Chapter 8: Unequal Treatment—He Actually Awakened the Sharingan

The first person to undergo the assessment was Uchiha Itachi.

"Do your best, Itachi."

A hint of a smile appeared on Uchiha Fugaku’s face as he encouraged him.

On the other side, Hiruzen Sarutobi also looked at Itachi with a gentle expression.

"Mm!"

Itachi nodded seriously with his little face full of determination.

The Hokage and his father were both watching him!

He could not lose this fight!

The young Genin facing him had just stepped onto the stage when he could not help pausing for a moment.

Why did this kid suddenly look as though his fighting spirit had been ignited?

He shook his head and paid it no mind.

After all, he had been a Genin for two years.

His opponent was merely a first-year student from the Ninja Academy. Even if he had decent talent, what difference could that make?

The assessment soon began.

Uchiha Itachi’s eyes sharpened as he pulled out several shuriken and immediately displayed his proficient shurikenjutsu.

"Your shuriken skills are pretty impressive."

A flash of admiration crossed the young Genin’s eyes. He casually knocked away the shuriken flying toward him with his kunai.

"But don’t underestimate a Genin!"

However.

When he knocked away the final shuriken, he suddenly noticed a small round object attached to it.

’What’s this?’

Before he had time to think, the small sphere exploded with a bang, and a cloud of purple smoke enveloped him completely.

Seeing that the smoke bomb had successfully been deployed, Uchiha Itachi formed a hand seal. With a bang, a clone appeared and charged directly into the smoke.

"If that smoke is poisonous, then that guy has already lost."

"Using a simple Clone Technique like that? Itachi is still too naive."

"No, look carefully. That’s a Shadow Clone with a physical body!"

The realization came as a shock. Many Uchiha shinobi immediately activated their Sharingan, carefully observing and distinguishing the clone, confirming that the one Itachi had created was indeed a physical Shadow Clone!

The Clone Technique taught at the Ninja Academy only created a phantom without a physical body. Anyone with even a little combat experience would not be fooled by it in battle.

But the Shadow Clone had a physical body and could actually be used in combat!

The difference in their ranks alone made that obvious.

One was an E-rank technique, while the other was a B-rank technique!

"This child Itachi actually learned the Shadow Clone? Did Shisui teach him? That’s a little too reckless."

Although Uchiha Fugaku said this, he could hardly conceal the smile on his face.

After all.

The Shadow Clone was a technique that even Chunin might not be able to master, yet his seven-year-old son had already learned it.

How could that not make him happy as a father?

On Hiruzen Sarutobi’s side, he glanced at the large group of crimson eyes around him and secretly frowned.

The Uchiha clan’s strength was a little too formidable...

He then looked at Itachi, who was already suppressing his opponent, and at Reiji standing nearby. His sense of worry grew even stronger.

Not only did they possess formidable strength, they also had outstanding descendants...

Before long.

Tamura-sensei walked into the field and shouted loudly.

"Ten minutes are up. The battle is over."

Uchiha Itachi retreated with a somewhat regretful expression.

If he had been given a little more time, he should have been able to defeat his opponent.

The young Genin on the other side, however, looked extremely frustrated.

He even had to be thankful that the assessment had a time limit.

Otherwise, being defeated by a seven-year-old child in front of everyone would have been far too humiliating.

His age, strength, and speed were all superior to his opponent’s, and his experience was not lacking either, yet he had been completely suppressed!

He could only barely hold on by relying on his somewhat greater physical strength and combat experience.

Seeing that the battle had ended, Hiruzen Sarutobi suppressed the many thoughts in his mind, stood up, and put on a benevolent smile. He personally handed the shinobi forehead protector to Uchiha Itachi, leaving the latter moved and at a loss for words.

Tamura-sensei was even visibly envious as he congratulated him.

"Itachi, congratulations on becoming a Genin."

At the age of seven, as a first-year student at the Ninja Academy, he had graduated early.

There was no need to think about it. Tamura-sensei knew that after today, this matter would spread throughout Konoha.

And what made him even more envious was that Itachi had even mastered the Shadow Clone, a B-rank ninjutsu that Tamura-sensei himself had never managed to master.

During Itachi’s previous battle with Reiji, he had never had the chance to use the Shadow Clone before being caught off guard and defeated by Reiji’s hand-seal-less Fire Release.

It was probably because Itachi had also failed to anticipate Reiji’s strength.

If he had gone all out from the beginning, the outcome might still have been uncertain.

The next assessment soon began.

Reiji walked onto the stage without saying a word and looked at the shinobi opposite him, the one who had already appeared somewhat more serious earlier.

Now.

After witnessing the previous battle, Sarutobi Aoki’s attitude became even more serious!

He considered his own strength superior to that of the other Genin, and he could also suppress that opponent.

But after witnessing Itachi’s strength, he naturally would not underestimate Reiji, who had defeated Itachi.

Although he did not believe he would be suppressed like the previous opponent had been, he still had a mission from his clan leader.

He needed to defeat Reiji within ten minutes and prevent him from passing the assessment.

"Let me make one thing clear first."

Sarutobi Aoki spoke with a stern expression.

"I’m going to fight seriously from this point onward. Prepare yourself mentally."

"You two may have decent talent, but you’re still too young. The world of shinobi is far more brutal than you can imagine."

"I suggest you stay at the Ninja Academy and study for a few more years."

Reiji held his kunai in front of him defensively and watched his opponent warily.

"Sorry, but I’m still choosing to graduate early."

Relying solely on his pupil power naturally increasing with time would not be enough for him to possess the strength necessary to protect himself and Izumi’s family on the night of the clan massacre.

With guidance from a Jonin, he could not only improve his strength more quickly, but also advance through the system’s requirements faster and obtain more talents.

"Tch!"

Sarutobi Aoki curled his lips and cursed inwardly at Reiji’s foolishness before charging straight at him.

Clang!

The two kunai collided, producing a sharp metallic blast!

Reiji struggled to resist the force, his arm trembling slightly as he could not help frowning.

His strength was inferior to his opponent’s.

His opponent was twice his age, and when it came to physical attributes, Reiji still had a long way to go.

It had been the same during Uchiha Itachi’s previous battle. Although Itachi was stronger in terms of taijutsu techniques and mastery of ninjutsu, he had been unable to defeat his opponent for a long time because of the other party’s superior physical condition and combat experience.

Whatever.

If he lacked the advantage of age, then he would make up for it with talent!

With that thought, Reiji forcefully deflected his opponent’s attack and began entangling him through taijutsu techniques. At the same time, a crimson gleam flashed through his eyes!

"This is!"

It was not only Sarutobi Aoki, who was facing Reiji directly, who was startled. The Uchiha shinobi watching from the sidelines were also suddenly shocked.

A thought emerged in their minds, and their gazes immediately turned toward Reiji’s eyes.

His eyes were as crimson as blood, and within them, a single tomoe slowly revolved.

The Uchiha shinobi looked at one another.

This child... had awakened the Sharingan?

How old was he?!