In front of the mirror, Uzumaki Tong slowly removed the bandages from his eye and quietly stared at the snake-like pattern that had appeared in his iris. A look of excitement and confidence surfaced on his face.
"Not bad… this is the Strongest Eye," he muttered. "Heh… I just wonder whether the 'Strongest Eye' from Fullmetal Alchemist will be useful in the Naruto world."
In the world of Naruto, dojutsu (eye techniques) were generally categorized into a few main types. But most of them shared one thing in common—the ability to see through an enemy's movements.
And the most powerful feature of this "Strongest Eye" seemed to be exactly that: the power to perceive and react before the enemy.
He remembered there was a scene where the eye could even slice bullets mid-air. Of course, bullets didn't have much relevance in the Naruto world.
Still, being able to perceive air flow—that was undeniably useful. After taking a deep breath, Uzumaki Tong re-wrapped his left eye with the bandage.
This wasn't the right time to reveal its power. Perhaps… this "Strongest Eye" was the kind of kekkei genkai the Uchiha clan had been desperately hoping to create.
But Tong had no intention of being anyone's lab rat. With a cold smirk, he turned and walked out the door.
Now that he'd obtained such a powerful eye, it was time to test it out. If it turned out to be as powerful as he hoped, then he had gotten incredibly lucky. At least he hadn't spun and landed on something lame like a ninja tool pouch.
He slung on his backpack—it was time for school.
As he walked toward the Academy, the Strongest Eye continued to provide valuable feedback. He could feel it clearly: the air current. Yes, the way the air moved.
Each subtle shift in airflow corresponded with the movements of people nearby. Wind generated by motion… was completely different from natural wind.
If he could truly master this perception—combined with the eye's boosted reflexes and physical abilities—becoming a taijutsu specialist wouldn't be difficult at all.
As he neared the school gate, Uzumaki Tong's left eye suddenly snapped open under the bandage. He glanced coldly toward a nearby corner and sneered, "Uchiha clan… or Root?"
Just a moment ago, he'd felt an irregularity in the air current. With the eye's insight and reaction ability, plus the added speed and power it brought, it would be more than enough to deal with enemies if used correctly.
But for now, someone was watching him.
He wasn't sure if it was ANBU or Root, but they probably wouldn't make a move just yet.
After all, from the outside, he was still just a seven-year-old kid.
He furrowed his brow slightly, then continued walking toward his classroom.
Meanwhile, not far away, a figure stepped out from behind a tree. The person was fully cloaked in a black ninja outfit. He shook his head slightly and chuckled, "No way. He's just a seven-year-old brat. He's not like Itachi, who already awakened his eye technique. There's no way he noticed me… heh."
This ninja had good reason not to believe he'd been detected—unless, of course, the boy had awakened a bloodline limit like the Sharingan.
In that case… everything would change.
In the classroom, Uzumaki Tong sat at his desk, looking a bit bored.
There were about thirty students in the class, but honestly, this year's group didn't seem to include any truly standout talents.
Well—except for Itachi, of course.
At this time, he was probably already off on some dangerous mission. If he remembered correctly, Itachi became a chūnin at just ten years old.
"Ten years old, huh…" Tong sighed, clearly a bit envious. To be promoted to chūnin at ten—that kind of achievement was terrifying.
Of course, in Kakashi's generation, he'd become a jōnin at twelve. But in terms of sheer skill, they weren't even in the same league.
Itachi had worked as a triple agent and was so valuable that three factions had tried to recruit him instead of eliminating him. That alone showed how fearsome his power truly was.
And in the end… the world would be ruled by eye techniques.
Thinking of this, Uzumaki Tong's heart filled with determination.
He reached up and gently touched his left eye, muttering to himself, "I still need to study seriously. Even geniuses like Uchiha Itachi and Hatake Kakashi had to go through the Academy. If I work hard enough, maybe I can graduate early, too."
"Chakra Refinement Technique! First, you need to focus on the energy inside your body…"
At the front of the classroom, a teacher named Kimura Sai was seriously delivering his lecture. He hadn't noticed that Uzumaki Tong was spacing out a bit.
At this time, the Academy's curriculum was still very structured and complete. They covered everything—Three Basic Techniques, taijutsu, tactics, and more. All of it would be tested.
Aside from ninjutsu, Tong wasn't afraid of any of the other subjects. But unfortunately, ninjutsu required chakra as a foundation.
And right now, he still hadn't produced even the slightest bit of chakra. He wasn't even sure if his cells could produce it at all.
"Chakra refinement, huh…" Tong frowned and pressed his hands together, focusing hard.
He wasn't sure why, but suddenly, it happened.
It was as if his cells had come alive. A massive surge of chakra burst forth, swirling like a miniature storm around him.
WHOOOSH!!
The classroom was thrown into chaos. The space around Uzumaki Tong was suddenly blasted outward by the explosion of energy. Two nearby classmates were sent flying through the air.
Bang! Bang!
The two kids landed hard on the ground and burst into tears. Even the teacher, Kimura Sai, had only just managed to react.
He immediately appeared beside the fallen students and checked their condition. Seeing they were only startled with a few scrapes, he finally turned and looked at Uzumaki Tong with surprise.
Meanwhile, Tong himself was frozen in shock.
He hadn't expected this at all.
More than that, he had never imagined his chakra would manifest in such force and volume.
He stared down at his hands in disbelief. The chakra flow had now faded, but this time, he had felt it. Chakra. It was finally real to him.
Skill acquired: Chakra Refinement. Second roulette unlocked. Would you like to spin?"
Suddenly, a mechanical voice rang out in his mind. Joy surged through his heart. If he could land another useful ability this time…
Then maybe—just maybe—he could graduate early. Maybe… he could finally protect his mother.
Of course, that depended on what he got. Ideally, something on par with a Shichibukai-level ability from One Piece.
"Spin!" he whispered.
Just then, the voice of Kimura Sai rang out across the room:
"Uzumaki Tong, come with me to the office. Now."
Tong had only just muttered his activation when he heard the teacher call his name.
At the same time, Kimura Sai had just finished calming down the class. He now looked at Tong with a serious expression.
That chakra burst… it had been on par with a chūnin's level. No mistake—chūnin-level chakra output.
For a child this age, with even a little training in ninjutsu, graduation wouldn't just be possible—it would be guaranteed.
As Tong followed his teacher toward the office, head lowered, Kimura Sai couldn't help but think:
Looks like I might be training a prodigy soon.
That thought made him smile unconsciously.
Behind him, however, Uzumaki Tong wore a dark expression.
The roulette spin had ended just moments ago.
And the reward?
A Chakra Scalpel.
Yep. That's right.
A Chakra Scalpel.
Tong looked like he'd been force-fed a bitter pill.
He wasn't a medical ninja! And after generating such a massive chakra surge… all he got was a Chakra Scalpel?!
That kind of technique was only truly effective when backed by high-level taijutsu!
Otherwise… what good was it?!
And so, the student and teacher walked toward the office—each lost in their thoughts.
Their faces couldn't have looked more different.