Chapter 2: The Feeling of Being a Genius

This... is it really awakened already?

He had only experienced a slight emotional fluctuation just now, right?

Reiji could not help clicking his tongue inwardly. As expected of Indra’s bloodline!

The Sharingan was the Eye of the Reflection of the Heart.

It was not just the awakening of the Mangekyo Sharingan—even the awakening and advancement of the Sharingan at every stage required emotional stimulation.

In the original story, Uchiha Itachi’s teammate during his time as a Genin was killed by Uchiha Obito while protecting him. At the age of eight, Itachi awakened a single tomoe.

Uchiha Sasuke awakened a single tomoe after his older brother massacred their clan and killed their parents.

Uchiha Obito also awakened his Sharingan because Kakashi was injured while protecting him, directly awakening the Two-Tomoe Sharingan.

And what about him, Reiji?

He had only made a remark because he disliked Uchiha Itachi, and his eyes had awakened just like that?

What kind of terrifying bloodline strength was this?

"As long as the bloodline power is strong enough, once the pupil power reaches its critical point, only a simple emotional stimulus is needed to advance."

Reiji had verified his theory about the Mangekyo Sharingan.

Sure enough, that sudden mutation in pupil power that produced the Mangekyo Sharingan was an unorthodox path.

Just as Reiji was about to learn more about the Sharingan’s abilities, a petite figure climbed up a ladder in the courtyard of the neighboring house and poked her head over the wall.

"Reiji, Reiji, dinner’s ready."

It was his neighbor, his childhood sweetheart who had grown up with him—Uchiha Izumi.

When his parents were still alive, the two families had always been close. After his parents died, it was basically Izumi’s parents who took care of him.

During the Nine-Tails Night a year ago, he had used his foreknowledge to help Izumi’s family avoid disaster.

Since then, Izumi’s parents had practically raised him as one of their own children.

Reiji deactivated his Sharingan, took a deep breath, and calmed himself down.

However, he soon discovered that he simply could not calm down.

It was like having an interesting game placed right in front of you, only for your parents to call you away to do chores.

His mood remained excited and high-spirited, almost unbearably eager. He could not even settle down during dinner, and Izumi’s mother had to knock him on the head several times before he managed to restrain himself somewhat.

After dinner, he eagerly dragged Izumi into the courtyard for a spar.

Uchiha Izumi’s grades at the Ninja Academy were slightly better than his.

She was especially skilled in taijutsu. Normally, whenever the two of them sparred in hand-to-hand combat, Reiji was never her match.

Sometimes, when fists and feet flew without mercy, he would even accidentally get beaten up.

Izumi, on the other hand, calmly prepared all kinds of treatment supplies first: cold towels for applying ice, bandages, medicinal alcohol for bruises, and so on.

Only then did she tie her long, straight black hair into a single ponytail at the back of her head. Her usually gentle and graceful appearance now carried a touch of carefree sharpness.

"I’ll be as careful as I can. I won’t hit you," Izumi said softly.

"...You don’t need to anymore. No, from now on, you won’t need to."

The corner of Reiji’s mouth twitched.

Having a girl his own age say something like that because she was holding back for him was a little embarrassing...

The two quickly engaged each other.

It was only after they truly began fighting that Reiji deeply experienced the changes that had occurred within him.

His physical strength and speed had both increased considerably.

His perception had improved tremendously. Even without activating the Sharingan, he could clearly see his opponent’s movements, rapidly analyze them with his brain, and respond with agility.

So this was what it felt like to be a genius?

Almost every move and every technique required hardly any thought at all. He could respond with ease and fluidity.

The faint sound of a fist cutting through the air rang beside his ear.

Without even needing to look, Reiji reacted immediately. He shifted his body slightly and dodged the attack, then seized Izumi’s arm and twisted it behind her while simultaneously pressing against her back.

"..."

Uchiha Izumi had not even reacted before she was restrained. A dazed and astonished expression appeared on her pretty face.

When had Reiji... become this strong?

Was it a coincidence, or was there some other reason?

Recalling how Reiji had told her earlier that he no longer needed her to hold back, Izumi blinked and became serious.

However.

After several more exchanges, Izumi discovered that she was losing faster and faster.

Her techniques went from being effortlessly neutralized to gradually being unable to keep up with Reiji’s pace. Eventually, she was subdued in just two or three moves.

"Phew~ Stop, stop. Let’s take a break first."

In the end, Izumi could not hold on any longer and was the first to call for a halt.

"Reiji, how did you become so strong?"

Izumi was slightly out of breath, looking extremely curious.

Taijutsu was her greatest strength. In the past, even when she deliberately held back a little, Reiji had never been her match.

Now, the situation had completely reversed.

Recalling Reiji’s barely concealed excitement during dinner, Izumi cautiously asked, "Could it be... that you awakened your Sharingan?"

But Reiji’s eyes had not changed at all during their spar just now.

"That’s right."

The corners of Reiji’s mouth curved slightly upward. Chakra gathered in his eyes, and the pattern of the One-Tomoe Sharingan appeared.

"So amazing!"

Izumi praised him sincerely.

To awaken the Sharingan at an age of over seven but under eight, there probably were not many people in the entire Uchiha clan who could accomplish that, right?

As far as she knew, Uchiha Itachi, the student who had ranked first in every aspect since entering the academy, had not awakened his Sharingan yet either.

"It feels like... the entire world has become different after awakening my eyes."

Reiji swept his gaze around the courtyard as he spoke.

The textures of the trees, the movement of the leaves in the wind, the flapping of insects’ wings—everything was revealed in perfect detail, automatically captured and analyzed by the Sharingan before being transmitted to his brain.

If the perception of ordinary eyes required one to actively observe information and transmit it to the brain, then the Sharingan’s perception automatically observed and analyzed everything before directly transmitting the results to the brain!

Even with only the One-Tomoe Sharingan, the improvement in perception was on an entirely different level.

As expected of one of the most famous Kekkei Genkai in the shinobi world.

Naruto could also be called The Legend of Eyes in the Five-Village Battle Royale. It really was not an inaccurate description.

After taking a short rest, Izumi was once again dragged up by Reiji for another spar.

They had not used the Sharingan during their previous fight.

This was Reiji’s first time experiencing the power of the Sharingan in actual combat.

Through the Sharingan’s enhanced perception, Reiji felt as though Izumi’s movements had slowed down, becoming almost like slow motion.

Of course, that was merely an illusion.

It was simply the illusion created by his brain having more time to react after the Sharingan enhanced his perception.

Reiji casually deflected Izumi’s incoming punch and immediately countered with a punch of his own.

Watching his fist get closer and closer to Izumi’s eye while she had yet to react, Reiji suddenly felt that something was wrong.

"Damn it!"

However.

His brain had enough time to react, but his fist could not stop in time. His punch landed squarely on Uchiha Izumi’s left eye.

"Ah!"

A clear cry of pain rang out.