Chapter 40: Will We Win?
"How are you getting along with your new teammates?"
"It's just about doing missions together. Whether we get along or not doesn't really matter," Kakashi replied indifferently.
That morning, he had met with his two new teammates and the jōnin leading their squad. But he felt… nothing. No anticipation, no excitement—just a quiet hope that they could at least complete the mission.
Hearing Kakashi's detached tone, Rin Nohara could already guess that things weren't going smoothly with his new squad.
"I've got something to do," Kakashi said, then turned to leave.
"W-Wait! Kakashi—are you studying chakra nature transformation? Turning chakra into something like… electricity?" Rin quickly reached for a topic they might connect on.
That day, even though she hadn't fully mastered the process, she had memorized all the theory that Seiji had taught her. Her sharp mind had retained every detail.
Kakashi paused mid-step and turned to look at her. Rin stood with her hands clasped in front of her, eyes wide and serious. Her brown eyes carried a quiet concern, and her face looked more worn than usual—like something had been weighing on her.
"You've learned chakra nature transformation?" Kakashi was clearly surprised. It was barely touched on in the Academy, after all.
Most genin—let alone Academy students—wouldn't even think about it until they became chūnin or higher. It just felt… too far off.
"Mm, just a little," Rin replied softly. She then shared the theories Seiji had taught her, based on what she could remember.
As Kakashi listened, he realized that Rin actually understood quite a bit. He'd been developing his Lightning Release techniques on his own this whole time. It never occurred to him how helpful it would be to have someone to discuss and compare notes with.
"Rin, what do you think about activating the cells in your wrist and palm?" Kakashi asked thoughtfully.
Rin pondered for a moment, then shared her own guess. In truth, medical ninjutsu and Lightning Release had some overlapping principles—both worked closely with the human body. And no field understood the function of cells better than medical ninjutsu.
"Let's find a place to talk more," Kakashi said, suddenly interested. He hadn't expected some of Rin's insights—she had ideas he hadn't even considered.
The technique was still in its infancy. So far, Kakashi had only set a vague direction. There were many gaps left to fill before it could become a true jutsu.
"Okay," Rin nodded quickly and followed alongside him, a spark of joy lighting her steps. The worry that had lingered on her face now seemed to ease.
If I can just stay close to Kakashi… maybe I can bring him back, Rin prayed silently.
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**Ninja Academy.**
Over half a month had flown by. Seiji's days had slowly returned to a more peaceful rhythm. In class, he listened to a chūnin instructor explaining the history of the ninja world.
This world didn't have much solid knowledge of the myths before the Warring States Era. Even the famous Sage of Six Paths was wrapped in half-truths and legend. And as for Kaguya—the progenitor of chakra—virtually no one knew of her.
Ironically, the most complete records of ancient history belonged to the Uchiha clan. Hidden deep within the Naka Shrine was an ancestral artifact: the Uchiha Stone Tablet.
"Things are finally slowing down," Seiji thought as he listened to the lecture, his mind drifting to the Sharingan. The feedback from awakening the Sharingan had started to ease. It wasn't as fast or intense as when it first awakened.
But even in its subtlety, it was still there—still changing him. Gradually, the Sharingan's feedback began to slow, becoming more subtle and precise—refining Seiji's physical body and synchronizing it with the strength of his spirit.
The Sharingan is a mirror of the soul. It is this deep connection to the mind and spirit that causes it to rapidly enhance the user's abilities after awakening, which is why so many people fear the power of the Uchiha clan.
Before long, the bell rang, signaling the start of break time. As usual, Kurenai Yuhi was the first to run over to Seiji, asking if he understood the last lesson.
Seiji responded while reading a book, mostly letting Kurenai do the talking and occasionally giving a short reply. He was currently preparing for early graduation—compressing years of study into a much shorter time frame.
The Uchiha clan was known for their natural talent, and Seiji absorbed knowledge quickly. Not to mention, he had two unique abilities: "Reading Absorption" and "Foundational Memory."
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"There goes Kurenai again, chasing after Seiji. She really is into genjutsu, huh?" Chōbee Akimichi munched on a bag of chips as he watched.
"I've been doing extra training in the clan these past few days," Asuma Sarutobi said confidently.
His genjutsu grades had barely scraped a passing mark. Now, after several days of focused training, he felt more capable—maybe not dramatically improved, but enough.
Was it really that hard to defeat an Uchiha who didn't even use his Sharingan? After all, the Uchiha were mostly known for their Sharingan and Fire Release. Without the eye, how strong could they really be?
"Impressive," Chōbee replied, swallowing a chip. To him, a good day just meant eating and relaxing—nothing more.
Asuma couldn't help but feel speechless around Chōbee. If it weren't for the close bond between the Sarutobi and the Ino-Shika-Chō clans, he couldn't imagine how they'd ended up as friends.
Then, he glanced toward Seiji… only to see Kurenai laughing at something Seiji had said. Instantly, Asuma stood up and walked over.
"Hey, Uchiha Seiji. Don't forget—we agreed to have a sparring match. It's the start of the month, remember?" He knocked on the desk to get Seiji's attention, deliberately lowering his voice in front of Kurenai to sound deeper and more "manly."
"Don't worry," Seiji nodded calmly. Seeing Seiji accept the challenge—and Kurenai's gaze turn toward them—Asuma returned to his seat, satisfied.
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"Think you'll win?" Obito, sitting in front of Asuma, turned around to ask. He was eager to see Seiji lose—curious what that arrogant Uchiha's face would look like in defeat.
With Kakashi no longer at school, Obito had been feeling bored lately. Naturally, he hoped to see Seiji take a fall.
"I will," Asuma replied with a nod. He even shot Obito a glance full of pity.
Last time, Obito had lost badly to Seiji during a sparring session—in front of Rin, no less. This time, Asuma was determined to show what it really meant to be a man.
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"Kurenai, if I beat Asuma, you won't mind… right?" Seiji turned to her with a slight smile.
Asuma wasn't yet the calm, composed man he'd become in the future. Right now, he was just a kid—just like Naruto—craving attention and recognition.
The son of a hero often bore a heavier burden than others because comparisons were inevitable.
"If you beat Asuma, that might actually be good for him. He needs to have that ego polished a little," Kurenai nodded thoughtfully. She hadn't spent as much time with Asuma lately, but their relationship had always been close—childhood friends, even.
And as someone familiar with the tension between Asuma and the Third Hokage, she understood more than she let on.
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