The news of Uchiha Shinsuke defeating Uchiha Shigeru and his two companions spread among the younger generation of the clan.
Some were shocked, some disbelieving, and even more watched with the attitude of waiting to see a spectacle.
After all, the label of "worthless trash" was not something that could be removed in a day or two.
Uchiha Shinsuke paid no attention to the outside chatter.
He understood clearly that in this world where fists and jutsu did the talking, no words could compare to raw, tangible strength.
His current level of ability was enough to handle a few low-ranked ninja, but measured against the whole of the Uchiha Clan, let alone Konoha, he could not even stir a single wave.
What was more, Uchiha Shigeru's parents were both active members of the Military Police Force, and their strength was considerable.
Whether striking the son would bring the parents out was a question he could not afford to ignore.
He was an orphan now, with no father and no mother, no one to rely on, and his only support was this system.
So, until he possessed enough strength to protect himself, keeping a low profile and developing quietly was the right path.
Uchiha Shinsuke went to the clan's public training ground every day without fail, carrying out dull and repetitive basic drills.
Shuriken throwing, taijutsu fundamentals, chakra control.
Backed by the soul of an adult and a body reshaped by the system, Uchiha Shinsuke's progress advanced by leaps and bounds.
On shuriken alone, Uchiha Shinsuke had gone from missing every single throw at the start to hitting seven or eight out of ten without relying on the Sharingan.
That level of performance, measured against peers his age, was already considered excellent.
Uchiha Shinsuke had intended to keep training quietly just like this.
But trouble, as always, arrived uninvited.
That afternoon, Uchiha Shinsuke was in a corner of the training ground, focused on his shuriken throwing practice.
"Well, well, isn't this the newly crowned genius of the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Shinsuke?"
A sarcastic voice came from behind him.
Uchiha Shinsuke lowered his hand and turned around slowly.
His memory bank automatically surfaced the information on this person: Uchiha Yuu, Uchiha Shigeru's older cousin, with strength approaching that of a chunin.
He had come to avenge his little cousin.
Uchiha Shinsuke's face remained completely unmoved.
"Something you need?"
Uchiha Shinsuke said flatly.
One of Uchiha Yuu's lackeys immediately jumped forward and jabbed a finger toward Uchiha Shinsuke's face.
"Hey kid, don't think you're anything special just because you beat Shigeru!"
"That's right! We heard you just got lucky that day and only caught them off guard!"
Uchiha Yuu did not stop his lackeys from shouting, and instead watched Uchiha Shinsuke with keen interest, looking to find even a trace of panic or fear on his face.
But Uchiha Yuu was disappointed.
Uchiha Shinsuke's expression had not changed once from beginning to end.
"It was only luck."
Uchiha Shinsuke replied flatly.
"Luck?"
Uchiha Yuu let out a snort and stepped forward two paces, a wave of pressure washing over the space between them.
"Kicking Shigeru's leg clean off and putting Gou in a near-dead state with a single Great Fireball is not something that two words of luck can explain."
Uchiha Yuu paused, and his tone turned ice cold.
"I don't care whether you are genuinely strong or used some underhanded trick, because today I am here to measure exactly what you are worth, so do you dare spar with me?"
A cold light flashed deep in Uchiha Shinsuke's eyes.
In a clan like the Uchiha that revered strength, backing down and showing cowardice would only invite more bullying and endless trouble.
To live in peace, he had to beat them into submission and into fear in a single go.
With absolute strength, he would brand a mark into everyone's mind: I, Uchiha Shinsuke, am not someone to be trifled with.
"Fine."
Uchiha Shinsuke did not refuse, and accepted Uchiha Yuu's challenge without hesitation.
The clan members who had been training on their own nearby heard the commotion, stopped what they were doing one after another, and gathered around, ready to watch a good show.
In the center of the training ground, the two stood facing each other, and the atmosphere instantly turned sharp and tense.
"Yuu, teach this arrogant little brat a good lesson!"
"Show him what we are made of!"
The lackeys fanned the flames from the sidelines.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"
Uchiha Yuu struck first, rapidly forming hand seals and spitting out several fist-sized fireballs in one breath, sealing off every escape route around Uchiha Shinsuke from all directions.
