Chapter 4: Fireballs and FireballsThe day after the Uchiha Clan Massacre.
Lying in bed, Chinatsu slowly opened her eyes. Her gaze settled on the wooden ceiling above her—plain, traditional, and very much in line with the Uchiha clan's austere aesthetic.
This was her room inside the Uchiha compound. Thankfully, it wasn't decorated in overly feminine colors; otherwise, she was certain she wouldn't have slept well at all.
"…It's 5 a.m. already?"
She turned her head slightly, glancing at the faint morning light filtering through the paper windows.
"So early… I usually wouldn't wake up before 10…"
It must be the original owner's habits influencing her.
After all, Uchiha Chinatsu had been raised as a disciplined kunoichi—someone who trained regularly, maintained strict routines, and upheld the clan's reputation.
Chinatsu stretched lazily, arms raised overhead.
Despite waking early, she didn't feel sleepy at all. On the contrary, her body felt unusually light—almost overflowing with energy.
"I didn't really explore this place yesterday… might as well take a look around."
She got out of bed, put on her clothes with the help of muscle memory, and stepped outside her room, her movements still slightly unrefined.
The compound was eerily clean.
There were no traces of the massacre—no bloodstains, no lingering signs of violence. Everything had been meticulously handled by Anbu Black Ops, leaving behind only silence.
Chinatsu wandered through the halls and courtyards.
Even after five minutes, she had barely seen a fraction of the estate. The Uchiha compound was vast, designed for one of Konoha's most powerful clans.
"Hm?"
She paused.
From somewhere deeper within the compound, she heard faint sounds—short bursts of breath, followed by something like crackling flames.
Curious, she turned toward a grove of trees and walked forward.
Passing through the trees, a small training area came into view, with a pond reflecting the early morning sky.
And there—
"Sasuke…"
Standing at the edge of the water was Sasuke Uchiha.
His small figure was tense, his hands forming seals with visible effort.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
He inhaled deeply and exhaled.
A small burst of flames shot forward.
It barely traveled a meter before dissipating into the air.
Chinatsu watched silently.
This was her first time witnessing ninjutsu in reality—not through a screen or a manga panel—and the sensation was entirely different. The flow of chakra, the transformation into elemental nature… it was vivid, tangible.
But…
That fireball was indeed small.
Sasuke's face flushed red from exertion, and sweat rolled down his forehead.
"No… this isn't enough…"
He clenched his teeth tightly.
"It's not even close… not even half of that person's…"
That person—
Itachi Uchiha.
Chinatsu quickly understood.
In the Uchiha clan, mastering the Great Fireball Technique was a rite of passage. Sasuke had once proudly shown it to his father, Fugaku Uchiha, who acknowledged him as a true member of the clan.
But now, Sasuke wasn't comparing himself to other children—
He was comparing himself to Itachi.
Chinatsu sighed inwardly.
That was a hopeless standard.
"Sister… you're awake?"
Sasuke noticed her presence and lowered his head slightly.
"I've been training since early morning… but I'm not improving at all…"
His voice carried a trace of doubt.
"Sister… do you think… I don't have talent as a ninja?"
Chinatsu froze for a moment.
She wasn't good at comforting people. In her previous life, she had been more of a shut-in than anything else.
"Ahem…"
She cleared her throat awkwardly.
"Sasuke, you're already doing very well for your age. Most people your age can't even use a single ninjutsu yet."
She tried her best to sound convincing.
But Sasuke shook his head.
"If I want to kill that man… I can't compare myself to others my age."
His eyes hardened.
"I hate to admit it… but he's a genius."
There was no hesitation in his voice—only determination mixed with pain.
Then he looked up at Chinatsu.
"Sister… you were already a strong Chūnin before, right? Teach me ninjutsu!"
"Huh? Me?"
Chinatsu blinked.
She instinctively searched through her inherited memories.
Ninjutsu knowledge… chakra control… hand seals…
It was all there.
"Well… it's not impossible."
She stepped forward toward the pond.
"Let's try the Great Fireball Technique. But I'm warning you—I'm not especially good at it."
She formed hand seals.
Snake → Ram → Monkey → Boar → Horse → Tiger.
The sequence flowed smoothly, almost instinctively.
She took a deep breath.
Chakra gathered in her chest, compressing and heating as it converted into Fire Release nature.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
She exhaled.
In an instant—
A massive sphere of blazing fire erupted forward.
It roared across the surface of the pond, its size easily dwarfing Sasuke several times over, the heat distorting the air around it.
Sasuke froze.
Chinatsu froze.
Chinatsu: …I did that?
Sasuke: …This is what she calls "not good"?!
The flames continued for several seconds before finally dissipating, leaving behind rising steam from the pond's surface.
Silence followed.
Chinatsu stared at her own hands.
This level of power…
Even within the Uchiha clan, producing such a large fireball required significant chakra reserves and control. It wasn't something an ordinary Chūnin should casually achieve.
And earlier…
She had sensed Kakashi Hatake observing from outside the hospital.
Perception. Chakra capacity. Ninjutsu output.
None of it matched a normal Chūnin profile.
Was this Chinatsu's hidden potential?
Or was it something brought about by transmigration—some kind of "cheat"?
Either way…
In a world like this, strength meant survival.
Chinatsu clenched her fists slightly, a faint smile forming.
At the same time—
Something shattered.
Sasuke's pride.
Turning her head slowly, Chinatsu saw him crouched on the ground, back facing her, drawing circles in the dirt with a stick.
A gloomy aura surrounded him.
"Sister lied to me… this isn't 'not good' at all…"
"Then my fireball… compared to yours… compared to him…"
"I really… don't have talent…"
Chinatsu panicked slightly.
She hadn't meant to crush his confidence.
"Sasuke!"
She called out quickly.
"This kind of Fireball Technique isn't a big deal! You can improve step by step. Whatever you want to learn—as long as I know it, I'll teach you!"
"Really?!"
Sasuke instantly sprang up, his eyes lighting up again.
"Then Sister—how did you make such a huge fireball just now?!"
"Ah…"
Chinatsu turned her head awkwardly.
She couldn't exactly say—
"I just did it and it came out that big," right?