"There's a new squad captain today. Anyone know which clansman it is?"
An Uchiha sat lazily on the ground, speaking with no real interest.
Another Uchiha, leaning against a tree, replied,
"I know him. A few of us used to play with him when we were kids."
"My mom said it's Aunt Ran's son—the one who graduated early. Uchiha Kairen," said a young man resting his hand on a ninja sword.
"Oh, him? That so-called 'strongest genin'?"
"I thought he was the youngest genin?"
"So our squad's standards have dropped that low, huh? A genin as captain?"
"They say he got the post through connections. The clan head's his uncle, and he gave him a jutsu as a gift."
"I heard about that from one of my uncles—apparently, he goes around trading his grandfather's jutsu for favors…"
Five or six people chattered all at once, gossiping without restraint.
More and more clan members gathered, and soon it was almost time for assembly.
In the distance, three figures approached—Uchiha Kairen, Uchiha Honō, and Uchiha Retsu, the remaining members of the former Fourth Division's only squad.
The last two were well known—after all, their defense sectors bordered each other, and the two captains often cooperated closely. Their teams were known to have the best relationship among all.
As for the one walking in front—no introduction was needed. Everyone had already heard the rumors.
Kairen raised his hand slightly; his two old teammates instantly understood, signaling their squads to gather.
Four smaller teams stood before him, their members instinctively taking position behind four leading figures.
Kairen chuckled.
"My name is Uchiha Kairen. I've just returned from training outside the village. Many of you have probably heard the talk—that I became a chūnin and a squad captain by trading a jutsu. You're right. I owe it to my grandfather's name."
As soon as he said this, several of the gathered Uchihas showed visible disdain, and the boy who had been leaning on his sword laughed outright.
"Hah, that's the reaction I expected," Kairen said, smiling faintly. "If I were in your place, I'd be itching to challenge me too. That's the Uchiha way. So let's not waste time with speeches."
He raised one finger.
"Anyone among you—including the brothers standing behind me—if even one of you can defeat me, the position is yours. No politics, no excuses. You win, you take my spot."
He then pulled out a scroll from behind his back.
"This is the appointment scroll. The captain's name is blank. Whoever wins gets to write their name on it."
He tossed it toward Uchiha Retsu.
"The scroll stays with Captain Retsu. So, what do you say? We're the Uchiha—the strongest clan. If the strongest man here can't become captain, what's the point of that title? Let's begin!"
Kairen stepped into the open ground and stood still with his eyes closed, waiting.
He had no time to slowly earn their trust—he'd win them all over in one go. That was the Uchiha way. That was the fire of youth.
A squad leader stepped forward, facing him.
"My name is Uchiha Cha. I've heard about you—you're said to be strong, but that's just talk. You've never served in a squad, and for years you weren't even in Konoha. Now you come back and sit above me? No one would like that. Still… I respect your attitude. Win or lose, you're a true Uchiha. You've done our name proud. Let's begin."
Both men formed the seal of confrontation.
Uchiha Cha rushed in, forming hand seals—
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu!"
Kairen's response was immediate.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!" followed by "Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Jutsu!"
Cha countered just as quickly.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
He was about to follow up when suddenly—
"Shuriken Jutsu!" Kairen's voice came from behind.
Then, from below—
"Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu!"
Cha was yanked into the ground up to his neck.
Uchiha Honō stepped forward. "Winner: Uchiha Kairen."
Cha's teammates helped him out of the dirt. He stood, bowed deeply to Kairen, and silently moved behind him with his squad—still keeping some distance, but his gesture said it all: acceptance.
Soon, another Uchiha stepped up, a sword slung across his back.
"I'm Uchiha Kaze—but my friends call me Kaiju. Let's make this clear first—no running to our parents if you lose, alright? Don't go telling Aunt Ran to scold my mom."
He grinned and made the seal of confrontation.
In an instant, three shuriken flew toward Kairen in a triangular formation. Kaze drew his sword.
"Uchiha Style Kenjutsu: Flaming Leap!"
"Uchiha Style Kenjutsu: Flashing Consecutive Slash!"
Just as he was about to unleash his second strike, Kairen's blade moved—
"Iaido: Sky-Cutting Slash!"
"One-Sword Style—Godspeed!"
In a blur, Kairen's sword deflected all three shuriken, shattered Kaze's combo, and closed in at lightning speed. His sword tip stopped just before Kaze's eye.
The sword wind tousled Kaze's hair. The outcome was obvious.
"Heh. My mom said your grandfather personally trained you. Among your peers, no one matches you in kenjutsu—except maybe the jōnin from the sword-style clans."
He sheathed his sword and smiled.
"Our mothers are close friends. I hope we can be brothers too. I'll keep challenging you."
Kairen laughed. "Then you'd better drop by often. Sparring alone is dull—real learning comes from clashing blades. Jutsus are dead things; rely only on form, and your strike will always be interrupted."
Kaze scratched his head. "No wonder… I always felt something was missing."
He chuckled. "Then I'll take you up on that, Kairen."
With that, he joined Uchiha Cha's side, chatting casually.
Then a tall, muscular Uchiha stepped forward.
"I'm Uchiha Gorou. I'm not like those two. The Uchiha's true specialty isn't swordsmanship. Let me show you what real power looks like. The kids' match is over."
He formed the confrontation seal, eyes snapping open—revealing a two-tomoe Sharingan.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Three figures rushed forward, hurling shuriken from all directions.
Kairen smiled faintly. "Heh… genjutsu, huh?"
Then, with a swift motion—
"One-Sword Style—Swallow Reversal!"
His sword cut through the air in an arc—two of the charging shadows vanished instantly. But then—poof!—the remaining one transformed into a shuriken, while the shuriken he had struck turned back into Gorou himself!
Kairen laughed. "Transformation before the match even began—using genjutsu to mask your movements and create illusory clones. Clever."
He turned toward the remaining Uchiha watching hesitantly.
"Anyone else want to give it a try?"
No one moved.
He smirked. "Alright then, let's turn things up a notch. From now on, I'll take on two opponents at once. If I win, make it three. We'll keep going until none of you are left standing!"
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