Night had fallen.
After dinner, Uchiha Leon and his fellow early-graduate friends—Kurenai Yūhi and Uzuki Yūgao—walked out of BBQ Q, the warmth of grilled meat still clinging to their clothes.
"Ahh… I'm stuffed." Leon patted his stomach, completely satisfied. "Clock in, clock out, eat meat. Life doesn't get better than this."
"Leon, you eat way too much," Yūgao said, covering her mouth as she laughed. Her long purple hair caught the lantern light as she leaned in, half-amused, half-incredulous.
Kurenai gave him a look too—more disbelief than scolding. "It's not like this is the first time, but… seriously. You ate enough for an entire squad."
It wasn't an exaggeration.
Every time they ate together, Leon could put away food meant for twenty or thirty people—
And somehow still keep a lean, solid build.
To Kurenai and Yūgao, it was equal parts envy and irritation. As women, they couldn't exactly eat like that without paying the price.
Truthfully, Kurenai and Yūgao hadn't been close at first.
But they shared a mutual friend—Leon.
And with him constantly dragging both of them into post-work meals, the two girls ended up spending more time together than either expected.
Leon shrugged, shameless. "I'm growing."
"Sure you are," Kurenai and Yūgao said in unison, rolling their eyes.
"Alright," Leon said, grinning. "I'm heading home."
Before either of them could reply—
—Whoosh!
A faint rush of air.
Both girls felt a cool brush against their cheeks.
They froze.
By the time they realized what had happened, Leon was already gone—vanished into the night like a bad habit.
Only Kurenai and Yūgao remained under the streetlights, faces heating, staring at the empty spot where he'd stood.
"…That idiot," Kurenai muttered, flustered.
Yūgao didn't answer—because she couldn't decide whether to be angry or embarrassed.
Half an hour later—
Uchiha District — Central Area
Leon returned to his detached house.
As a Military Police officer—and the child of parents who'd died on mission for the clan—he lived in the Uchiha's inner district and received the clan's benefits.
After a hot bath, he stood before the mirror, a towel wrapped around his waist, and studied his reflection with relaxed satisfaction.
"Not bad," he said to the handsome face looking back.
He dropped onto the sofa, picked up a cup of hot tea, and spoke softly.
"System. Sign in at the Uchiha District."
Ding… Sign-in successful.
Congratulations, User: acquired ninjutsu — Fire Release: Flame Bullet, Fire Release: Great Dragon Flame Bullet, and 0.22% progress.
Ding… Rewards stored in system inventory.
Leon's eyes sharpened slightly.
"Let's see."
Fire Release: Flame Bullet (Katon: Endan) — Expels fire from the mouth to strike the target.
(Upon claiming: instant mastery. No hand seals required—just a clap of both hands.)
Fire Release: Great Dragon Flame Bullet — A high-output fire technique, described as advanced Fire Release. Its heat could evaporate a pond in an instant.
(Upon claiming: instant mastery. No hand seals required—just a clap of both hands.)
Whitebeard Template progress: 40.12% + 0.22% → 40.34% unlocked
Leon's mouth curved. "A C-rank and a B-rank Fire Release."
He didn't hesitate.
"Accept everything."
—Buzz—
A strange force wrapped around him.
Before he could even blink, the knowledge wasn't just in his head—it settled into his body, his breath, the exact way chakra should flow.
Katon: Endan.
Great Dragon Flame Bullet.
He could use them like he'd trained for years.
And more than that—
His physique felt… heavier. Denser. Like something invisible had reinforced his bones and muscles.
Only 0.22% more unlocked, and yet the change was real.
Small gains, stacked patiently, became something terrifying.
Leon closed his eyes and extended his Observation Haki, sweeping the area.
No watchers. No tails.
Only then did he allow himself to think clearly about his position.
Publicly, he showed just enough effort to avoid being labeled useless—he trained taijutsu hard and handled Police work cleanly.
But he never showed anything that would make people panic.
Because to most of the world, an Uchiha without the Sharingan wasn't worth fearing.
That wasn't just clan arrogance—it was the judgment of Konoha's leadership and the shinobi world at large.
And Leon had played into it perfectly.
He'd never openly revealed that he'd awakened the Sharingan.
So in everyone's eyes…
Uchiha Leon still hadn't "opened his eyes."
Strong taijutsu, sure—but limited potential.
They thought he was on the first step.
The truth?
Leon opened his eyes.
A quiet buzz filled the room.
His pupils turned blood-red.
One tomoe…
Two…
Three.
A fully matured three-tomoe Sharingan, calm and steady in the dim light.
Nobody knew.
Nobody suspected.
They thought they understood him—
But they weren't even playing the same game.
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