《Ghost of the Uchiha》


 Chapter 0 - Prelude

    Ghost of the Uchiha


    "Madara is more than a man. He is an ideal. Even if the man behind the mask is nothing but a lie, the world will fear the idea of Madara."


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    Chapter 0 - Prelude


    In the dying embers of his life, Madara rested on the cold hard ground, surrounded by the beasts he had previously used for his gain.


    Next to him stood the first Hokage, gripping his fists tightly.


    "Hashirama...?"


    "Yeah..."


    Although his eyes were deprived of the light they once had, Madara could still recognize his rival through presence alone.


    "..."


    Remaining silent, Madara gazed at the sky he could not see. Even as a blind person, he still decided to take a hard look at himself and his mistakes, unable to find solace.


    Hashirama''s expression portrayed a mixture of anguish and regret, facing what had become of his best friend.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Shifting his gaze towards the man who stood in his way all of those years, Madara''s hoarse voice resonated around the area.


    "We both had things we wanted so badly... But never seemed to get them."


    Hearing Madara''s words, Hashirama got frustrated and raised his voice.


    "No one said it was easy! There''s a limit to how much we can do in our lifetimes¡­ That''s why we must pave the way for the next generation, who''ll achieve our dreams for us!"


    "You''re still so na?ve¡­ Well, you were always the optimistic one, heh. Maybe¡­ Just maybe¡­ I should''ve gone that way too."


    Retrieving his gaze, Madara once again stared at the empty sky, his expression remorseful.


    "My dream is coming to an end¡­ But your''s hasn''t yet."


    "You were in such a rush¡­ It would''ve been fine, even if our dreams didn''t come true. The most important thing was to make sure we brought up a generation that would help us fulfill them."


    "Then¡­ It might have been impossible for me from the very start¡­ I hated having someone following my back, after all¡­"


    Smiling, Hashirama''s eyes were now filled with warmth, hearing his friend''s words.


    "Remember, back when we were children¡­? You once said, ''Ninja never know when they die.''... And that if there ever was a way to immortality, we''d share it no matter what¡­ To exchange cups and become brothers for life."


    Sighing, Hashirama looked down as he continued speaking.


    "We''re both dying now¡­ Sadly, the only thing we can do is exchange our cups as comrades."


    Hearing this, Madara slowly closed his eyes, holding back the tears that threatened to flow out at any moment.


    "Comrades, huh¡­? Well¡­ If that''s how it is¡­ I won''t¡­"


    Before he could finish his sentence, Madara''s light completely faded as he finally found solace in his comrade''s warmth. Regretting all of his previous actions, he finally let go.

 Arc 1 - Awakening - Part 1

    Arc 1- Awakening -Part 1


    Note:''#'' shall be used to signal the start of a new chapter


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    Surrounded by emptiness, Madara''s soul drifted across an unknown realm.


    Without a tangible body, his formless conscience re-lived his entire life, taking on the role of the observer. Through this experience, that lasted for an unknown amount of time, he was finally allowed to reflect.


    Seeing himself commit countless sins in the name of a fake goal, Madara finally started to understand Hashirama''s words.


    After dying next to his sworn comrade for the second time, Madara finally understood. The fog in his mind cleared up, and he could now see with clarity.


    One more time, he closed his tired eyes.


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    It was a splendid day. The eve of spring allowed wildflowers to grow all over Konoha''s surroundings.


    The winter cold was now banished and finally, the sun''s rays etched themselves into the soil rather than being halted by clouds.


    A warm, spring breeze refreshed the village''s inhabitants, carrying a hint of the pleasant smell of the trees and flowers. The sun shone brightly and cool, mountainous winds caused small plants to dance along¡­ It seemed that the mountains sang a song and the trees danced to its melody.


    Konoha''s cherry blossoms bloomed... as their meaningful, rosy hue marked the start of a brand new beginning.


    Inside a small cabin, located around the outskirts of the Uchiha complex, a youth was lying atop a simple bed. He had flawless skin, which was like a sheet of well-done cloth¡­ His eyelashes, which were under his dark, silky hair, fluttered in discomfort.


    He had a high-bridged nose that rested among his two eyes, and his soft, but sharp lips were alluring, to say the least.


    Next to him, an even smaller boy with similar looks was sitting on his knees, tears flowing like cascades out of his eyes. Grabbing hold of the attractive youth''s hand, he tightly gripped it, refusing to let go.


    "Aniki¡­ Wake up... Please, don''t leave me!"


    Suddenly, as the small boy cried his heart out, the handsome youth opened his eyes.


    Brusquely raising his upper body, he looked around in confusion.


    "What¡­? Where am I¡­ Wasn''t I dead?"


    "Aniki!"


    Before he could find the answer to his question, the smaller boy pounced on him and tightly squeezed his abdomen, causing him grave pain.


    Holding it in, he fiercely gritted his teeth and looked down at the culprit.


    The kid was fair-skinned, with spiky, black hair that was tied in a ponytail. His bangs parted down the center of his face to frame both sides of it, and he wore the traditional, high-collared blue shirt of the Uchiha.


    ''That crest¡­ could it be¡­?''


    Interrupting Madara''s thoughts, the boy raised his head and they made eye-contact. Seeing his face, Madara gasped in shock, his mind filled with disbelief.


    "I- Izuna¡­?"


    All sorts of thoughts were running through Madara''s brain as he tried to make sense of the situation. The boy looked exactly like his long-lost younger brother¡­


    "Izuna? Who''s that... I''m your younger brother, Aito! Don''t you remember me?"


    Seeing the youth''s perplexed attitude, Madara rubbed his forehead, unable to comprehend the situation. This kid looked similar to Izuna, if not exactly like him!


    "What''s going on¡­ Where am I?"


    "Oh no¡­ Aniki... Did you lose your memory?!"


    "I¡­ I don''t know¡­"


    Touching his face, Madara noticed something was amiss. Getting a bad feeling, he abruptly rose from the bed and searched for a mirror, quickly finding one in the corner of the small room.


    "Heavens¡­!"


    #


    "Who¡­ Am I?"


    Filled with utter disbelief, Madara stared at the mirror in front of him. His face was completely different from what it used to be.


    His long mane had disappeared, replaced by much shorter hair. Grasping at the empty air around his neck, Madara remained at a loss.


    "Aniki... Don''t scare me! What happened to you?"


    Turning around to face the boy, Madara took a large breath. Exhaling, he managed to calm down and decided to approach the situation with a cooler head. If he wanted answers, he''d have to think calmly.


    ''He''s probably around ten... It shouldn''t be too hard to trick him¡­"


    Although Aito looked exactly like his deceased brother, Madara quickly dismissed the idea. He sat on the bed, facing him.


    "Aito¡­ I seem to have lost my memory. Maybe, if you can answer some of my questions, it might help me remember."


    "...!"


    Hearing Madara''s words, Aito regained hope as he dried off his tears and sat upright.


    "Ask away!"


    "Right¡­ Let''s start with a simple question¡­ Who am I?"


    Without hesitation, Aito smiled and answered the question with vigor.


    "Your name is Jun[1], and you''re fourteen-years-old. You are a member of Konoha''s Uchiha clan, and currently a student at the ninja academy!"


    "What?!"


    Although Madara tried to keep his composure, it was becoming increasingly hard. If Aito wasn''t lying, he had actually been reincarnated.


    ''How could this be¡­ Was it the Rikud¨­''s doing?''


    Deciding that it wasn''t the moment to think about it, he continued to question the kid.


    "How many years has it been since Konoha was established?"


    This time, Aito visibly struggled. Madara''s question was too much for an eleven-year-old kid. Noticing this, Madara decided to change his question.


    "Can you tell me all of the Hokage we''ve had so far¡­ In order? Also, tell me the age of the current one, if possible."


    "That''s easy! So¡­ We''ve had, the first Hokage, Senju Hashirama. Then, the second Hokage, Senju Tobirama. Finally, we currently serve the third, Sarutobi Hiruzen. He''s forty, almost forty-one¡­ I think."


    With his intellect, Madara was quick to connect the dots. If his calculations were correct, it was almost two years before the coming of the second great ninja war.


    ''I remember now¡­ At this time, I was still searching for the perfect pawn, in order to achieve my plans...''


    Reminiscing for a bit, Madara decided he had heard enough... The rest would naturally follow. Getting the young boy''s attention, he smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder.


    "Alright, I think my memory''s coming back¡­ Aito, I need you to promise me something."


    "Yes?"


    "You can''t speak a word of what happened to anyone... Just act as if though I''m still the same, and hopefully, everything will go back to normal. Do you understand?"


    He couldn''t risk people learning about this. It would be best if fewer people knew about his memory loss.


    "Sure! That''s ok!"


    Happy with Aito''s answer, Madara fell back on the bed and stared at the roof. Ignoring Aito''s presence, he started thinking about the situation.


    If he had been reincarnated, he wouldn''t waste this chance. Unlike his previous self, he would right his wrongs and turn over a new leaf.


    Interrupting his thoughts, Aito spoke up once again.


    "By the way, Aniki, we should go see big-sis Akane... You need to heal those wounds before the academy graduation exam!"


    "Wounds?"


    Furrowing his brows, Madara got back up and walked towards the mirror one more time. This time, he removed his high-collar shirt and stared at his bare upper body.


    Bruises. That''s all he could see.


    Bruises filled every corner underneath his shirt, almost making it look like his skin-color was purple.


    "This..."


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    [1]Jun means "pure", a direct contrast to Madara, who is widely thought to mean "Tainted" or "Impure". Small wordplay, implying that he''s been ''purified'' through reincarnation.


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    #


    No wonder he felt extreme pain when Aito hugged him. These injuries were done with tremendous acrimony.


    Madara couldn''t help but feel that the person who did this really didn''t like the previous owner of his body, Uchiha Jun. Surprised, but not resentful, Madara decided to learn more about the situation.


    "How did this happen?"


    "Ah¡­ I forgot that you lost your memories¡­ Well, it was Ren''s gang who did this to you. He''s the son of the clan-head and a genius of his generation. You and him¡­ Don''t get along well."


    "We don''t get along well¡­? Could you elaborate?"


    If he was reincarnated, it would definitely be useful to know about any grudges he had. Especially with the son of the Uchiha clan-head, of all people.


    Sighing, Aito put on a pained expression.


    "Jealousy. Ren is known for having a huge crush on big-sis Akane and will beat down anyone who gets too close with her. The problem... Is that she''s your childhood friend."


    It seemed like this ''Ren'' was of the feisty kind. As a favor to Jun, who previously owned this body, Madara decided to teach the kid a lesson.


    "How strong is he?"


    "Ren? He''s a Genin. Last year, he graduated at the top of his class and has been on duty ever since. He''s a real ninja."


    A Genin picking on an academy student? Madara''s image of Ren grew worse by the second, writing him off as a despicable individual. He hated these kinds of people, who preyed on the weak¡­Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Madara was a battle-maniac. He despised weak opponents and respected strong ones. This ''Ren'' was going against all of his principles.


    "Alright, take me to this Akane."


    "Sure! This way!"


    Together, they ventured deeper into the clan''s complex. Soon, they started seeing clansmen, and Madara noticed that they gave him dismissive looks... Interested, he decided to ask about it.


    "Oh, that? Well¡­ I don''t know how you''ll take it¡­ Aniki... I just want you to know that for me, you''re the best!"


    "Don''t worry about me, just talk."


    "Aniki, you''re known around the village as... Useless Junk[1]. Although you''re an Uchiha, your talent is below average and you''ve struggled to graduate the academy, taking twice as long as most people in our clan."


    "What?"


    Holding his chin as they walked, Madara looked up at the clouds, drifting through the sky. Closing his eyes, he started feeling the chakra around him.


    Soon, he opened them back up.


    ''No wonder¡­ This guy is utterly talentless!''


    Not knowing whether to laugh or to cry, Madara sighed. His body''s chakra reserves were tiny for an Uchiha, and his muscles were extremely under-developed. Performing a small hand-seal, Madara tried to mold his chakra into fine needles, extending them outward.


    After stretching out a little, they broke down and disappeared, leaving him with a bitter taste in his mouth.


