"Boy, are you trying to show off or something?" the brown-haired youth sneered coldly.
His eyes narrowed, and with a flicker of chakra, his Sharingan spun into view—matching Leo's own two-tomoe version.
"Well, you picked the wrong opponent. I'm a recognized genius of the clan."
He pointed proudly to himself.
"Uchiha Inabi!"
Their gazes locked, crimson eyes glowing.
For a moment, Leo couldn't even spare the attention to react to the entry he had just obtained from Obito.
Whoosh—!
The next instant, Leo and Inabi vanished in a flurry of movement.
Crack! Crack! Thud!
A dozen collisions occurred in the blink of an eye as the two Genin clashed furiously in the narrow courtyard.
"What the—?!" Inabi reeled inwardly, stunned. "Wasn't this guy supposed to be mediocre? Just a random kid assigned to the ninja academy?"
But the Leo in front of him… his footwork, his Sharingan usage, his seamless counterattacks—it was flawless.
No. It was more than flawless.
He's stronger than me!
Inabi gritted his teeth. "I need to pull back and use ninjutsu!"
But Leo wasn't going to give him that chance.
He knew his own weaknesses. The system had awakened late in his life. His foundation was flimsy compared to these elite clan heirs.
But still… here he was, holding his ground.
Why?
Because of the [Genius (Gold)] entry he'd extracted from Kakashi.
The description of the entry was burned into his mind:
> "Coping ability exceeds domain."
That line alone changed everything.
Even if his basic skillset was limited—[Uchiha-ryū (White)], [Fire Release (White)], [Shurikenjutsu (White)]—none of it mattered.
With that golden entry and his analytical combat style, he could overpower Inabi!
Leo's hand reached to his waist, grabbing a smoke bomb from his ninja pouch.
Bang!
A cloud of thick smoke instantly consumed the courtyard.
In the few seconds that followed, Leo and Inabi clashed again and again, rapid blows exchanged beneath the concealment.
But ten seconds in, the scene shifted.
Uchiha Fugaku's expression darkened.
He raised his voice, stepping forward to break up the confrontation.
"That's enough! You—"
"Fugaku-kun, wait," said one of the elders nearby, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Now's the perfect time to let them test each other."
Everything was proceeding as planned.
The fight had begun.
This "Leo" had surprised the elder briefly—after all, wasn't he labeled average by Academy standards?
But his potential didn't matter.
From what the elder could see, Inabi's basics were leagues ahead.
Letting Inabi defeat Leo would push this upstart down a peg—and clear the path forward.
However, Fugaku didn't look convinced.
"A moment longer…" he started to say.
But just then, the unexpected happened.
Gasps echoed across the courtyard.
Another Leo appeared behind Inabi, a thin steel wire already wound around his neck.
In Leo's hand, the final sign of Fire Style—Yin—glowed faintly.
"Senior Inabi," Leo said coolly, the corners of his mouth curling upward. "Looks like I win."
Inabi's face twisted.
"Transformation and Shadow Clone?! You—! You cheated! If we fought again, I'd dodge that easily!"
Leo didn't flinch.
"Senior, we're ninja. Isn't deception part of the job?"
He grinned sharply.
"Besides… whining like that only makes you sound weaker."
"Leo-kun, that was awesome!" Obito shouted excitedly from the side.
He had seen the whole sequence unfold clearly.
At the moment the smoke bomb went off, Leo had thrown a kunai, seemingly random.
When Inabi reflexively dodged, another Leo emerged from the shadows behind him.
From there, it was a textbook Uchiha takedown—wire entrapment, positional pressure, and psychological edge.
Obito clapped his hands, eyes shining.
"Senior Daohuo had no idea what hit him!"
Fugaku's expression shifted as well.
The grim tension he'd held before began to ease, and a smile crept onto his face.
"Well, Elder Setsuna, what do you have to say now?" he asked, his tone light but edged.
"Hmph! Trash. Let's go," Setsuna snapped, clearly displeased.
He turned and began walking away with his retainers, face dark.
As he passed Leo, he shot him a chilling glance.
> This boy isn't on my side. Has he chosen Fugaku? Or... the Hokage?
The elder thought silently.
> After awakening the Sharingan, his growth is too fast. If he continues to oppose me... then—
He said nothing aloud.
Just grabbed the sulking Inabi, who had been released by Leo and was still glaring at the ground, then walked off.
Once they were gone, Fugaku turned to the two boys and smiled proudly.
"After awakening your Sharingan, Leo-kun, you've truly become a genius," he said with a touch of emotion.
Leo stood tall, calm.
The truth was, he'd only recently awakened his Sharingan. And yet, he had pulled off that strategy perfectly.
A two-tomoe Sharingan awakened under real combat pressure, backed by a systematic entry that enhanced tactical adaptability?
No wonder his progress was absurdly fast.
> He's got what it takes, Fugaku thought. This boy… he could really become Hokage.
That thought filled him with genuine hope.
"Leo, Leo-kun!" Obito called out, rushing over with wide eyes.
"Were you always this strong after awakening your Sharingan?"
Obito looked baffled and excited.
He knew that both he and Leo were considered underachievers before this. Neither of them had shown much promise in the clan's eyes.
But now?
Leo had turned into a completely different person!
Compared to that, Obito, who still had to use eye drops and squint in sparring, felt left behind.
"Yes, Obito," Leo said sincerely. "But once you awaken your Sharingan, I believe you'll be stronger than me."
And he meant it.
Because Leo had seen the truth.
That red light earlier… it wasn't just a glow—it was an entry.
A red entry from Obito.
And now, he could finally inspect it:
> [Eyes of the Divine Realm (Red)]
Proof that this Uchiha is connected to the essence of the sacred tree—transcending cause and effect. When the power of the gods is awakened, the user gains divine techniques.
Leo nearly dropped the scroll in his hand.
> What do you mean "divine techniques"? What's the essence of the sacred tree supposed to imply?!
He already knew that Obito's Mangekyō ability—Kamui—was broken beyond belief.
Now it made sense.
The system confirmed it.
This red entry would only bloom once the Mangekyō was awakened.
But when that day came…
> [Eyes of the Divine Realm] would grant Obito ocular powers in a whole different league—divine jutsu on the level of Ōtsutsuki!
Obito had unknowingly leapfrogged past the "Sharingan era" and was already waiting at the gates of the "god era."
No wonder Kamui felt so overpowered!
Leo's heart pounded.
He knew then and there—Obito was a ticking time bomb of talent.
> Even without a system, even without special training… this guy might just surpass Sasuke or even Madara someday.
And for now, he was on his side.
Perfect.
"Alright," Fugaku said with a soft chuckle, watching the two boys bond. "Come inside, both of you."
He gestured toward the open doors of his home.
"Since you're both assigned to Minato Jōnin's team…"
"I've prepared something for you—a gift that should help you both."
"Everything is ready inside."