The Uchiha clan's internal assessment was straightforward: participants drew lots to form pairs for combat simulation.
Their performance in these live matches served as the primary criterion for their ranking and evaluation within the clan.
"First match: Uchiha Kaede vs. Uchiha Genai."
Hearing his name called, Kaede felt a flicker of surprise at being the first to fight. His opponent, Genai, was a clansman of similar age.
However, Genai was already a Chunin; he had served in the Third Shinobi World War and earned merit on the battlefield, leading to his promotion.
"It's Genai. He's already a Chunin, isn't he? I remember Kaede is still just a Genin," an elder remarked, questioning Fugaku's matchmaking.
Fugaku Uchiha shook his head calmly. "The gap in strength isn't as wide as you think. Both of them have awakened the Two-Tomoe Sharingan."
Military rank didn't always dictate the outcome of a duel. In Fugaku's eyes, their comprehensive levels were comparable; whoever won would not be a surprise.
As a "transparent" member of the clan, Kaede was rarely noticed. Had his father not been Uchiha Zhan, he would have had zero presence in the compound.
Uchiha Genai walked onto the field with visible confidence. Having recently reached the Two-Tomoe stage and survived the grueling fronts against the Hidden Cloud, his combat experience far outweighed what a "standard Genin" like Kaede should possess.
Kaede stepped out from the crowd, his expression neutral. As he began to condense his chakra, Genai fell into a ritualistic stance. "Kaede, let's begin."
Genai didn't view Kaede as a serious threat. To him, there was a fundamental wall between a Genin and a battle-hardened Chunin.
Ah, the seal... I almost forgot that in the Leaf, we use the Seal of Confrontation before training, Kaede thought. He had almost lunged forward for a direct strike—a habit from the more pragmatic Sand Village training—before realizing Genai was waiting for the formality.
The ritual of the Seal of Confrontation and the Seal of Reconciliation was a deep-seated tradition in the Leaf, said to have originated from the battles between the First Hokage and Madara Uchiha.
Though the lineage of Uchiha Zhan and Uchiha Kagami held an awkward social status within the clan, they were still Uchiha; the hostility hadn't reached a point where they would ignore basic etiquette.
Genai initiated the fight by hurling a kunai. Kaede performed a graceful backflip, firing his own kunai in mid-air. Sparks flew as the steel collided.
Genai followed up with a rapid-fire barrage, but Kaede seemed to predict every trajectory, countering with his own projectiles until the air was filled with the rhythmic clashing of metal.
Frustrated that his marksmanship yielded no advantage, Genai's face darkened. He activated a Genjutsu to distract Kaede while simultaneously using a Body Flicker to appear behind him.
However, Kaede's Sharingan spun, dismantling the illusion instantly. His fist ignited with a concentrated glow as he funneled his chakra into a high-intensity Flame Charge. He transformed into a red streak of light, evading Genai's strike with ease.
Engulfed in spiraling flames, Kaede's speed reached a terrifying level, leaving trails of crimson sparks across the training ground.
Genai gasped in shock, his own Sharingan straining to track the movement. It was then that he realized Kaede was staring back at him with a matching set of Two-Tomoe eyes.
Kaede awakened his eyes?
Illusory maple leaves suddenly fluttered before Genai's vision. Caught in the simple yet effective Genjutsu, Genai's reactions slowed.
In that split second, Kaede vanished in a red blur, reappearing at Genai's flank. He lunged forward, thrusting a palm imbued with searing fire into Genai's side.
The heat slammed into Genai's chakra pathway system, suppressing his energy flow. Pale and gasping from the burning sensation, Genai realized he could no longer fight.
"I... I forfeit."
The two performed the Seal of Reconciliation. Having defeated a Chunin of the clan, Kaede showed no emotion. He ignored the shifting gazes of his stunned relatives and coolly retreated into the crowd.
It had been a simple Body Flicker, but it contained exquisite chakra control. While Shiraishi's consciousness in Kaede's body was heavily restricted by the host's physical limits, his vast combat experience allowed him to execute movements with perfect efficiency.
The Uchiha bloodline was truly formidable; the kinetic vision of the Sharingan allowed for a "Perfect Flicker" that few could counter.
Nearby, young Uchiha Itachi watched the "Fire Flicker" with genuine interest. His own Sharingan had activated instinctively, his tomoe spinning as he began to deconstruct and analyze Kaede's movements.
"How did Kaede's strength grow so quickly?" the clansmen whispered.
Fugaku Uchiha allowed himself a rare smile. "He is Zhan's son, after all." Seeing the potential in Kaede and thinking of his own genius son, Itachi, Fugaku felt a momentary surge of pride for the clan's future.
The New Hidden Sand: A Domestic Crisis
Back at the New Hidden Sand Village, the massive barrier hummed as Shiraishi's party finally arrived. Maki, the Kazekage's wife, stood at the village gates to welcome her husband, her belly now noticeably rounded with pregnancy.
As Shiraishi's figure came into focus, Maki's eyes lit up. She moved to meet him, but her expression froze mid-step.
Standing right behind Shiraishi was a woman with vibrant red hair—who was also visibly pregnant. The frail, delicate appearance of the woman, coupled with her proximity to Shiraishi, caused Maki's world to momentarily shatter.
Uzumaki Tomoe, the survivor of the Uzumaki clan, had recovered significantly during the journey. Out of curiosity, she and her brother, Uzumaki Tomoki, had come to see the entrance of this new village.
The problem lay in the fact that Maki's sensory abilities were top-tier. She immediately sensed that the child within Tomoe's womb carried a faint, undeniable trace of Shiraishi's chakra signature. Her gaze darkened instantly.
The atmosphere turned suffocatingly awkward. Shiraishi, sensing his wife's distress, walked forward. He looked at Maki's pained expression and felt a pang in his heart.
He didn't offer a grand explanation in front of the crowd; instead, he gently took Maki's hand.
"I'm hungry," he said softly. "I want to go home and eat."
Lord Kazekage... is this really the time for a public display of affection? Shikasa thought, watching the two with a complex expression. Those two are just too much!
Ignoring the stares of the village, Shiraishi naturally led Maki toward their home, leaving the rest of the bewildered delegation standing at the gates.
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