    ''Not even ten centimeters¡­ Even with my experience, this body''s chakra control abilities are sub-par, to say the least. I''m surprised.''


    Smiling, Madara massaged his neck. This was a challenge, and he''d never reject one.


    "We''re here!"


    Soon, they reached a small residence. Like all other buildings around the area, the Uchiha crest was a recurring decoration among the walls.


    Standing outside the house gate, Aito placed his hands around his mouth and yelled out.


    "Big sis! Are you there?!"


    A moment later, the front door slid open and a charming girl walked out. Like Madara and Aito, she wore traditional Uchiha clothes, albeit more casual. Her hair was long, stretching to her waist.


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    Note:From this point on, I will use ''Jun'' when referring to Madara. I''m writing this to hopefully avoid any sort of confusion along the way.


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    #


    "Jun! Aito! Come in!"


    With a smile that would capture anyone''s heart, Akane ran up to the gate and slid it open, allowing the two boys to enter.


    "Sorry for coming out of nowhere¡­ But Aniki''s injured once again."


    Suddenly, Akane''s expression became worried as she got closer to Jun, inspecting his entire body. Lifting his shirt up, her face became pale.


    "Heavens¡­ Who did this to you? Was it Ren? How despicable!"


    Not waiting for a reply, she frowned and grabbed hold of his wrist, pulling him into the house along with Aito.


    Once inside, they went directly to what seemed like the living room[1]. Akane ordered for both of them to sit on the tatami, leaving to get her equipment.


    Looking around, Jun noticed subtle traits of Uchiha architecture, causing him to reminisce about his past. The room was partitioned in a way that made it quite large, suitable for a living area.


    Caressing the tatami, Jun relished in the familiar texture and the hint of Igusa[2] in the air. Although everything looked different, it somewhat stayed true to the original... To him, it felt like he was back home.


    Soon enough, Akane ran back and sat on her knees, next to Jun. With a serious expression, she helped remove his shirt completely and started applying ointment. Next to them, Aito watched with a smile.


    "I''ll go get water. Big sis, please take care of my Aniki!"


    Hearing Aito''s words, Akane blushed slightly but continued her task. She watched as he left through the corner of her eye.


    Jun remained calm, allowing Akane to do her job. He didn''t miss the small change in her expression when Aito left, amusing him.


    ''Hashirama¡­ The village we built ended up becoming way more than we could imagine. For kids their age to be able to fall in love, untainted by war¡­ If we were both born in such times¡­ Maybe everything would''ve turned out differently.''


    As he immersed himself in his own thoughts, Akane tied up the last bit of bandages. Snapping out of his trance, he looked down and realizes his upper body was entirely covered up, hiding all the bruises.


    Getting up, he moved around and stretched a little, noticing the pain had diminished greatly. Instead, he got a cool sensation from the ointment.


    "Nice¡­ I feel much better now, thanks."


    "I''m sorry¡­ Because of me, Ren keeps beating you up... What if he kills you by mistake one day? I don''t know what I would do¡­"


    After living for so long, Jun could easily discern a person''s true intentions. Noticing her heartfelt worry and desire to help him, Jun smiled and patted Akane''s head, causing her to blush uncontrollably. Being an adult at heart, he merely found this to be somewhat cute.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll teach him a lesson soon."


    Hearing his words, Akane seemed shocked. She had never seen Jun be this confident about something, surprising her. Somehow, his words carried weight¡­ As if what he said was definitely the truth¡­ It made her subconsciously believe him.


    Suddenly, Aito walked back with a plate of rice-balls and some tea... Because of his small frame, he was struggling to carry it all and looked depressed.


    "Hey! I brought back goodies! Oh, granny Mai said to come and help her with the laundry when you''re done, Akane."


    Finishing his sentence, Aito placed everything on the table and impatiently grabbed a rice-ball, biting into it with vigor and swallowing it. Suddenly, he started choking, and quickly reached out for a cup of tea, gulping it down.


    Burning his tongue, Aito felt like crying as he waved his hands in an attempt to cool it down. Seeing this, Akane couldn''t resist laughing a little, but Jun just smiled, enjoying the peace he hadn''t tasted in a long time.


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    [1] A traditional Japanese house does not have a designated use for each room aside from the entrance area (genkan), kitchen, bathroom, and toilet. Any room can be a living room, dining room, study, or bedroom. This is possible because all the necessary furniture is portable, being stored in oshiire, a small section of the house (large closets) used for storage.


    It is important to note that in Japan, the living room is expressed as ima, living "space". This is because the size of a room can be changed by altering the partitioning. Large traditional houses often have only one ima (living room/space) under the roof, while the kitchen, bathroom, and toilet are attached on the side of the house as extensions.


    [2] Juncaceae is a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the rush family. They may superficially resemble grasses and sedges, and often grow on infertile soils in a wide range of moisture conditions. The soft rush (Juncus effusus) is called ''Igusa'' in Japanese and is used to weave the soft surface cover of tatami mats.


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    #


    After a while of talking, both Jun and Aito excused themselves as they left Akane''s residence. Already feeling much better, Jun thanked her once again as they departed.


    "Take care! Aito, make sure he doesn''t run into any more trouble!"


    "Sure thing. See you, big sis!"


    On the way back tot he cabin, Jun organized his thoughts. From their earlier conversation, he managed to gather little pieces of knowledge, helping him understand his current situation a little better. From what he had gathered, both he and Aito were orphans, their parents having died on a mission the year he was born.


    Ever since then, the clan provided them with their basic needs, but they mostly had to fend for themselves. This was due to the fact that Jun wasn''t all that talented, so he didn''t receive any special attention.


    Since he was an untalented orphan but possessed great looks, he was often the target of envious children. Then again, no one dared to be excessive, because of the crest on his back. The only one who could do as he pleased was Ren, the son of the clan-head.


    Usually, average children from the Uchiha clan would take, at most, three years to graduate from the academy. The norm was four, but they tended to skip a grade or two.


    Jun was not talented enough, already in his fourth year at the academy. His aptitude was comparable to that of untalented commoners. This brought great shame to the prideful Uchiha clan, resulting in him being treated as an outcast.


    Even in the face of such adversity and rejection, the original Jun seemed to still love his clan. From what he had gathered, the kid held no resentment whatsoever, impressing him.


    ''Well, I guess I''ll earn him some respect. He''s given me his body, after all.''


    Soon, they made it back to their small cabin. It was tiny, just enough for two people to live inside.


    Next to it, there was a small lake, with a beautiful forest standing behind it. Although the cabin was modest, the scenery could only be described as breathtaking.


    Suddenly, Jun halted his footsteps. Extending his arm, he also stopped Aito from continuing.


    "What''s up, Aniki? Is everything ok?"


    "Come out."


    Ignoring Aito''s words, Jun spoke calmly. Looking towards the cabin, his eyes narrowed a bit.


    "Hehehe¡­ So you noticed us, impressive. How did a useless brat like you achieve that?"


    "Boss! He probably just said it out of the blue, to appear mysterious! So lame!"


    "Hahahaha! That makes sense¡­ So funny, haha!"


    Contemptuous voices sounded from the cabin, as five kids walked out of it. One of them had a forehead protector, indicating his status as a ninja.


    "Ren!"


    Next to Jun, Aito gnashed his teeth in frustration.


    Taking a closer look at him, Jun immediately saw through Ren. He was tall for his age, with well-developed muscles. His hair was very short, and he had pretty venomous eyes for his age. From the way he carried himself, Jun noticed an underlying superiority complex.


    "Look who''s here, isn''t it the pair of useless, orphan brothers? I hear you''ve enjoyed Akane''s company today¡­ Tell me, how''d it go?"


    "Gah¡­ How did you know¡­"


    Taking a step back, Aito''s face paled as he noticed Ren''s rage-filled expression. It looked like they were in for a beating, once again.


    #


    "Arrogant. For such a weak shinobi to have grown this conceited¡­ I guess that peace can also have its disadvantages sometimes, who would''ve thought?"


    Having fought opponents on levels these kids couldn''t even fathom, this display of fabricated ego-filled his mouth with a bitter taste. If there was one thing he hated as much as a weak Senju, it would be a cocky ant.


    "What did you just say?!"


    Ren thought he had heard him wrongly. Him? An ant...? Furious, his face reddened as he clenched his fists tightly, producing cracking noises.


    "Weren''t you listening? Or are you deaf? I said that you''re a weakling¡­ A puny ant. Your confidence is mere bravado, in order to cover up your countless insecurities. Do you think you''re powerful? Take a closer look at yourself. You''re not even worthy of me speaking to you."


    "...!"


    Jun''s words rendered everyone speechless. It was too big a change from his previous self for them to accept... Just a few hours ago, he was just cowardly trash!


    Worried, Aito pulled on his brother''s shirt. He didn''t know where Jun was getting his confidence from, but from the looks of it, he wouldn''t get out of this one with light injuries!


    "Aniki¡­ Please calm down¡­ If you continue, he might actually kill you!"


    "Hahaha! You should listen to your weak little brother¡­ Boss, listen to the brat speaking sense into him, he''s gone crazy. The beating he received earlier must''ve caused him brain damage!"


    "Heh, it does seem like it. I''ll admit, you surprised me there. Who would''ve thought that the eternally useless Jun would finally grow some spine? Sadly for you, I need to vent some of this accumulated anger¡­"


    Smiling viciously, Ren took a few steps forward and extended his hand, reaching for Aito''s collar. The latter froze, scared shitless.


    Before he could even touch him, Jun locked his fingers around Ren''s wrist.


    "Hm? Trash that dares to touch me? Watch as I- Argh!"


    His sentence was interrupted by a painful scream as Jun twisted his wrist, making his body contort in an attempt to prevent it from breaking. Noticing the grip loosening, he took the opportunity and retreated a few steps.


    Watching him from a distance, Jun gave him a look of disgust.


    "Arrgh! You little¡­"


    "Boss!"


    Behind him, the other Uchiha youths worriedly ran up to him, offering help.


    "Stay back! I''ll take care of him myself... Its just Jun!"


    Although he didn''t want to admit it, Jun had perfectly locked his wrist just then. If he had exerted even a little strength, his hand would probably be unusable now.


    Making eye contact with him, Ren noticed a drastic change. Instead of fear, Jun''s eyes were now filled with contempt, making him wonder what happened. Did he really hit him too hard last time around?


    Next to Jun, Aito was in disbelief. Seeing his brother gain the upper hand against Ren, a small flame lit up within him, it was hope.


    "You just got lucky... This time, don''t think you''ll escape. I''ll make you experience hell."


    Furious, Ren clenched his teeth and faced Jun with a malicious expression. He''d have to remind him of who the boss is around here.


    #


    Jun noticed Ren gathering a little chakra around his feet and arms, before lunging at him with increased speed. Recognizing the Uchiha''s taijutsu, he immediately singled out the flaws in his form.


    Jun just observed, unperturbed. As soon as Ren got within range, he slightly moved his neck, narrowly dodging his punch.


    Following up, he used his index and middle finger as needles, hitting his opponent in various places. As he did that, because of his lack of muscle memory, Ren managed to land a punch on his cheek.


    "Got you!"


    "Are you sure...?"


    Noticing something was amiss, Ren realized Jun hadn''t moved at all from his spot. It was as if his punch carried no strength at all.


    Retrieving his arm, he looked at it in disbelief. Why couldn''t he gather any Chakra?


    "Well, I''ll be returning the favor... Hope you don''t mind."


    Not waiting for Ren''s reaction, Jun''s fist landed squarely on his jaw, knocking him away as one of his dogs caught him. Caressing his lower lip with his thumb, Jun licked the small trail of blood that came out of it.


    Tasting his own blood, Jun''s demeanor changed. With a sadistic grin, he looked towards the unconscious Ren and his underlings, subconsciously leaking out some of his killing intent.


    It had been a while since he tasted the thrill of battle¡­ The taste of his own blood brought out the animal in him.


    Seeing him, the four youths trembled in fear, two of them soiling their pants. Never had they felt like this before¡­ It was as if their lives were in Jun''s hands, and he could kill them at any moment.


