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"Why do I have to be like my sister? And I never said I did not want to become a shinobi, so stop accusing me of things I never said, old man."
Yuta's reply was blunt. His grandfather did not even get angry. He was long accustomed to the boy's strange behavior.
"Oh, right. I forgot again. My mistake," the old man said with a chuckle.
He picked up a piece of chakra paper and held it out to Yuta. "This is a chakra affinity tester. It will tell us which element you are naturally aligned with. As you know, the Uchiha specialize in Fire Release, but there are exceptions. For example, my closest friend was a fire specialist who could use Water Release even better."
The old man sighed quietly.
Yuta studied his grandfather's face and sensed that the man had drifted into an unpleasant memory. He decided not to pry at old wounds.
"Can we skip the talking and just get this over with?" Yuta said. "I have other things to do."
His grandfather rolled his eyes, having expected at least a little patience from him. Still, he knew better than to push. Those few seconds of silence were likely Yuta choosing not to ask for privacy.
"Fine," the old man said. "Infuse your hand with chakra. If the paper burns, you have fire. If it tears, wind. If it becomes wet, water. If it crumbles, earth. If it cracks, lightning."
Yuta placed his fingers on the paper and allowed his chakra to flow.
"Did you hate Earth Release so much that you are deliberately avoiding it?" Yuta muttered.
His grandfather ignored the comment. He maintained his guard, subtly disrupting his own chakra flow. He knew Yuta well enough not to lower his defenses. The boy would not hesitate to trap even family in genjutsu.
"Grandpa, why are you so cautious around your own grandson?" Yuta said, his voice suddenly wavering. "You are hurting my feelings."
Tears welled up in his eyes.
The old man did not look at him.
All his attention was fixed on the chakra paper.
Then it happened.
The paper showed five distinct reactions, each matching the elements he had just described.
The old man froze.
"You have five chakra natures," he said slowly. "That is extraordinary. I cannot recall a single Uchiha in our history with all five. Not even our ancestors."
He pulled Yuta into a tight embrace, laughing in disbelief. "I knew you were special. Do not worry. I will not tell anyone except your father and your uncle."
He pulled back and smiled. "You do not need to master all five. Choose two or three. That alone would place you far above most shinobi."
Yuta slipped free from his grandfather's grip and walked toward a flower vase near the edge of the garden. He turned back, eyes sharp.
"You should choose instead," Yuta said calmly. "After all, you and your sons set this up."
He picked up a small stone and flicked it toward the vase.
"Also, how long are you planning to stay hidden, Uncle?"
The vase burst into smoke.
From within emerged a younger man with the same stern features as the old man, dressed in a police uniform. His expression was rigid and unreadable.
Hakeru Uchiha.
"How long have you known I was here?" Hakeru asked in a serious tone.
His Transformation Technique had been flawless. Even if his father had noticed, it would have made sense. But Yuta was only five or six and had not even entered the Academy.
"From the moment I arrived," Yuta replied casually. "There was a new flower vase here. I know my father has no interest in flowers. This garden is also my hunting ground for birds. Yet not a single bird was trapped in my genjutsu today, which means someone cleared the area and ruined my work."
He looked directly at Hakeru.
"And I do not recall any law that allows a police officer to deceive a minor."
Silence settled over the garden. Only the wind moved.
Yuta and Hakeru locked eyes.
The old man was deeply shocked. Not by Yuta's reasoning alone, but by what he sensed beneath it. Yuta was holding back. There was more he was not saying, and the old man chose not to press.
The back door slid open.
Five children around Yuta's age stepped into the yard.
"Hakeru, let us continue our discussion," Mayuri called from inside the house.
"I will be leaving now," the old man said to Yuta. "Visit me soon. I will give you some jutsu scrolls."
Hakeru followed him as the two men walked toward the children.
Once they were gone, the group surrounded Yuta.
"Boss, we waited for you outside the clan gates," one of the boys said. "When you did not show up, we came looking."
"You did not keep your word," a girl added. "How do you expect to become a proper shinobi like this?"
Yuta remembered them well. He had beaten four of the boys during the incident involving the civilian child. Since then, they had become his followers. He treated them fairly, paid them well, and used them as information brokers.
The girl, however, was different.
She was the civilian whose toy had been broken. Since that day, she had followed him everywhere.
Yuta looked at her carefully.
"What are you doing here?" he asked. "I told you not to come into the Uchiha compound. I cannot afford to be seen beating someone who does not even belong to the clan."