The morning mist clung to the rooftops of the Uchiha compound like a shroud. For Dan, the transition from Academy student to active-duty Genin had happened in a heartbeat. Usually, a new Genin would have weeks to celebrate, buy new gear, and boast to their friends. Dan had none of that.
He stood at the village gates at 5:00 AM, his breath hitching in the cold air. Strapped to his back was a custom-shortened chokutō, and his utility pouches were filled to the brim with explosive tags and wire.
[System Notification: 6-Hour Sync Complete.]
[Status: 'Presence Masking' reaches 12%. Chakra Signature now appears 'Low-Genin' to external observers.]
Good, Dan thought. The less they know about my true reserves, the better.
"You're early," a cheerful voice rang out.
Dan turned. Approaching him was a man with sun-kissed blonde hair and a smile that seemed far too bright for a world on the brink of collapse. Minato Namikaze.
"Minato-sama," Dan bowed.
"Just Minato-sensei for now, Dan," the future Fourth Hokage said, leaning against the gatepost. "I've been asked to oversee your 'Field Induction.' Normally, you'd be put in a team of three peers, but because of the… unique circumstances of your graduation, the Hokage wants me to personally evaluate your psychological stability in live combat."
Dan narrowed his eyes. "Psychological stability? You mean you want to see if a five-year-old snaps when he sees blood."
Minato's smile didn't fade, but his blue eyes sharpened. "War doesn't care how old you are, Dan. If you're fast enough to hit Kakashi, you're fast enough to be targeted by a Hidden Stone Jonin. My job is to make sure you don't become a liability."
"Understood."
"Our mission is simple on paper," Minato continued, unrolling a map. "We are to escort a medical supply caravan to the Tanzaku Quarters. However, intelligence suggests that Kumogakure (Cloud) scouts have bypassed our northern sensors. They are looking to intercept these supplies. We move in ten minutes."
The journey was a grueling test of endurance. For a normal five-year-old, the pace Minato set—traveling through the canopy at high speeds—would have been agonizing. But Dan's clone had been running for three months straight in the Mirror Space. His cardiovascular system was that of a long-distance runner.
As they moved, Dan kept his internal focus on the System.
[Current Task: Fire Release: Great Fireball (99% Mastery)]
[New Task Queued: Lightning Flickering (Combining Shunshin with Raiton theory)]
Suddenly, Minato signaled a stop. He didn't speak; he simply held up a hand and dropped to a branch, vanishing his presence entirely. Dan mimicked him instantly, his 'Presence Masking' training kicking in.
Forty meters ahead, in a clearing, three shinobi wearing the forehead protectors of the Hidden Cloud were standing over the bodies of two Konoha Chunin.
"They're early," Minato whispered, appearing beside Dan. "Two Chunin, one Special Jonin. I'll take the leader. You handle the one on the left. Can you do it?"
Dan didn't hesitate. He didn't feel the fear he expected to feel. His clone had "died" a thousand times in the Mirror Space simulations he had run against mental projections of enemies.
"Consider it done," Dan said.
Minato vanished in a yellow flash.
Dan moved a second later. He didn't use the Body Flicker yet—he saved that for the killing blow. He moved through the foliage like a predator.
The Cloud Chunin on the left was a large man with a massive broadsword. He was laughing, looting the pouches of the dead Konoha ninja. "Weaklings. The Leaf is sending children to—"
He never finished the sentence.
Dan erupted from the bushes.
Shunshin!
The distance was closed in a heartbeat. The Cloud ninja reacted with the instincts of a veteran, swinging his broadsword in a wide arc, but Dan was already beneath the blade.
Uchiha Interceptor Style: Dragon's Tooth.
Dan's small fist, reinforced by a precise burst of chakra, slammed into the man's throat. The cartilage crushed instantly. As the man gasped, Dan pulled his chokutō. A single, clean silver line followed.
The man fell. No wasted movement. No hesitation.
Dan stood over the body, his heart hammering against his ribs—not out of guilt, but out of the sheer adrenaline of the synchronization.
[System Notification: First Kill Confirmed.]
[Battle Data Recorded. Clone can now simulate 'Bloodlust' and 'Combat Stress'.]
[Bonus: 500 'Training Hours' granted for first-time combat success.]
"Dan! Behind you!" Minato's voice echoed.
The second Cloud Chunin, enraged by his comrade's death, had abandoned his fight with Minato's afterimage and lunged at Dan with a lightning-infused kunai. "You little brat!"
Dan didn't look back. He leaned forward, performing a handless flip, the lightning blade whistling inches from his heels. In mid-air, he went through a series of hand signs so fast they blurred.
Snake. Ram. Monkey. Boar. Horse. Tiger.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Because his clone had practiced this move for hundreds of hours, Dan's execution was flawless. A massive orb of roaring orange flame erupted from his mouth, far larger than what a Genin—or even most Chunin—could produce.
The Cloud ninja had no time to dodge. The forest clearing was turned into a furnace. The scream was short-lived.
When the smoke cleared, the ground was scorched black. Minato stood nearby, holding the severed head of the Special Jonin. He was looking at Dan with a mixture of awe and deep concern.
"That jutsu..." Minato began, wiping blood from his cheek. "The scale of it. Dan, how much chakra do you have?"
"Enough," Dan replied, sheathing his blade. He looked at his hands. They were trembling slightly, but he felt a cold, analytical part of his mind taking over.
"You didn't hesitate," Minato said, walking over. He placed a hand on Dan's head. "Most people throw up their first time. You just… optimized."
"We're at war, Sensei," Dan said, looking up at the blonde man. "If I hesitate, I die. If I die, I can't protect anything."
Minato sighed, his gaze softening. "You sound like someone much older than five. Let's clean up. We still have a caravan to meet."
As they worked, Dan's mind was back in the Mirror Space.
[500 Bonus Hours applied to 'Lightning Flickering'.]
[Evolution Complete: You have unlocked 'Raiton: Shunshin' (Rank A).]
Dan realized then that the war wasn't just a threat—it was a resource. Every real battle gave him data. Every kill gave him "Bonus Hours." If he stayed in the field, he wouldn't just be a prodigy. He would be a god before he hit puberty.