    Realizing that he''d gone overboard, Jun retrieved his killing intent and cleared his throat. Looking at the five of them with disgust, he sighed.


    "I don''t want to see you around anymore. If you dare to lay a hand on me or my brother ever again¡­ Don''t blame me for what happens."


    "Y-yes! We''re off!"


    Watching them scurry away like a bunch of cockroaches, Aito had no words. He too had felt his brother''s killing intent but didn''t know what it was.


    "Aito."


    "Yeah¡­?"


    "Let''s go."


    Still in a daze, Aito nodded and followed Jun into the cabin. He was trying to make sense of the situation. After pinching himself a few times, he realized that it wasn''t a dream.


    "Aniki¡­ You just beat Ren! How did you do that!?"


    Ever since he had lost his memory, Jun had been acting weirdly¡­ A direct contrast to what he used to be. Then again, this change was more than welcome to Aito.


    "Hm? That? They were just small fry. Don''t get too excited about it."


    Taking out a fishing pole and other supplies from inside the cabin, Jun opened the door, heading outside. The sky was almost dark, and the still lake reflected the rising moon.


    "Wait for me!"


    Still giddy from the excitement, Aito followed his brother to some large rocks, where they sat down and started fishing.


    Although the rod was simple, Jun wouldn''t let it hinder him. Piercing some bait with the hook, he threw it out and patiently waited.


    Unable to restrain himself, Aito broke the silence.


    "How did you do it? Ren''s a ninja! Not only that, but he''s one of the best from his generation!"


    His surprise was understandable. Ren had graduated after only two years at the academy and had been the rookie of the year. Although he was a year younger than Jun, he already had a year of experience as a genin!


    Meanwhile, Jun was a fourth-year student at the academy, his ranking rock bottom amongst his peers. On paper, there was no comparison between the two.


    " I guess I got lucky...? Oh! I got one!"


    Grasping the handle tightly, Jun expertly reeled in, as a fish slowly came out of the water. Holding up the string with his left hand, they both stared at the lively fish. He had done this countless times before, to feed his younger brothers back in the warring states era.


    "Huge!"


    "I guess we''re having a feast tonight."


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    Hey peeps,T0X1Nhere. Thank you for reading part one of the first arc!


    If you liked it, consider supporting me on Patreon! You''ll gain access to advance chapters and exclusive illustrations for this fic! Link in my profile, along with the discord!

 Arc 1 - Awakening - Part 2

    Arc 1 - Awakening - Part 2


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    #


    After having dinner, both brothers did the dishes together and went to sleep. Once Aito started snoring, Jun breathed a sigh of relief.


    He was someone that would always repay a favor, no matter how small it was, for the feeling of owing someone made him sick. Although he wasn''t sure of what to do from now on, at least he knew that he''d repay the real Jun.


    Taking care of his little brother could also be called that, a form of repayment. Then again, he couldn''t help but want to protect the kid, since he was identical to the late Izuna, who he held dearly in his heart.


    A lot of things went through his mind as he stared at the cabin''s roof. Scenes from his previous life started playing in his head, including flashbacks of Black-Zetsu. Furious, he swore to remove his existence from this planet if he were to meet him once again.


    ''Because of that vile creature''s tampering, my clan was fooled and taken advantage of¡­ Including myself¡­ Unforgivable.''


    Closing his eyes, he decided to let go of these matters for now. Next time the sun rose, he''d start training his body.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    Inside the Clan-Head''s Residence, located in the heart of the Uchiha complex.


    Ren had one knee on the ground as he watched his father clean his collection of paper fans. This man was the current head of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Masaki[1]. As his name implied, he was the great tree that supported the clan in perilous times.


    Masaki was thought to be the strongest ninja in the village, after the current Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. The reason for this was the thick shroud of mystery that surrounded his true ability.


    Having been born in the warring states era, he knew of war, as well as peace. At twenty years of age, he participated in the legendary battle between the Uchiha and Senju, which ultimately resulted in the founding of Konohagakure. Now over fifty-years-old, he was one of the only people left from that era.


    Respectfully waiting for his father to finish, Ren remained silent. It was rare for him to show this much discipline, but his father was an existence he dared not to offend.


    After a while, Masaki stored all of his fans away and turned to face his son.


    The map of wrinkles on his face told of a long journey. His forehead told of worries past and worries present... He was a man who had traveled through five decades to that moment; A testament to his tenacity, given the average life-span of ninjas.


    "Speak."


    "Father. I''ve come here to report something of utmost importance¡­ I don''t know if you remember him, but Jun Uchiha used some dark arts in order to defeat me, while still being a useless piece of trash. I cam here to appeal for punishment¡­ These sorts of actions towards the son of the clan-head-"


    "Enough! If you''ve lost, you''ve lost! Have I taught you to be such a sore loser!?"


    "..."


    Feeling his father''s wrath, Ren gritted his teeth but decided to remain silent. Masaki wasn''t short-sighted¡­ He knew of his son''s character and tendencies, but alas, it was too late to change him.


    "Dark arts... Interesting. Elaborate."


    "Well¡­ He touched me in a few places, and suddenly, I lost my ability to gather any chakra, or fully use my strength¡­ Even now, I''m still unable to¡­"


    "Hm?"


    His interest piqued, Masaki signaled for ren to come closer. Holding his son''s hand, he closed his eyes and started scanning him.


    ''Heavens¡­ To hit all tenketsu with this accuracy¡­ Even if he had the Sharingan, this would require years of training and a deep understanding of the chakra pathway system! Unless he had the Byakugan¡­ No¡­ That''s impossible¡­''


    Seeing his father grin from ear to ear, Ren felt a chill run down his spine.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    [1] Masaki, meaning "great timber tree"


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    #


    Noticing the sun starting to rise, Jun woke up. Making sure not to wake Aito up, he silently did his bed and removed his shirt, heading outside.


    Even with all the bandages covering his body, he still felt somewhat cold. Sighing, he felt disappointed at his physique''s frailty. After performing a few stretches in front of the lake, he got to work.


    With his years of experience, he knew exactly what muscle-groups to develop first. Aimlessly training would limit his speed, and he couldn''t afford to take things slow. This was a world ruled by the strong, and no one knew that better than himself.


    The body had countless muscles, some more important than others. Much of the physical aspects of fighting, such as balance, power, and movement come from the lower body. The more technical aspects, such as accuracy, defense, and landing hits will typically come from the upper body.


    Thinking this far, Jun set up a training regime in his head. From what he had gathered so far, the academy''s graduation exam would take place in a week''s time. In these seven days, he would focus on improving his physical abilities, gaining muscle memory on the way.


    After all, he still wasn''t completely used to this body of his, The fact that he let himself get hit by a mere genin only served to highlight this issue.


    As for the academy, he decided to skip it until the final day. There was nothing he could learn over there, and he''d much rather use all the time he had available.


    "Alright, let''s begin."


    Feeling great from the earlier stretching, Jun started working on his legs, paying special attention to his calf muscles.


    Since the legs are connected to the ground, they are the most responsible for pushing off it, generating power and speed throughout the body. They also happened to be the biggest muscles in the human body.


    After an hour of that, he moved on to the core.


    The hips hold the lower body and legs together. They also generate a huge amount of power by pivoting the whole body when needed. Another important function is that the hips have to do with balance.


    Since he was riddled with injuries, Jun made sure to train this part very carefully, not wanting to worsen them any further.


    Feeling sore after finishing everything, he took a small break. This body wasn''t yet used to such intensive training and was taking its time to acclimate.


    After a short rest, Jun continued with his abs, back, and upper body. Always targeting the most important muscles to a fighter.


    Once he was done, he felt like his muscles were in flames, threatening to come crawling out of his skin. Thanks to all the stretching he did beforehand, coupled with his expertise, he managed not to pull a single muscle.


    Like a madman, Jun relished in the pain his training had caused him. After a while, he let out a huge breath and carefully took off his bandages, before walking right into the ice-cold lake.


    Because of his intense exercise, Jun felt the tiny tears inside his muscle fibers. These would cause him soreness when he woke up the next morning if he didn''t do anything about them.


    Therefore, he decided to take a cold bath. This was in order to constrict blood vessels and flush waste products, like lactic acid, out of the affected muscles. It also served to decrease metabolic activity and slow down physiological processes, reducing swelling and tissue breakdown in the process.


    "Ah, nothing like a cold bath after exercise."


    Fiding the long-lost sensation of an intense training session, Jun felt like he had gone back in time, to when he was just a kid.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    #


    Sitting in the water with only his head poking out, Madara closed his eyes, rotating his chakra throughout his pathway-system.


    Feeling out every nook and cranny of it, he noticed that his chakra reserves were slowly growing.


    ''Chakra is a mixture of both Yin and Yang energies. The former is related to the mind and soul, while the latter is linked to one''s physique. Only by training both of these aspects, can a ninja increase their chakra level...''


    Then again, the speed at which one grew was relative to their genetics. Some were simply born with a better aptitude for chakra, or with bigger reserves from the get-go. Being a member of the Uchiha clan, at least his talent was higher than a commoner''s, albeit nothing grand.


    ''I''m surprised that my soul was able to completely integrate with this body¡­ Logically, such a weak vessel would succumb under the pressure. A Yi-Yang imbalance would only lead to problems down the road¡­''


    Jun was surprised. Apparently, his soul''s energy was locked away, slowly leaking out its strength as his body grew more powerful.


    ''I''ll go with the flow for now¡­ Who knows what''ll happen in the future?''


    After ten minutes in the water, he rose to his feet and walked out of the lake, drying himself with a towel he had brought out earlier. He then meticulously replaced his bandages and stretched a little more.


    Feeling energized, he walked into the cabin and started cooking breakfast with some ingredients he found in the fridge, along with the leftover fish from yesterday. Being from the warring-states era, he''d learned a quite few survival skills, cooking included.


    The smell of breakfast woke Aito up, who rubbed his eyes as he tiredly walked into the small kitchen. Seeing the food on the table, he couldn''t help but drool.


    In front of him was a traditional Japanese breakfast, complete with the fish, miso soup and rice. It didn''t matter how little they had, Jun made it all look incredible.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ''Who would''ve thought that the great Madara would one day become someone''s cook¡­? Well, it''s true that I used to do this for my brothers, as a kid¡­ Father never really cooked.''


    Although he could''ve just cooked some fish half-heartedly, Jun had to admit that he had taken a liking to Aito. His uncanny resemblance to his little brother only made it worse. It made him want to spoil the kid.


    Only his family ever saw the caring side of the great Madara, before he got brainwashed.


    "You made this?! Unbelievable!"


    Stuffing his stomach with the delicious food, Aito cried in joy. He hadn''t eaten this well, ever. With their lack of funds, they couldn''t afford to eat anything fancy.


    "You like it? Well, eat up¡­ Because today, you''re not going to the academy."


    "What?"


    With rice all over his face, Aito gave Jun a perplexed look.


    "I''m going to personally teach you for the next seven days. It''s not going to be easy¡­ Prepare to vomit a few times."


    Finishing his sentence, Jun''s expression turned evil, sending shivers down Aito''s spine. It was as if he had turned into a demon, straight from the depths of hell.


    "Geh¡­"


    Hearing his brother''s words, Aito lost all appetite. On one hand, he wanted to learn from his brother, but on the other, he felt like it would be dangerous¡­ His expression didn''t help either.


    #


    Inside a small clearing, located in the forest surrounding the Uchiha complex, two dark-haired youths were having a spar.


    "Make sure to maintain your form when you throw the punch."


    "That kick was terrible! You left yourself open in a total of ten spots..."


    "Wrong¡­ Wrong! Why are you shifting your attention away from the enemy!? This could be a fatal error in a life-or-death battle!"


    His brother''s comments were harsh, but Aito knew he was right. In the past three days alone, he had learned more than the academy taught him in a whole year! He could feel himself getting stronger.


    He looked angry on the outside, but he couldn''t help but feel satisfied inside. Aito was a quick learner and got most of the lessons he imparted to him.


