It was a warm afternoon, and I would have been enjoying it, but today was training day, so instead of holding a cup of cold, iced tea, I was sweating bullets.

  Crack.

  Another strike... Then another as I slid backward across the packed dirt as Fugaku's kick cut through the space where my ribs had been a moment earlier, while I was trying to make sure that what was cracking were the wooden poles I was waving between and not my bones.

  Fast... Too damn fast! My eyes were already burning and stinging as my Sharningan kept spinning, doing its best to read where the next attack would come from, documenting Fugaku's muscle tension, the weight shift from one leg to the other, along with his breathing rhythm as he took in air before the start of a combo... Every twitch of his body was screaming the next attack at me. But that was intentional because... seeing it… and reacting to it… Those were two very different things! Still, I saw it, so I twisted aside just in time as his palm shot forward and the strike brushed my shoulder instead of crushing my sternum.

  CRACK

  The pole behind me shattered at once, splinters flying everywhere as he pulled back his hand, opening his mouth, signaling that the current round was at its end, his red, almost glowing Sharingan looking down at me.

  "You hesitated," he said calmly, his eyes reading everything just the same, including my labored breathing while his hadn't even broken its rhythm... Unfair. He was nothing like any other Jōnin and for sure not like the ones from the Cloud, like the one I killed a year ago. They were not even in the same class, and Fugaku was way above them in skill. At least it felt as if, compared to him, those Jōnins were Genins.

  "The process became noisy for a moment," I exhaled slowly, lowering my stance, squinting, blinking my eyes a little, but didn't dare to turn off my Sharingans, unless he said so.

  "That's why we must train your eyes and mind." He nodded, slowly crossing his arms, thinking.

  We have been at this about three days a week since our return to the Village. As for Fugaku, he was the Clan leader in everything but title. Well, he was very close to getting it, but there wasn't an official vote or announcement yet to make him the Uchihas' number one figure.

  "We will go again," he said, and then he vanished before waiting for my answer.

  I moved instantly... Or tried to, but by then his body flickered into existence right behind me. Tsk! My Sharingan showed me the attack a fraction of a second before it came, without having to look over, as I could sense it, and realize what he was doing. So, before he would knock me out, I dropped to one knee as his elbow passed above my head. Not done yet, I was already spinning around, as I countered with a sweeping kick. Of course, Fugaku blocked it casually, but his eyes narrowed slightly before he attacked again. What he was using was three strikes in a particular sequence: first a palm strike, then a follow-up kick when I dodged it, countering my counter with a knife-like thrust from his hand, each faster than the last.

  But this time I was ready. Using the method he was drilling into me, my eyes made the world slow down as my perception widened, capturing everything. Letting it, once again, drive my body, I felt my shoulder turning, sped up by the twist of my hip. He was expecting me to dodge the first one... but I decided to do something else. So, I blocked.

  CRACK

  I felt my bones rattle in my arms, but I ignored the feeling and slipped into his pattern... and unleashed a counter. For a brief moment, the rhythm I was dictating had aligned with everything, and I was overtaking his combo. I would have countered it! But then Fugaku accelerated, and I barely saw the kick before it landed.

  THUD.

  I skidded across the yard and rolled to my feet, coughing, wiping my mouth... but it wasn't blood. Still, it hurt like hell!

  "Very good," he said, nodding at me, "You almost raised your knee to block."

  "Only... almost..." I moaned, feeling that every breath made my chest sting. Ugh...

  "For someone who awakened the Sharingan fully only recently… yes. You are faster than you should be."

  "Recently… right... Still not fast enough!" I moaned, taking a deep breath, resetting myself.

  "Again," he said, right when I was expecting a momentary pause. But of course, that wouldn't happen, and I knew better than to argue, so I moved first.

  But I wouldn't engage in taijutsu... So, my hands flashed through the signs, and he never stopped me from doing it, ordering me to only use taijutsu or something stupid like that. Rat, Tiger, Dog, Ox, Rabbit, Tiger, all done under two seconds.

