The tide of the battle in the valley had shifted with the violent finality of a guillotine.
What kind of hardened veteran was Uchiha Tekka? He was a man forged in the crucible of the Third Great Ninja War. Though he was stunned that Yao could manifest a Genjutsu of such terrifying potency with a mere One-Tomoe Sharingan, his combat instincts overrode his shock. He didn't waste a heartbeat.
"Finish them!"
Pfft!
A spray of crimson painted the dark forest floor. The rogue leader, his mind still trapped in a recursive loop of his own worst nightmares, couldn't even offer a reflexive block as Tekka's blade decapitated him in a single, fluid arc.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!" "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Boom! Boom!
With their "Iron Triangle" formation shattered and their leader dead, the remaining two rogue Jonin were defenseless. The First Squad descended upon them with the collective fury of the Uchiha. Fire and wind collided, creating a localized firestorm that pulverized the enemies before their screams could even clear their throats.
The valley fell silent. The heavy, metallic tang of blood mingled with the acrid scent of charred earth.
Yao leaped down from his perch, his knees momentarily weak. His face was a shade paler, a fine sheen of sweat matting his brow. To manifest the Great Dragon Fire and immediately pivot into a high-level Sharingan Genjutsu at twelve years old was a feat that pushed his spiritual energy to the brink of exhaustion.
Tekka strode toward him, his uniform tattered and soaked in the blood of his enemies. He looked at Yao, his expression a complex tapestry of disbelief, gratitude, and a growing, profound respect.
"Yao..."
Tekka started to speak, but the words died in his throat. He simply clapped a heavy, steadying hand on the boy's shoulder. "Good work, kid. You did well."
It was a simple praise, but coming from Tekka, it carried the weight of a medal of honor.
"Captain, you overpraise me," Yao replied, his voice calm and steady despite his fatigue. "It was mostly luck."
Luck? Tekka let out a booming laugh that echoed off the valley walls. "If that was luck, then the rest of us are worse than useless! To manifest a Great Dragon Fire of that magnitude... and then that Genjutsu? To render a Jonin-level rogue utterly helpless with a single tomoe? That isn't luck, Yao. That is talent the likes of which this clan hasn't seen in a generation."
The System's refinements had granted Yao an "intrinsic" understanding of the Sharingan. It wasn't just raw power; it was the efficiency of his ocular output. He was doing with one tomoe what others struggled to do with three.
"Clean up the field! Tally the dead! We return to the village at dawn!"
...
The journey back to Konoha was silent, but the atmosphere had shifted. The squad members no longer looked at Yao as a "promising rookie." Their gazes were filled with the quiet reverence reserved for a savior.
Yao could feel the shift. As his Chakra slowly replenished during the trek, he felt his "vessel" expanding. The extreme exertion had forced his meridians to adapt yet again.
[Ding! Squad Mission: Annihilate Rogue Shinobi — Status: COMPLETED.] (Note: Difficulty adjusted to A-rank due to high-level threats.)
[Host performance: Crucial. Distributing Family Honor Points: +200.] [Current Total: 735 Points.]
An A-rank mission at twelve, Yao thought, a small, cold smile playing on his lips. This was more than just points. It was the foundation of his political capital.
Upon their arrival, Tekka bypassed the standard debriefing and took Yao straight to the office of the Vice-Captain, Uchiha Inaho.
When Inaho heard the report—specifically how Yao had turned a massacre into a victory with a One-Tomoe Genjutsu—his usually stoic, bureaucratic mask cracked.
"Tekka, are you certain you aren't exaggerating the boy's contribution to save face?" Inaho asked, his eyes narrowing.
"Vice-Captain, I stake my honor on every word," Tekka said, his voice ringing with conviction. "If Yao hadn't intervened, I wouldn't be standing here, and half the squad would be in body bags."
Inaho turned his gaze toward Yao, his eyes filled with a heavy, contemplative weight. "Uchiha Yao. You have done the Force a great service. The clan will not forget this."
"I only did my duty, sir," Yao replied, bowing with perfect, humble etiquette.
As they stepped out of the headquarters, Tekka laughed and slapped Yao's back. "You've done it now, kid! Even the "Stone-Faced" Inaho is impressed. From today on, no one in the Military Police will dare breathe a word against you."
Yao simply nodded. This was the first domino.
Over the next week, the story of the "Border Savior" spread like wildfire through the Uchiha compound. In a clan that worshipped strength and martial brilliance, Yao was no longer a ghost. He was the new sun.
Uchiha Yao's Attribute Panel
Strength: Elite Chunin (Chakra approaching Early Jonin; Mental Power: Jonin-level)
Skills: Three-Body Technique, Fire Release (All-Series Mastery), Sharingan (One-Tomoe; Hell Viewing Technique), Uchiha Taijutsu.
Clan Status: First Squad Ace / Rising Star
Family Honor: 785
Overall Clan Strength: Genin-level (Peak) (Note: Family cohesion is beginning to stabilize around the Host's prestige.)