The three Uchiha Genin, frightened but desperate, rose up to resist. They each pulled out kunai and shuriken, tossing them toward Shigure with practiced technique.
"Uchiha-ryū: Shurikenjutsu?" Shigure smirked as his white Sharingan spun. "You call that precision?"
He twisted his body, chakra surging to his tenketsu. "Hakkeshō Kaiten!"
The air howled as he spun in place like a vortex, and a dome of chakra burst out from his body — the Hyūga clan's absolute defense: Eight Trigrams Palm: Rotation.
The kunai and shuriken clattered away harmlessly. The chakra dome was wider than usual, enhanced by Shigure's hybrid dojutsu — his Byaringan, a fusion of Byakugan and Sharingan, gave him both perfect chakra vision and predictive tracking.
The sheer force of the kaiten slammed into the three Uchiha, hurling them back. They smashed into the stone walls of the Konoha Police Department's underground review chamber. Blood sprayed from their mouths as they slumped to the ground, unable to rise.
Shigure slowly approached, calm and merciless.
"You… you can't kill us!" Uchiha Cape gasped, trembling.
"We're part of the Uchiha Clan! You'll bring disaster down on yourself!" warned Uchiha Toyoshi, voice cracked with fear.
"Shigure… you're Uchiha too," the last one whimpered. "You're a Konoha shinobi… killing your own clan…?"
Now they begged for their lives.
Shigure's expression didn't change.
"Now I'm your 'brother'? Weren't you the ones who tried to silence me first?"
He raised his hand, fingers charged with chakra.
"In the shinobi world, betrayal has a price."
One by one, he struck them in the chest using pinpoint chakra-infused strikes modeled after the Hyūga's Gentle Fist — not just rupturing tenketsu, but disrupting organs with lethal precision. It was swift and brutal.
The corpses fell still.
Shigure exhaled.
He quickly disposed of the bodies, hiding them beneath the collapsed foundation stone behind the old records archive, then used the Transformation Jutsu to take on the appearance of the ANBU he had first killed. His eyes dulled slightly as he passed unnoticed through the Police Department's upper floor and out into the village.
Later, he reached the charred remains of his home — still smoldering from the arson attack. He laid on the scorched bedding, staring at the ceiling.
His first real kill. Even though it was self-defense, it felt heavy.
The Next Morning
A hard knock echoed through the ruined walls.
Boom boom boom!
Shigure's eyes snapped open. He immediately reached for his kunai.
"Who is it?" he asked sharply.
A muffled voice replied, "Konoha ANBU. We're under direct order from Lord Hokage. He wishes to see you."
So the Sandaime has moved... Did he find out? Shigure thought. But if he wanted me dead, ANBU wouldn't have knocked.
He made a decision. "Fine. Let's go."
Shigure followed the masked ANBU through the quiet village streets, still on edge.
Soon, they arrived at the Hokage's office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen stood in his robe and hat, flanked by two ANBU. His face was lined with age and heavy with thought, yet his voice was steady.
"Dismissed," he said.
The ANBU vanished in a flash.
"Shigure," the Hokage said, forcing a faint smile. "How are you holding up?"
Shigure straightened. "I've completed the academy graduation exam and have officially become a Genin."
Sarutobi nodded. "Excellent. Hyūga Hizashi has already reported your performance. Outstanding… and unusual."
He turned and pulled out a sheet of paper.
"A chakra affinity test," he explained. "Let's see what nature your chakra leans toward."
Shigure recognized the paper instantly. "You want me to try?"
"Go ahead."
He held the chakra paper between his fingers and pushed chakra into it.
In an instant, the paper reacted violently.
One corner crumpled, another burned, a third split, a fourth got soaked, and the final piece shattered into flakes.
Sarutobi's eyes widened. Even his pipe dropped from his mouth.
"You possess all five chakra natures… remarkable," Sarutobi Hiruzen murmured, staring at the crumbled, burned, soaked, sliced, and shattered pieces of the chakra paper.
He leaned back, took a slow drag from his pipe, and exhaled thoughtfully.
"Compared to the average Uchiha, your potential is… exceptional. Most members of your clan specialize in Fire Release and excel in genjutsu. But to have all five elemental affinities — and with such strong chakra reactions — that's rare even among the Hokage."
He studied Shigure for a moment. "Judging from the depth of each reaction, your chakra reserves are already impressive. That could be due to your unique bloodline… or something even deeper in your heritage."
Hiruzen tapped the ashes from his pipe and continued. "Hyūga Hizashi told me you won the bell test against him — which means you already understand how to use chakra efficiently in combat. That's no small feat for a fresh Genin."
He chuckled lightly. "I'm not well-versed in the Hyūga clan's taijutsu or genjutsu, so I'll leave your physical training to Hizashi. But ninjutsu... well, I'm known as the Professor for a reason."
Shigure's eyes lit up. "You'll teach me ninjutsu?"
"That depends," Hiruzen said with a smile. "Do you want to learn?"
Shigure nodded quickly. "Yes! Please, teach me ninjutsu!"
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. "Then let me ask… do you know what type you want to learn?"
Shigure didn't hesitate. "I want to learn combination ninjutsu — compound elemental techniques!"
The Third Hokage's expression shifted to one of genuine surprise. "Ah… so you know of them already."
He nodded slowly, clearly impressed. "Not many Genin even hear of combination release techniques, let alone ask to learn them. Such jutsu require the simultaneous manipulation of two or more chakra natures — something only a handful of shinobi can manage. It's difficult… but not impossible."
Sarutobi leaned forward slightly. "Very well. But know this — it won't be easy. Mastering even one elemental nature can take years. Blending two is exponentially more complex. Are you truly ready for that path?"
"I am, Hokage-sama."
Sarutobi gave him a sidelong glance, then smiled warmly. "Still calling me 'Hokage-sama' after becoming my student?"
Shigure blinked, then quickly bowed. "Ah — sorry! Sensei!"
The old man laughed gently, a rare sound from the often burdened leader. "Good boy."