When Tenshin arrived home, Uchiha Fugaku was already waiting for him.
After dinner, the two resumed their training. Following an intense bout, Tenshin, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily, paused to catch his breath.
"Brother Fugaku, could you teach me some ninjutsu? Just the basics."
Given the Hand of God's limit of five copied abilities, Tenshin realized he needed to learn foundational skills on his own. This included the Three Basic Techniques: Transformation, Substitution, and Clone Jutsu.
While these skills lost significance in later stages, they were essential for Tenshin in his current, more vulnerable state.
"You can learn the Three Basic Techniques at the academy. What's the rush?" Fugaku inquired.
Tenshin raised his brows, adopting a proud expression. "I want to always be the top student and show everyone that the Uchiha are the strongest!"
"Someday, I'd like to graduate early, too!"
Watching Tenshin's ambitious determination, Fugaku's eyes sparkled with pride. "If that's what you want, little Tenshin, I'll fully support you!"
"Come on, let's begin learning the Three Basic Techniques!"
Tenshin clenched his small fists in excitement. "I promise I'll succeed!"
Time flew, and in the blink of an eye, a year had passed.
By a serene lake within the Uchiha district, a young boy stood at the water's edge, taking a deep breath.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
Murmuring the technique internally, Tenshin expelled flames from his mouth, forming a fiery sphere that rolled toward the lake. Instantly, steam rose as the lake absorbed the fire's intense heat, and a faint scorching smell filled the air.
The fireball, only about a meter in diameter, was dwarfed by the vast lake, incapable of drying it up. After roughly five seconds, the fireball dissipated, and the water's surface calmed once more.
Tenshin sighed as he observed this. At five years old, he now possessed a fair amount of chakra, but could only sustain the Fireball Jutsu for five seconds. Chakra limitations continued to hold him back.
Even so, Tenshin's visible strength was now on par with that of a genin, meaning he could likely apply for early graduation soon.
As for his hidden strength, it remained challenging to gauge due to chakra constraints.
One notable development was the adjustment in his five Hand of God abilities:
Single-tomoe Sharingan from a standard Uchiha clansmanTaijutsu at the level of a mid-rank ninja from Uchiha FugakuThree-tomoe Sharingan from Uchiha FugakuGenjutsu skills from Uchiha Fugaku at the mid-level ninja rankShuriken throwing skills also at the mid-level ninja rank from Uchiha Fugaku
Reflecting on the past year of training with Fugaku, Tenshin felt a little sheepish—he'd practically "milked" Fugaku for skills without him even knowing it.
Yet, considering Fugaku's continued kindness and enthusiasm, Tenshin quickly brushed off any guilt.
"Wow! Brother Tenshin, that was amazing!"
A small child with wide, innocent eyes ran out from the clan grounds.
Tenshin turned to him with a gentle smile. "Hey, Shisui!"
Indeed, it was none other than Uchiha Shisui, who would later become renowned as a prodigious and tragic ninja.
Currently, Shisui was four years old, just a year younger than Tenshin. The two had met by chance within the clan and, sharing the bond of being orphans, had grown close.
At first, Tenshin had found it odd to encounter Shisui, as he'd assumed Shisui was only slightly older than Itachi in the original timeline. But with the Third Shinobi War looming, he remembered Shisui's role in gaining the moniker "Shisui of the Body Flicker," establishing a renowned reputation.
Unlike Kakashi, who was similarly labeled a prodigy and also participated in the war, Shisui had gained widespread acclaim for his abilities.
In light of this, Tenshin began re-evaluating his long-term plans.
Now that he possessed Fugaku's three-tomoe Sharingan, he was strategizing for a future Mangekyō Sharingan. Even though he carried Uchiha blood, he doubted his ability to awaken the eyes on his own. Copying, after all, was much more straightforward.
As for potential candidates, besides Fugaku and Obito, Shisui now presented another option. But without knowing when Fugaku or Shisui awakened their Mangekyō, Obito seemed the most viable choice.
Unfortunately, Obito's awakening occurred under the watchful eyes of Madara and Black Zetsu, making it risky to witness firsthand.
Well, for now, there was time. The Third Shinobi War was still a few years away, so improving his strength took priority.
Tenshin shook his head and approached the shorter Uchiha Shisui.
"Brother Tenshin, I heard you applied for early graduation. Will they approve it?" Shisui asked.
Tenshin gently tapped Shisui's forehead, grinning. "What, don't you believe in me?"
"No, of course I do," Shisui replied, rubbing his forehead with a slight pout. "It's just that I worry the higher-ups might reject it."
"Don't worry," Tenshin said, tousling Shisui's hair in a manner too mature for his age. "While we're not at war, it's only been a year since the Second Great Ninja War ended. The village still needs skilled shinobi."
"Oh, and I hear you're starting at the academy soon, right?"
Shisui nodded eagerly. "Yes, school begins in two weeks."
"Good. Well, I'd better go—my graduation assessment awaits," Tenshin said, waving as he walked off.
"Good luck, Brother Tenshin! I'll be waiting for good news!"
Tenshin replied with a quick nod before his figure vanished from Shisui's view.
In the Hokage's office at the village's main building.
Standing respectfully, Baishi Kimura handed over a document to Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage.
"Hokage-sama, here is the list of applicants for early graduation."
The Hokage, in his prime and radiating a sturdy, intimidating presence, took the file and inhaled from his pipe.
"Kakashi Hatake, five years old."
"Ah, Sakumo's son, I see."
"Hm... Uchiha Tenshin, five years old, parents unknown…"
"What's this about?"