The atmosphere in the assessment arena crackled with tension.
Uchiha Tekka—renowned Jonin and Captain of the Guard—studied the boy standing across from him. Twelve-year-old Eiji faced him with a composure far beyond his years, the blood-red glow of his single-tomoe Sharingan gleaming like a predator's eye.
"Kid, are you ready?" Tekka rumbled, his tone solemn. He no longer saw a child, but a worthy opponent.
"Ready whenever you are," Eiji replied, his voice calm, his gaze sharp.
"Excellent."
Tekka vanished.
To the spectators, he became a blur, nothing but displaced air and the faint whisper of movement. Jonin speed—unreachable to most Genin—dazzled the onlookers.
But through the spinning lens of Eiji's Sharingan, Tekka's path was crystal clear. He saw the captain materialize at his right, leg arcing in a chakra-laced whip kick that sliced the air with a deadly hiss.
Eiji's pupils shrank. His body bent backward in a perfect iron bridge, the kick missing him by mere centimeters, wind ruffling the dark strands of his hair.
"Good reflexes!" Tekka praised mid-combat, seamlessly converting the failed kick into a downward axe strike, his heel plummeting like a guillotine.
Eiji's toes barely kissed the arena floor as he sprang back, light as a feather, hands blurring into seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A blazing sphere erupted from his lips, compressed to the limit, streaking toward Tekka with scorching heat.
"Mere child's play."
Tekka's voice was cold. Chakra flared along his arm as he met the attack head-on, fist clenched.
BOOM!
The Great Fireball exploded against his punch, scattering into searing fragments that licked his sleeves but left him untouched. Jonin dominance radiated from him—simple C-rank ninjutsu could not break that wall.
"Your Fire Release is sharp, kid," Tekka said, grinning as he closed the distance in a blur. "But it'll take more than that to beat me!"
Eiji's eyes gleamed, unfazed. Fighting a Jonin wasn't just about raw ninjutsu—it was a mix of timing, experience, and control.
He inhaled, chakra surging through his body like a river breaking its banks. His Sharingan whirled faster.
"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Jutsu!"
A serpentine blaze roared from his mouth, coiling through the air with predatory intent, its heat distorting the very space around it.
Tekka's eyes narrowed, fingers forming seals with lethal speed.
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Jutsu!"
ROOOAR!
A colossal fire dragon erupted from Tekka, dwarfing Eiji's. The two beasts collided midair, flames wrestling violently for dominance.
RUMBLE!
A shockwave of heat rolled across the arena. Onlookers shielded their faces, stepping back from the inferno that turned the training ground into a miniature sun.
"He—he's actually holding his own against Captain Tekka?!" Someone stammered.
"Is he really only twelve?!" another whispered, awe-struck.
Kyoichi and Mitsu could only watch, stunned into silence. Any thought of competing with Eiji had turned to ash.
As the firestorm died down, the two Uchiha faced each other from opposite ends of the field.
Eiji's chest rose and fell, sweat beading on his forehead—power like that devoured chakra.
Tekka still looked composed, but his gaze had grown sharp, tinged with respect.
'This kid… to push Dragon Fire that far at his age… remarkable.'
"Captain Tekka," Eiji called, voice firm as he crouched into an attacking stance, "watch out!"
Then he blurred forward. He couldn't let this battle drag on—if he wanted victory, he had to seize it now.
Eiji sprang off the ground like an arrow loosed from a bow, kunai flashing in his grip, the blade catching the sunlight with a cold gleam.
"Come on!"
Uchiha Tekka's eyes lit with fierce battle spirit. He whipped out his own kunai and charged to meet him.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The crisp ring of metal on metal echoed across the arena as the two Uchiha became a blur of motion. Kunai clashed, sparks danced, and their figures flickered like lightning, weaving in and out of each other's reach.
Eiji's single-tomoe Sharingan spun, every feint, every angle of attack, and every fleeting weakness in Tekka's movements crystal clear in his perception.
Tekka's brow furrowed mid-fight.
'This kid's taijutsu isn't as polished as mine… but his battle instinct is terrifying.'
Twice, three times, strikes that should have landed were evaded in ways Tekka could barely anticipate. And Eiji's counters—sharp, angled from unexpected directions—were growing heavier with each exchange.
