Chapter 1 — First Steps into Fire
The morning sun spilled across the Uchiha training field, its light catching on the steel of shuriken embedded in wooden targets. The air was cool, but the steady thunk-thunk-thunk of weapons meeting wood filled the silence.
A boy stood a few meters away, his black hair slightly too long for a proper shinobi cut, framing a face that could almost be mistaken for a girl's. His dark eyes were focused, his small hands steady as he threw another shuriken. The weapon struck dead center, right next to the last one.
"You've improved again, Akira," a deep voice said from behind.
Akira glanced back to see Fugaku, arms crossed, watching him with the faintest trace of approval. "I was aiming for the middle," Akira replied simply. His voice was calm, measured — too measured for a 4-year-old.
"Most your age can barely lift a kunai," Fugaku said, stepping forward. "You have your mother's focus. But that alone won't make you a shinobi."
Akira nodded. He knew that. He'd always known more than he should — after all, he wasn't really a 4-year-old inside. But that was a secret he kept locked away behind polite smiles.
A group of children played at the far side of the field, sparring with wooden swords. Akira's eyes lingered on them. He'd already memorized their names: Shisui, a boy a little older than him with boundless energy; Naori, a quiet girl who watched everything; and two twins, Haruto and Renji, who seemed to speak in their own language of grins and nudges.
Today would be the first time he trained alongside them.
"Go join the others," Fugaku instructed.
Akira walked toward the group, feeling the faint tug in his chest that came with the flicker of something… different. His vision sharpened for a heartbeat — veins ghosting at the sides of his eyes — before he forced the sensation away. The Byakugan was still there, waiting, but no one could know. Not yet.
"Hey! You're the quiet one, right?" Shisui called, grinning. "Let's see if you can keep up."
Akira allowed himself a small smile. "Try me."
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