  "Katon: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

  A volley of fireballs exploded from my mouth toward him, sending about twelve toward him, with four extra trailing behind the bigger ones, doing my best to surprise him. Naturally, Fugaku's Sharingan tracked them effortlessly, and he stepped between them without any hurry, letting the flames pass only inches away from his clothes, including my hidden ones.

  "Shit..."

  I already caught his hands blurring, and I knew he was doing it deliberately, in a way I could see. What else could it be, if not my jutsu being shot back at me? His version was faster, stronger, and the fire scattered in three-by-three bursts, forcing me backward exactly how he wanted, making me dance to his tune of music... but... I grinned. This was not the first time he did something like this, copying whatever I decided to throw at him, sending it back at me. So, I was ready!

  "Got you!"

  His eyes sharpened, even though I hadn't spoken out loudly at all... Still, too late, Chief! One advantage of the Rasengan was that it didn't need any pesky hand seals to be woven. With the chakra taking shape, I could insert my fire release quickly and efficiently, skipping most of the steps. It was the perfect basis to build techniques around, surprising others with something they didn't expect, like I did with Fugaku now.

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  "Minor Supernova."

  I know the name was flashy, but after killing the Cloud shinobi with it, I decided I would name it as such. Better than giving it something like Atomic Explosion or... Molecular Disintegration Bomb... I'm not Minato, after all. Anyway, I had a much better grasp on it, turning the Rasengan into a miniature sun in my hands, one that was its own technique. It was white in color, burning at least four to five times as hot as a simple fireball, and without hesitation, I chucked it directly at Fugaku, like a burning snowball.

  It was also my first time showing it to him, because I wasn't sure the technique would stand up much before perfecting it... But now? Oh yeah. It flew through his jutsu, burning away his fire, blasting them apart, before, about a meter away from his body, I cut my connection to it, the only thing that kept it together and in its spherical form.

  BOOM.

  A blazing explosion filled the training yard, swallowing every light and sound, making even someone with a Sharingan avert their eyes or risk going blind. I felt how the heat rolled outward like a miniature sun as the explosion tore everything to shreds; not much of the poles remained, consumed by the sudden wave of heat. Even those that weren't in the radius of the expanding 'supernova' got set ablaze or at least singed, releasing thick smoke.

  But it didn't last long, four seconds at best, and burned only an 8- to 10-meter-diameter area around its impact point. Glancing at him, I saw that Fugaku stood up, further away, rising from a kneeling position, tapping against his clothes, putting out the embers glowing around his sleeves, while his Sharingan in his eyes glowed brighter, slowly stopping its spinning. I couldn't tell if he used his Mangekyō or not... or even if he had one. But I guess he wouldn't whip it out, because relying on it for training would be foolish. Who wants to go blind for no reason?

  "Interesting." He said, holding down a cough, wiping his mouth, "That was not a standard Uchiha technique nor anything I taught you."

  "No," I admitted, also smiling, shaking my hand as it was slightly trembling.

  "Explain."

  "Fire compression," I said with a shrug, "Mostly that is how it works. First, I compress the chakra of course," I said, summoning a Rasengan, "The add my nature release and the rest comes automatically."

  "The technique the Namikaze kid and you developed has been making its rounds amongst the elite," He nodded slowly, "But nobody thought about picking it up, as it's not even a half-done jutsu. At least, that is how everyone looks at it."

  "I guessed as much," I shrugged, "I guessed as much..." I repeated, pursing my lips, "Well, at least, it remains our unique technique, hm?" I grimaced, disliking the idea that the Hokage put down the technique as a regular one, like any simple fireball jutsu or wind blades or... whatever, accessible to anyone at the Chūnin level or above.

  "Turns out... we were wrong, hm?" He added, surprising me because that was... High praise. A very high level of praise... "You have improved considerably." He added, stepping forward, even smiling a little.

  "Thank you," I smiled back at him, now feeling a bit conscious about my pouting.

  "But taijustsu and ninjutsu are just one part of a Shinobi, especially since you have these eyes." He began as he tapped the corner of his eye.

