"You… just got back?"
After returning home, Uchiha Shunichi happened to run into Uchiha Sasuke, who was just about to head out.
"Yeah. Had a mission last night," Shunichi replied casually, then turned and went straight into his room.
Sasuke watched Shunichi's retreating figure, as if wanting to say something—but in the end, he remained silent.
Today was the graduation briefing for the academy students. Its purpose was simple: squad assignments, and the official step toward becoming real ninja.
Originally, Sasuke had been in a fairly good mood. After all, he had finally become a shinobi.
But when compared to someone his own age—Uchiha Shunichi—that sense of pride instantly turned into frustration.
Over the past few years, Sasuke's training volume had been more than three times Shunichi's. And yet, his strength had never once surpassed him.
Those eyes—identical to that man's—pressed down on Sasuke like an invisible weight, nearly suffocating him.
As for the so-called "opponents" Shunichi mentioned, Sasuke didn't take them seriously at all. Even in their usual sparring matches, Sasuke almost always came out on top.
With a heart full of tangled emotions, Sasuke headed toward the academy.
…
Back in his room, Shunichi removed his outer clothing. He carefully took off the jacket covered in explosive tags, meticulously checked the condition of each one, and then placed it inside the cabinet.
At least for the foreseeable future, Uchiha Shunichi wouldn't need to defect.
Since that was the case, the next thing to consider was how—amid the chaos of the Chūnin Exams—to find a way to…
Kill Danzō.
Allowing that disgusting man to live for this long already made Shunichi feel exceptionally merciful. If it hadn't been for what happened to his body back then…
A flash of hatred passed through Shunichi's eyes.
When he had been dissected, there was no pain—but the terror of feeling something missing inside his body was etched deeply into his memory.
At the time, he had truly believed he was going to die.
Roughly rubbing his face, Shunichi forced the hatred out of his mind for now. He lay down on the bed and began calculating various experimental data in his head.
Originally, he had planned to transplant Uzumaki Naruto's flesh and blood. Naruto's Uzumaki constitution was, after all, exceptionally special.
However, the issue of compatibility between Uzumaki bloodlines and the Sharingan had always troubled Shunichi. Bloodline transplantation within the shinobi world was far more complex than he had initially imagined.
Lost in thought…
Shunichi gradually drifted into sleep.
He slept until dusk, when a completely unfamiliar presence jolted him awake.
"Uchiha Shunichi, the Hokag wishes to see you."
A masked ANBU shinobi stood outside his window. He knocked lightly on the glass before speaking.
"I understand," Shunichi replied, steadying his emotions after waking.
Living in this kind of environment, he couldn't even sleep peacefully. Although he seemed to have gained the trust of Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others, an ever-ringing alarm bell hung in the back of his mind.
As long as Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō still lived, Shunichi would never truly rest easy. This anxiety had only worsened since the day he officially became a shinobi.
Fortunately…
Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't have much time left.
After getting up and washing quickly, Shunichi glanced at the explosive-tag jacket in his bedside cabinet. He hesitated for a moment—then chose not to wear it.
While ninja were known for high offense and low defense, self-detonation tactics using explosive tags were largely ineffective unless they achieved complete surprise.
After all, a ninja's agility, perception, and on-the-spot judgment were extremely sharp. Otherwise, jōnin would have long been traded one-for-one on the battlefield.
Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, Shunichi walked toward the Hokage Tower. The calm streets along the way gave him a strange, dreamlike sense of detachment from reality.
Inside the Hokage's office, only Sarutobi Hiruzen was present. When Shunichi entered, the old man was flipping through a document.
"Shunichi, you're here. As for the nutrient solution you submitted to the village—we've already verified its effectiveness. It's incredibly potent. To research something like this on your own is truly…"
Sarutobi couldn't help but praise him.
"I didn't have a choice," Shunichi replied calmly. "At the time, my body was too weak. I could only find a solution myself."
"Now that its effectiveness has been confirmed, it's time to give you your reward. You've seen this before. You'll need to choose one ninjutsu from it to train."
"However," Sarutobi added solemnly, "you should know—every technique in this scroll is a forbidden jutsu. A single mistake could cost you your life."
"I understand," Shunichi nodded, accepting the scroll from Sarutobi's hands.
The moment he opened it, Shunichi finally understood why Sarutobi had been so calm about letting Naruto carry the Forbidden Scroll in the past.
The actual cultivation methods had long been sealed away. What remained were only the names of the techniques and brief descriptions.
Trying to master forbidden jutsu simply by stealing the scroll?
It was never going to be that easy.
After scanning the scroll quickly, Shunichi looked up and said,
"I've decided. I'll choose the Eight Gates Technique. It seems capable of strengthening my body."
In truth, what he wanted most was Flying Thunder God. But after a moment of thought, he abandoned the idea.
First, he didn't have the time to learn it properly.
Second, he remained doubtful about whether he could master it at all.
"This one…"
Sarutobi frowned slightly at Shunichi's choice—not because he was unwilling to grant it, but because it felt like a waste.
"Shunichi, this technique causes tremendous damage to the body. It's pure taijutsu and doesn't integrate well with the Sharingan."
Assuming Shunichi didn't fully understand, Sarutobi explained patiently. After all, even he couldn't imagine just how much Shunichi already knew.
"I don't need ninjutsu right now," Shunichi replied, having prepared this answer long ago.
"I need to strengthen my body. Only with a powerful body can I truly use these eyes."
Sarutobi studied Shunichi's eyes for a long moment… then chose not to persuade him further.
Eyes just like Uchiha Itachi's.
Hopefully, they would become a strength for the village.
"Since you're determined, I'll arrange someone to instruct you. For the near future, you'll only receive missions at night. Rest during the day."