    Jun was also making good progress. His physique had been steadily improving, allowing him to last longer in training and maximize his potential. He even started to get used to this new body, allowing him to use it as if it was originally his.


    "Alright! Let''s stop for today. Keep the things I said in mind and ponder over them as you rest. Good job."


    "Yessir! Thanks, Aniki!"


    Completely out of breath, as soon as Aito heard the word rest, he sighed in relief and ran to the lake for a cold bath.


    Seeing him run off, Jun let out a small smile. So far, their lives had been peaceful, with no outside contact aside from the occasional visit from Akane. In four days, he''d take the graduation exam, as planned.


    Smiling, he sat cross-legged and gathered up his chakra. Now familiar with his new body, he was capable of doing so at a much faster rate than three days prior.


    Once he had gathered enough chakra, he got up to face a large tree. Closing his eyes, he meticulously directed the chakra towards the soles of his feet, and slowly walked up to the tree.


    Placing one foot on the large trunk, he made sure the ratios were correct before placing another foot. Soon, he was standing horizontally, his body close to the ground.


    Smiling, he walked up and down the tree a few times, feeling himself run out of chakra already. Clicking his tongue, he walked back down and sat on the ground.


    "What was that¡­ Ten laps? Such puny chakra reserves¡­"


    Then again, he couldn''t complain. If it had been three days ago, he might''ve not been capable to even stick to the tree. Even though he had all the experience, his body wasn''t good enough yet¡­


    After a while of meditation, he gathered up enough chakra and tried again. This time, instead of walking, he ran up and down the tree.


    After twenty-five laps, he finally got off and sat down to recuperate. Because he was going faster, it required finer control but also drained less chakra per-step. It all came down to how efficient he was with it.


    Chakra control was separated into two different sections, efficiency and flexibility. First, a ninja would have to learn how to use his chakra efficiently, in order to last longer during a battle. On the other hand, flexibility was about how proficient one was with chakra control.


    Things like hanging upside-down from a branch, walking on water, performing maneuvers while off the ground¡­ All of these fell in the flexibility category. The better one was with this category, the harder the Jutsu they could master.


    "Next up, I''ll start hopping around the tree branches. Once that''s done, I''ll move on to walking over water..."


    Smiling, Jun got up with a determined expression.


    #


    The last four days before the exam passed by in a flash.


    Konoha''s academy was lively, since on this particular day every year, legends were born.


    Students that would participate in the exam all walked into the academy with their hopes high. Some were nervous, while others were confident. If they failed, they''d have to stay for one more year.


    In time, they all gathered in the classroom, filling it with chatter.


    In a corner of the class, Jun sat with his arms crossed. Looking around, he tried to find anyone worth noting¡­ After all, two of these kids would become his partners for a while.


    Suddenly, he heard two girls gossipping in front of him.


    "Hey, do you think that I''ll be ut in Minato''s team? Kyaaa! That would be so perfect! It''''s only his first year in the academy, yet he''s already about to graduate!"


    "No way¡­ He''s just ten! I''d much rather be put in a team with Usele- Ahem. I mean Jun¡­ Even though he''s weak, he''s so dreamy!"


    "That useless junk? There''s no way he''ll pass the exam. I just hope we don''t get placed with the habanero."


    Are they even whispering?... Kids these days¡­''


    Ignoring them, he followed their line of sight and noticed a youth. His blonde hair and blue eyes immediately reminded him of someone.


    "It''s him¡­ Interesting."


    From what he recalled, that boy would become a legendary war figure in the village. Namikaze Minato, better known as Konohagakure''s yellow flash.


    Immersing himself in his memories, Jun recalled his fight against the shinobi alliance. Minato had been one of the few who really caused him trouble, having integrated with one of the Nine-tails'' halves and wielding the power to teleport around.


    Snapping him out of his trance, the teacher walked into the room. He was just a lowly Ch¨±nin, so Jun decided to not pay him any extra attention.


    Clearing his throat, the teacher looked up to the whole class and checked if everyone was present. Seeing Jun, he couldn''t help but look disappointed. This kid hadn''t attended his classes for so long, and he still dared to come and take the exam?


    Deciding to not call him out on it, he scratched his head and spoke up.


    "All of you... Lets quickly get this over and done with. Line up!"


    Following the students, Jun got in the back of the line and waited for his turn. One by one, all students attempted to perform the clone technique, receiving a forehead-protector if they managed.


    So far, a total of eight students out of the original twenty had passed. Now, he was the only one left. Of course, the whole class dismissed him, thinking he would fail again. Even the teacher looked impatient for them to finish up.


    "Uchiha Jun, second attempt. Please come up and perform the clone technique."


    Hearing the teacher''s words, some students started whispering.


    "He''s definitely gonna fail."


    "Yeah, no doubt about it. Even though he''s an Uchiha¡­"


    Ignoring their words, Jun walked up to the front and performed a hand-seal.


    "Bunshin."


    With one word from him, everyone shut up. Next to him, an exact copy of his attractive self stood for everyone to see.


    "What¡­"


    "Oh my god¡­"


    "Am I seeing it right?!"


    Seeing Hun''s clone, most of the class descended into madness... They couldn''t believe what just happened. Even the teacher had his mouth open.


    "U-Uchiha Jun¡­ Pass¡­ Come and get your forehead protector..."


    Acting as if though all the other students didn''t exist, Jun walked over to the table and picked his protector. Looking at it, the corners of his mouth rose.


    #


    After the exam was finally over, all of the students were dismissed. Those who graduated were all smiles, while the ones who failed could only accept their fate.


    Jun went back home, ready to continue training. Passing the exam was nothing, he could''ve probably done so on the first day he was brought back. His top priority at the moment was just to get stronger.


    Knowing the nature of ninja villages and their people, he knew he wasn''t completely safe. At any moment, someone might consider him a threat and decide to target him, especially because of the blood flowing through his veins.


    He had to stay under the radar until he grew stronger. Even though he feared no one, he had a brain and knew when and how to use it.


    ''They say geniuses die early¡­ In my previous life, I overcame countless trials, rising up over others'' corpses and gaining power. Even though I fought adults while still a child, I always came out victorious¡­''


    No one could hold him. If he wanted something, he would get it¡­ That was the way Uchiha Madara operated.


    Exuding pure, unadulterated confidence, Jun walked through the streets of the Uchiha complex until he finally reached the cabin. Going straight to the lake, he stopped at the bay and removed his sandals, dipping his feet into the water.


    Feeling the energy around him, Jun closed his eyes. Suddenly, the chakra around him became agitated, as he performed multiple hand seals.


    "Katon: G¨­kaky¨± no Jutsu!"


    Following his words, he filled his lungs with air, mixing it with the fire he had kneaded from his chakra.


    The result was a big fireball, almost perfectly spherical. Although it wasn''t that big, its shape was close to perfect, indicating masterful chakra control.


    It flew across the lake, causing some of the surface water to evaporate before dying down. Seeing this, Jun looked somewhat dissatisfied.


    "If it wasn''t for my chakra reserves being this low¡­ Well, I guess I just need to train some more. No big deal."


    Thinking this far, he continued practicing this technique until it gained some size and became perfectly circular. This took him approximately an hour.


    Content with the result, Jun decided to stop. In the past few days, he had perfected all of the basic, elementary ninjutsu and through that, completely acclimated to his new body.


    Judging from the nature of his fire-release, he was almost convinced that he had a fire affinity, like most Uchiha.


    Although his head was filled with a monstrous arsenal of various Jutsu, he wanted to focus on two for the time being. There was no use trying to teach himself everything at once.


    ''For now, I should perfect both the great fireball and the surface merging technique.''


    The latter was a technique he developed after studying Hashirama''s wood-release. It gave him a similar ability to Zetsu''s mayfly[1] but was less versatile. Although he could merge with any surface and erase his presence, his movement speed suffered greatly.


    These two techniques would be a perfect starting point for him. Both of them required high-levels of chakra control, serving as training methods as well.


    In terms of close-combat, he was already confident. Since he had already become one with his new body, all of his combat experience and knowledge had come right back. Then again, once he awakened his Sharingan, his opponents could only resign themselves to their fates.


    "Well, you''re certainly diligent!"


    Somewhat startled the sudden comment, Jun turned around and noticed an old man wearing traditional clothes from the warring states era. This man was none other than Uchiha Masaki, the head of the Uchiha clan.


    #


    Masaki was tall, well above the average height. Although he was old, his body exuded limitless vigor.


    What stood out about his appearance was his hair. It was spiky, and although it couldn''t be called long, it certainly was¡­ thick. It almost looked like he had a black flame for hair. [1]


    Seeing him, Jun didn''t back down or get nervous. Although he didn''t exactly know who this person was, he already had a few guesses. After all, Aito had mentioned a few important figures to him.


    "What brings the clan-head to my humble abode?"


    "Heh! Straight to the point, I like it. I heard that you recently beat up my son¡­ Is that correct?"


    "Yes, that is correct."


    Hearing Jun''s nonchalant response, Masaki''s opinion of him had risen by a lot. In the face of danger, he didn''t even consider backing down!


    "Aren''t you afraid of the consequences?"


    "Consequences? Your son, with all due respect, came knocking at my door, threatening to beat both me and my brother up. If it were you, Masaki-sama, would you take it lying down? As an Uchiha, I refuse to let anyone, not even the clan head''s son, trample over my dignity."


    Hearing the boy''s response, Masaki''s blood started boiling. Suddenly, he let his chakra permeate the area around them, exuding tremendous pressure.


    Feeling the pressure, Jun remained calm, not moving an inch. His mental strength had already long surpassed logic, and pressure of this caliber could do nothing to him.


    This surprised Masaki. Although he held back, this sort of pressure would make most people kneel in forgiveness! Satisfied, he turned around and started walking off. After a few steps, he turned his head back and spoke up.


    "Brat¡­ You''ve piqued my interest. I''ve been waiting for an Uchiha with your level of backbone for a long time. Our clan grows weaker each generation¡­ Not in strength, but in mindset. Back in the day, we were still prideful, but not conceited! True strength is in the head as much as it is in the body... "


    "Well, I''ve talked enough. I''ll be on my way, so keep training hard!"


    With those last words, Masaki flickered away, disappearing from his previous spot. Jun smiled, taking a liking to this clan head. Although he was probably just some small-fry back when he deserted the village, Jun still found him quite interesting.


    ''He''s right. I need to get stronger and change the clan''s mentality. Only I am capable of that.''


    Adding this to his list of things he needed to do in this life, Jun got back to work. Next up, he would train in the surface merging technique.


    Jun was excited. Because of his power, the only person that really posed a challenge in his past life was Hashirama. Now, he would take his time, in order to rediscover the thrill of battle.


    Not too far away, Masaki was hiding behind a tree, observing Jun.


    "His way of speaking, composure, and arrogance¡­ Something about the way he behaved... Why did it remind me so much of Madara-dono?"


    "I must have gone senile... He''s just a kid. Even then, I get the feeling that I can rely on him¡­ Why is that?"


    Scrapping such thoughts, Masaki took one last look at the youth before turning away, not even leaving a trail of dust behind.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    [1] Here''s a visual reference of what Masaki looks like. Although his hair is actually black, and his clothes feature much darker tones: bit.ly/2xwF1zt

 Arc 1 - Awakening - Part 3

    Arc 1 - Awakening - Part 3


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    #


    Surface merging technique. At its core, it was the perfect spying ability. With that said, it could also become a threatening assassination tool, if used right.


    Then again, he was the creator of this technique¡­ No one knew it better than him. He vaguely remembered passing it down[1], but he didn''t think anyone learned it after him.


    If Jun had to give it a difficulty rating, it would probably be considered an A-rank technique. In comparison to the great fireball, which was a C-rank, the surface merging technique was much harder to learn and master.


    This was due to the fact that it drew heavy inspiration from Zetsu''s signature technique, mayfly.


    To master the technique one required tremendous chakra control, as well as expansive knowledge of the human body and it''s composition. Once used, the technique would allow one''s body to mimic a surface down to the molecular level.


    By using this technique, one could completely merge with their surroundings, completely eliminating their presence and chakra-signature. In a merged state, the user wouldn''t require air to survive.


