Within the span of just one month, the name Uchiha Shinsuke had gone from a "failure" whom no one paid any attention to, to a "newcomer" beginning to show his edge, and now to a "genius" known to every single person in the Guard!
The speed of his rise was enough to leave anyone speechless!
A few days later, at Guard headquarters, Uchiha Shinsuke stood before the notice board, his gaze landing on a freshly posted announcement.
[Squad Leader Selection Assessment Notice]
'Squad leader, huh...'
This was exactly what he needed!
Higher standing meant more authority, more resources, and greater rewards from the system!
Only by climbing higher could he reach the core of the Uchiha, and only then could he truly begin his plan!
"Shinsuke, you're here to check the notice too?"
A rough, booming voice came from behind him.
Uchiha Tekka's large, fan-like hand came down directly onto Uchiha Shinsuke's shoulder.
"So, are you interested?"
Uchiha Shinsuke answered with a question instead.
"Does the Captain think I should be?"
"Ha ha! You little rascal!"
Uchiha Tekka burst out laughing.
"If even you're not interested, then none of those guys have any business applying! I've already put your name in, so stop dragging your feet!"
"Thank you, Captain," Uchiha Shinsuke said, turning to face Tekka.
"Perform well and don't embarrass me! Let those old folks see the kind of genius that comes out of our First Squad!"
Three days later, at the Guard's central training ground, Uchiha Inahiko, Uchiha Setsuna, and another senior Guard member, Uchiha Gen, sat side by side on the platform as chief examiners, their expressions stern.
Below the platform, six candidates stood in a line.
Apart from Uchiha Shinsuke, the other five were all veteran chunin of the Guard, every one of them over twenty years old, seasoned in battle, with steady and composed presences.
"First event, combat!"
Uchiha Inahiko announced in a loud voice.
"Draw lots to determine opponents, compete in pairs, and the winner advances!"
The draw results came out quickly.
Uchiha Shinsuke's first opponent was a veteran chunin named Uchiha Mine, known for his powerful and aggressive taijutsu and his thoroughly polished fire-style techniques, and he held a considerable reputation within the Guard.
Uchiha Mine stepped onto the field and, looking at the boy standing across from him who was a full head shorter, spoke in a low voice.
"Uchiha Shinsuke, I've heard many things about you, and I hope you haven't just been riding on empty fame, please show me what you've got!"
"After you."
Uchiha Shinsuke's response was a single word, brief and to the point.
"Begin!"
The moment Inahiko's voice fell, Uchiha Mine moved in an instant!
He was not about to give this young man any opening at all!
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
No probing whatsoever: he went all out from the very start!
A massive fireball with a diameter of over two meters came screaming toward Uchiha Shinsuke, carrying a scorching wave of heat!
Uchiha Shinsuke's figure flickered sharply!
Swoosh!
An afterimage was left in place as his real body appeared several meters away, perfectly avoiding the fireball's direct impact.
At the same time, Uchiha Shinsuke's hands completed a sequence of hand seals with lightning speed!
"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The next instant, dozens of fist-sized fireballs came shooting out of Uchiha Shinsuke's mouth!
These fireballs came from every direction, cutting off every possible escape route for Uchiha Mine!
"What?!"
Uchiha Mine's expression changed drastically!
He hurriedly performed several desperate back flips in a row and barely avoided the majority of the fireballs.
But Uchiha Shinsuke's control of the Phoenix Sage Fire was simply too precise!
Sizzle!
Several fireballs still grazed past the hem of his robe and along his arm, leaving a smell of scorched fabric and a hot, stinging pain!
"Those hand seals were so fast!"
"This... this is the Phoenix Sage Fire? That level of control is absolutely beyond comprehension!"
Outside the field, those who knew what they were seeing had been completely stunned!
Uchiha Mine steadied himself, and the look in his eyes as he fixed them on Uchiha Shinsuke had shifted from grave to alarmed.
"Fire Style: Flame Bullet!"
Uchiha Mine's hands flew through seals and a highly compressed, deep-red flame bullet shot toward Uchiha Shinsuke!
This technique was more powerful and faster!
The one-tomoe Sharingan activated!
In the instant before the flame bullet was about to strike Uchiha Shinsuke, he wrenched his body to the side.
He dodged the flame bullet as it came blazing past.
"The Sharingan!"
Seeing this, Uchiha Mine also activated his own Kekkei Genkai, and an identical pair of one-tomoe Sharingan eyes appeared!
The next second, both of them vanished from where they stood simultaneously!
Clang clang clang!
The crisp ring of metal striking metal rang out frantically across the field!
Two figures moved fast as lightning, constantly crossing and colliding, kunai clashing against kunai and sending showers of blinding sparks flying!
