.
Continuing forward, Fugaku said, "I observed your spar carefully. There are three reasons you won."
"First—your physical strength."
"Second—your reaction speed and body coordination."
"Third—your exceptional combat talent."
As an elite Jonin, Fugaku's insight was sharp.
He had seen through both of them at a glance.
"Itachi is very strong. I just got lucky," Kai replied with a smile, maintaining his humility.
Sure enough—
Fugaku's expression eased slightly.
After all, denying Itachi was, in a sense, denying him.
The two walked through the streets of the Uchiha compound.
Members of the Military Police greeted Fugaku respectfully as they passed. He acknowledged each with a nod.
Ten minutes later—
they turned through several narrow alleys and arrived at a secluded building.
Security here was noticeably tighter.
Military Police patrols circled the area.
A heavy iron gate stood at the entrance, guarded at all times.
"Captain!"
The guard straightened immediately upon seeing Fugaku. His gaze flickered briefly to Kai, a trace of surprise crossing his face.
In his memory—
only Itachi had ever been brought here.
But as a member of the Military Police, he knew better than to ask unnecessary questions.
"Open the gate," Fugaku ordered.
"Yes, sir!"
The iron door creaked open.
The two stepped inside.
A faint, ancient scent of dust and time greeted them.
"Uncle Fugaku… what is this place?" Kai asked, glancing around curiously.
Fugaku didn't stop walking as he headed toward the stairs.
"This is where the Uchiha store their clan ninjutsu," he said. "Very few within the clan know of this place. Konoha knows nothing about it."
Ninjutsu—
was the foundation of a clan.
Naturally, it was heavily guarded.
In the entire Uchiha clan—
no more than three people had access to this place.
Their footsteps echoed along the old wooden stairs, each step producing a faint creak.
Pushing open the door at the top—
Kai's eyes widened slightly.
Shelves filled the room.
Scroll after scroll, neatly arranged.
A dazzling collection.
Fugaku spoke, a hint of pride in his voice.
"These are the ninjutsu accumulated by the Uchiha since Konoha's founding. Over a thousand in total."
"Fire Release, Water Release, Lightning Release, Earth Release, Wind Release… even genjutsu."
"Before you choose, we'll test your chakra nature."
With that, Fugaku retrieved five sheets of chakra paper from a nearby cabinet, each a different color.
Most shinobi possessed only one chakra nature.
Upon reaching Jonin level, some developed two or more.
Take Naruto—
he had Wind Release.
By integrating it into the Rasengan, he created Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.
A technique powerful enough to defeat Kakuzu of the Akatsuki.
As for the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi—
he possessed all five chakra natures.
A true genius in terms of talent.
Though his political decisions were questionable, his strength was undeniable.
Kai was curious.
How many chakra natures did he have?
Fugaku explained:
"Wind will split the paper. Lightning will wrinkle it. Fire will burn it. Earth will crumble it. Water will soak it."
"Go ahead."
"Alright." Kai nodded.
He took the Fire chakra paper and held it in his palm, focusing.
Suddenly—
it ignited.
"Hot—!"
He quickly tossed it to the ground and stamped it out.
Burning this place down would not end well.
"Fire Release," Fugaku said calmly.
No surprise there.
The Uchiha were naturally attuned to fire.
Kai possessing it was expected.
Next—
Wind chakra paper.
Kai clenched his fist.
Rip—
The paper split cleanly.
"Wind as well?" Fugaku's brows lifted slightly.
Wind Release possessed extreme cutting power.
And when combined with Fire—
its destructive potential multiplied drastically.
Then—
the next tests.
What followed—
left Fugaku utterly stunned.
Lightning chakra paper—
wrinkled.
Earth chakra paper—
crumbled.
Water chakra paper—
dampened.
Five.
Fire.
Wind.
Lightning.
Earth.
Water.
Kai possessed all five chakra natures.
Fugaku's eyes widened.
His mouth opened slightly—
but no words came out.
He rubbed his eyes, as if doubting what he had just seen.
"You… have five chakra natures?" he asked slowly.
"…I think so," Kai replied, uncertain.
For a moment, he even wondered—
if the papers were faulty from age.
To be sure—
Fugaku had him test again.
The result—
was identical.
Fugaku exhaled, almost in disbelief.
"Unbelievable…"
The Uchiha had existed for generations.
And yet—
such a talent was almost unheard of.
In his memory—
only one person had ever possessed all five chakra natures.
Uchiha Madara.
And now—
Kai.
It took him several seconds to regain his composure.
"You're still young," Fugaku said seriously. "Unless your life is in danger, do not reveal any chakra nature other than Fire."
Konoha—
was not as peaceful as it seemed.
Clans competed in the shadows.
A tree that stands too tall attracts the wind.
Kai needed time to grow.
At the very least—
until he reached Jonin level.
Only then would he have the strength to protect himself.
"I understand," Kai nodded.
Standing out too much—
invited danger.
Considering his age, and the risk of spreading himself too thin, Fugaku suggested he select two C-rank ninjutsu.
For example—
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique.
And—
Wind Release: Gale.
The choice of Wind Release was deliberate.
At a critical moment—
combining Fire and Wind could create a powerful trump card.
It was a solid suggestion.
Kai accepted it.
But then—
he spoke.
"Uncle Fugaku… I want to choose a genjutsu."
Fugaku paused, thinking.
"Genjutsu reaches its full potential only with the Sharingan. You haven't—"
Before he could finish—
Kai's eyes turned crimson.
A single tomoe slowly spun within each pupil.
"Uncle Fugaku… can I learn genjutsu now?"
Fugaku was stunned once again.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read chapters ahead on Patreon → patreon.com/c/CelestialInkstudios