After completing the graduation exam, Shigure naturally received his forehead protector, the symbol of a newly recognized genin.
He tied it tightly around his forehead, conveniently covering the slight protrusion that had formed due to his bloodline awakening.
"Wow! Brother Shigure, you really became a ninja?!" Yuna exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Isn't it obvious?" Shigure grinned. "I'm wearing the forehead protector, aren't I? You know no one can fake that."
"Then I'll treat you to ramen!" Yuna chirped. Before Shigure could reply, she had already grabbed his hand and was pulling him toward a familiar street.
After a short walk, they arrived in front of a noodle shop with a simple curtain hanging over the entrance.
"Ichiraku Ramen..." Shigure whispered, his throat tightening with nostalgia. The same shop Naruto loved so much... He was quickly dragged inside by Yuna.
A young man stood behind the counter, eyes mostly closed and face calm. Shigure stared at the spirited young version of someone he knew from his past life — Teuchi, the ramen chef. He looked far different from the middle-aged man he would eventually become.
"Sister Ayame! Hit the uncle if he doesn't make it fast!" Yuna teased loudly.
"Ah! Yuna-chan, and Shigure-kun too!" A small girl with long dark hair peeked out from behind the counter. Her face was soft, innocent — a young Ayame, still helping her father in the shop.
Although Shigure and Yuna weren't much older than Ayame, their life experiences had matured them beyond their years. They often came by to chat or play, treating Ayame like a little sister.
"You two haven't been by in a while! What'll it be today?" Teuchi called out warmly.
"Luxurious tonkotsu ramen for Shigure-nii, and I'll have a regular udon!" Yuna said cheerfully.
"No, I'll have a regular tonkotsu. Give Yuna the deluxe one." Shigure corrected quickly, knowing she didn't have much money to spare. She had been so eager to treat him, and the gesture moved him.
"Haha! You two are something else! I'll make both deluxe. This one's on the house," Teuchi laughed, clearly fond of the kids. Soon, two steaming bowls of noodles were placed in front of them.
"Thank you very much!" Yuna said politely.
"Itadakimasu!" the two chimed, clapping their hands together.
But just as they began to enjoy their food, the shop's curtain lifted with a rustle, and a cold wind seemed to blow in with the newcomer.
Shigure narrowed his eyes instinctively. Beside him, Yuna stiffened.
"You... you're from the Uchiha clan... What do you want?" she asked warily.
The Uchiha smirked arrogantly, the corners of his mouth pulling up into a mocking sneer.
"Shigure, huh? So you actually passed the exam. Congratulations," he said, but his tone made it sound like an insult. He reached into his pocket and held up something that glinted in the light — Yuna's necklace.
"That's mine!" she cried out.
Shigure turned calmly. "Yuna... he took that from you?"
She nodded. "Yes…"
"Not satisfied with the result, I see," Shigure said to the boy. "So what? You want to fight?"
The Uchiha's smirk deepened. "If you want it back, meet me in the forest behind the village. Don't chicken out."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving the necklace visible between his fingers.
"Don't go, Brother Shigure," Yuna pleaded. "It's just a necklace. He's dangerous!"
"Trust me," Shigure said quietly, standing. "He won't hurt me. And I'll bring it back."
They met shortly after in the small wooded grove near the outskirts of Konoha.
The Uchiha, whose name was Ei, turned with a laugh. "Shigure, the orphan with no clan backing, no parents, and no future. You think you can go against me just because you passed one little exam?"
He snapped his fingers.
From the bushes, five other boys — likely older academy students or fresh genin — emerged, smirking and cracking their knuckles.
"So that was your plan all along," Shigure said, unfazed. "Set a trap and try to humiliate me in front of the village?"
"You're not worth that much effort," Ei snorted. "But maybe this will teach you not to act above your place."
Shigure calmly lowered his stance, and his eyes flickered — the sclera whitening, the iris glowing faintly.
"White Sharingan?!" one of the bullies gasped, taking an involuntary step back.
"S-Sensei never said he had a kekkei genkai!"
"Too late now," Shigure murmured. "Let's end this quickly."
The moment the five charged, Shigure activated his Three-Tomoe White Sharingan, an original dojutsu mutation resulting from his hybrid bloodline.
Their attacks were slow — predictable. He danced between them effortlessly, sidestepping punches and deflecting kicks with minimal movement.
"H-how can he read all our attacks like that?!" one thug cried out.
With a smirk, Shigure formed a quick hand seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Five clones burst into existence beside him with a puff of smoke, each one already moving.
These five Shadow Clones charged at the attackers in an instant, delivering a flurry of punches and kicks. Within half a minute, Uchiha Ei's subordinates had collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain.
"Ah... it hurts…"
"This kid doesn't hold back..."
"Help…"
Uchiha Ei gritted his teeth, disbelief in his eyes as he glanced at Shigure, then back at his fallen subordinates. He spat furiously, "Useless! You couldn't even handle Shadow Clones?! Get lost!"
The five subordinates scrambled to their feet, clutching their bruised bodies as they retreated in humiliation.
"I can't believe you've already learned a B-rank jutsu like the Shadow Clone Technique… Uchiha Shigure, how the hell!?"
Uchiha Ei's eyes narrowed. Frustration bubbled within him, but he forced himself to stay composed.
"So that's your trump card, huh? Then let me show you mine! You're not the only one with a few tricks!"
Ei began weaving hand signs in quick succession.
"Tiger → Boar → Ram → Horse → Snake!"
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!" he roared, expelling a massive ball of flame from his mouth. The roaring heat surged forward, and the fireball engulfed the battlefield.
"Boom!"
The five Shadow Clones were instantly consumed in the blaze, bursting into clouds of smoke as they were dispelled.
Shigure raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised that Uchiha Ei could manage such a technique.
'So he can pull off the Great Fireball Jutsu… but his chakra control is poor. That jutsu took nearly everything he had left.'
With the combined insight of his Three-Tomoe Sharingan and his mysterious Byakugan, Shigure could see clearly—Ei's chakra was almost completely depleted. The Great Fireball had been forced out by sheer pride and spite.
Shigure calmly stepped back to avoid the remaining heat, then smirked. "Not bad, Ei. To use a C-rank jutsu like that as a student is impressive. But…"
He inhaled deeply, flashing through his own seals with precision.