Chapter 4
Ito readily agreed to Akira's request to use shadow clones during class. He had no reason to refuse. In his heart, he firmly believed Akira would one day become a great shinobi, and as a teacher, he had no intention of becoming an obstacle along that path.
Ito even promised that if any special circumstances arose requiring Akira's real body, he would notify him in advance.
With this assurance, Akira felt a sense of relief. Not only had he successfully crafted a convincing excuse for his absence, but he had also found a way to avoid physically attending classes in the future. He inwardly gave himself a thumbs up for his ingenuity.
After politely nodding to his teacher, Akira informed him that he was merely a shadow clone, then turned and walked back to class.
Ito was speechless.
There were, of course, some things Akira hadn't revealed to Ito. While he did possess chakra reserves on par with a Jōnin, maintaining a shadow clone specifically for study still wasn't a trivial task.
The truth was, Akira didn't intend to actually learn anything at the academy. Between his own accumulated knowledge and the memories he had absorbed from Kawa, he had already mastered everything required to graduate.
As for his classmates, they were essentially background characters who didn't even merit names in the original story. Akira had no interest in interacting with them.
So, the chakra allocated to the clone was minimal—just enough to maintain its form and give the illusion of attendance. In Akira's eyes, the academy was a complete waste of time. If he weren't concerned about drawing too much attention, he would have applied for early graduation already.
Akira already wielded considerable power, though most of it was locked behind his Mangekyō Sharingan, which he couldn't reveal so easily. The techniques inherited from Kawa, however, were fair game. As brothers, it made perfect sense for them to have learned the same jutsu from their father.
Still, Akira was too young. If he displayed strength that was too advanced, it would raise eyebrows. So, he decided to only reveal abilities Uchiha Akira had before awakening his Sharingan. He would slowly, strategically unveil his power, letting the world accept his genius over time.
Even before awakening his Mangekyō, Akira had shown astonishing promise. He had once been hailed as the youngest medical-nin in Konoha's history.
His Sharingan had awakened upon learning of his mother's death. But at the time, he didn't know what it was, and thus didn't attempt to use it—not unlike Sasuke in the original timeline.
However, Akira was no ordinary child. From that moment on, memories of his past life began to stir within him. Slowly, he reclaimed the mental fortitude built up over twenty years of life experience.
Mental strength, closely tied to eye power, flourished within him.
As every shinobi knows, chakra is the fusion of physical and spiritual energy. With his mental energy surging, Akira's chakra expanded rapidly.
During a routine training session, he had inadvertently activated his Sharingan—and it had already developed to the Two-Tomoe stage.
This shocked the Uchiha clan.
Awakening the Sharingan at age five—and with two tomoe? Unprecedented.
Prior to this, the earliest known awakening was by Shisui, who had awakened a One-Tomoe Sharingan at age seven just the year before.
In an instant, Akira had surpassed Shisui and became the number one prodigy of the Uchiha—perhaps even of all Konoha.
The clan took immediate action. Akira was granted top-tier resources and access to high-level Uchiha ninjutsu and genjutsu.
He didn't disappoint. He swiftly mastered Fire Release techniques and made rapid progress in genjutsu. The only area where he lagged was taijutsu, due to his still-developing body.
By the time of Kawa's attack, Akira's abilities were already above average for a genin. With the Sharingan activated, he could even take on some Chūnin. His genjutsu proficiency alone could trouble even a Jōnin.
Kawa only succeeded due to a surprise attack. Had they fought head-on, Akira wouldn't have been defeated so easily.
His reputation as a genius spread not just through the Uchiha, but throughout Konoha.
And of course, Uchiha Madara had noticed.
In Madara's eyes, Akira was a prime candidate to carry on his legacy. But Madara was old and couldn't afford to wait for a child to mature. That's why he chose Kawa—whose genetics most closely resembled Akira's—as a stand-in.
That decision eventually led to Kawa's betrayal and Akira's awakening of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Unbeknownst to Akira, his own talent had indirectly triggered Kawa's attack. But he was focused on the future.
Since his predecessor already had strength close to a Chūnin, Akira figured that if he kept a low profile for a year, revealing Jōnin-level skills later wouldn't raise too many suspicions.
He now possessed all the techniques and abilities of both his past self and Kawa. While neither was exceptionally powerful alone, their combined abilities were easily on par with a Tokubetsu Jōnin. His chakra reserves were already equivalent to a full Jōnin.
Even without revealing his Mangekyō, his current Sharingan would be enough to place him at the Jōnin level.
His plan was clear: over the next year, master Fire Release at the Jōnin level, and then address his weakest area—taijutsu.
Once those were complete, he could reveal his Three-Tomoe Sharingan and fight on the battlefield if needed. Against all but Kage-level threats, he'd hold his own. And after all, who would question a Three-Tomoe Sharingan awakening after two years of hard training?
He would blend in perfectly.
Still, planning was one thing. Executing it was another.
His genjutsu knowledge was limited, and Kawa hadn't been skilled in that area either. But with his Mangekyō's formidable eye power and his massive reserves of mental energy, mastering advanced genjutsu would be easy.
His Fire Release, bolstered by both his and Kawa's techniques, was already close to Jōnin level. Polishing it further over the next year wouldn't be difficult.
The real hurdle was taijutsu.
Unlike mental energy, physical energy couldn't be absorbed instantly. Even if Akira absorbed Kawa's physical energy, it wouldn't cause his body to mature overnight.
Unless he transformed into Kawa using Mangekyō abilities, that physical energy would have to be slowly absorbed over time, through training and natural growth.