Though both had one-tomoe Sharingan, Uchiha Mine's development was clearly inferior to Uchiha Shinsuke's.
Within Uchiha Shinsuke's field of vision, every single movement Uchiha Mine made was laid completely bare!
In the instant of one crossing, Uchiha Shinsuke sharply seized upon a zero-point-one-second gap in his opponent's reaction caused by overcommitting to a strike!
Now!
Uchiha Shinsuke's body suddenly dropped low, and his right leg drove hard into Uchiha Mine's flank and ribs!
"Not good!"
Uchiha Mine's Sharingan caught the incoming strike, but his body simply had no time to react!
Thud!
A heavy, muffled impact rang out!
Uchiha Mine felt a devastating, irresistible force slam into his side!
His whole body flew sideways like a kite with its string cut, spitting blood!
Uchiha Mine crashed heavily to the ground more than ten meters away, struggled a few times, and could not even manage to get up!
Every person watching stared at the boy on the field slowly pulling his leg back, their minds completely blank.
Seconds later, thunderous cheers and cries of astonishment erupted all at once!
"My god! Senior Mine was actually finished in a single move?!"
"He's too strong! Is this really a chunin? That taijutsu, that strength, that combat awareness!"
The combat rounds that followed turned entirely into a solo showcase for Uchiha Shinsuke.
Unstoppable!
Crushing everything in his path!
Not a single opponent managed to last thirty seconds against him!
Whether in taijutsu or fire style, he demonstrated an overwhelming superiority!
In the combat round, Uchiha Shinsuke scored a perfect score without any dispute!
"Second event, tactical analysis."
Uchiha Gen personally set the question, presenting a simulated scenario: enemy-nation spy activity had been detected in Konoha's outer perimeter, suspected to be carrying critical intelligence, and candidates were required to devise a capture plan.
The other candidates all gave competent but unremarkable plans.
When it came to Uchiha Shinsuke's turn, he thought for only a brief moment before presenting a plan that made all three chief examiners' eyes light up.
"First, seal off the key routes and gradually tighten the encirclement."
"Second, dispatch an elite reconnaissance squad to lock down the spy's exact position from a distance, and be absolutely certain not to startle the target."
"Once pinpointed, a direct assault is inadvisable, as the value of the intelligence takes precedence over everything else, so deploy members skilled in genjutsu and attempt a silent infiltration to subdue the target through genjutsu: that is the optimal approach."
"If genjutsu fails, or if the spy's strength is too great, then use the squad's combined assault technique and be certain to neutralize the target in a single strike and subdue them swiftly, as a captive must be kept alive for intelligence interrogation."
"At the same time, position a second line of defense at the outer perimeter to prevent any accomplices from providing backup or the target from escaping through a special evasion technique."
Uchiha Shinsuke's logic was clear and his reasoning orderly, accounting for every possible contingency.
All three chief examiners nodded repeatedly.
Uchiha Gen went so far as to clap his hands in admiration and declare, "This kid not only has exceptional strength, his mind is sharper than anyone's: he's a born commander!"
In tactical analysis, Uchiha Shinsuke scored another perfect score!
"Final event, genjutsu breaking."
The task was handled personally by Uchiha Setsuna, the Guard's acknowledged genjutsu expert.
"Uchiha Shinsuke, are you ready?"
"Please begin."
Uchiha Setsuna's gaze snapped sharply to focus, and an invisible surge of visual power instantly enveloped Uchiha Shinsuke!
"Genjutsu: Mist Follower Technique!"
This was a genjutsu that caused its victims to see countless illusory figures, become lost amid an endless barrage of attacks, and ultimately suffer a mental breakdown!
The one-tomoe in Uchiha Shinsuke's eyes abruptly accelerated its rotation!
Uchiha Shinsuke felt the scene before him waver slightly as countless Uchiha Setsunas, each wielding a kunai, came lunging at him from every direction.
"Break!"
He let out a low shout and the chakra within him gave a sharp pulse!
His extraordinary spiritual power erupted in full force!
Crack!
The illusion before him shattered in an instant!
The entire process, from being caught in the genjutsu to breaking free, took no more than three seconds!
"This..."
Even the perpetually expressionless face of Uchiha Setsuna now wore an expression of shock that could not be concealed!
Even an ordinary jonin could not have broken his Mist Follower Technique this quickly!
Just how powerful was this kid's spiritual power?!
The assessment concluded.
The result was without any suspense.
Uchiha Inahiko rose from his seat, stepped forward, and announced the results on the spot in a loud, resounding voice.
"In this squad leader selection, Uchiha Shinsuke has achieved a perfect score in all three events and placed first!"
"Effective immediately, he is promoted to Squad Leader of the Uchiha Guard, assigned the Third Squad designation, and is authorized to personally select three squad members!"