The Konoha hospital room was filled with the distinctive scent of disinfectant. The afternoon sunlight came in through the window, casting an orange glow on the sterile white walls.
Yuji opened his eyes slowly.
Pain. That was the first impression he felt. His left shoulder ached, and his entire body felt stiff, though it was far better than before.
"...You finally woke up, you stubborn kid."
That deep voice sounded familiar. Yuji turned his head. Sitting beside his bed was a man with messy black hair. Sagato Uchiha. His father.
Sagato’s hand gripped the back of the chair until his knuckles turned white. His eyes looked red. Not because of the Sharingan, but because he had cried a little and was worried.
"...Father?" Yuji’s voice was hoarse, barely audible.
Sagato didn’t answer right away. He poured water into a glass, then handed it to him carefully. "Drink first. You were unconscious for four hours. The doctor said your injuries weren’t severe. You just ran out of chakra."
Yuji took a sip of the water. Cold. Soothing.
Memories flashed by quickly. Smoke. An explosion. A two-tomoe Sharingan. A fireball that engulfed a Chunin from Sunagakure. Then darkness.
"...Did I win?" he whispered.
"You defeated two Chunin by yourself," Sagato answered flatly. "And nearly sacrificed yourself in the process. The question is, why were you in the Forest of Death while school was still in session?"
"I... skipped school on the grounds of being sick," Yuji admitted. "Then I trained there to increase my strength. Who would have thought there were intruders there who attacked me immediately." His answer was smooth. Half truth, half lie. Standard ninja stuff.
Sagato let out a long sigh. He looked at the thick bandage on Yuji’s shoulder, then a faint proud smile appeared on his face. After all, he was an Uchiha.
His young son had managed to defeat two Chunin at once. That was an extraordinary achievement for the Uchiha Clan. Even for Konoha.
"You overused that Lightning Mode," Sagato warned. "Without a sufficient physical foundation, your body will break down. Do you want to be a legend, or a permanent hospital patient?"
Yuji lowered his head. He couldn’t argue. He had indeed planned a physical training program after this.
"But..." Sagato continued, his tone softening. "You are the pride of the Uchiha Clan. Not just me. The other clan members are also very proud of you."
He ruffled Yuji’s hair roughly. It wasn’t sweet praise. But to Yuji, that gesture felt more valuable than a thousand words.
The door opened. An ANBU entered. "A report from Lord Hokage. The investigation team found a Suna forehead protector on the first body. They were disguised as Konoha ninja to infiltrate."
"ANBU Kuma, who was watching from a distance, has already given a complete testimony," he continued, then glanced at Yuji. "Lord Hokage said... you will be summoned after you recover. There will be a reward. And also... a punishment."
"A punishment?" Yuji frowned.
"Entering the Forest of Death without permission is forbidden," Sagato added.
The ANBU went on, "Since you’re awake now, after resting, you must report to the Hokage Building tomorrow morning."
Yuji and his father nodded at the same time. This was a serious matter. Yuji’s presence was indeed required.
Yuji looked at his own hands. Those small hands had just taken the lives of two adult Chunin-level opponents. Guilt was there, but he had to move forward. He had to keep becoming stronger in this world. If not, he would be the one to fall like those two Chunin.
He wasn’t strong enough yet. The last Chunin had almost killed him. What if later he had to face a Jonin? Or the Akatsuki?
"Father," Yuji called out suddenly.
"Hm?"
"You’ll accompany me to the Hokage Building, right?"
Sagato was silent for a moment, then gave a small laugh. A tired, but sincere laugh.
"Of course. You don’t need to worry," he said gently.
"But you should worry about your mother’s reaction," Sagato continued. "She saw you two hours earlier. Her face was wet with tears."
"Ah, I forgot about Mother," Yuji said nervously. "Father can help calm her down, right?"
Sagato immediately panicked. He had tried before... and the result was a 1-hour lecture without a break. "Hmm... you handle it yourself. That’s your problem!" he replied quickly.
Yuji pouted. Facing his mother was far scarier than facing two Chunin. He had to quickly come up with a strategy and a set of convincing excuses.
If not, forget about a reward or punishment from the Hokage. Mother’s punishment would come first. And that was S-rank.
Yuji opened the system screen. That mission was complete. He checked his status.
[Status Yuji Uchiha]
Name: Yuji Uchiha (male, 6 years old)
Rank: Elite Chunin
Affiliation: Konohagakure
Kekkei Genkai: Sharingan [3 Tomoe]
Chakra Nature: Fire, Lightning, Yin Attribute
Chakra: 112 [Jonin-level]
Ninjutsu: 80
Taijutsu: 70
Genjutsu: 90
Intelligence: 70
Strength: 85
Agility: 90
Stamina: 74
Techniques:
- Katon: Fireball Jutsu(C)
- Raiton: Lightning Chakra Mode(A)
- Basic Sharingan Genjutsu(C)
- Academy Three Basic Techniques(E)
- Shunshin no Jutsu + Lightning Enhancement(C)
Yuji was shocked. His status numbers had skyrocketed from an average of 60, now some reached 90. Even his chakra had broken past 100.
’Is this the effect of awakening the 3-Tomoe Sharingan?’ Yuji thought in astonishment. No wonder the 3-Tomoe Sharingan was called terrifying. It was Jonin-level. His status and chakra had increased significantly as a result.
There was only one problem left: how to explain this to Mother...