'Is this boy… a natural-born combat genius?'
The thought barely flickered through his mind before Eiji's Sharingan flared, blood-red light deepening. He slipped past a sweeping slash, Tekka's torso momentarily exposed.
'Now!'
"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"
Eiji's lips parted, and a fist-sized orb of compressed flame roared forth. Small in size, but its chakra was razor-pure—its speed a streak of lethal orange.
Tekka's eyes widened.
'He can fire off a high-speed jutsu in the middle of close combat?!'
At this range, there was no time for a Substitution Jutsu. He crossed his arms instinctively.
BOOM!
The Flame Bullet struck, detonating in a burst of fire and force. Tekka's body was hurled backward, skidding across the training field before coming to a heavy stop seven or eight meters away.
"Pffft—!"
A spray of blood stained the ground as he coughed, smoke curling from the scorched fabric on his chest.
The arena fell silent.
Dozens of eyes widened, mouths agape.
Captain Tekka… injured?
Repelled… by a twelve-year-old's Flame Bullet?!
Eiji exhaled slowly, his chest rising and falling. That last jutsu had wrung the last drops of chakra from him—but it had done its job.
He'd done it.
He'd forced a Jonin back.
Even if Tekka hadn't activated his Sharingan and wasn't fighting at full strength, this feat would shake the entire clan.
"…Cough, cough…"
Tekka pushed himself upright, wiping the blood from his mouth. A heartbeat later, a booming laugh burst from his chest.
"Good kid! Hahaha—good kid!"
He strode forward and clapped Eiji's shoulder with a grin that radiated approval.
"Eiji, from today onward, you are a member of the Uchiha Police Force!
Practical combat simulation—Special!"
Two "Specials."
One "Excellent."
Eiji had crushed the assessment.
By evening, word had swept across the Uchiha compound—
The boy once mocked as "Worthless Eiji" was now known as "Genius Eiji!"
Three days later, he donned the black uniform of the Uchiha Police, officially joining the First Squad under Captain Tekka.
Patrols, drills, minor missions—Eiji had stepped into a new life, his name now whispered with awe.
And quietly, his influence grew—
[Uchiha Tekka – Loyalty: 80% (Clan), 30% (Host)]
[Uchiha Yatsushiro – Loyalty: 75% (Clan), 30% (Host)]
[Uchiha Setsuna – Loyalty: 80% (Clan), 25% (Host)]
The Guard had begun to respect him—not just as a recruit, but as someone who could one day rise much higher.
Status:
Strength: Elite Chunin (Chakra nearing early Jonin)
Skills: Basic Three Jutsu (Proficient), Fire Release: All-series mastery (Beginner), Sharingan (One Tomoe), Uchiha Taijutsu (Skilled)
Position: Uchiha Police Force—First Squad Member
Points: 385 (+200 from assessment feat, +100 from prestige and daily missions)
—
Over a month had passed since Eiji joined the police force.
In that short time, he had already carved out a place for himself in the First Squad—his strength, precision, and unshakable calm earning him the quiet respect of the veterans.
Inside the dim mission hall, Uchiha Yatsushiro addressed the squad captains, his tone grave.
"Urgent report from the Land of Fire's border: a band of rogue ninja—about ten in number—crossed into Konoha's jurisdiction. They're dangerous, ruthless, and highly mobile. Hokage-sama has ordered that we eliminate or capture them within three days."
His gaze shifted to Uchiha Tekka.
"Tekka, First Squad will take point."
"Yes, sir. We'll complete the mission," Tekka replied without hesitation, his voice carrying the confidence of a seasoned Jonin.
Moments later, the First Squad assembled at the village gates.
"This mission is dangerous," Tekka said, scanning the faces of his men. "Eiji, you handle reconnaissance and long-range Fire Release support. The rest of you—standard three-man formation. Advance carefully, cover each other's blind spots."
"Understood!"
For Eiji, this would be his first real mission involving coordinated squad combat. His Sharingan burned faintly with anticipation as they slipped out of Konoha and disappeared into the dense forest.
By dusk, they reached a secluded valley. Smoke and the faint glint of metal confirmed their target.
Tekka's expression hardened.
"…More than ten. The intel was wrong."
A squad member whispered, "Captain, should we attack now?"
"No. They have the numbers, and the terrain favors them. We'll wait. Once night falls, we strike."
