Shigure effortlessly mimicked the jutsu he had just seen and performed it flawlessly.
"Impossible!" Uchiha Ei's eyes widened. He hadn't expected his trump card—his most advanced jutsu—to be copied so easily.
Shigure inhaled deeply, gathering chakra into his throat, and released a massive Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique). The resulting fireball was significantly larger and more intense than Ei's, roaring forward with devastating force.
The two fireballs collided mid-air, crackling and groaning from the intense heat. But Ei's technique quickly began to collapse under the pressure of Shigure's overwhelming chakra. His flames were swallowed entirely.
Frozen in shock and unable to move in time, Ei stared as the fireball surged toward him.
"Doton: Doryūheki!" (Earth Style: Earth Wall!), a voice called out sharply from behind.
A thick wall of earth erupted from the ground just in time to shield Ei. The fireball slammed into it, sending up a burst of flame and smoke. Ei, pale and sweating, had barely escaped serious injury.
Shigure narrowed his eyes, his unique dojutsu—the Byakugan-Sharingan fusion—clearly picking out the new arrival: an older shinobi, also from the Uchiha clan, who now stepped forward with a displeased expression.
"You've got a heavy hand for a kid," the man said flatly. His Uchiha crest was visible on his back.
"Brother Katsuo! You came just in time!" Ei called out with relief.
"Tch. If I hadn't shown up, you'd have lost to a no-name orphan!" Uchiha Katsuo sneered. His eyes, bearing two tomoe in each Sharingan, turned sharply to Shigure.
Shigure's gaze hardened. "So after beating the younger one, now the elder shows up? What next—will the clan head come after me if I beat you too?"
"Watch your mouth, brat," Katsuo snapped. "You think you can make the Uchiha patriarch move for the likes of you? Don't be absurd."
"You think calling me a 'no-name' bothers me?" Shigure replied coldly. "I don't need a clan name to prove my strength."
Katsuo clicked his tongue. "Hmph. Count yourself lucky today. Next time, you won't get off so easily."
As he turned to leave with Ei, Shigure wouldn't allow them to exit so smugly. He flashed through hand seals.
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"
Another massive fireball barreled toward them. Katsuo's eyes widened, grabbing Ei and leaping out of the blast radius just in time. The fireball scorched the ground behind them.
"Are you insane!?" Katsuo growled. "What do you want now?"
"You lost the bet. Return the necklace you stole from Yuna," Shigure said coldly, not taking his eyes off them.
Ei's face twisted in anger, but Katsuo gave him a stern look. "Tch… fine."
He tossed a small pendant toward Shigure, who caught it mid-air.
"Let's go," Katsuo said with a scowl, and the two Uchiha disappeared into the village's alleys.
Shigure turned and walked back to the ramen shop. When he arrived, he handed the necklace to Yuna.
"Is this… really my necklace!?" she gasped, tears brimming in her eyes.
"It is. And the ones who hurt you won't try again," Shigure said gently.
"Thank you, Brother Shigure!" she cried, hugging him tightly.
After sharing a quiet bowl of ramen with Yuna, Shigure returned home. But he couldn't rest yet. Excitement pulsed in his veins.
He stood and began performing hand seals. Mimicking the earlier earth jutsu, he channeled chakra into the ground.
"Doton: Doryūheki!"
A large wall of earth erupted in front of him—much thicker and sturdier than Katsuo's had been.
Shigure smirked. "This eye... the Byaringan, the fusion of Byakugan and Sharingan... I can copy ninjutsu instantly—even elemental techniques."
He sat cross-legged, contemplating. "My Otsutsuki blood grants me all chakra natures—fire, water, wind, earth, lightning… even Yin and Yang. That's why ninjutsu feels so natural to me."
He paused, brow furrowing. "Still… the system hasn't activated again. I wonder what triggers it."
Lying on his futon, he glanced at the ceiling, thoughts drifting.
"Tomorrow… I officially become a genin. Who will be my jonin sensei? Who are my teammates?"
Sleep slowly claimed him.
The next morning
As dawn crept in, Shigure washed up and examined his reflection. His skin had grown fairer, his chakra horns had grown larger—subtle signs of further Otsutsuki evolution.
"My chakra… it's even denser than yesterday."
He tied on his Konoha forehead protector, put on his sleek black genin uniform, and headed to the academy for final placement.
When he entered the room, all eyes turned to him.
"He's unscathed?!" someone whispered.
"But Uchiha Ei was supposed to crush him yesterday…"
Just then, Ei walked in, limping and bruised. Gasps rippled through the classroom.
"What?! Is that Uchiha Ei?! He's… injured?"
"No way… did Shigure do that?"
"Shhh! Don't talk too loud!"
Ei gritted his teeth as Shigure met his gaze and gave a calm, taunting nod. Ei looked away, trembling, and shuffled to his seat in silence.
For the first time, the room was quiet when Shigure sat down.