The Sharingan Gamer

Chapter 8: The Uchiha Academy

Seven days later, at the Uchiha clan training grounds.

Rat - Tiger - Dog - Ox - Hare - Tiger.

As the hand seals were completed, a surge of heat gathered in Kyosuke's throat along with his chakra.

Suddenly, a large spray of fire erupted from his mouth, scattering in all directions toward the numerous targets set up in the distance. Under Kyosuke's chakra control, the individual flames struggled to adjust their trajectory, attempting to hit the bullseyes.

The result, however, was less than ideal. With his current chakra levels and control being relatively low, achieving such a feat would require at least a few more levels.

Of course, Kyosuke wasn't demanding that of himself right now. This was all a performance for the Second Elder, who was watching from the side.

He knew that for men in high positions like him, it wasn't enough for their subordinates to be capable; they also had to have the right attitude. Right now, Kyosuke was demonstrating his.

Clap… clap… clap…

The Second Elder applauded with his usual smile, but offered no words of praise. He simply instructed Kyosuke to continue working hard and then turned to leave.

Phew. Kyosuke let out a small sigh of relief. He had passed this test.

To master a C-Rank ninjutsu in seven days, especially for a five-year-old, was at least a decent accomplishment, even if it wasn't a stunning one. He had worked tirelessly for these seven days, skipping meals and sleep, to finally master the technique.

The reason for his urgency was that on the second day, he had a sudden realization about the true purpose behind the gift of the ninjutsu scrolls. It was a test to see his understanding and application of jutsu. If he failed to grasp it well, his evaluation would likely drop significantly.

That's why Kyosuke felt so relieved to have passed the test today.

After resting for a while and recovering some of his chakra, he headed toward the clan's academy. Starting today, he would be learning new subjects.

Normally, these subjects were taught to children after they turned eight, first by their elders at home, and only then would they be sent to the academy. For Kyosuke to be sent now… was this another test?

It's never-ending, Kyosuke thought, his eyes narrowing for a brief moment before he smoothed his expression back into a sunny smile.

After all, since his duel with Hiroshi, he had been branded with a benevolent image in the minds of some clan members. To proactively help a clansman who had bullied him for years overcome his psychological trauma—wasn't that the very picture of a kind-hearted boy? Who would suspect a five-year-old of having such deep-seated cunning?

Gently pushing open the academy's door, Kyosuke stepped inside.

To be honest, if it weren't for the Uchiha fan crest on the clothes of the children inside, he would have thought for a moment that he had walked into the official Konoha Ninja Academy. He later learned that the clan had designed their school to be a direct copy of the village's academy, not just in style, but also in its teaching and management methods.

This was because, aside from a few Uchiha children who would enroll in the official academy for appearances' sake, the vast majority were educated by the clan itself. This was a common practice among the major clans. After all, none of them could stand having their descendants brainwashed day in and day out with the "Will of Fire."

At least, that was the situation in the Uchiha clan now, and it would likely continue for some time until Fugaku rose to power and improved things. Family-based education was, in reality, a far cry from what the official academy offered.

As Kyosuke pondered this, he began to get lost in thought again.

Suddenly, he felt a light tap on his shoulder.

In an instant, every muscle in Kyosuke's body tensed. A wave of killing intent flowed out of him involuntarily before he managed to forcibly suppress it.

Sigh. Kyosuke turned his head, annoyed, to see who had startled him.

A cute little girl with long black hair tied in a ponytail was looking at him timidly. It was obvious that his burst of killing intent had frightened her.

"Hmph! What are you glaring at? It's not like I wanted to talk to you anyway," she huffed after a moment, recovering her composure. She shot him a glare and then turned and walked away.

What's her problem?

Kyosuke shook his head, paying the willful Uchiha girl no more mind, and headed for the teacher's office.

Knock… knock… knock…

Three soft knocks echoed in the hallway. After receiving permission, Kyosuke entered.