    Recalling all of the details, Jun lifted his hand and performed a one-handed ram seal. Filling all the cells in his body with chakra, Jun performed the technique and slowly started to sink underground.


    If someone were to see him, they''d probably think he was a ghost.


    Fully concentrated, Jun allowed his entire body to submerge underground, where he started moving around.


    ''As I thought¡­ The speed is way to slow. Its as fast as walking.''


    Although this was a disadvantage, the technique more than made up for it with its advantages. Satisfied, he continued to train.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    Time seemed to fly, and soon, the sky was almost dark. Realizing how long he had spent training, Jun came out of a tree and landed on the ground, exhausted.


    Catching his breath, he wiped off the sweat and walked back to the cabin, where Aito was waiting. Seeing him arrive, he jumped up with excitement.


    "Aniki! I heard that you''ve passed the exam!"


    "Did you ever doubt it?"


    "N-no¡­ Anyways, congrats! Akane told me to tell you that we should go celebrate at her place, she''s even prepared a feast for us!"


    "Really? I mean¡­ I won''t reject her hospitality. Let''s go there after I shower, hm?"


    "Sure, I''ll be waiting outside!"


    If she was going to go out of her way to prepare dinner, saying no would be too rude. Jun decided that a little fun wouldn''t be that bad.


    After showering, he put on some basic clothes and left with Aito.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    [1] So here''s where some plot-fixing happens. The surface merging technique is actually referred to as the ''hiding in surface technique'', by the fandom. We first saw it through Orochimaru back in the forest of death, but it was never really explored, not including the few people who were listed as having it. It was never mentioned in the databooks either.


    With that said, since Madara is also listed as a user in the wiki, I decided to make him the originator of the jutsu. Although you already read it, the backstory that I fabricated goes along the lines of him studying Hashirama''s and Zetsu''s abilities. Then, he passed it on to someone and a few people learned of it as a result. I hope it makes sense to you all!


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    #


    Going through the now-familiar Uchiha complex, it wasn''t long before they reached Akane''s residence. Like last time, Aito called out to her.


    "You''re here!"


    Grinning from ear to ear, Akane rushed out of the house and hurriedly opened the gate.


    "Hurry! The food''s getting cold, and grandma is getting impatient!"


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    Granny Mai had a soft spot for both Aito and Jun. Having known their parents well, she couldn''t stand seeing them suffer. With a warm smile, she let them eat as much as they wanted.


    Not afraid of losing any face, Aito ate like a madman. Although his brother''s food was good, granny Mai''s was definitely better.


    Having trained all day, Jun also ate quite a lot. Seeing his brother enjoy himself, his opinion of both Akane and her grandmother rose quite a bit. Granny Mai treated them like her own grandchildren, effectively becoming Aito''s mother figure.


    The night went by slowly... Jun and Aito ate to their heart''s content, enjoying the company of both Akane and her grandmother.


    Watching Aito pat his enlarged stomach, Granny Mai laughed out. Being over sixty years of age, it came out a bit hoarse.


    "Little Jun. I heard you passed the academy''s graduation exam? How did it go?"


    Hearing this question, Jun nodded and took out his forehead-protector, letting everyone see. Excited, Aito got closer and inspected it with his little eyes.


    "Whoaaaa¡­ It''s a real forehead protector! Bro, you''re a ninja now!"


    "You actually made it¡­ I never thought I''d see the day. I''m so glad!"


    Hearing both Aito and Akane''s comments, jun couldn''t resist teasing them a little.


    "Haaa¡­ So you really didn''t believe in me¡­ That makes me so sad¡­"


    Putting on a hurt expression, Jun watched both of them get anxious from the corner of his eye. Finding it amusing, he laughed a little.


    "I''m kidding, I''m kidding. Don''t worry, I''m not mad."


    Watching them interact with each other, granny Mai smiled warmly- Seeing the forehead protector, she closed her eyes in heartfelt relief.


    ''I hope you two are watching from above¡­ Your son has become quite the man!''


    Resisting the urge to cry, she slowly stood up and started picking up used plates. Seeing this, Jun and Aito also got up, helping her out. If they came into someone''s house, ate their food, but didn''t help out, wouldn''t that be rude?


    Suddenly, a loud voice came from outside.


    "Jun! Come out if you dare!"


    Recognizing who it came from, Akane put on a worried expression. Looking at Aito and Jun, she was surprised to see that they were completely unaffected. Fearful, she hurriedly pointed to the garden outside.


    "Hurry! If you leave through the back, they won''t catch you!"


    Hearing this, granny Mai got scared. The fact that they were being bullied had been kept a secret between the three kids, so it made sense that she didn''t know.


    "Don''t worry, big sis, granny. We''ll be right back."


    "Don''t-"


    "You don''t have to worry, Akane-san. We''re just going to take out the trash."


    With a reassuring smile, Jun turned around and left, followed by Aito. Now by themselves, Akane and her grandma were left staring at each other.


    "You have some explaining to do, young girl."


    "I-I¡­"


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    #


    Ren stood in front of Akane''s house, fists clenched.


    During the past few days, he had the time to reflect. After his father berated him for being a sore loser, he took a hard look at himself.


    He, the son of the clan-head, was a genius of his generation. He had emerged above all competition and became the rookie of the year. At this point, he felt like he was a notch above others.


    On a fateful day, he met Akane. Since the very first day, he became captivated by her looks¡­ Gathering up his courage, he decided to confess.


    Alas, she rejected him, stating that she already had someone she liked.


    At that point, he felt his world crumbling apart. His ego had become so inflated, that this blow completely shattered his will... Ren wasn''t stupid, and could easily tell who this person was.


    Ever since then, because of jealousy, he mercilessly beat him every time they met. Some times, he would even wait for him to come out of his cabin to have a go.


    Deep down, he knew that what he did was wrong, but he was unable to stop himself. Just seeing Jun and Akane together drove him insane.


    Standing outside her door, he waited for Jun to come out. Today, he would settle things once and for all.


    As he prepared himself mentally, the door slid open. Looking up, he saw Jun''s handsome figure walk out, followed by his little brother. They both looked unperturbed... As if he wasn''t a threat.


    "Jun! I challenge you to a one versus one, with no ninjutsu allowed! Do you dare!?"


    Walking out of the front terrace and onto the street, Jun crossed his arms as he threw dismissive a glance at Ren. Seeing right through him, Jun knew he just came to regain face.


    Irritated, he decided it wasn''t worth it to play with spoiled brats.


    "You still haven''t learned your lesson? What do I gain from beating you up a second time¡­? Stop wasting my time and leave immediately."The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ''Jun defeated Ren? Just what is going on...''


    Watching from behind her door, Akane couldn''t believe what she was hearing. Ren had done a good job of silencing his subordinates, so that word wouldn''t get out of his loss.


    Ren clenched his teeth in frustration... Jun''s look told him that he was trash in a million different ways, making him angrier than he had ever been before. Only his father ever looked at him like that.


    "If you defeat me¡­ I, Ren, will become your dog! I swear upon the Uchiha name!"


    "Now you''re talking¡­"


    Smiling, Jun''s opinion of Ren slightly rose. Finally, the kid was growing some spine.


    "Alright, I''ll fight you¡­ But only if you can beat Aito first. If he wins, you''ll become his servant as well."


    "What!? Who do you think I am!?"


    Ren felt insulted¡­ Fight a ten-year-old? He still reeked of his mother''s milk!


    "Aniki, are you sure about this¡­?"


    "Mhm¡­ Now go and show him how much you''ve learned in the past few days."


    "O-ok¡­"


    A bit nervous, Aito walked out and stopped right in front of Ren, who was at least a head and a half taller. Looking up at his opponent, a look of determination flashed through his eyes, startling Ren.


    ''When did I agree to this?''


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    #


    Not giving Ren any time to complain, Aito immediately got into the offensive. Running up to him, he threw a direct hook at his face.


    Surprise by the kid''s speed, Ren lifted both arms and blocked the hit with his forearm.


    Seeing his punch getting parried, Aito faked another one with his left arm, before rotating on his right leg and lowering his body to deliver a spinning kick.


    Deceived by the fake, Ren got hit right in the stomach, sending him back a few steps.


    Bending back his suspended leg and lowering it to the ground, Aito got back into his stance.


    Akane watched their exchange, disbelief written all over her face. When did Aito get this strong? Ren was unable to keep up with his speed and precision!


    Seeing Ren clench his stomach in pain, Aito was also surprised. Was Ren always this weak, or did he get that much stronger?


    "You little¡­ I refuse to believe I''m weaker than you!"


    Ren had never felt this humiliated. He was fighting a ten-year-old kid, yet he was unable to see his attacks coming?


    Gnashing his teeth, he ran up to Ren and jumped up, spinning in the air before delivering a powerful kick towards the head.


    Seeing the look on his face and the amount of power behind the kick, Akane worriedly ran outside.


    "Ren! You''ll kill-"


    Suddenly, a firm hand stopped her, locking her in place... It was none other than Jun.


    "Whoa there, Akane-san. Relax, just watch."


    "...!"


    Seeing the kick coming, Aito shifted his body ever so slightly, accurately dodging it.


    Taking advantage of the fact that Ren was in the air, he placed both hands around his leg, before shifting it a little.


    Because of this, Ren lost his balance and plummeted on the ground, injuring his elbow upon impact.


    Making use of this opportunity, Aito tightened his grip around Ren''s leg and wrapped his own around it, performing a leg lock.


    "Please surrender... I don''t want to break your leg!"


    To Akane''s surprise, Aito had completely dominated the fight. Completely taken aback, she couldn''t help but look towards Jun with a curious look.


    With his leg now apprehended, Ren struggled to no avail. No matter what he did, he just couldn''t get out of the leg lock.


    Looking up, he saw Akane and Jun, both watching. Noticing Akane''s smile, a dark flame lit up inside him as he roared in anger.


    "NGAAAAAH! I REFUSE TO LOSE!"


    Suddenly, his strength increased several folds as he grabbed Aito''s legs, forcing them off his own. He then picked the boy up by the collar, throwing him against a wall.


    "Aito!"


    Akane cried in fear as she ran up to him, checking his condition. With her help, Aito got back up, cleaning off the blood trail from his lips.


    "Interesting... To awaken the Sharingan at eleven... Not bad at all."


    "Sharingan?!"


    Hearing Jun''s words, Akane and Aito disbelievingly shifted their gaze towards Ren.


    There he stood, fists clenched and breathing chaotically. His eyes had now become as red as blood, with a small tomoe hovering around his pupils.


    ''What did he just say¡­? The Sharingan?''


    Realizing what he had just done, Ren placed a hand on his face as he made sense of the situation. Looking around, he noticed his vision had tremendously improved, and he could even see the others'' chakra.


    "What just happened¡­?"


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    #


    Confused, Ren looked at Jun, who smiled and crossed his arms.


    "Congratulations, you''ve awoken your Sharingan."


    Those words only served as confirmation. Although he would normally be happy about such a thing, there wasn''t even a trace of happiness in his heart. In it, only bitterness remained.


    He was bitter. Bitter about the fact that he won through cheating¡­ Bitter that needed the Sharingan to defeat a ten-year-old kid.


    Because of this, he was unable to rejoice.


    Subconsciously directing his gaze towards Akane, he noticed her frightened look, as if he was a monster. Next to her, Aito needed assistance to stay on his feet.


    Seeing the way she looked at him, Ren''s heart shook as he turned around and fled¡­ he ran across the complex, reaching the woods surrounding it. Once he was completely alone, he sat down near a large tree and desolately watched its leaves dance along with the cold, night wind.


    Even though she wasn''t there, Akane''s frightened expression was the only thing Ren could see.


    "What has become of me?"


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    The rest of the night went by quickly. After saying goodbye to Akane and her grandma, both Aito and Jun went back home.


    Because he got hurt during the fight, Aito requested a piggy-back ride, and after a lot of nagging, he finally got what he wanted.


    On the way back, Aito buried his face in Jun''s back, looking very satisfied.


    "Aniki, did I do well?"


