"Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!"
After forming the hand seals, Uchiha Yang unleashed a series of small fireballs, weaving them through the air as he simultaneously threw five shuriken, each concealed within the flames. His attack forced the enemy to shift positions, subtly leading the battle towards Konoha's outskirts.
"Suiton: Suijinheki!"
"Suiton: Bakusui Shōha!"
The enemy countered instantly, conjuring a defensive wall of water before unleashing a surging tidal wave, crashing towards Yang with immense force.
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"
A massive fireball roared forward, its heat evaporating parts of the wave as Uchiha Hiroshi seized the opportunity to dash toward Konoha. His pursuer, undeterred, gave chase, the two clashing repeatedly. Uchiha Yoshino, another Uchiha in their squad, was accumulating injuries, his body marked with fresh wounds.
Suddenly—boom!
Yang smirked, forming a quick one-handed seal. The Kikkōfu Bakudan—a hidden explosive trap—detonated to the enemy's left, forcing them to stagger. Seizing the moment, Yang launched three shuriken from behind.
"Raiton: Raijū Hashiri!"
Lightning crackled as the opponent summoned a massive blue thunder tiger, its form surging forward, claws crackling with electricity. It struck Yang with a devastating charge—but he vanished in a burst of smoke.
A substitution. The log smoldered in his place.
"Uchiha Ryū Shurikenjutsu!"
Still pressing forward, Yang flung another barrage of shuriken, aiming to keep the enemy at bay. But his opponent was relentless, closing the distance with frightening speed. Yang barely replaced himself with a log in time, but even so, he suffered a deep gash and coughed up blood. His vision blurred. This isn't good. If I keep going like this, I won't last until reinforcements arrive.
"Uncle, we have backup! We've already secured the target! Your mission is a failure—why keep fighting to the death?" Yang called out, trying to stall as he retreated.
But the enemy Jōnin was merciless. He had no intention of stopping, weaving between kunai and unleashing relentless ninjutsu barrages.
If I don't go all out now, I really will die here.
Yang gritted his teeth and pushed his limits, his strikes growing fiercer. He was exhausted, battered, and barely holding on. Then, in the midst of the life-or-death struggle—it happened.
A surge of chakra flooded into his eyes. His vision sharpened, and suddenly, he could read the enemy's movements with frightening clarity.
Everything… looks different!
Despite being on the losing end, his attacks grew more precise, more controlled. His opponent noticed the change, eyes narrowing in suspicion. Then, realization struck as he saw the crimson glow in Yang's gaze—Sharingan!
"So, you're an Uchiha after all," the enemy murmured, smirking. "Not a complete waste, then. I might not be leaving with the Jinchūriki, but taking your Sharingan will make up for it."
Lightning flared around him once more.
"Raiton: Gian!" (False Darkness)
A spear of lightning lanced toward Yang, the enemy moving in tandem with another technique—
"Raiton: Rai Shunshin!"
Lightning Body Flicker. In an instant, the enemy closed the gap. Yang barely had time to react.
"I don't think you'll be thanking me just yet."
A sudden flurry of voices rang out from behind.
"Doton: Doryūheki!"
"Fūton: Daitoppa!"
"Katon: Karyūdan!"
"Doton: Yomi Numa!"
A coordinated ambush. The enemy reacted swiftly, dodging the elemental onslaught—but was too slow to evade the final strike. Two Uchiha warriors, each wielding a kunai, drove their blades into him, pinning him down.
The older Uchiha warrior scoffed. "One tomoe in the left eye, two in the right? You really went all out, kid." He hoisted Yang over his shoulder and began retreating toward Konoha.
"Dad… did you see them? The blond kid and the red-haired girl? What about Yan and Retsu?" Yang asked weakly.
His father, Uchiha Ieyasu, glanced at him. "The brats? They were with us initially, but then Root operatives came to take the girl. I had to chase after you, so I don't know what happened. But one thing's for sure—Danzo didn't get his hands on her."
Ahead, a group of shinobi awaited them—Jiraiya and Orochimaru among them.
"Well, well. Quite the gathering we have here," Ieyasu mused. "Jiraiya, which one's yours?"
Jiraiya scoffed. "Ieyasu, don't start rumors—I don't even have a girlfriend yet."
Orochimaru, analyzing the situation, spoke smoothly. "Enough distractions. Uchiha Ieyasu, by order of the Hokage, the girl is to be placed under our protection." He tossed a scroll toward Ieyasu, who caught it effortlessly.
From the side, a masked Root captain interjected, "Danzo-sama has decreed that Uzumaki Kushina is to be under Root's jurisdiction."
Orochimaru chuckled darkly, licking his lips. "How amusing." With a swift motion, he tossed a token to the Root operative, silently asserting his authority. Root had no choice but to back down, and Orochimaru took the red-haired girl with him.
Jiraiya waved to the blond boy, who saluted Uchiha Yang before rejoining Anbu. With that, the three groups parted ways.
---
Back in Konoha…
"Did you unlock your Sharingan too?!" Uchiha Retsu gawked at Uchiha Yan. "How come Yang and I got wrecked, but you barely have a scratch?!"
"I thought you guys were dead, so I got emotional and—bam! Eyes awakened. Guess we're just that close, huh?" Yan grinned.
Yang, still recovering, sighed. Once I'm healed, I'm beating the smugness out of him.
---
Days Later…
As Yang lay in bed, he reflected. His injuries had mostly healed, and today was his discharge day. The battle had been a success, but it was far too close for comfort.
Their clan elders had decided to keep his and Yan's Sharingan awakening a secret, fabricating a story that only Retsu had unlocked his. A single child awakening the Sharingan in battle was believable—but if multiple did, it would raise too many questions. It was a protective measure.
The Third Hokage, pleased with the Uchiha's performance, rewarded them. Each of them was granted access to two B-rank jutsu. More importantly, their names were now known to Hiruzen.
Meanwhile, the blond boy had become Jiraiya's disciple, and to everyone's surprise, Kushina had been taken in by Koharu Utatane—a clear political compromise between the Third Hokage and the Elders.
Danzo, as expected, gained nothing.
---
A Month Later…
"You've picked your jutsu, right?" Yang asked as the three of them ate together.
"I'm going with an Earth Release technique and one of the Hokage's personal Earth-style strategies," Retsu declared.
Yan and Yang exchanged glances. "Think we can swap one of ours for Wind Release?"
"Good idea. If we each take a different elemental study, we can combine techniques for a squad-style jutsu."
With their choices made, they retrieved their scrolls—five elemental jutsu and the Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.
The training had just begun.