Midnight
Eiji melted into the shadows like a black cat. He crept beneath the branches where a sentry slouched, yawning under the moonlight.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three shuriken cut through the darkness in a perfect triangular arc.
The sentry's eyes widened, a cold flash slicing across his vision—then he toppled silently from the tree, his throat, heart, and brow pierced in the same heartbeat.
In the distance, two faint clashes of steel were followed by silence.
The outer sentries—gone.
Tekka's eyes gleamed with approval.
"Perfect. Now listen to my command—three-pronged assault. Eiji, unleash Fire Release for wide-range suppression. Everyone else—hit hard and fast. No survivors."
"Understood!"
In an instant, ten black-clad Uchiha descended on the valley from three directions like shadows with fangs.
"Enemy attack!"
Panic tore through the rogue ninja camp as men scrambled for their weapons.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu!"
Dozens of blazing fireballs erupted from Eiji's mouth, scattering through the air like deadly fireworks.
They arced downward, raining upon the densest cluster of enemies.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The valley erupted in fire and screams. Chaos reigned as tents ignited and smoke rolled across the clearing.
Eiji's flames not only carved through the rogue ninja ranks—they shattered their formation entirely.
"Kill them!"
Tekka led the charge, three-tomoe Sharingan spinning like blood-red pinwheels. His katana became a flash of steel, every swing cutting a path through panicked enemies.
The Uchiha moved as one, cutting through the camp like wolves through a herd of startled deer.
Victory seemed certain—
Until the real threat revealed itself.
Three rogue ninja burst from the shadows, their chakra flaring like bonfires. Their movements were sharp, disciplined, and perfectly synchronized—the hallmark of elite fighters.
"All Jonin level…" Tekka muttered, his expression finally darkening.
They attacked him directly. In an instant, the battle turned.
Steel clashed in a storm of sparks as Tekka blocked and twisted, forced onto the defensive by the relentless assault. He was fast—his experience undeniable—but against three coordinated Jonin, every step was a razor's edge.
"Captain!" a squad member shouted, trying to break free to assist—
—but three rogue ninja hurled themselves at the rescuer, locking him in place.
Uchiha Tekka was on his own.
"Courting death!"
The rogue ninja leader's eyes gleamed with a cruel light. His long blade became a silver arc in the moonlight, slicing straight toward Uchiha Tekka's head!
Tekka's pupils shrank. He shifted instinctively, but the other two rogue ninja cut off every path of retreat, their weapons pressing in like fangs of a tightening trap.
At that critical instant—
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Jutsu!"
The clear, cold shout cracked through the night like thunder.
Roar!
A blazing dragon of fire tore through the darkness, its heat distorting the air. The rogue ninja trio felt the crushing wave of chakra and scattered in panic, unwilling to meet the inferno head-on.
Rumble!
The dragon slammed into the earth, detonating in a rolling surge of flame. Trees crackled, and the ground hissed under the sudden wave of heat.
Seizing the opening, Tekka twisted free, landing beside a smoking rock. His chest heaved as he turned toward the origin of the attack—
On a high stone outcrop stood Eiji.
His hands were still locked in the last seal, and his blood-red One-Tomoe Sharingan gleamed like embers in the firelight, cold and unyielding.
"Eiji!" Tekka's voice carried both shock and relief.
He hadn't expected the boy to unleash such a powerful Fire Release at the perfect moment. The force of that Great Dragon Fire was easily on par with his own.
'This kid… he's grown even stronger.'
The three rogue ninja landed, their expressions twisting in anger and disbelief.
"Where did this brat come from?!"
"He ruined everything—kill him first!"
With a quick glance between them, two continued to attack Tekka, while the third launched himself at Eiji, his kunai glinting with killing intent.
To them, the boy was nothing but a fragile ember—young, reckless, and surely running low on chakra after that display. He would be easy prey.
"Fool."
Eiji's voice was ice-cold. His Sharingan spun, reflecting the leaping flames.
"Genjutsu: Demonic Illusion—Hell Viewing Jutsu!"
The rogue ninja faltered mid-step. His pupils dilated, his body trembling as if a phantom hand had gripped his heart. In the depths of his mind, the Sharingan's crimson light dragged him into a nightmare from which there would be no escape.