    "Yeah, you applied everything I taught you so far. From your balance to the way you pivoted, using the ground as a power source. It was a masterful display for someone your age."


    Aito was ten. It was quite a feat for him to defeat a Genin in pure hand-to-hand combat, especially one of Ren''s caliber. Ren was much stronger physically and had more endurance, but he was beaten with pure speed and precision.


    "Thanks, Aniki."


    Aito''s words trailed off as he fell asleep on his brother''s back. Seeing this, Jun smiled warmly, getting reminded of Izuna once again.


    Arriving at the cabin, Jun tucked Aito in bed, making sure not to wake him up in the process.


    Hopping onto his bed, Jun once again stared at the ceiling, relishing in the peace and quiet of the night. He had to admit that having company was better than being completely alone.


    Thinking about what was ahead, Jun yawned.


    ''Tomorrow will be an important day. I wonder who my teammates will be... ''


    In his head, he already had ideas, but alas, he wasn''t the one who made the choice. Leaving it up to fate, he fell asleep.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    Back in the street where the fight had taken place, an eerie wind blew during the quiet night.


    In the darkness of the unlit neighborhood, something came out of the ground¡­ Although it looked human, it''s pale skin and green hair made it hard to believe.


    Half of its face seemed to have been ripped off, as large, white spikes grew out of the right side of its body.


    Opening its mouth, it spoke in a hushed, eerie voice.


    "Interesting¡­"


    With a creepy smile, Zetsu''s golden eye flashed in the darkness before he completely disappeared, leaving no trace.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    #


    All nine students that passed the exam gathered in a classroom, waiting for their sensei to arrive. They hadn''t been told who they''d be partnered with, causing unrest within most of their hearts.


    After a while of waiting, the first J¨­nin arrived, sliding the door open. He was huge, standing at almost two meters in height. His stomach was covered with a plate of armor, which had the Akimichi''s symbol engraved on it.


    Watching him enter, Jun wondered if this was going to be his sensei.


    He slowly walked up to the front and faced all of the students. The J¨­nin then cleared his throat and called out three names. Unfortunately, Jun wasn''t one of them.


    Hearing their names get called, the three students excitedly smiled and followed their new teacher outside.


    After a while of waiting, another person entered through the door. This time, he had white, spiky hair that was tied up in a ponytail. Under his eyes, he had two small red lines that stopped at his cheeks.


    Grinning, the J¨­nin called out three more names.


    "Hy¨±ga Nozomi. Namikaze Minato. Uchiha Jun. I want to see you on the rooftop in five minutes!"


    With that said, he smiled and disappeared in a puff of smoke.


    Hearing this, the only girl left in the room looked at the one who had just been picked. If looks could kill, the Hy¨±ga girl would''ve already died a gruesome death. How lucky did she have to be, in order to end up with the two most handsome guys of the class?


    Back in his corner, Jun had taken a mental note of his sensei''s appearance and demeanor. Although it ringed a bell, he wasn''t sure of this person''s identity, making him grow curious.


    Getting up, he joined his two teammates as they left the classroom and headed up to the academy''s roof.


    Once there, they noticed their sensei resting on the handrail. He was wearing a dark kimono that complemented his white hair, giving him a mysterious vibe.


    Noticing them, he smiled and pointed at a small bench in front of him. Once the three Genin were seated, he cleared his throat and spoke up.


    "Ahem¡­ Let''s start with our introductions¡­ Shall we? My name is Jiraiya, nice to meet you."


    Seeing his students eagerly nodding, Jiraiya became more comfortable and continued speaking. After all, he''d have to stick to these three for a long time.


    "Hmm¡­ Let''s see... Next, I want you all to tell me your names, likes, dislikes, and dreams for the future! Of course, since we''re all gallant gentlemen, we let the ladies go first."[1]


    Jiraiya then pointed towards Nozomi. She was pretty, like everyone in her clan, and had long, black hair that was tied up at the end.[2]


    "My name is Nozomi, from the Hy¨±ga clan. I enjoy reading books and dislike uncultured people. As for my dream¡­ I''d like to become Konoha''s leading historian!"


    Being from the Hy¨±ga clan, Nozomi had access to many records of the past. From a young age, she was interested in the world''s history and could be said to be very knowledgeable for her age.


    "Very good¡­ What about you?"


    Shifting his gaze towards Minato, who sat in the middle, Jiraiya signaled for him to go next.


    "I''m Minato. Namikaze Minato. I like the hidden leaf, and dislike feeling powerless over anything. As for my dream, it''s to become a Hokage that the people respect."


    Minato''s voice was very calming, and in a way, it contained certainty to it. Just being around him made others feel at ease. Looking at him, Jiraiya massaged his chin¡­ He had already taken a liking to the boy.


    Jun was next in line. Shifting their gazes towards him, they all had curious looks.


    "What about you?"


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    [1] For those who didn''t catch the meaning behind this scene, either by my lack of detail in the delivery or by mistake, this small meeting is supposed to mark the start of an old tradition! After Jiraiya, Minato and Kakashi both asked their Genin the same question. Writing it with this idea in mind made me quite sentimental.


    [2] Nozomi''s hair is similar to Neji''s, albeit not entirely the same. If I had to make a comparison, I''d say she''s very similar to Hanabi.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    #


    Faced with everyone''s gaze, Jun decided to be completely transparent. After all, he''d be around these people for the foreseeable future. Also, his opinions on all of them were quite high.


    "My name is Uchiha Jun. I like strong opponents and hate weak ones. As for my aspirations¡­ To bring true peace to this world."


    "...!"


    Hearing his student''s words, Jiraiya was pleasantly surprised. Although he was young, his aspirations already aligned with his own. Satisfied, he couldn''t help but rejoice¡­ He had hit the jackpot with these three.


    "True peace? And how do you plan to do such a thing?"


    Curious about Jun''s way of thinking, Jiraiya hit the crux of the matter. Depending on his answer, he would make an initial judgment of his character.


    This question made Jun think for a second, before answering.


    "I don''t think that true peace can be achieved in one''s lifetime. What''s important, is to foment the future generation in a way that, they''ll understand each other and not start meaningless wars. Of course, it would be easier to just rule over them with an iron fist, or perhaps even put them all under a Genjutsu... But that would be morally incorrect."


    "Well said."


    Clapping his hands in praise, Jiraiya''s mental image of Jun skyrocketed. He had finally found someone that thought like him¡­ It''s just¡­ He never expected that it would be a kid.


    ''Could he be¡­? Well¡­ There''s no use thinking about it. That person and I are fated to meet, so it doesn''t matter when we do.''


    Even if Jun wasn''t the child of prophecy, he would still do his best to teach him. After all, he had no way of knowing who it would be...


    Nodding his head in satisfaction, Jiraiya smiled from ear to ear.


    "I definitely like you three¡­ Alright, it''s settled. Tomorrow morning, let us meet at the third training ground! We''ll do some survival training."


    With a mysterious smile, Jiraiya once again disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving a small tadpole behind. Seeing it wriggle on the ground, Jun picked it up and finally understood.


    ''White hair, toads¡­ I knew the name sounded familiar. So it''s the monkey''s disciple¡­ Interesting.''


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    Third training ground.


    Jun, Minato, and Nozomi sat in a circle, waiting for their sensei to arrive. They watched as the sun rose, enjoying the fresh air of the forest. Nozomi was reading a book, completely isolated from the outside world.


    Feeling the awkward silence, Minato spoke up, breaking the ice.


    "So what do you two specialize in? I think it would be useful to know each other''s strengths and weaknesses since we''re going to be in a team together."


    "I''m a speed-type. I''m really weak defense-wise. What about you?"


    Nodding, Nozomi stopped reading and pitched in.


    "I''m mainly a sensor, but my taijutsu is also good¡­ My weakness is also physical resistance. I''d say I''m pretty frail."


    Once again, only Jun was left. Acting like he was giving it some thought, he vaguely answered the question.


    "No weaknesses that I can think of¡­ I''m pretty good all-round."


    "..."


    Hearing his words, both Nozomi and Minato smiled awkwardly. How cocky could one be? Were all the Uchiha like this?


    As if he was completely oblivious to their thoughts, Jun had a serious face, indicating he truly meant what he said. Actually, he was holding back his laughter.


    "Ehh¡­ I guess that''s good? Anyways, it''s nice to meet you two, I hope we get along!"


    "Same here."


    Impressed by Minato''s temperament, Jun shook his hand. It had been a while since he''d seen someone so calm and humble at his age.

 Arc 1 - Awakening - Part 4

    Arc 1 - Awakening - Part 4


    <hr>


    #


    As they got to know each other, Jiraiya stood behind some nearby trees, observing them.


    ¡®They seem to get along well¡­ Jun looks like the strong type, while Minato already shows the qualities of a leader. As for Nozomi, I think she¡¯ll complement those two pretty well¡­.¡¯


    Having seen enough, he flickered in front of them, startling Nozomi.


    ¡°Hey, guys! Sorry for being late¡­ I saw a really cute girl, and¡­¡±


    ¡°Wah! Sensei! Don¡¯t scare us like that!¡±


    Nozomi was furious. Looking at Jiraiya with tears in her eyes, she tried to recover from the shock. Looking behind her, she noticed that both of her teammates were unaffected.


    ¡®Seriously?! Are they blocks of wood?¡¯


    Pouting, she stomped her foot on the ground before sitting back down, arms crossed.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry, Nozomi-chan. I promise it was a really cute girl¡­ One you don¡¯t see in a hundred years! I had to approach her!¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Refusing to pardon him, Nozomi looked away, obviously angered. Scratching his head, Jiraiya awkwardly cleared his throat.


    ¡°Alright¡­ Let¡¯s get started, shall we?¡±[1]


    Reaching into his clothes[2], Jiraiya took out two silver bells, tied up with a red string. Holding them up for everyone to see, he explained himself.


    ¡°You may have thought that you were already Genin¡­ Turns out you were wrong. Now, I¡¯m going to test you one more time, and if you fail to meet my expectations¡­ I¡¯ll send you back to the academy!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    With a look of surprise, Nozomi dropped the book she was holding. She had never been told about this!


    Next to her, Minato was already analyzing the possibilities. What did Jiraiya mean by expectations? Was there some sort of criteria they had to meet?


    On the other hand, Jun couldn¡¯t be less bothered. He put his hands in his pockets and yawned, waiting for Jiraiya to finish talking.


    ¡°So this is how it goes¡­ Do you see these bells? You¡¯ll have to take them away from me before noon. If you fail to get one, you¡¯ll be sent right back.¡±


    ¡°So that would mean¡­¡±


    Seeming to have understood the premise, Minato observed both of his teammates. Seeing this, Jiraiya smirked.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty quick, Minato. Yes, there are two bells, while you¡¯re a team of three. I¡¯m sure you understand what this entails.¡±


    ¡°...!¡±


    Realizing this, Nozomi became prudent. She didn¡¯t want to fail, and her greatest competition was Minato, the never-before-seen genius that achieved the highest score the academy had seen so far, after just one year.


    ¡®I¡¯ll have to be wary of him¡­ As for Jun, he shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Even though he¡¯s an Uchiha, everyone knows how weak he is!¡¯


    If Minato wanted a bell, she couldn¡¯t stop him¡­ But the other one would definitely be hers!


    Even though both of his teammates were getting somewhat anxious, Jun still looked unperturbed. Once again, he yawned, hoping they would quickly move on to the fighting part.


    Seeing his student¡¯s reactions, Jiraiya laughed internally. Finally, he understood what it felt like to mess with his student¡¯s heads¡­ It felt amazing!


    ¡°You¡¯re allowed to use real weapons. If you don¡¯t come at me with the intent to kill, there¡¯s no way you¡¯ll pass.¡±


    Stretching a little, Jiraiya raised his hand and extended three fingers.


    ¡°Ok, on the count of three, we¡¯ll start! Three¡­ Two¡­ One¡­ Go!¡±


    As soon as he said go, both Minato and Nozomi flickered away, hiding behind the bushes. Looking around, Jiraiya seemed satisfied. At least, they knew to hide and think before launching an attack.


