Uchiha Shinsuke sat cross-legged on the tatami.
The room was completely silent, with only the cold, clear light of the moon pouring in through the window.
His eyes were lightly closed as his consciousness sank inward.
[Ding!]
The cold system notification chime sounded right on cue.
[Congratulations to the host on a rise in standing! Uchiha Guard Squad Leader!]
[Rating: Significant Promotion!]
[Calculating rewards...]
[Congratulations to the host on receiving generous rewards!]
Uchiha Shinsuke's heartbeat quickened involuntarily.
Squad leader!
Within the Guard, this already counted as a mid-level position with real authority.
The words "Significant Promotion" meant that the rewards this time would be exceptional without question!
[Reward One: Sharingan Evolution — Two-Tomoe Sharingan!]
Uchiha Shinsuke felt a cold and overwhelming visual power surge violently into both of his eyes!
Scorching heat!
Stabbing pain!
An indescribable agony erupted from deep within his eyeballs!
Uchiha Shinsuke's body gave a violent shudder and fine beads of cold sweat instantly seeped across his forehead.
Within his pupils, the single tomoe was spinning at high speed.
It was torn, stretched, and split apart by an invisible force!
He did not know how much time passed before the tearing agony finally slowly subsided.
[Congratulations to the host on obtaining "Sharingan Evolution: Two-Tomoe Sharingan"!]
[Perception greatly enhanced!]
[Copying ability greatly enhanced!]
[Genjutsu ability slightly enhanced!]
[Genjutsu resistance greatly enhanced!]
Uchiha Shinsuke's eyes snapped open!
In an instant, the entire world had completely transformed within Uchiha Shinsuke's field of vision!
If the one-tomoe had made the world feel "high-definition," then the two-tomoe had sent the world directly into "slow-motion" and "ultra-high-definition" mode!
This was the power of the two-tomoe!
Uchiha Shinsuke murmured to himself, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
But the surprises were not yet over!
[Reward Two: Lightning Style Chakra Nature Mastery!]
The system notification chimed again!
The moment those words landed, an entirely different type of chakra energy abruptly came to life within Uchiha Shinsuke's body!
This chakra was filled with a wild, razor-sharp presence that could pierce through anything!
It coexisted alongside the fire-style chakra already within him, yet the two remained distinctly separate!
Crackle... sizzle...
Several faint blue arcs of electricity jumped uncontrollably from Uchiha Shinsuke's fingertips, making tiny crackling sounds in the air.
[Congratulations to the host on obtaining "Lightning Style Chakra Nature Mastery"!]
[The host's understanding and application of lightning style ninjutsu has been elevated to the mastery level!]
[Bonus: Complete Basic Lightning Style Ninjutsu Collection (C-rank to B-rank)!]
The next second, a vast flood of information came pouring into Uchiha Shinsuke's mind like a surging tide!
Lightning Style: Thunder Ball!
Lightning Style: Lightning Walk!
Lightning Style: Ground Walk!
Lightning Style: Lightning Clone!
The hand seal sequences, chakra circulation methods, and practical combat techniques for countless lightning style ninjutsu poured in, and Uchiha Shinsuke absorbed, understood, and fully internalized them all in an instant, as though he had always known them from birth!
'Lightning style...'
A sharp gleam erupted in Uchiha Shinsuke's eyes!
In the world of Naruto, lightning style was renowned for its unmatched penetrating power and attack speed!
Hatake Kakashi's Chidori, Uchiha Sasuke's Kirin: every one of them was a supreme killing technique that had shaken the entire ninja world!
Uchiha Shinsuke pressed down the excitement in his heart and attempted to draw upon that newly born, wild surge of lightning style chakra within him.
He extended his right hand, spread his five fingers, and gathered chakra in his palm.
Crackle!
A dazzling cluster of blue lightning gathered and compressed furiously in Uchiha Shinsuke's palm!
'This form... could it be...'
A thought flashed through Uchiha Shinsuke's mind like a bolt of lightning!
Chidori!
Though it was still only a rough prototype, its form highly unstable and its power far below the level of a true Chidori, the technique of shaping lightning style chakra into a concentrated form was without question the very foundation of the Chidori!
'Combined with the perception of the two-tomoe Sharingan for a high-speed thrust...'
Even Uchiha Shinsuke's breathing had grown somewhat rapid.
The system's rewards this time were as though they had been crafted precisely for him!
The two-tomoe Sharingan perfectly resolved the narrowed field of vision that came with high-speed thrusting!
The explosive blast and area damage of fire style, paired with the penetration and speed of lightning style...
His combat options would become far richer and far more difficult to predict!
Beyond that, the fire style chakra and lightning style chakra within him should be capable of even further development together.
'Combination ninjutsu?'
A thought stirred within Uchiha Shinsuke.
If fire style and lightning style could be perfectly fused, the power would be...
The rewards for this promotion to squad leader were truly extraordinary!
Two-Tomoe Sharingan!
Lightning Style Chakra Nature Mastery!
These two rewards had directly caused Uchiha Shinsuke's strength to undergo another qualitative leap!
'System, show my attribute panel.'
Uchiha Shinsuke recited silently in his mind.
[Uchiha Shinsuke Attribute Panel]
[Strength: Special Jonin]
[Mastered Skills: Complete Fire Style Ninjutsu Mastery, Lightning Style Chakra Nature Mastery (all lightning style ninjutsu B-rank and below mastered), Sharingan (Two-Tomoe), Chidori Prototype (incomplete)]
[Clan Standing: Uchiha Guard Squad Leader]
[Clan Honor Points: 885]
[Overall Clan Prestige Assessment: Genin Level (High)]
Looking at his completely renewed attribute panel, Uchiha Shinsuke gave a satisfied nod.
Special Jonin!
At this level of strength, he could already be counted among the true backbone of Konoha.
Especially given that the younger generation of the Uchiha Clan, already broadly suppressed and understaffed, made a twelve-year-old Special Jonin like him an absolutely rare and extraordinary existence!
'But it is still not enough.'
The excitement in Uchiha Shinsuke's eyes slowly faded, replaced by a deep, settled calm.
Still far from enough!
He knew clearly that after the Nine-Tails incident, the Uchiha Clan's situation would only grow more and more dire.
The suspicion of those at the top, the village's hostility and exclusion, and that old dog lurking in the shadows named Danzō watching with predatory eyes...
All of it was pushing the Uchiha toward the abyss of annihilation!
He had to grow stronger at an even faster pace!
Stronger than anyone!
Strong enough to crush every scheme and conspiracy underfoot, strong enough to grind those so-called "Konoha higher-ups" beneath his heel!
'Combining lightning style and fire style must be moved up the agenda as soon as possible.'
'And the Chidori also needs to be refined as quickly as possible.'
Uchiha Shinsuke began to think through his upcoming training plan with cool composure.
He knew clearly that his overly rapid pace of growth would inevitably draw the attention of certain people, in particular Danzō.
His rise would very likely bring that old dog's targeting of him, or even... assassination attempts.
But there was no longer any room to concern himself with all of that.
In a world where strength was everything, hesitating and second-guessing would only get him killed faster!
Absolute power was the one and only foundation on which to stand!
He had to possess the strength to overturn the entire board before the night of the massacre arrived!
Otherwise, everything was just empty words!