The grove echoed with the roar of flames. Uchiha Shigure's hands blurred, seals snapping into place with perfect precision. Chakra surged in his chest, heat igniting behind his throat.
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"
He exhaled. A tremendous fireball burst forth—larger, hotter, fiercer than Mamoru's attempt. Its blaze lit the branches crimson, scorching wind sweeping outward in a wave of choking heat.
Across from him, Mamoru's own fireball rushed forward to meet it.
The two spheres of inferno collided midair, crackling and roaring in a violent struggle. Flames spiraled, snapping as they fought for dominance. For a heartbeat, it looked equal—until Mamoru's fire wavered, weakening under the sheer density of Shigure's chakra.
"No… impossible!" Mamoru's face drained of color, sweat pouring down his temples. His flames collapsed, crushed in an instant.
Shigure's fireball surged forward, bearing down to consume him whole.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
The sharp voice came from the treeline. With a thunderous rumble, a wall of earth erupted from the ground, intercepting the fireball just as it reached Mamoru. The flames slammed into stone, smoke and sparks exploding across the grove.
When the flames cleared, Mamoru sat on the ground, trembling, his forehead drenched in cold sweat. He would have been swallowed whole if not for the newcomer.
Shigure's eyes narrowed. His Sharingan traced the chakra signature immediately, locking onto the man stepping from the shadows. Tall, older, bearing the crest of the Uchiha. A relative of Mamoru, and not a weak one.
"Brother Kaku! You're here!" Mamoru cried, voice dripping with desperation.
Uchiha Kaku cast him a disgusted glance. "Pathetic. If I hadn't intervened, you'd have been burned alive by this fatherless stray." His eyes slid contemptuously toward Shigure. "You embarrass our clan by forcing me to step in against him."
Shigure stood silently, the pale glow in his eyes cold and sharp. "So Mamoru calls in an older relative to fight his battles for him. What then? If I defeat you, Uchiha Kaku… will you send the clan leader himself to face me next?"
Kaku sneered, though his fists clenched slightly. "Don't delude yourself. Even defeating me wouldn't be enough for the head of our clan to lift a finger. You're still just a mistake of blood, Shigure." He tugged Mamoru up roughly by the collar. "We're leaving."
But Shigure stepped forward, voice ringing out, clear and harsh. "No. You don't walk away until you give back what isn't yours."
His seals snapped shut with deadly speed. "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"
A fresh torrent of flame roared into existence, even brighter and hotter than the first. Kaku's eyes widened; even with his skill, this fire dwarfed his expectations. He dragged Mamoru aside violently, diving for cover. The fireball seared past, scorching bark and earth to ash.
Kaku landed on one knee, face twisted with fury. "You little brat! Do you dare attack me?!"
Shigure's gaze met his coldly, eyes gleaming as white chakra danced faint within the tomoe. His voice carried no fear. "Hand over Hoshiko's necklace. Do it, or the next fireball I launch will not miss."
Kaku stiffened. The pale glow of those eyes unsettled him more than he wanted to admit. It was not just Sharingan—it was something deeper, alien. Something that whispered danger.
His grip on Mamoru tightened. He ground his teeth, glaring at his younger kin. And then, reluctantly, he pulled the necklace from his pouch.
"Take it," he spat, tossing it across the scorched clearing.
Shigure caught the silver chain deftly. A small smile touched his lips—not one of kindness, but cold victory.
Kaku hissed through his teeth, eyes sharp with resentment. But even he knew when to retreat. Dragging Mamoru with him, humiliated and seething, they melted back into shadow.
When Shigure returned to the ramen shop, the smoke of battle still clinging to him, Hoshiko jumped to her feet immediately.
"Brother Shigure!" Her eyes went wide when he held up the necklace. Tears pricked her lashes as she reached for it. "It's… really mine… you got it back."
He dropped it gently into her palms. "It's safe. And Mamoru won't dare touch you again."
Her lips trembled, torn between laughter and sobs. "Thank you… thank you, Brother Shigure…"
For the first time since arriving in this world, Shigure allowed himself to breathe. This bond, fragile yet fierce, was one thing he would protect with his newfound power.
That evening, back in his small residence, his eyes gleamed with restless challenge. He formed seals again, mimicking the older ninja's actions.
"Doton: Doryūheki!"
The ground trembled. A thick earthen wall surged upward, looming higher and sturdier than the one Kaku had conjured. Its surface gleamed with chakra-threaded reinforcement.
He smirked. "As I thought. These eyes… they're not just a hybrid. They see everything—ninjutsu, chakra molding, illusions. Byakugan's clarity, Sharingan's replication, fused together with something far beyond. The blood of the Otsutsuki doesn't just open doors… it tears them off the hinges."
His hands clenched into fists. Fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, yin, yang. They're all mine to command.
Exhilaration raced through him, but then faded, replaced by one quiet thought. "The system hasn't spoken again since the bloodline reward. What will it take to awaken it once more?"
Fatigue settled in, and before long, his eyelids sank closed. His last thought echoed with anticipation. Tomorrow, I am officially a Genin. What team… what future waits for me?
Morning light brushed across his face.
He rose, glancing into the mirror perched beside his basin.
Once again… his reflection had changed.
Skin paler than before. Hair darker at the roots, streaked faintly with silver. And most shocking of all, faint horns at his temples had grown longer overnight, subtle but undeniable.
"The bloodline is evolving again," he whispered. His chakra, too—denser, heavier, more refined than the day prior. He could feel it vibrating beneath his skin, aching for release.
Strapping on his black uniform and forehead protector, Shigure strode toward the Academy, radiance unmistakable.
The whispers began at once.
"Look at him… glowing like nothing's wrong."
"Didn't Mamoru challenge him yesterday? Then why… why does Mamoru look…"
Students turned as Uchiha Mamoru entered, limping slightly, bandages hidden poorly beneath his collar. Their murmurs hushed instantly.
"No way. Was Mamoru… defeated?"
"By him? The weakest Shigure?"
"Shh! Don't say it! Do you want trouble?"
Shigure ignored them all. He caught sight of Mamoru across the room, their eyes locking briefly.
"Good morning, Uchiha Mamoru," Shigure said, his voice calm yet cutting, his gaze sharp with quiet challenge.
Mamoru flinched—not loudly, not enough for others to notice, but enough for Shigure to feel satisfaction burn in his chest. He scowled, forced a short snort, and turned his head aside.
But the truth had already spread across the classroom like wildfire.
The boy once dismissed as weak had risen—and the Uchiha clan was only beginning to feel the sting.