There, with the clan's instructor, Kyosuke chose the courses he wanted to prioritize.

"Ninjutsu Theory" and "Fundamentals of Ninjutsu Development."

He chose these two courses for two reasons.

First, if he still couldn't find a way to gain experience points, his reputation as a "prodigy" wouldn't last long. To be safe, he needed another way to maintain his status. The title of "Ninjutsu Development Genius" sounded pretty good to him.

Second, as he cleared more dungeons in the future, he would inevitably acquire abilities he shouldn't have access to. This was his way of preparing a plausible explanation in advance. This was the ultimate reason he had proactively requested to attend the academy.

When the lessons began, Kyosuke was surprised to find that the knowledge about ninjutsu was even more fascinating than he had imagined. He became completely immersed in the sea of knowledge, until his shoulder was tapped once again.

Kyosuke's mouth twitched as he turned his head. As he expected, it was the same ponytail girl.

"Hey, you're Kyosuke, right? Let's get to know each other. My name is Nagisa, Uchiha Nagisa." After speaking, she extended her small, fair hand toward him.

"Uchiha... Buta? Hahaha, who gave you a name like that?" Kyosuke burst out laughing after hearing the girl's name. In Japanese, her name, Nagisa, sounded nothing like Buta, the word for pig, but he seized the chance for some payback. On one hand, he wanted to get back at the spoiled girl for startling him; on the other, the ridiculousness of the made-up joke genuinely struck his funny bone.

To be honest, he hadn't laughed so freely since coming to this world. For a moment, his laughter echoed throughout the entire classroom. Although it disturbed the other students, no one, not even the instructor, dared to say anything. After all, Kyosuke still held the title of "The Strongest Genius."

But the group of people who wouldn't dare to admonish him certainly did not include the Uchiha Buta in front of him.

"No! It's not Buta, it's Nagisa! NAGISA!" the little girl shouted.

"Oh, right. Buta."

"It's NAGISA!!!"

Kyosuke's first day of class was spent in this playful squabble.

That evening, just after he returned to his room from school, he was once again summoned by the Second Elder.

Kyosuke straightened his clothes, frowning as he tried to figure out the reason for this summons. Unable to come to any conclusion, he could only brace himself and follow the perpetually masked ninja to the Second Elder's residence.

"Ah, little Kyosuke has arrived. Come, sit." The Second Elder, who was tending to his flowers and plants, knew they had arrived without even turning around.

He first told Kyosuke to sit down, then continued to focus on his bonsai trees.

After a while, the Second Elder finally turned to face Kyosuke, a smile on his face. "So, how was your day at the academy?"

"It was great. The teacher explained things very well," Kyosuke answered honestly.

"Haha, that's good, that's good." The Second Elder nodded in satisfaction at his reply.

Just as the two were beginning to chat idly, an unexpected figure walked in.

"Grandfather," the figure said in a bright voice, walking up to the Second Elder. She then turned her head and looked triumphantly at a stunned Kyosuke.

This person was none other than the little girl who had been bickering with him all afternoon, Uchiha Nagisa. And her identity was that of the Second Elder's own granddaughter.

"Haha, little Kyosuke, this is my granddaughter, Nagisa. You are both the same age, you should interact more in the future," the Second Elder said with a smile, stroking the little girl's hair.

"Hello, I'm Uchiha Nagisa. A pleasure to meet you," the girl said, a cunning smile on her lips, as she once again extended her small, fair hand to Kyosuke.

This time, Kyosuke took it without hesitation.

Seeing this, the Second Elder smiled with satisfaction, then said with a sigh, "Nagisa's parents passed away early. She has grown up by my side since she was a child. Oh, that's right, I was the one who gave her the name 'Nagisa'."

Hearing this, Kyosuke's face flushed. His expression stiffened as he forced out a compliment. "Oh... that's a really great name."

Across from him, the little girl was smiling triumphantly.

(End of Chapter)