Inside the clan leader's residence, Uchiha Fugaku looked at the young boy bowing at a perfect ninety degrees and showed a look of approval.
"Since you've made this request, I'll take some time to teach you for a while."
"Clan leader, I, Uchiha Yujin, swear to dedicate myself to the Uchiha clan, even through fire and blood!"
Inside Yujin's "chat group," three identical voices chimed in unison:
"As if!"
"As if!"
"As if!"
Of course, Uchiha Fugaku couldn't hear the true thoughts inside the child's mind. He nodded with satisfaction.
"I don't have much free time. Occasionally, I guide my younger son, Uchiha Sasuke. Sasuke, come out."
From behind the folding screen, the younger Uchiha walked out with wide, innocent eyes.
Uchiha Yujin turned back to glance at him and gave a silent evaluation in his heart.
'If it weren't for Itachi, this kid's personality would probably be no different from that timid Hyuga girl Hinata.'
Fugaku gently patted Sasuke's head. "From today on, he'll be your training partner."
Sasuke gave a small, hesitant nod and studied the plainly dressed Uchiha Yujin seriously.
Yujin didn't pay much attention to the younger boy. He bowed once more to Fugaku at a perfect ninety degrees. "Teacher, may I request a copy of the Great Fireball Jutsu scroll from the clan?"
The Great Fireball, though a C-rank jutsu and passed down in the Uchiha clan, was something even many outside the clan had learned.
Now, a nine-year-old genius who had awakened his Sharingan was requesting to learn it. As the clan head, Fugaku had absolutely no reason to refuse.
"Of course. But it's better if I demonstrate it to you first. That way, you'll learn faster."
He glanced at his wife, Uchiha Mikoto. "Make lunch for one more person today."
Mikoto felt quite displeased inside, but said nothing. She turned to go prepare.
Yujin quickly stood up. "Thank you, teacher, but I have to prepare for the exam this afternoon, so... maybe next time!"
Mikoto let out a breath of relief. "Then focus on your preparation. The exam is important."
"Understood. Thank you, Lady Mikoto!"
Fugaku shook his head helplessly. He stood and walked outside. "You two, follow me."
The Uchiha compound was located on the outskirts of the Hidden Leaf Village.
To put it in modern terms, this place wouldn't even be considered part of the sixth ring road.
It should be considered the city's edge.
Compared to Jiraiya peeking at the women's bathhouse, sneaking out of the village was much easier for the Uchiha.
The three quickly left Konoha and arrived at a stretch of forest.
"The Great Fireball Technique is a jutsu that every Uchiha must learn."
Uchiha Fugaku said proudly, "You could say it's the very first jutsu every Uchiha ninja masters."
"Yujin, use Sharingan!"
With Fugaku's command, Uchiha Yujin widened his eyes!
Sharingan!
"This guy!" Sasuke stared at Uchiha Yujin in disbelief.
It was the first time he had seen anyone besides his brother awaken the Sharingan at such a young age.
Within Uchiha Yujin's eyes, a single tomoe slowly rotated.
Fugaku nodded in satisfaction. "Watch my hand signs carefully."
Snake.
Goat.
Monkey.
Uchiha Yujin's eyes darted rapidly, afraid to miss even a single detail.
Boar.
Horse.
Tiger.
Fugaku pressed his hands together, swiftly forming the seals.
As the final hand seal completed, chakra surged violently inside his body, concentrating around his throat.
Suddenly, Fugaku opened his mouth, and from deep within his throat surged a stream of scorching chakra.
That stream instantly condensed into a massive fireball.
The fireball ignited in midair, glowing with a blazing orange-red light.
The surrounding temperature soared, and waves of heat rushed outward!
The fireball looked like a miniature sun, radiating intense light and searing heat.
Its surface churned continuously, as if made of boiling liquid flames.
The size and brilliance of the fireball increased with each pulse of chakra until it became overwhelming.
At last, Fugaku shouted and thrust the concentrated fireball forward.
The Great Fireball Technique shot forth at an astonishing speed, hurtling straight toward its target.
