The winds still hung heavy with the aftershocks of battle. Dust curled lazily in the air where Shigure's Wind Dragon had torn the training ground apart. Even among shinobi used to destruction, it was chilling to everyone present.
Kakashi Hatake narrowed his single visible eye. His silver hair flickered in the breeze, his gaze as sharp as his temper. "Something's not adding up. Not even Minato-sensei's ninjutsu would leave behind a battlefield like this." He spoke curtly, but his unease bled through.
Obito stood stiff at his side, goggles reflecting the ruined terrain, muttering, "…This isn't possible. He's just a kid. A Jonin… from my clan?!" His tone was uncertain, caught between disbelief and suspicion.
Nohara Rin touched her cheek absently, her eyes wide. "Teacher Minato, what… what's happening? Why does this place look like a warzone? Was he… the one you were chasing?"
Minato paused before replying. His lips drew tight, his eyes serious. But before he could speak, Shigure stepped forward, arms folded across his chest.
"Minato, those three… your students, right? Hatake Kakashi, Nohara Rin, and Uchiha Obito?"
The trio froze. Hearing their names so casually from the boy before them—snow-pale hair, crimson tomoe spinning—unnerved them more than the destruction around them.
"You…!" Obito blustered, pointing shakily. "Who even are you?! Don't act like you know us!"
Kakashi's eye narrowed further. "He's wearing the crest. The Uchiha clan."
Obito's gut twisted. He didn't dare step closer, but the clan's emblem was unmistakable. "…It's true. But… how?"
Rin's voice trembled as she turned back to Minato. "Teacher… you weren't… chasing him, were you?"
Minato chuckled dryly. "I tried. I couldn't keep up."
That almost broke Kakashi's composure. His fists clenched. "…No way."
Obito stammered wildly, "He—he's younger than us! He's scrawny! How can he even move as fast as Minato-sensei?!"
Rin whispered the question heavy between them: "…Is such a person even possible?"
Minato exhaled, smiling ruefully. "Yes. Believe me or not, but the person we chased was him. Uchiha Shigure. And…" He sighed, almost wincing at their faces. "This isn't a jonin. He's a Genin—your peer."
The three reactions exploded like bombs.
"GENIN?!" Obito screeched.
"Impossible!" Rin gasped.
"Utter nonsense," Kakashi spat, cold skepticism saturating his voice.
Seniority Revealed
While they argued, Minato's voice carried again, calm but serious. "Not only that… but technically, he's my junior uncle. Your uncle-master."
That stunned silence landed heavier than any jutsu.
"Ehh?!" Obito almost toppled over. Rin covered her mouth. Even Kakashi faltered, though he tried to mask the disbelief.
"That can't… the Third Hokage would never—" he began, but Shigure's smirk cut him off.
"Uncle-master. That's what you call me." His tone carried no hesitation.
Obito's jaw dropped. Minato added gently, "My master is Lord Jiraiya of the Sannin. Jiraiya's teacher is Lord Third. And Shigure here… is Lord Third's new disciple."
Shigure tapped his own chest with mock arrogance, grinning. "So what do you call your master's uncle? Hmm? That's right. Uncle-master. Even if you're older than me in years, in terms of bloodline seniority—you're juniors. Two generations down."
The three stood frozen in awkward silence.
Kakashi turned away with a scowl. "…Ridiculous. Rank, strength, and skill matter. Not these stupid 'titles.' Fight me head-to-head if you think you're superior."
Shigure's eyes glinted dangerously red. He hooked a finger mocking, Sharingan spinning. "Based on strength? I'd love to test it."
His aura flared, killing intent crackling faintly in the air like static. Even Obito unconsciously stepped back, goosebumps running his skin.
Kakashi, stubborn as ever at that age, snapped his hands into seals, chakra rising sharp. Rin gasped nervously, watching the two flare like wolves ready to clash.
But Minato's hand flashed between them, stepping quickly forward, voice urgent. "Enough." His eyes locked gravely on both. To Shigure, he added, "Uncle Master, please… don't treat this like a real battle. They're children."
He turned slightly to Kakashi. "And you—you're not fighting him. Not now."
Kakashi's glare softened reluctantly under Minato's gaze. His hands stilled, though his eye stayed sharp, smoldering with challenge. "…Tch."
The tension hissed out, but only barely.
The Chunin Exams
Minato sighed with relief. Then, as if struck by inspiration, his lips curved. "If you insist on fighting, then at least save it for a proper stage."
Shigure tilted his head, cautious. "Proper stage?"
"The upcoming Chuunin Selection Exams," Minato said firmly. "They're soon. Very soon. Shigure, if you and Kakashi want to prove something, do it under those rules. Against worthy opponents, under the eyes of Konoha."
"…Chunin Exams…" Shigure muttered, eyes flashing with intrigue. "So it begins. I hadn't heard yet from Hizashi-sensei."
Minato nodded. "All teams should have been notified. I was preparing to tell mine today—until your speed caught our attention."
Shigure smirked faintly. "So the registration is open already… Good. I was looking forward to real competition."
Obito perked up, intrigued despite himself. "Huh? Chunin Exams?!" He nearly bounced forward—but then froze as something clicked in his mind. He turned stiffly toward Shigure, voice lowering. "Wait… Shigure… Shigure?"
His goggles caught the gleam of the boy's scarlet eyes.
The Cousin Revelation
"What is it, Obito?" Shigure asked, puzzled at the intensity of the boy's stare.
"Shigure… are you… Uchiha Shigure?" Obito demanded breathlessly, voice cracking with some hidden recognition.
Shigure raised a brow. "That's me. Is there a problem with my name? Or do you always grill strangers from your own clan?"
Obito froze, lips pressed thin. Rin tilted her head curiously. "Obito…?"
Kakashi's eye narrowed sharply, curious now too.
Finally, Obito blurted, "It makes sense! That's why I thought your face looked faintly familiar! You should be recorded—in the clan genealogy. The Uchiha records mention a Shigure."
Shigure blinked, honest confusion breaking his smirk. "Genealogy? If that's true, I've never seen it. I barely speak with the clan. In truth, I don't consider myself part of them at all. Not family. Not really." His voice carried steel.
But Obito nodded heavily as if bracing himself. "Just as I thought. I get it now. You don't feel connected because you were cast aside. But—"
He stepped closer, goggles flashing. "According to the genealogy, you're my cousin!"
The entire field fell silent.
"What—?!" Minato exclaimed, genuinely startled. Rin gasped. Even Kakashi's guarded expression flickered.
Shigure's brows arched high. "Cousin…? You're joking."
"No joke." Obito's tone carried desperation now, as though grasping at belonging. "I recognized the name from the scrolls. Uchiha Shigure. Older branch. Distant, forgotten maybe—but still cousin!"
The others stared between them, as the dust of the training ground finally began to settle…
And within Shigure's swirling tomoe glint, unreadable thoughts stirred.
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