  "Fuuuuuuuuck!" I wanted to cry out, but it was too late; I let down my guard!

  I barely registered the motion before... The world changed. Suddenly, the training yard vanished, and dark waters surrounded me, and my feet were submerged down to my ankles, slowly sinking.

  "Genjutsu..." I exhaled, "Of course... that damned tap... Find the disturbance..." I told myself, calming my mind.

  While most people were unable to come out of a genjutsu when alone, that was not the case with someone having our eyes. I just had to find... Find the chakra thread of the genjutsu... Of course, if it were made by someone super talented, a genjutsu specialist, I don't think I could get out of it, but this was training... There! I saw a thin ripple in the illusion, and I immediately pushed my chakra outward, towards it.

  "Release!" The moment I said it, the world snapped back into place, and I blinked, glanced around, and noticed Fugaku watching me silently. "How long?" I asked, feeling my eyes really sting this time.

  "Three seconds," He answered, slowly nodding his head.

  "Too long..."

  "Your perception is excellent." He stepped closer, patting my shoulders, and even chuckled, seeing me flinch, expecting a second genjutsu, or a genjutsu within a genjutsu, but I couldn't find any clues that he drilled into me. All things considered, I was indeed out of it, and this was not an... illusion within an illusion bullshit. "Good," He nodded, seeing my three tomoe spin around, ignoring him, "You are finally acting like a true Shinobi."

  "I can't let my guard down around you," I muttered out of reflex before I blinked, glancing at him, but he just laughed, nodding again in approval.

  "We will stop here, or you will hurt your eyes." He added, ending our training for the day, "You have begun developing techniques of your own... I'm glad to see that. Is this the only one, Renji?"

  "No," I muttered, pursing my lips, "I have some more, but they are still in the works."

  "Next time, use them on me," He nodded, "I will help you test them. You don't need to hold back, give it your all."

  "Will do, Chief," I smiled weakly because the moment I turned off my eyes, my legs became wobbly, almost making me land on my butt.

  "Renjiro," he said slowly.

  "Yes?" I perked up, forcing myself to stand straight.

  "There are matters within the clan… that require capable minds."

  "Ah...?" Where was this coming from now? "I understand," I replied carefully.

  "Are you...?"

  "I am Uchiha." I nodded, trying to figure out what he was trying to say, "I do."

  "..." His eyes sharpened at that, gauging me once again, "The Clan is lucky to have a member like you. Continue your training and if something happens, come to me... The Clan will back you up, no matter what."

  "Thank you." I bowed honestly towards him, beginning to follow his lead into the building at the other end of the training grounds.

  "The coming years will demand much from us, from the Clan."

  War... I knew what he meant without the actual words ever leaving his mouth. Although it hasn't kicked off yet, everyone could feel it since the failed kidnapping... It was a question of when, not if. Haaah... Things are ramping up, but at least no news of the destruction of Uzushiogakure ever reached us. We were safe... for now.

  "I also heard that you will enter the Chūnin Exams this year."

  "Yes," I nodded, "Jiraiya-sensei signed Minato and me up for it. He tried to get Kushina in too, but..."

  "She is in a... difficult spot." He nodded, not elaborating on it, but yes.

  She was... She wasn't allowed out of the Village since the incident, and worse, she was forbidden to interact with foreigners, and the Chūnin Exams would not only involve Konoha Shinobi... so it was out of the question to let her participate.

  "Renjiro," he said, waiting until I stopped, looking up at him, "You have two options when you enter."

  "Y-yes?" I blinked, watching him fall silent for a moment.

  "Either go all in, or hide your powers. Each has its advantages and drawbacks."

  "Should I... do... well, which, Chief?" I asked, knowing that if he wanted me to hold back or go all out, I should ask first. So I did. But... I didn't expect his answer.

  "Do what your nature tells you to." He said simply, patting my back, and I couldn't help but smile.

  "Chief... You know I hate holding back."

  "Yeah." He shrugged, "I do. But we cannot let the Namikaze boy take all the glory away from one of our own."