This Phoenix Flower Jutsu, whether in the speed of its hand seals or the precision of the flames, was on an entirely different level compared to the half-baked technique Uchiha Shigeru's group had used.
Uchiha Shinsuke felt the heat surge around his eyes as his crimson single-tomoe Sharingan activated in an instant.
He did not choose to meet force with force, instead pushing off the ground and moving with nimble footwork to dodge Uchiha Yuu's Phoenix Flower fireballs one by one.
"What?!"
Uchiha Yuu's pupils contracted sharply.
He had not expected Uchiha Shinsuke's movement to be so agile.
Before Uchiha Yuu could react, Uchiha Shinsuke had already closed the distance.
No flashy techniques, just a single, clean straight punch.
That punch was faster than imagination, and carried a terrifying amount of force.
Uchiha Yuu was startled, and in his hurry could only raise both arms and cross them in front of his chest to block.
A dull thud rang out.
An irresistible surge of force traveled through his arms, and Uchiha Yuu felt both arms go numb as his body staggered backward out of his control, stumbling back seven or eight steps before barely managing to steady himself.
Uchiha Yuu's two arms were trembling unnaturally at that moment, as though his bones were about to split.
Uchiha Shinsuke gave Uchiha Yuu no chance to catch his breath.
He exploded forward with a burst of speed, dropping his center of gravity low, and drove his right leg with a howling rush of wind straight into Uchiha Yuu's abdomen.
Another heavy, deep thud rang out.
Uchiha Yuu's body folded into the shape of a shrimp, his eyes bulging as saliva sprayed from his mouth without control.
His whole body flew backward and tumbled across the ground several times before stopping, lying face down in a wretched heap, his body shaking continuously.
The entire training ground fell dead silent.
Every Uchiha Clan member watching stared wide-eyed with an expression of complete disbelief.
One punch, one kick.
Only two moves, and Uchiha Yuu, whose strength was approaching chunin level, had lost, and lost so cleanly, so utterly.
Uchiha Shinsuke slowly withdrew his leg, the crimson in his eyes fading as they returned to a deep black.
He walked up to Uchiha Yuu, who lay on the ground dry-heaving, and looked down at him from above.
"Shall we continue?"
A cold voice, carrying not even a trace of feeling.
Continue with what?
The agonizing pain from his abdomen had left Uchiha Yuu without even the strength to stand.
Uchiha Yuu struggled to lift his head and saw only the indifferent gaze of Uchiha Shinsuke looking back at him.
Uchiha Yuu's whole body shuddered.
The Uchiha Shinsuke standing before him was no longer the worthless trash he had assumed he could handle as he pleased.
"I... I concede..."
Uchiha Shinsuke did not look at him again, and turned to face the two lackeys who had been frightened into a stupor.
The two made contact with Uchiha Shinsuke's gaze, their bodies jolting sharply as they rushed over one after the other, propped up the half-dead Uchiha Yuu, and fled the training ground without looking back.
With Uchiha Yuu dealt with, Uchiha Shinsuke returned to his own training.
Provocations like this might come again in the future.
But that was fine, because through these tests, he could steadily reinforce his image, the image of an awakened Uchiha genius.
[Ding!]
[Host has successfully repelled a challenger, defended personal dignity through decisive action, and displayed the dominance befitting the Uchiha Clan. Clan Honor Points +35!]
[Uchiha Shinsuke Attribute Panel]
[Strength: Early Chunin]
[Mastered Skills: Body Flicker Technique (Mastered), Great Fireball Jutsu (Mastered), Sharingan (One-Tomoe)]
[Clan Standing: Ordinary Genin]
[Clan Honor Points: 85]
[Overall Clan Prestige Assessment: Genin Level]
'85 Clan Honor Points... still far too few.'
Uchiha Shinsuke thought inwardly.
This show of dominance had only resolved the small trouble in front of him.
The true crisis was the fate of the entire clan.
Uchiha Shinsuke raised his eyes toward the depths of the clan grounds, where the headquarters building of the Uchiha Military Police Force stood.
'To change the Uchiha Clan, I must first enter the core of its power.'
His next objective was to join the Military Police Force, and use it as a stepping stone to claim higher standing and status one step at a time.