A few hours earlier, Sarutobi Hiruzen received word that Asuma had been soundly beaten at the Ninja Academy.
At the time, he merely smiled faintly, dismissing it as normal childhood roughhousing—nothing to make a fuss about. Even when he heard Asuma had been sent to the hospital, he figured it might actually be a blessing in disguise. It would finally teach Asuma that there are always people better than him, and that he shouldn't go around acting like nobody would dare touch him just because he was the Hokage's son.
However, his mood instantly turned complicated when he learned that the one who defeated Asuma was none other than Uchiha Reki.
For a moment, he suspected Miyagi Shunsuke was playing a prank on him. After all, Uchiha Reki was notorious in the Academy as the ultimate dunce—how could he possibly knock Asuma flat with a single punch?
It wasn't until he rushed to the hospital, saw Asuma lying in a hospital bed with his own eyes, and heard the confirmation straight from his son's mouth that he reluctantly accepted the reality of it.
Before he could even fully digest that piece of news, an Anbu operative delivered another intelligence report: not only had Uchiha Reki used Wood Release Ninjutsu to defeat Uchiha Shisui, but he had also awakened the Sharingan in the process.
That final piece of news made Sarutobi Hiruzen's head buzz relentlessly.
As for Uchiha Reki awakening the Sharingan, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't care all that much. There were still quite a few Uchiha members who awakened the Single Tomoe, so it wasn't worth making a fuss over. Besides, it was only a Single Tomoe; for all he knew, the boy might remain a Single Tomoe for the rest of his life.
What truly concerned Sarutobi Hiruzen was the fact that Uchiha Reki had mastered Wood Release Ninjutsu.
One had to remember that looking back across the entire history of the Shinobi World, the only person capable of using Wood Release Ninjutsu was the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama. Back in the day, the battle between the First's Wood Human and Madara's Susanoo had left a deeply inked, indelible mark in the history of the Shinobi World.
To recreate the glory of the First Hokage, Konohagakure had spent an immense amount of manpower and material resources on Wood Release experiments. Yet, despite sacrificing at least a hundred elite ninja, they still hadn't achieved a single shred of success. Eventually, Sarutobi Hiruzen had no choice but to issue an emergency order to halt the experiments, an ordeal that left him with considerable psychological trauma.
He had assumed that Wood Release Ninjutsu would vanish from the Shinobi World forever. Who could have imagined that today, it would be wielded by a total dunce? Even if it wasn't as overwhelmingly powerful as Lord Hashirama's, it was still enough to beggar belief.
No, Uchiha Reki could no longer be described as a dunce. Sarutobi Hiruzen made a bold deduction: if given a little more time, Uchiha Reki would undoubtedly become one of Konohagakure's elite pillars.
*Tap, tap, tap.* Right as Sarutobi Hiruzen's thoughts drifted into the distance, a knock sounded on his office door.
"Come in."
Konohagakure's two senior advisors, Mito Kamataru and Utatane Koharu, walked in.
"Have a seat. There's a matter I'd like to discuss with you two."
"For the Hokage to summon us this late, it must be about the Wood Release affair," Mito Kamataru said.
Sarutobi Hiruzen poured tea for the two advisors. "You two really do understand me."
Mito Kamataru took a sip of tea and said with a relaxed expression, "Hiruzen, don't you think you're worrying a bit too much? Surely you aren't actually worried that Uchiha Reki could become a powerhouse on the level of Lord Hashirama, are you?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head. "Wood Release reappearing in Konohagakure is definitely no trivial matter. His strength is currently meager, but twenty years from now? Nobody can say to what heights he might grow."
Mito Kamataru fell silent; he knew what Sarutobi Hiruzen was thinking. An Uchiha capable of using Wood Release—such a thing had never happened before in the Shinobi World.
Utatane Koharu looked at the two silent men and finally spoke up. "The Wood Release might be controllable, but the Uchiha clan is somewhat dangerous."
Utatane Koharu's words hit the nail right on the head, and it was precisely this that worried Sarutobi Hiruzen. One had to keep in mind that every single Uchiha was a lunatic prone to mental instability; there was no telling when they might suddenly cook up some massive disaster. If Uchiha Reki were influenced by them and spent every day plotting against Konohagakure to restore the glory of the Uchiha, life really wouldn't be worth living anymore.
"Why don't we absorb him into the Anbu after he graduates?"
"I don't think that's wise. Until we've confirmed his stance, we should continue to observe him closely."
The two advisors discussed it back and forth. Before long, Sarutobi Hiruzen made up his mind. He tapped the tabletop. "For now, let's keep our attention on Uchiha Reki under wraps. Just assign a few Anbu operatives to keep an eye on him and see if he has any private contact with the radical faction of the Uchiha."
That same night, Uchiha Reki slept soundly. However, quite a few people tossed and turned, unable to find sleep for a long time.
The young Uchiha Shisui pondered for ages on how he could covertly smuggle more of the Uchiha clan's secret manuals to hand over to Big Brother Reki. Asuma, gnashing his teeth in hatred, could only think about getting out of the hospital as fast as possible to defeat Uchiha Reki. Sarutobi Hiruzen sat before his desk, contemplating the likelihood of Uchiha Reki becoming a formidable combat asset for Konohagakure.
The next morning, Uchiha Reki arrived at the Ninja Academy on time.
From the moment he stepped into the classroom, he keenly sensed that his classmates were casting surreptitious glances his way. Unfortunately, they were all cannon fodder looked down upon by the system, and not a single gold coin dropped out.
Uchiha Reki took his usual seat in a spot near the edge. Before long, Kurenai Yuhi sat down right beside him.
"Classmate Reki, morning."
"Morning."
Seeing Kurenai Yuhi hesitate as if she had something on her mind, Uchiha Reki took the initiative to ask, "Is there something you want to ask me?"
Kurenai Yuhi nodded earnestly. "I heard that you defeated Shisui, Classmate Reki, and that you also awakened the Sharingan."
"You even know about that?"
"Not just me; it's already spread all over the Academy. Everyone is saying you're the rising star of the Uchiha clan."
Uchiha Reki felt a bit helpless. What a bunch of gossips.
"Classmate Reki, since you've awakened the Sharingan, does that mean you're also skilled in Genjutsu?"
Uchiha Reki gave a vague, noncommittal reply. "So-so. After all, I only just learned it, and there's still a lot I don't understand."
Kurenai Yuhi's eyes lit up. "If you have time, we could explore it together. My father has actually done quite a bit of research into Genjutsu."
"Hmm..."
Uchiha Reki fell silent. How should he put it? In Konohagakure, apart from the Uchiha clan, nobody truly understood Genjutsu better than them. But Uchiha Reki's surname was Uchiha—did she seriously not notice such a massive ceiling fan emblem plastered on his back?
Uchiha Reki initially wanted to find an excuse to decline, but on second thought, he could use this opportunity to provoke Asuma. With that in mind, he nodded in agreement.
"Alright, I look forward to your guidance."
Little Kurenai smiled happily. If Asuma were to see this, he would probably lose his mind with agitation on the spot. But Uchiha Reki had no interest in such a little girl; he only liked older women.
Shortly after, Miyagi Shunsuke walked in.
"I've already reported yesterday's sparring results to the Hokage. In a few days, he will issue the list of students who meet the graduation requirements."
"Alright, today's first lesson is a theory class: *On the Will of Fire*."