At six years old, even with another year of growth, Akira would still be far from physical maturity. His progress in taijutsu would be limited.
But Akira wasn't discouraged.
"I'm a shinobi. If pure taijutsu won't cut it... why not pursue ninja taijutsu instead?" he thought, a grin tugging at his lips.
With this in mind, Akira knew he needed to plan his next steps carefully.
The real game was just beginning.
Regarding the matter of ninja body techniques, Akira had limited knowledge. He planned to consult the clan for guidance, as his main body was still within the Uchiha compound and had yet to leave.
Due to the ongoing war, the streets within the clan were sparsely populated. The Uchiha had a high proportion of active shinobi, and most had already departed for the front lines.
Akira originally intended to casually stroll around the compound and ask a familiar elder or clan member he encountered. However, much to his dismay, after walking for quite a while, he hadn't seen a single shinobi, let alone someone he recognized.
With no other choice, he decided to leave the Uchiha compound and head into the village, either to ask others or to browse the archives for more information.
But just as he stepped out through the clan's gate, a small figure dashed toward him from the opposite direction. Akira instantly recognized the boy — it was Uchiha Shisui, formerly the number one genius of the clan before Akira's predecessor, Uchiha Nan, rose to prominence.
Shisui, two years Akira's senior, had awakened his one-tomoe Sharingan at the age of seven. He'd enrolled in the academy two years ahead of Akira and was expected to graduate soon. Akira was curious to see how much stronger Shisui had grown.
As their eyes met, Shisui offered a friendly wave. "Heading out, Akira? What's up?"
"Not much," Akira replied with a smile. "Just wandering."
"Why aren't you in class today?" Shisui asked.
Akira casually explained that he'd sent a shadow clone to attend classes in his place. Then he raised an eyebrow and returned the question. "You should be in school too, right? Skipping class?"
Shisui paused before responding. "Actually, I've applied for early graduation. I'm taking the exam soon. If all goes well, I'll officially become a shinobi and join the battlefield with the clan's older members."
Akira's brows lifted slightly. "Is the war situation really that urgent? Even fresh Genin are being sent to the front?"
"Not exactly," Shisui said, pride creeping into his tone. "My actual strength is already beyond Genin level. Believe it or not, I've evolved my Sharingan to two tomoe. I've caught up to you!"
Akira chuckled lightly. "So you've awakened your second tomoe. No wonder the clan approved your deployment."
Indeed, with a two-tomoe Sharingan, Shisui was already more than a typical Genin. He specialized in the Body Flicker Technique and Genjutsu. And now, empowered with his upgraded Sharingan, his Genjutsu could likely affect even Chunin.
That was the fearsome trait of the Uchiha's Sharingan — it allowed for explosive leaps in combat ability.
Who knew? Maybe one day, after a severe emotional trigger, Shisui could awaken the Mangekyo and jump straight to Kage-level — just like Akira.
Smirking faintly, Akira responded, "Catch up to me? You're still a bit behind."
As he spoke, he activated his Sharingan — not the Mangekyo, of course, but the Three-Tomoe Sharingan. He didn't want to give Shisui a heart attack.
Even so, the sight of Akira's three-tomoe Sharingan left Shisui utterly stunned.
He had awakened his own Sharingan at seven and had just evolved to two tomoe at age eight, which was already an exceptional pace. When Akira awakened his at five — and with two tomoe immediately — it had shaken the clan.
And now, just a year later, Akira had reached the third tomoe.
With a fully evolved Sharingan, he was essentially already Jonin-level in visual prowess. With some additional Genjutsu training, he could feasibly become a Special Jonin immediately. His dynamic vision, chakra flow detection, and ninjutsu-copying ability were already top-tier.
A normal clan member might reach three tomoe by age thirteen and make Jonin by fifteen. But Akira?
He was only six.
Was the Uchiha clan about to witness the rise of a Jonin before the age of ten?
Shisui had never quite accepted Akira overtaking him as the Uchiha clan's top genius, or even as Konoha's most promising prodigy. Before Akira's rise, Shisui believed he was the most gifted.
But reality was clear — Akira had surpassed him. And not by a little.
Akira, unaware of Shisui's inner turmoil, was thinking of more practical matters. Now that Shisui was about to become a full-fledged shinobi, he might know more about the village. It was the perfect opportunity to ask.
He was looking to develop Ninja Body Techniques — a fusion of Taijutsu and elemental chakra, ideally Lightning Release. So he asked Shisui if he knew who in the village specialized in Lightning Release and Taijutsu.
To his surprise, Shisui actually had some insight.
He explained that while a few in the clan and village could use Lightning Release, high-level Lightning Release users were rare. Konoha had little heritage of Lightning techniques, unlike the Land of Lightning.
Even those with a Lightning chakra nature often didn't pursue it seriously. There weren't enough jutsu to train with, and the few shinobi who did specialize in it were often immigrants from the Land of Lightning who had failed to establish themselves there.
As for the most accomplished Lightning Release user in the village, Shisui mentioned Hatake Kakashi — a young prodigy who, despite only being a Chunin, was widely known for his Lightning-based techniques.
When it came to Taijutsu specialists, Shisui admitted he knew less. Pure Taijutsu users were rare among shinobi — those who could wield ninjutsu often prioritized it over physical combat. Investing deeply in Taijutsu wasn't the norm.
Listening carefully, Akira realized his idea of developing Ninja Body Techniques might prove difficult within Konoha.
Still deep in thought, Akira was pulled back to the moment when Shisui suddenly made a request:
"Akira... Want to spar with me?"
The challenge hung in the air — a true test between the Uchiha clan's two brightest stars.