Shi Yu → Uchiha Shigure
Xiaoxing → Hoshiko
Uchiha Wei → Uchiha Mamoru
Sister Changpu → Ayame (canon Ichiraku daughter)
Ichiraku "Uncle" → Teuchi (canon Ichiraku owner)
The weight of the forehead protector settled warmly on his brow. For the first time, Uchiha Shigure faced the world with Konoha's symbol carved into steel above his eyes. It hid the faint bulges of power awakening beneath his skin, but more importantly—it declared what he had become.
"Brother Shigure!" Hoshiko clasped her hands together, eyes sparkling. "You… you really did it! You're a ninja now!"
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "The protector's on my head. That's proof enough—even if no one but you believes in me."
"Then we're celebrating!" Without giving him a moment of protest, Hoshiko grabbed his hand and pulled him through the bustling streets. "Come on, ramen's on me!"
He opened his mouth to argue, but her excitement silenced him. Soon, they stopped before a small shop with red fabric banners. Shigure's breath caught.
"Ichiraku Ramen…" he murmured. The sight tugged sharply at memories of a future life—the countless references, Naruto's favorite haunt. It stood here now, smaller, humbler, but no less alive.
"Teuchi-ojisan!" Hoshiko called brightly as she dragged him inside.
The man within, tall and deceptively youthful, set down his ladle with an easy smile, while a little girl bustled nearby.
"Ayame-chan," Shigure realized, staring at the round-cheeked child still years from becoming the kind-hearted ramen girl Naruto would know. She turned, squealing, and waved.
"Shigure! Hoshiko! You're here again!"
Teuchi clapped his hands together with warmth. "What will it be today?"
"Deluxe tonkotsu ramen for Shigure, plain udon for me!" Hoshiko declared proudly.
Shigure shook his head quickly. "No way. Make hers the deluxe, mine the plain. Don't splurge for my sake, Hoshiko." His voice lowered, touched with quiet gratitude.
Teuchi only chuckled. "Don't argue with kindness in my shop! Both of you eat your fill." Soon, the aroma of broth and noodles filled the space.
"Thank you for the food!"
Laughter bubbled between them, warm and easy—until the door slammed open.
Both turned.
Shigure's eyes narrowed immediately. Hoshiko gasped, her hands trembling.
"Uchiha Mamoru…! What are you doing here?" she whispered.
The boy who entered carried arrogance in every line of his face. His smirk was sharp, predatory.
"So, Shigure—you actually managed to pass the exam," Mamoru drawled, voice thick with mocking laughter. "Congratulations. I brought a gift."
His fingers played casually with the chain dangling from his hand.
Hoshiko stiffened. "That's… my necklace!"
Shigure's face darkened. "Mamoru. Did you steal it from her?"
Mamoru sneered. "What if I did? If you want it back, come take it." He twirled the chain once, then pocketed it smugly. "There's a place waiting—grove outside the village. Let's settle this properly."
Shigure rose, chair scraping against the floor. Hoshiko clutched at his sleeve in alarm. "No, don't! What if he hurts you again—?"
He met her eyes, calm and unshaken. "Trust me, Hoshiko."
The grove lay hushed under swaying branches. Uchiha Mamoru stood waiting, half a dozen older lackeys hidden poorly among the shadows. His smirk split wider as Shigure stepped into the clearing.
"You fatherless stray," Mamoru spat. "You think passing one pitiful exam makes you my equal? Today you'll learn your place."
He snapped his fingers. Five thugs rushed in.
Shigure tilted his head, utterly unruffled. "So this was the plan all along. Pathetic." His voice dropped, low and dangerous. "Very well. Let me show you the difference between children playing ninja… and someone reborn from darkness."
His eyes flared white, tomoe swirling.
The thugs froze, stumbling at the unnatural sight.
"What… what kind of eyes are those?!"
"Go!" Mamoru barked, furious at their hesitation.
Fists swung—but Shigure's mutated eyes cut the attacks to pieces before they even began. To him, their movements were slow, telegraphed. A sidestep here, a twist there—and every strike hit only air.
"H-how?! Impossible!"
"You attack without skill, without heart." Shadows rose at his feet as his hands snapped into seals. "Shadow Clone Technique!"
With a burst of smoke, five perfect replicas appeared, flanking the attackers in unison. Before panic even passed across their faces, fists and feet drove into them. Groans, crashes, the sound of bodies hitting the earth—the fight ended in seconds.
The thugs writhed weakly on the ground, broken and humiliated. Smoke dissipated from where two of the clones vanished, but three stood triumphant still.
Mamoru's face contorted with rage. "Cowards! Useless trash!" He kicked at one moaning Uchiha, then spun back toward Shigure. "So—Shadow Clone? A B-rank ninjutsu? Fine, you've shown me a trick. Now I'll show you real Uchiha fire!"
He formed seals with practiced aggression, voice rising in challenge.
"Tiger—Ram—Monkey—Boar—Horse—Tiger!"
Chakra flared violently. "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"
A surge of heat erupted across the clearing as Mamoru spewed a massive fireball. It swallowed the shadows whole, obliterating Shigure's clones in an instant.
Hoshiko screamed from the edge of the grove.
Shigure shielded his eyes from the blast, astonished but grimly impressed. So, he's managed a proper C-rank Fire Style… Not bad, for an Academy brat.
But his Sharingan pulsed steadily, unraveling everything: the sluggish chakra molding, the desperate draw on already-drained reserves. Mamoru's body trembled from strain. His attack was raw, uneven—yet still dangerous.
As the smoke cleared, Shigure stepped forward, confidence unbroken. His lips curved.
"Brave of you. Fireball at your age? Almost impressive. But Mamoru…" His hands moved calmly, precisely, already tracing seals faster than mortal eyes could follow. "Let me show you what it looks like when done correctly."
His breath drew deeply, chakra spinning into his lungs as his tomoe spun.
"Now watch carefully—this is the real Great Fireball Technique."