Morning mist curled around the ruins of the Uchiha district. Soji stood alone in a small clearing behind what used to be the main compound, a quiet place where laughter had once echoed.
He sat down on a smooth stone, taking a steady breath.
"Most of the kids unlocked their chakra years ago. I was always behind… always thought I was just slow. But that night — when my Sharingan awakened… that's when it finally mixed.
He flexed his fingers, testing the warmth that now hummed under his skin.
"I really need to start practicing as soon as possible to catch up."
He stood, pressing his hands together, starting the Clone Jutsu sequence. He had watched Sasuke and the others do it a thousand times.
Chakra surged inside him — hot, heavy, unsteady. It felt nothing like the smooth, steady flow he'd read about. It pushed and writhed, fighting his grip.
He forced the final seal, focusing on dividing his form. Instead, the chakra shot upward violently, swelling in his throat like a coiled spring before collapsing with a painful jolt. He dropped to one knee, hacking harshly, a rough, dark smoke curling from his mouth as if he'd just swallowed a forge. His breaths came ragged, each exhale laced with the faint scent of scorched air.
Soji wiped his mouth, frustration mixing with resignation. "It won't spread or settle. It acts like fire… wild, unpredictable, always trying to surge forward."
He tried again — Transformation Jutsu. The same result. The chakra refused to shape or flatten.
---
Later that morning, he walked to the academy. The entrance felt distant, almost unfamiliar now.
Iruka greeted him with a smile that quickly faded when he saw Soji's tired face.
"Soji… you alright?"
Soji gave a small, rough laugh. "Not really."
They moved into an empty classroom. Iruka sat across from him, leaning forward.
"Show me," Iruka said, reaching to touch his arm.
Soji gathered chakra to his palms. Iruka jerked back, eyes wide. The heat was sharp, pressing, almost alive.
Soji moved into the first seal, but the chakra surged up violently, then fizzled. He slumped forward, steam rising faintly from his lips.
"I can't shape it," he said, his voice low. "I can move it, but it doesn't behave like normal chakra. It just builds and bursts."
Iruka swallowed, shaking his head. "Soji… this is beyond me. We need the Hokage."
---
The Hokage's office was bright with late morning sun. Sarutobi Hiruzen looked up from his scrolls, his eyes softening at the sight of them.
"Soji," he said, standing. "I've been expecting you."
Soji bowed. "Lord Hokage."
Hiruzen stepped forward, holding a hand above Soji's arm. Even without touching, he felt the strong, rolling heat.
"Let's test this properly," Hiruzen said. "Gather chakra to your palms — just hold it there."
Soji obeyed. Heat shimmered above his hands. Hiruzen could tell immediately — this wasn't calm or smooth. It was thick and restless.
"Try spreading it," Hiruzen continued. "Imagine making it flat and wide, like for tree walking."
Soji tried. The chakra only coiled tighter, rising up his arms, pressing against his throat.
"It won't spread," Soji gasped. "It keeps pushing back."
Hiruzen watched closely. "Good. Now… expel it as fire. Let it take its natural form."
Soji hesitated, then made a simple Tiger seal. The chakra surged up and burst from his mouth in a short, hot jet that scorched the floor.
Iruka jumped back. Hiruzen stayed still, eyes sharp.
When it ended, Soji dropped to one knee, panting, steam curling from his lips.
"Medical team!" Hiruzen called sharply.
Two medics rushed in, kneeling quickly. One checked Soji's mouth and throat, another scanned with green chakra.
"No burns," the first medic said, shocked. "No damage at all."
The second medic looked up. "Internally too. He's completely fine. It's… impossible."
Soji looked up, his breathing slowing.
Hiruzen's face softened, though his eyes stayed sharp. "Your chakra isn't neutral. It seems to have an inbuilt fire attribute — and it doesn't hurt you. It's as if your body accepts it completely, like it's part of you."
Soji's fingers twitched slightly.
"The Tiger and Dragon seals," Hiruzen continued, "are usually used to amplify power outward. You'll need to learn to tighten them, to keep that force controlled until the last moment. You don't need to overpower your fire — you need to shape it."
Soji took a shaky breath. "I… I get it."
Hiruzen put a hand on his shoulder. "I've never seen anything like this before. You'll almost certainly be limited to fire release alone… but in that single path, you might reach heights no one else ever has. You're not weak. You're different. And if you learn to guide this, you could become the greatest Fire Release user this village — or even this world — has ever known."
---
Outside, Soji paused on the Hokage tower steps, looking out over the village.
He drew in a slow breath, feeling the heat inside — no longer just chaos, but something he might learn to work with.
"I can't force it to be like theirs. But I can guide it. And maybe one day… shape it into something more."
He opened his eyes, a quiet determination there.
"I am fire… but I won't be ruled by it. I'll shape it into what I need — and make it move the way I choose."