The air in the Academy's central courtyard was thick with the scent of kicked-up dust and the metallic tang of practice weapons. Today wasn't a standard lesson. The Third Shinobi World War was no longer a distant rumor; it was a hungry beast at the gates. The Hokage had ordered a "Combat Readiness Assessment."
The graduating class—those who were six and seven years old—stood in a line. Opposite them stood a small group of active-duty Genin.
"The rules are simple," Chunin-Instructor Funeno announced, his clipboard trembling slightly in the wind. "This is a cross-rank evaluation. Academy students, you are expected to hold your own for three minutes. Genin, you are here to show them the reality of the field. Do not hold back, but do not kill."
Dan Uchiha stood at the end of the line, his expression a mask of boredom.
[System Notification: 6-Hour Cycle Complete. Synchronizing Body Flicker (Shunshin) Progress...]
Twitch.
The fibers in Dan's calves and thighs suddenly felt like coiled steel springs. In the Mirror Space, his clone had spent the last six hours doing nothing but the initial "burst" step of the Shunshin. It had performed the movement 4,200 times. Dan's brain was suddenly flooded with the exact sensation of how to vent chakra through the soles of his feet without blowing his sandals apart.
"Next match," Funeno called out. "Uchiha Dan vs. Hatake Kakashi."
The courtyard went silent.
Kakashi stepped forward, his silver hair catching the light. He looked different than he had at the training ground. He wore the standard blue shinobi outfit, his tantō strapped to his back. His gaze was icy. He was already a killer; he had seen the front lines, even if only briefly.
"I asked for a challenge," Kakashi muttered as he stepped into the center of the ring. "Not a classmate I used to share snacks with."
"Life is full of disappointments, Kakashi," Dan replied, stepping forward. He didn't take a flashy Uchiha stance. He just stood there, arms hanging loosely at his sides.
"Begin!"
Kakashi didn't hesitate. He was a blur. He knew the Uchiha reputation for visual prowess, so he didn't give Dan a chance to focus. He closed the distance in a second, his fist aiming for Dan's solar plexus.
Slow, Dan thought.
To everyone else, Kakashi was a prodigy of speed. But to Dan, who had the "experience" of thousands of hours of combat repetition burned into his nerves, Kakashi's movements followed a predictable arc.
Dan pivoted. It wasn't a wide, wasted movement. He moved exactly three inches to the left. Kakashi's fist whistled past his ribs, grazing the fabric of his shirt.
The crowd gasped. An Academy student had just dodged a direct strike from the "White Fang's Son."
Kakashi's eye widened. He immediately transitioned into a low sweep, followed by a back-flip to create distance. "You've been hiding," Kakashi hissed, his hand reaching for a kunai.
"I've been practicing," Dan corrected.
Kakashi launched three shuriken in a triangular formation—a classic "set-up" move. He followed immediately behind them, hiding in their shadow.
Dan didn't pull a weapon. He didn't have to.
Shunshin.
There was no smoke, no theatricality. Dan simply... wasn't there.
He appeared two feet to the right of the shuriken's path. Before Kakashi could adjust his trajectory in mid-air, Dan stepped into the Genin's personal space.
Uchiha Interceptor Style: Falling Leaf.
Dan's palm struck Kakashi's shoulder. It wasn't a punch meant to break bone, but it was infused with a concentrated burst of chakra that his clone had perfected through endless repetition.
The impact sent a shockwave through Kakashi's system, disrupting his chakra flow. The genius Genin tumbled across the dirt, skidding for several meters before catching himself with a hand-spring.
Kakashi stood up, his mask slightly crooked. His breathing was heavy, and for the first time, there was a flicker of something like fear—or perhaps intense respect—in his eye.
"That wasn't an Academy move," Kakashi said, his hand going to the hilt of his tantō. "Where did you learn the high-speed Shunshin?"
Dan didn't answer. He couldn't tell him that while Kakashi was out on missions, Dan's "other self" was grinding through a hundred years' worth of training in the span of months.
"Time!" Funeno shouted, stepping between them. He was sweating. "Three minutes are up. Match is a draw."
"A draw?" A voice boomed from the balcony overlooking the yard.
Everyone looked up. Dan felt a chill. Standing there was Danzo Shimura, his bandaged arm tucked into his robes, and beside him, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"That was no draw," Danzo said, his one visible eye locked onto Dan. "The boy moved with the precision of a seasoned Jonin. Hiruzen, the Uchiha are holding back their best assets from the war effort."
The Hokage sighed, his pipe trailing smoke. "He is but a child, Danzo. Though... his talent is undeniable."
Hiruzen looked down at Dan. "Dan Uchiha. You have shown that the Academy has nothing left to teach you. By the authority of the Hokage, you are hereby granted the rank of Genin, effective immediately."
The students erupted into murmurs. Obito Uchiha, standing in the back, looked like his jaw had hit the floor. "Dan? The guy who sleeps in history class? No way!"
Dan bowed respectfully, but internally, his heart was racing. Too much attention. I showed too much.
[System Notification: Alert!]
[Observation from High-Level Entities (Kage-Level) detected.]
[New Training Module Unlocked: Stealth and Presence Masking (Rank: S).]
[Would you like the Clone to begin 'Erasure' training?]
Yes, Dan thought. Immediately.
As the crowds dispersed, Kakashi walked up to Dan. He didn't look angry; he looked obsessed.
"The front lines are in the Land of Grass," Kakashi said quietly. "They're sending me there tomorrow. Since you're a Genin now, you'll be assigned a team within the week. Don't die before I get the chance to figure out how you moved like that."
"Try not to get rusty, Kakashi," Dan replied.
As Dan walked home, he felt the weight of the world shifting. The system was powerful, but it was a beacon. He was a five-year-old who could move like a shadow. In a world of war, that made him a weapon—and everyone wanted to own the best weapon.
He entered the Uchiha compound, but he didn't go to his house. He went to the Naka River, finding a secluded spot under a weeping willow.
"System," he whispered. "Show status."
[Host: Dan Uchiha]
[Rank: Genin (Official) / Mid-Chunin (Actual)]
[Current Clone Task 1: Presence Masking (0.02%)]
[Current Clone Task 2: Fire Release: Great Fireball (88%)]
[Note: Physical body is experiencing 4% 'Sync Fatigue'. Suggest rest.]
"No rest," Dan muttered, sitting cross-legged. "The Hokage is watching. Danzo is watching. If I don't get stronger fast enough to kill them, they'll use me until there's nothing left."
He closed his eyes, and in his mind, he joined his clone. Usually, the clone worked alone, but today, Dan wanted to push it. He wanted to feel the burn.
For the rest of the night, two Dans moved in the silver void, striking, flickering, and breathing fire, while the real world prepared for a massacre.