    Turning his head around, he noticed that Jun hadn¡¯t moved from his spot. In fact, he was cracking his wrists, getting ready for action.


    ¡°You¡¯re not hiding?¡±


    ¡°Why would I hide when there¡¯s such a strong opponent in front of me...? I¡¯m craving a fight!¡±


    ¡®Has he gone crazy? That¡¯s a J¨­nin!¡¯


    Nozomi couldn¡¯t understand Jun¡¯s reasoning. Not too far away, Minato was also curious.


    ¡®Does he have the strength to back it up¡­?¡¯


    <hr>


    [1] For those who didn¡¯t know, the bell test was seen to be used all the way back when Hiruzen was testing the Sannin. I¡¯m mentioning this just in case people think it would be wrong to assume Jiraiya used it. I mean, where would Minato have gotten the idea if not?


    [2] I didn¡¯t know how to properly describe it. Do you know when someone reaches into their Kimono? Not the pocket, but where their abs are? Yeah, that¡¯s what Jiraiya did.


    <hr>


    #


    Hearing Jun¡¯s words, Jiraiya sighed. The kid was underestimating him.


    Actually, Jun would never waste such an opportunity. He had been wanting to fight someone stronger than him for decades! Thanks to this new body of his, it was now possible.


    Calming himself, Jun gathered his energy. Watching Jiraiya, he looked for an opening.


    Seeing Jun¡¯s expression change, Jiraiya subconsciously raised his guard.


    ¡®What¡¯s with that look?¡¯


    Detecting Jiraiya¡¯s slight shift in attention, Jun flickered, disappearing from his initial spot and reappearing in front of Jiraiya.


    ¡®Shunshin! And to a high level at that!¡¯


    Impressed by Jun¡¯s speed, Jiraiya crossed his arms, blocking the kick coming his way.


    ¡°Fast!¡±


    Still in hiding, both Minato and Nozomi gaped at the sight. Jun¡¯s body had practically disappeared from his previous position¡­ It was almost like teleportation!


    Jun continued exploiting the openings in Jiraiya¡¯s stance, aiming at sensitive areas, such as the liver or the chin. Overwhelmed by the onslaught of attacks, Jiraiya was forced to go on the defensive.


    ¡®This kid¡¯s taijutsu¡­ It¡¯s better than mine!¡¯


    Jiraiya couldn¡¯t understand. How could a fourteen-year-old kid have such a great understanding of taijutsu? It was as if he¡¯d been tempered through decades of war!


    Suddenly, Jun noticed a huge opening and landed a perfect kick on Jiraiya¡¯s chest, sending him back a few meters.


    ¡®Nice going!¡¯


    Minato smiled as he watched Jun push back their sensei. A deep respect for him took root in his heart as he felt determination coursing through his veins.


    On the other hand, Nozomi was biting her nails in frustration.


    ¡®How is he so strong?!¡¯


    If both Minato and Jun were monsters, would there even be a bell left for her?


    ¡°Whew! That was impressive!¡±


    Whistling, Jiraiya dusted himself off. Closing his eyes, he decided to get serious. Getting into a martial stance, he waited for Jun to approach.


    ¡°Come! I¡¯ll show- what?¡±


    Suddenly, Jiraiya felt hands gripping his feet. Looking down, he saw two pairs of hands gripping on his ankles¡­ They were coming out of the ground, weirding him out.


    Smiling, Jun started performing hand-seals.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you now.¡±


    ¡°Katon: G¨­kaky¨± no Jutsu.¡± (Fire-style: Great fireball technique.)


    Expanding his lungs, Jun breathed out a huge, perfectly spherical fireball, three times as big as the one he produced last time. It rotated as it burned the grass underneath it, closing in on Jiraiya.


    ¡°Is he even a genin?!¡±


    Jiraiya, Minato, and Nozomi all stared at the fireball in disbelief. Especially Jiraiya, who knew how complicated nature-transformation Jutsu were.


    Reacting quickly, he also formed some hand seals and placed two fingers in front of his mouth as he spat out a wall of water in front of him.


    ¡°Suiton: Suijinheki!¡± (Water-style: Water wall!)


    Once the fireball came into contact with the water, a large amount of steam was generated, as it was successfully neutralized.


    Thinking it was over, Jiraiya sighed in relief.


    But before he could relax, a disturbance in the air caused him to react. Jun had flickered right behind him and was about to take one of the bells.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t!¡±


    Furrowing his brows, Jiraiya¡¯s hair grew out of proportion, generating deadly spikes and covering the bells in the process. Feeling the incoming threat, Jun retreated but was still cut a little on his cheek.


    At a safe distance, Jin canceled both of his shadow-clones, releasing Jiraiya¡¯s ankles. Tasting the blood trailing down his cheek, his will to battle increased.


    ¡®Kage-Bunshin? But how did he have them crawl out of the ground, and avoid my detection?¡¯


    Jiraiya was confused. After all, it didn¡¯t make sense for a Genin to hide from him.


    Smiling mysteriously, Jun raised his hand and performed the single-handed ram seal. As if he had become a ghost, Jun merged into the ground, disappearing from sight. Seeing this, Jiraiya was shocked.


    ¡®I can¡¯t feel his presence!¡¯


    <hr>


    #


    As Jiraiya was occupied looking for Jun, two shurikens came out of a nearby tree, aimed directly at him. Noticing them, Jiraiya raised his hand and easily caught them in between his fingers.


    ¡®Tch¡­ As expected from a J¨­nin¡­ Attacks like this one won¡¯t have any effect.¡¯


    Since he had given away his location, Minato immediately ran away, quickly hiding away.


    Calmly analyzing the situation, he weighed all possibilities. Even though Jun was strong, Minato just couldn¡¯t see him taking down Jiraiya by himself.


    ¡®There¡¯s only one way then¡­¡¯


    No matter what, he just couldn¡¯t see a clear path to victory unless they worked together¡­ But what about Nozomi? The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°...!¡±


    As if he had finally understood something very important, Minato held his chin, falling in deep thought.


    ¡®So that¡¯s the meaning of this exam¡­ They want to test our ability to recognize our opponent¡¯s strength, and work in conjunction to survive!¡¯


    Reaching this conclusion, Minato immediately got to planning. Taking into account Jun¡¯s abilities and Nozomi¡¯s heritage, he quickly came up with a plan.


    ¡®Alright¡­ Now I just have to reach them before he does...!¡¯


    Thinking quickly, he remembered the path Nozomi took in her escape. Although it happened in a split-second, he had a basic idea of where to go.


    After a while of searching, he finally found her, lying underneath some bushes. Seeing Minato creep behind her, Nozomi turned around and held up her palms.


    ¡°Relax¡­! I¡¯m not here to fight¡­¡±


    In a hushed voice, Minato raised his hands in peace. Seeing his actions, Nozomi calmed down.


    ¡°What do you want? I shouldn¡¯t have to remind you that we¡¯re enemies right now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what he wants you to think.¡±


    ¡°What...?¡±


    Smiling, Minato explained the premise of the exam to her. Hearing his words, she felt like it made a lot of sense.


    ¡°If your theory is right¡­ We have to work together in order to win!¡±


    ¡°Sounds about right.¡±


    ¡°Wha-!¡±


    Both Nozomi and Minato jumped in fright as Jun¡¯s head emerged from the ground. Looking at them with a smile, he got out and sat in front of them.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Nozomi didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or to cry. How long had Jun been there, listening in?


    <hr>


    ¡°There he is.¡±


    Finally, Jiraiya sensed Jun¡¯s presence. Looking in his direction, he couldn¡¯t help but smile, noticing that he was accompanied by both of his teammates.


    ¡°Did they decide to work together? If that¡¯s so, they have potential!¡±


    Feeling positive, Jiraiya acted like he was still looking for them, but was actually giving them time to plan ahead. If he went over now, it just wouldn¡¯t be any fun.


    Hiding the bells back inside his clothes, Jiraiya patiently waited.


    <hr>


    After a while, Jiraiya felt them move. Minato and Nozomi were circling around him, whilst Jun¡¯s signal had completely disappeared. Furrowing his brows, he still couldn¡¯t understand how he possessed such an ability.


    ¡°Is it a bloodline-limit? No¡­ He¡¯s an Uchiha, so it wouldn¡¯t make any sense.¡±


    Suddenly, both Minato and Nozomi jumped out of the nearby shrubbery, attacking him from two sides at once. Smiling, Jiraiya kept them company as he kept an eye out for Jun.


    ¡®Thank god they¡¯re not complete freaks like Jun¡­¡¯


    Jiraiya rejoiced as he toyed with both Minato and Nozomi.


    Just as he was getting comfortable, something happened that was completely out of his expectations. In the middle of their fight, Minato and Nozomi disappeared into the ground, leaving without a trace.


    ¡°What!?¡±


    <hr>


    #


    Not letting himself get shocked by the sudden disappearance of all three of his students, Jiraiya jumped high up in the air, in order to not get locked from the ground a second time.


    Surveying the area from a high position, he still couldn¡¯t see any of them.


    Just as he was starting to lose momentum, another fireball was shot right in his direction.


    ¡®Crap! Why did I jump¡­¡¯


    Faced with a second-round, Jiraiya used the water wall once again, completely nullifying it.


    Disappointed by his student¡¯s lack of understanding, he sighed.


    ¡°If I blocked it once already¡­ Did you really think that just because I¡¯m up in the air, I wouldn¡¯t use my Jutsu?¡±


    As soon as the fireball disappeared, his field of vision was covered with steam.


    Just as he was about to start falling back down, a bunch of Shuriken came flying out of the steam cloud, catching him by surprise.


    ¡®It was just a distraction!¡¯


    Reacting quickly, Jiraiya covered his entire body with hair-spikes, blocking all attacks.


    ¡°Now!¡±


    Back on the ground, Minato gave the signal. Next to him, Nozomi activated her Byakugan and looked for the bells, seeing through everything¡­ Including the steam and hair.


    ¡®There!¡¯


    As soon as Jiraiya¡¯s hair-coat receded, she shouted.


    ¡°Kawarimi no Jutsu!¡± (Body Replacement Technique!)


    Before Jiraiya could catch wind of what was happening, the bells he carried with him disappeared, being replaced with a smiling Nozomi, who rested in his arms.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°Got you! Hehe!¡±


    Landing on the ground while princess-carrying Nozomi, Jiraiya looked around in confusion. In front of him, Minato and Jun were standing proudly, both holding one of the bells.


    Jumping off from his arms, Nozomi ran up to her teammates and placed a finger on both bells, grinning from ear to ear.


    ¡°We won!¡±


    Jiraiya stood there, flabbergasted. Those three had completely outsmarted him.


    Suddenly, he started laughing, weirding his students out.


    ¡°Hahahaha! Well done! Well done indeed¡­¡±


    Smiling, he disappeared in a puff of smoke, along with the bells they were holding.


    ¡°You were close... But not quite there yet!¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    Nozomi stared in Shock as the real Jiraiya came out of the nearby trees, holding two bells.


    ¡°A clone¡­ We should¡¯ve seen it coming.¡±


    Realizing that he had also been played, Jun respected Jiraiya¡¯s shrewd plan. After all, there was a limit to what he could do with his current level of strength.


    Also, he knew Jiraiya had gone easy on them from the beginning. This just excited Jun more, when thinking that he could fight this man more in the future.


    ¡°A clone, huh? Well, there wasn¡¯t anything we could do about that. Well played, Jiraiya-sensei.¡±


    Minato admitted defeat as he sighed.


    Next to them, Nozomi couldn¡¯t believe her ears. Stomping her foot on the ground, she refused to accept defeat.


    ¡°That¡¯s unfair! Are you guys just gonna take it lying down? He¡¯s a J¨­nin, yet he had to resort to such underhanded tactics!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong.¡±


    Hearing Jun deny her statement, Nozomi looked at him for an explanation.