It tore through the air, leaving behind a blazing trail of fire — so fast it was nearly impossible to track.
When the Great Fireball Jutsu struck its target, it erupted with a deafening boom. Flames burst outward, engulfing the area in a massive inferno.
The fire devoured everything in its path, transforming the impact zone into a sea of flames.
The shockwave from the explosion shook the surrounding trees and rocks, leaving them trembling and unstable. Even from a distance, the searing heat could be felt clearly.
There was a saying passed down in the Shinobi World.
Ninjutsu holds no intrinsic status—what truly matters is the shinobi who casts it.
Even a C-rank jutsu, when wielded by a Kage-level powerhouse, could unleash destruction that could shatter the sky and the earth.
Fugaku Uchiha's strength was clearly no joke.
After that single Great Fireball, not only was Uchiha Yujin stunned, even Sasuke stood frozen, eyes wide, staring at the wreckage left behind in the distance.
Pirate Yujin muttered, "Looks like on the night of the Uchiha Massacre, if this guy had gone all out, the battle wouldn't have ended so quickly."
Marvel Yujin added calmly, "We underestimated the clan head."
Sasuke was so shocked he couldn't even speak.
He had never imagined that the usually strict and solemn father he saw every day possessed such overwhelming power.
He was just about to voice his amazement at the deep lines on Fugaku's aging face when—
Beside him, a sudden fluctuation of chakra drew his attention.
Uchiha Yujin stood alone in the forest clearing.
His Sharingan, with a single tomoe in each eye, glimmered sharply.
He inhaled deeply, then mimicked Fugaku's hand seals. His chakra surged under his control, flowing to his chest, then gathering at his throat.
Could it be...!?
Fugaku and Sasuke both widened their eyes, waiting breathlessly for a miracle.
Uchiha Yujin's lips parted. A stream of blazing chakra erupted from deep within his throat.
It gradually condensed into a fireball—ten times smaller than Fugaku's, yet still glowing with a fierce orange-red hue.
Though the fireball lacked the raging intensity of Fugaku's technique, it radiated clear heat and power, and the air around it shimmered and twisted.
Its surface wasn't roiling like a molten sphere, but there was undeniable heat in its flames.
With intense focus, Uchiha Yujin pushed the fireball forward.
The power and scale weren't as strong as Fugaku's, but the speed of the Great Fireball Jutsu was still fierce.
It tore through the air, leaving behind a blazing trail, shooting straight toward the tall tree ahead!
The fireball collided with its target, triggering a small explosion.
Flames burst outward, forming a fiery blast zone that engulfed the area!
The surrounding grass was scorched.
Smaller trees and shrubs were devoured by the flames, reduced to ashes!
Although its destructive power wasn't even a tenth of Fugaku's, for a nine-year-old child trying the Great Fireball Jutsu for the first time, it was already an impressive feat!
Uchiha Fugaku stared at the scene before him, a look of admiration on his face.
"Remarkable, Uchiha Yujin," Fugaku said, his voice carrying both surprise and approval.
"Even with the Sharingan activated for motion replication, it's rare to use the Great Fireball Jutsu immediately after seeing it once."
"Not only did you do it, but you also showed a good level of control. Very well done."
Yet, Uchiha Yujin didn't show even a trace of pride.
He could feel his chakra nearly drained.
Bowing slightly to Fugaku, he replied, "From what I've heard, Lord Itachi hadn't even awakened his Sharingan and he just copied the Great Fireball the first time he saw it. He's the real genius."
A proud smile spread across Fugaku's face.
Off to the side, little Sasuke was once again left confused.
He turned to Fugaku.
"Big brother is really that amazing?"
Fugaku nodded.
"Of course."
Uchiha Yujin looked at the harmonious father-and-son moment in front of him, and couldn't bring himself to ruin it.
So he grumbled inside the "chat group."
"If Sasuke knew that Itachi was going to massacre their entire clan soon, would he still think his brother is so amazing?"
Pirate Yujin: "Still hell."
Marvel Yujin: "Don't drag me into hell with you."
*********
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