    ¡°We should be happy with how far we pushed Sensei. Technically, we won the fight¡­ Even though we lost the war, it¡¯s a step in the right direction.¡±


    ¡°Jun¡¯s right. I¡¯m happy with our performance! Especially you, Nozomi. The plan would¡¯ve been impossible without you!¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Hearing Minato¡¯s praise, Nozomi blushed and stumped her foot, deciding to not pay these brutes any more attention. [1]


    Watching them, Jiraiya smiled. He felt lucky to have been assigned as the teacher of these three little freaks.


    <hr>


    [1] Just to make it clear, Nozomi blushed because she got praised, and her opinion was completely rejected at the same time. It¡¯s not like she fell for Minato, more like she was flustered from the conflicting responses of both of the guys.


    <hr>


    #


    ¡°Does this mean we fail?¡±


    Hearing Minato¡¯s question, Jiraiya closed his eyes.


    ¡°Heh, usually, that would be the case, but¡­¡±


    Through the corner of his, he saw his student¡¯s hopeful faces and decided to stop the teasing.


    ¡°You all pass!¡±


    ¡°Minato, you were right! We passed!¡±


    Nozomi excitedly patted him on the back, praising him for his intelligence.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ It seems like I was, thankfully.¡±


    Realizing that his students weren¡¯t all that surprised, Jiraiya found it weird. Could they have¡­?


    ¡®So they knew all along¡­¡¯


    Sighing, Jiraiya didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or to cry. This time, he had received three gems.


    ¡°Alright, you three. Now that you passed, it means that you¡¯re my official subordinates. As your sensei¡­ Here¡¯s my first order.¡±


    ¡°Tell me how the hell you did it. Explain your plan from the beginning to the end, and don¡¯t leave out any details!¡±


    Jiraiya was extremely curious. He wanted to know how a bunch of recently-appointed Genin had managed to outsmart him.


    ¡°Well, it was Minato¡¯s idea, so he should explain.¡±


    Looking in Minato¡¯s direction, Jun smiled. He had to admit that this kid¡¯s intelligence was out of the ordinary.


    ¡°Well¡­ Even though I formulated the plan, I would¡¯ve been helpless by myself¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so humble! Tell him, Minato!¡±


    With Nozomi¡¯s prompting, even though Minato didn¡¯t like flaunting, he explained his plan in detail.


    ¡°First, Jun created two clones that looked exactly like us, before completely sealing our tenketsu, erasing our presence.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    Jiraiya looked at Jun like he was a monster. Not only could the kid perform Kage-Bunshin at such a young age, but he could also seal away tenketsu! Was he dreaming?


    ¡®So that¡¯s why Minato and Nozomi were able to merge into the ground¡­ It all makes sense now¡­¡¯


    ¡°Creating a steam cloud with Jun¡¯s fireball, I sent a few surprise Shuriken so that you would be occupied, as Jun unsealed Nozomi¡¯s tenketsu. After that, she activated her Byakugan, finding the bells and substituting with them.¡±


    Jiraiya didn¡¯t have words. All of them were freaks, in every sense of the word.


    Minato had thought so far ahead, combining all the strengths of his teammates in a perfect manner. He also was the one to deduce the hidden meaning behind the exam, demonstrating incredible intellect and foresight, unfitting for a boy his age.


    On the other hand, Jun was simply a monster for his age. Not only was he capable of using nature-transformation, but he could also hide away from a J¨­nin, perform Kage-Bunshin, and close tenketsu. Jiraiya didn¡¯t have the words to describe what he was feeling.


    As for Nozomi, her accuracy with the Byakugan and Kawarimi were commendable. Even though she didn¡¯t have much to show, if she messed up her part, the whole plan would¡¯ve been useless. Her ability to stay level-headed in such a situation was impressive.


    ¡°You guys¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright! It¡¯s decided! Let¡¯s meet right here, tomorrow morning. We¡¯ll go on our first mission!¡±


    Saying these last words, Jiraiya once again disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving the three Genin by themselves.


    ¡°Good job, everyone!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, good job!¡±


    ¡°Hmph. I guess you could say that.¡±


    All three of them smiled, marking the beginning of a new era.


    <hr>


    Amaguriama, Konoha hot-spring district. [1]


    Inside the popular sweet shop, Jiraiya and Sarutobi were having some tea inside a private room. Both of them were enjoying each other¡¯s company, talking about life and other things.


    ¡°So, Jiraiya¡­ Tell me about your students. Are they any good?¡±


    <hr>


    [1] Amaguriama (Literally meaning: Sweet Chestnut Sweetness) is a popular sweet shop in Konohagakure located on Konoha Tea Avenue, specializing in chestnut candies, such as chestnut jellies and jams, and roasted-chestnuts. The shop serves many other sweets like Dango, mame-daifuku, manj¨±, and sweet bean paste. They also have a second shop, this one being located in the hot spring district. Here¡¯s a shortened link to the wiki page if you wish to know more:


    bit.ly/2UWi2Wv


    <hr>


    #


    Sipping on his tea, Sarutobi smiled. He knew that Jiraiya had been wanting a team of his own, so he allowed him to become a sensei. Judging by his good mood, he could already guess the answer.


    ¡°Old man¡­ I think I hit the jackpot! Those three are so good I can¡¯t believe they¡¯re straight out of the academy!¡±


    ¡°Really? What did they do to impress you this much?¡±


    Now, Hiruzen was interested. If Jiraiya spoke this much praise about something other than a woman, it had to be good.


    Clearing his throat, Jiraiya explained how he technically lost in the bell test. He didn¡¯t miss out any detail, from how overpowered Jun was to Minato¡¯s impressive intellect.


    Sarutobi couldn¡¯t help but rejoice. If the Genin were already this strong, Konoha was in for prosperous times.


    Smiling, Jiraiya couldn¡¯t agree more.


    ¡°The best thing is those two¡¯s personalities. Like any Uchiha, jun is arrogant, but not in an overbearing way. He knows how to admit defeat, and even sees the bigger picture. Even though he¡¯s just fourteen, his reasoning is on par with mine!¡±


    ¡°Then there¡¯s Minato. His love for the village runs deep, and I¡¯ve never seen someone as smart as him, apart from Orochimaru. In fact, I think he¡¯s smarter than him when he was at that age!¡±


    ¡°Heavens¡­ If that¡¯s true, then we have a few diamonds in the rough this generation!¡±


    <hr>


    The next morning, team Jiraiya gathered up at the third training ground. Greeting each other, they patiently waited for their sensei to arrive.


    ¡°What do you think our first mission will be guys? I sure hope its an easy one.¡±


    Nozomi took a rare break from her book as she asked this question. Since it was their first mission, she expected it to be simple.


    Smiling, Minato chuckled.


    ¡°I hope its at least challenging.¡±


    ¡°Seconded.¡±


    Jun agreed with Minato, as he nonchalantly lied down to nap.


    ¡°You two¡­¡±


    Nozomi couldn¡¯t help but look at them with frustration. Why were they always ganging up on her?


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Ignoring them, she found a secluded corner and continued reading, in hopes of calming down.


    After a while, Jiraiya finally arrived. He carried a thick scent of perfume that permeated across the area. Feeling it, Nozomi recognized the smell of a woman... Looking at her sensei with disgusted eyes, she lost all hope in men.


    ¡°Ah, sorry for being late guys. I was busy with some¡­ Important matters.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, important matters he says¡­¡±


    Closing her book, Nozomi joined the group and Jiraiya cleared his throat.


    ¡°As I said, today we will go on our first mission! Aren¡¯t you guys excited?¡±


    Nozomi ignored him and Jun looked bored. The only one who seemed interested was Minato, as he raised his hand.


    ¡°Jiraiya-sensei, may I ask what our mission is?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough! For now, just follow me.¡±


    Smiling, Jiraiya led the way as they made their way towards the Inuzuka¡¯s area. Being one of the village¡¯s major clans, they occupied a massive plot of land, similar to the Uchiha¡¯s.


    Once there, they noticed the guard standing by the gate. He was wearing the traditional Ch¨±nin clothing and had the typical face-paint of the Inuzuka.


    Seeing Jiraiya, the guard walked over and greeted them with respect.


    ¡°Jiraiya-san, welcome! Are you here for kennel duty?¡±


    ¡°Certainly!¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s so, then please go on. Thank you kindly for your help!¡±


    Noticing where they were, and the casual use of the words ¡®kennels¡¯ and ¡®duty¡¯, the three members of team Jiraiya got a very, very bad feeling.


    <hr>


    #


    ¡°Alright! You heard the man. Let¡¯s go!¡± Swaggering into the Inuzuka¡¯s territory as if it were his own, Jiraiya signaled for his students to follow behind him, which they reluctantly did.


    A while later, they reached a building with a huge sign.


    ¡°Inuzuka Kennels¡­¡±


    Reading it out loud, Nozomi felt a chill run down her spine. Ever since they¡¯d entered this place, it already smelled like dogs... But she felt like it got worse, the closer they got to this place.


    ¡®Byakugan!¡¯


    As veins appeared near her eyes, she activated her eyes and looked right into the building. A second later, her face was drained of all color.


    Noticing this change, both Jun and Minato turned to her. They also had some theories but were hoping they weren¡¯t correct.


    ¡°Jiraiya-sensei¡­ What is the meaning of this¡­¡±


    ¡°Hehehe¡­ It seems like the cat¡¯s out of the bag... Welcome to your first, humbling D-rank mission! Today, we¡¯ll be cleaning the Inuzuka Kennels!¡±


    ¡°NO!¡±


    As if all her worst fears had come true, Noxzomi quickly turned around, trying to escape. As soon as she faced the opposite direction, Jiraiya had already appeared right before her.


    ¡°Where are you going...? Could you be running from our first mission?¡±


    ¡°So what if I am! Get out of the way!¡±


    ¡°Tsk Tsk¡­ Kids these days. What¡¯s some dog waste to a ninja? We go on life-or-death missions, yet we¡¯re unable to clean a dog¡¯s kennel? Tell me¡­ Do you think that¡¯s right?¡±


    Jiraiya was having the time of his life. Seeing his cute little Genin suffer like this, brought him tremendous joy, as he enjoyed his new role as a teacher.


    ¡®Me? Cleaning dog crap¡­?¡¯


    Jun was unable to compute this information. The great Madara would have to clean dog kennels?


    ¡®Hashirama¡­ I didn¡¯t know you had such a dark side¡­ Who would make kids undergo such a vulgar mission as their initiation!¡¯


    Unable to accept reality, Jun short-circuited. He stood there, with a lifeless look in his eyes, mumbling to himself. If one were to listen closely, they¡¯d hear Hashirama¡¯s name being repeated with countless curses.


    The only one that was left fully-functioning was Minato, who smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°I¡­ I guess there are no shortcuts on the road to become Hokage¡­¡±


    Grabbing Nozomi from the back of her blouse, Jiraiya dragged her into the building, whether she wanted to or not. Following behind him, Minato and a barely-functioning Jun also entered.


    Once inside, a gentle old lady walked over to them. Next to her, a seasoned dog with thick fur was wagging its tail.


    ¡°Welcome! We were just waiting for you. The dogs are right this way, follow me!¡±


    ¡°After you, madam.¡±


    Talking to her politely, Jiraiya took his students and followed the old lady until they reached what seemed like the interior of a bathhouse.


    Inside, there were hundreds of dogs, all lined up. Watching Jiraiya¡¯s squad walk in, they wagged their tails expectantly.


    Pointing at a corner that was full of cleaning material, the old lady spoke with a smile.


    ¡°The cleaning supplies are in that corner, and the water hoses are over there. Once you¡¯re done washing them all, make sure to dry them off using the blow-dryers!¡±


    ¡°What¡­?"


    Hearing the lady¡¯s words, a lightning bolt seemed to strike all three Genin. Looking at Jiraiya with shocked faces, they thought they heard wrongly.


    Seeing their reactions, Jiraiya burst out laughing.


    ¡°Gahahaha! You guys really thought that we¡¯d be cleaning the kennels? I got you good! Ahahaha!¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ Does that mean¡­ We won¡¯t be cleaning dog shit...?¡±


    <hr>


    A/N: This marks the end of arc 1! I will be posting the rest when I have the time. In the meantime, if you want to continue reading, you can head over to webnovel and search for this fic. Anyways, peace and thanks for reading!